Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars
Published Jan 29, 2021•Updated Dec 08, 2024
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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars are like a soft oatmeal cookie in bar form. These use melted butter and don’t require a mixer – easy and fast! With 1 million+ page views and 200+ positive reviews, I tested these a dozen times to get the texture just right – chewy, tender perfection.
Lori says: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I made these with butterscotch chips and Reece’s pieces. They are just so yummy and remind me of my childhood. “
Earlier this month I shared a recipe for healthy-ish Oatmeal Cookie Dough Energy Bites, but they were really just a prelude to these. Tender, chewy, no-mixer-required Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars.
Baked in an 8×8 pan, these bars make just enough for our family to enjoy for dessert with a couple left over for snacking the next day. There’s no waiting for butter to soften and no mixer required, making them the perfect thing to make tonight. You probably already have everything you need!
Looking for more easy, well-reviewed baking recipes? Be sure to check out my chewy chocolate chip cookies (with 1,000+ positive reviews), easy chocolate cake (perfect for a weeknight), and easy banana bread (made with melted butter and one just bowl).
Ingredients for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars
- All-Purpose Flour – Weigh the flour if possible, but otherwise, just gently spoon it into the measuring cup.
- Brown Sugar – This recipe uses all brown sugar to keep the bars soft and give them a slightly chewy texture. Light or dark brown sugar work.
- Unsalted Butter – Melt the butter and let it cool slightly before baking. If using salted butter, just be sure to skip the added salt in the recipe.
- Oats – You’ll need regular oats for these bars – look for either “old-fashioned” or “rolled” oats.
- Ground Cinnamon – As with oatmeal cookies, a small amount of ground cinnamon really helps to give these bars depth and highlights the chocolate flavor.
- Chocolate Chips or M&Ms – I like these with a mix of chocolate chips and M&Ms for some color and crunch. You can make the bars entirely with chocolate chips or entirely with M&Ms or with any other type of chocolate (see the recipe for ideas).
- Baking Powder, Kosher Salt, Large Egg, Pure Vanilla Extract – Standard baking ingredients.
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How to Freeze Oatmeal Bars
Oatmeal bars freeze well. Once bars have cooled completely, slice them into individual portions. Wrap each portion in plastic and transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to six months.
These will defrost at room temperature in about an hour. Individually-wrapped cookie bars make great treats to add to lunch boxes!
Can you change the mixins?
Absolutely! Check the comments for other ideas, but these are great with:
Butterscotch chips
Chopped Heath bars
Holiday-themed M&Ms (I used them to make Fourth of July bars)
Reese’s peices and / or mini Reese’s peanut butter cups (though if you’re up for peanut butter and chocolate, try my Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars)
More 8×8 Desserts
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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- 8×8 baking pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour (1 cup flour = 125 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled slightly (1 stick)
- 1 cup lightly packed Brown Sugar (light or dark will work) (1 cup sugar = 200 grams)
- 1 large Egg
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Old Fashioned / Rolled Oats
- 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (see note)
- 1/2 cup M&Ms (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C. Line an 8×8 metal baking pan with parchment paper and / or spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a larger mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter and brown sugar until evenly combined. Whisk in egg and vanilla.
- Pour dry ingredients over wet and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon just until no dry spots remain (do not overmix.)
- Gently stir in oats, chocolate chips, and M&Ms.
- Pour batter into prepared pan, scattering any reserved mix-ins over top.
- Bake 24 to 28 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. (Note: If cooked on the lower end of the bake time, these will be very soft and will stay moist for a couple of days. If you plan to serve them the same day as they were baked, bake at the higher end of the recommended cook time.)
- Let cool in the pan until the bars can be easily removed. Once cool, slice and serve.
- The bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just looking to clarify before making, MELTED butter, or room-temperature/softened butter? I’ve never encountered a cookie recipe that asks for melted butter before and I know it can affect texture, so I just want to confirm.
Thanks!
Melted! I wanted to keep it super simple for these bars. Many cookie recipes use softened butter, but I tested these using melted butter so that I didn’t have to wait for the butter to soften. Just warm it in the microwave or stovetop until it’s completely liquid and then, as noted in the recipe, let it just cool for a couple of minutes so it’s not piping hot when you mix it with the other ingredients.
If you double the recipe, what size pan do you use and does it change the cooking time?
Use a 9×13 and plan for it to take 3 to 5 minutes extra. The center should be just cooked and the edges should be golden brown.
Easy, delicious! Huge hit for a toddler playdate !
Yay! Glad you (and the toddlers!) enjoyed them.
Will these work with gluten free flour?
They should! Just be sure to use a 1:1 GF flour substitute.