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Thick and chewy Oatmeal Cookie Bars are made in one bowl and turn out so thick and buttery, loaded with chocolate, and perfect as an afternoon treat.
You know those old cookbooks that you find at garage sales and thrift shops? The ones that all the little old ladies at church contributed to? Yeah, those.
They’re the best.
I found a recipe for the perfect oatmeal cookies in one such book and I’ve held on to it for years. And years and years.
I didn’t want to make oatmeal cookies today, though. I wanted to make oatmeal cookie bars! And, so I did.
I loaded these oatmeal cookie bars with a whole bag full of chocolate chips, because the more the merrier, if you ask me. Of course, you could use raisins and add a little cinnamon to the batter if that’s more your style.
We’ll always choose the chocolate chips in this house, though.
These oatmeal bars are thick, they’re soft, they’re chewy, they’re gooey, they’re melty, they’re basically all the good things you want in an oatmeal cookie.
We love baking with oats. These Strawberry Oatmeal Bars and Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are made on repeat in our house.
Ingredient Notes:
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Dry Ingredients – To prepare the oatmeal cookie batter you’ll start with old fashioned rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt.
Wet Ingredients – You’ll also need a couple large eggs, some vanilla extract, and melted butter. You can brown the butter too if you want to add extra flavor!
Chocolate Chips – We prefer to use milk chocolate chips in this recipe but you can use any variety including semisweet or dark chocolate chips!
What We Love About This OATMEAL COOKIE BAR Recipe:
- Texture: The rolled oats are nice and chewy and they go really well with the melty chocolate and soft cookie dough! Add some nuts or raisins to add even more textures to the mix.
- Simple: This is an easy dessert recipe that doesn’t require a whole lot more than mixing everything in one bowl, transferring to a baking dish, and then baking, cooling, and slicing it. So simple!
How To Make Oatmeal Cookie Bars:
Combine: Add all of the wet and dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer.
Chocolate: You can now stir in the chocolate chips by hand, then spread the batter into the prepared baking dish.
Bake: These oatmeal cookie bars will only take about 25 minutes to bake at 350 degrees, or until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs. The bars should look slightly underdone so don’t overbake and dry them out!
Serve: Let it cool for at least an hour before slicing into bars and serving!
Variations & Substitutions:
There are lots of ways to modify these oatmeal cookie bars! You could use white chocolate, peanut butter or butterscotch chips as a substitute for chocolate or use a variety mix.
Or why not even more chocolate? A few mini snack size Hershey’s bars would make for some deliciously melty bites.
Mixing chopped walnuts or pecans, raisins, or cranberries into the oatmeal cookie batter would be another great way to change this recipe up.
I also think some flaky sea salt would make an excellent topping. The salty flavor would contrast nicely with all that sweetness!
FAQ’s:
Allow the cookie bars to cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5 days. They’ll last about a week or so in the fridge.
Yep! After allowing to cool completely wrap the oatmeal cookie bars in plastic and then aluminum foil and store in the freezer. They’ll stay good for about a month or two.
Quick oats are cut smaller than rolled oats and will work just fine in this recipe. However, we do prefer the chewier texture of rolled oats in these cookie bars.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups butter melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips or any variety
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add everything but the chocolate chips to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter into the baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes or until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Bars should look slightly underdone.
- Let cool 1 hour before cutting into bars.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally published in 2015. It was updated in 2024 with new photos. Original photo below:
KitchenNostalgia says
Karly, you convinced me: I absolutely need to make your Oatmeal Cookie Bars, as soon as possible. Cannot wait! 🙂
Nicole - Coking for Keeps says
Those look SO fudgy and pretty much out of this world! Love those old church cookbooks!
Tina says
I made these tonight for the kids lunches for the week. Great recipe! I shared your page on my blog so others could make them as well! Tina
Karly says
Awesome, Tina! Thank you!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
See, now I wonder what Cool Whip and Velveeta taste like together. It sounds gross but I’m so intrigued…
These bars? They are AMAZING!
Karly says
Well, Dorothy, I’ll keep an eye out for your next cheesy cool whip recipe!
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
I saw your teaser on your FB and was looking forward to this recipe! They look AMAZING!
And the Velveeta recipe – OMG! lol
Malinda @countrysidecravings says
Wow these look good! I too love those old church cookbooks!!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
These oatmeal cookie bars look incredible! Oatmeal cookies are my favorite but I love bars since they are so much easier than scooping out cookie dough! Love all that chocolate in here! I’ll take the whole batch!
Kathleen @ Yummy Crumble says
These look incredible! I’m obsessed with vintage cookbooks. The photography is hilarious sometimes. I love how jello molds were the biggest trend ever. I want to bring them back! No Velveeta though. Or hot dog wieners in everything. No thank you!
Jodi says
I am dying over these and want one right now! You’d better believe that I will be making these ASAP. Thanks Karly!
Emily @ Life on Food says
I am a firm believer that oats make things healthy. Therefore these bars are healthy. I cannot wait to make them.
Simple Green Moms says
Yes I love oatmeal cookies. And yes I love oatmeal bars. And yes I love chocolate chips. And YES I want these bars asap. YUM!
Karen @ On the Banks of Salt Creek says
I love cookie bars. So much easier than the individual cookies. It’s my lazy way of making cookies and I LOVE it!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
I wish I could have cookie bars for breakfast. Holy smokes!!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
OMG, totally dying over the Velveeta Recipe! But not in the same way that I am dying over these bars.
This is the kind of gimme ALL the bars NOW and no one gets hurt kinda dying. Pinned!
keri @ shaken together says
I LOVE those church cookbooks! The one from my father in law had a recipe that called for corned beef and lemon Jell-O. No. Just NO. But these bars? A big fat YES!