Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

By Jess Smith

4.25

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. “

overhead image of oatmeal cookie bars on a white table

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).

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overhead image of oatmeal, chocolate chips, and candy in a glass 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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putting cookie dough mix into a baking pan

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!

oatmeal cookie bars cut into squares

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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chocolate chip oatmeal cookie bars
4.25 from 196 votes

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars are like a super soft oatmeal cookie in bar form. Change up the mix-ins, using chocolate chips and M&Ms as shown, or trying them with butterscotch chips or toasted chopped nuts.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 24 minutes
Total: 44 minutes
Servings: 16 bars
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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

Chocolate Chips and M&Ms – You can use both or just one of these. Reserve a few extra to scatter on the top if you’d like. If you’d like different fillings try butterscotch chips, chocolate chunks, or toasted pecans / walnuts. Just be sure the total amount of mix-ins add up to 1 1/2 cups. 
Glass or Ceramic Baking Pan – If using a glass or ceramic baking pan, the bars will take longer to bake. Expect to add about 5 minutes to the baking time.

Nutrition

Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 122mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 212IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
Cost: $3.00
Calories: 230
Keyword: chocolate chip, cookie bars, easy snack
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About Jess Smith

Jess is the recipe creator and photographer at InquiringChef.com. She spent nearly a decade as the Chief Recipe Developer for the award-winning meal planning app Cook Smarts. Her colorful, healthyish recipes have been featured in popular online publications including Parade, Hallmark, and HuffPost.

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4.25 from 196 votes (187 ratings without comment)

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41 Comments

  2. Hello,
    I was wanting to make these with Christmas M&Ms for a church gathering…I was wondering if I doubled it would I bake them in a 9×13 glass pan and if so for how long?
    Thank you,
    Renee

    Reply

    1. It should work just fine to double the recipe and bake in a 9×13. The bake time should be very similar since the thickness won’t change, but keep an eye on it and make sure it’s set in the center before you pull it out of the oven.

      Reply

    1. Wonderful! I love hearing that! And thanks so much for weighing in on doubling the recipe! I get so many questions about that.

      Reply

    1. I never have, but I completely agree – I think these would be great frozen and then baked from frozen. If you try it, let us know how it goes!

      Reply

  6. 5 stars
    Just made these with 1/2C. chocolate chips, 1/2C. white chocolate chips and some leftover shredded coconut and they are delicious! But now I’m wondering if I could substitute blueberries for the chocolate or half strawberries and chocolate chips?! Have you ever used fruit in this recipe before?

    Reply

  7. If you double the recipe, it says 16 tbls, but the (1 stick) is still there. I am not sure how you could fix this other than removing the (1 stick) from the original recipe. Most people would understand, but unfortunately common sense isn’t very common.

    Reply

    1. Yes Miranda – you’re exactly right. If there are added notes after the primary measurements, they won’t double or triple with the recipe adjustment buttons. I’m glad you caught that, and I hope that others do too!

      Reply

      1. I’m trying to use the multiplier function but there’s an ad permanently covering it. Any chance you can adjust that so I can see and use the whole recipe?

        Reply

        1. Hi Jillian -give it a try now. Unfortunately, our ad providers really deliver a lot of extra ads to the site during this busy pre-holiday season, but I appreciate you flagging it for me so I can fix it on my end. Should be easily visible now.

          Reply