Oatmeal Cookie Bars
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These oatmeal cookie bars are a heartier, chewier version of my chocolate chip cookie bars! Buttery, thick, chewy, and chock full of oats and (optional) chocolate pieces, these are easy to make with no mixer required!
Be sure to check out my step-by-step video just below the recipe!
Cookie bars are the ultimate sweet treat for when you really want cookies but are just too lazy to spend an hour scooping cookie dough.
Alright, so they’re really good anytime, but I’ve been there before too many times to count. Some of my favorite recipes were born of sheer laziness and cookie dough scooping fatigue (I’m looking at you, sugar cookie bars).
And while the lazy factor is a big plus for me, the best part is that we sacrifice nothing in terms of taste. These oatmeal cookie bars are like one of my big soft oatmeal cookies, only even thicker and chewier and loaded with a variety of (optional) chocolate chips. Oh and let’s not forget the best part: no chilling and no scooping required!
While you can make these cookie bars “plain” with no add-ins, I love adding chocolate chips or even chopped nuts to mine. For today’s oatmeal cookie bars I used a blend of milk and semisweet chocolate and butterscotch chips.
Occasionally I’ll toss in chopped walnuts as well. My last batch was a mix of walnuts, dark chocolate and caramel chips (here’s where I’d insert the drooling emoji if I could find it on my keyboard).
You can add your favorite add-ins, but I recommend only using about a cup and a half.
If you’re feeling a little lazy yourself this morning (or evening, or whenever you’re reading this) but also hear your sweet tooth calling, this is the dessert for you.
Let me know what you think of it! My sister-in-law loved these and if you like them half as much as she did they’ll be well worth your time.
Enjoy!
Looking for more lazy-day bar cookie recipes?
Oatmeal Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) butter, melted
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, tightly packed
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- 2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup (157 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch, cornflour in UK
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼-½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
- 3 cups (285 g) old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups (255 g) chocolate chips, optional, I did a mix of semisweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 9x9 metal baking pan with parchment paper or grease and flour the sides and bottom of the pan.*
- Combine butter and sugars in a large bowl and stir until well-combined.1 cup (226 g) butter, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir well.2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon (if using).1 ¼ cup (157 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼-½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet until completely combined.
- Add oats and chocolate chips and stir until well combined.3 cups (285 g) old fashioned rolled oats, 1 ½ cups (255 g) chocolate chips
- Spread cookie dough evenly into prepared baking pan and bake on 350F (175C) for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Have you tried using espresso chips? Just saw them in the store.
I have not, but it sounds good. I would love to know how they turn out if you try them, Vicki!
You are so sweet. Thank you for the video. These are going to get me through the stay-home days!! take care.
Thank you so much, Lynn! I hope that you enjoy them! 🙂
My house smells FANTASTIC!!! This was a super easy recipe that doesn’t need a blender. OMG! My house smells great. They taste great.
I would have to agree, the smell of freshly baked cookies is one of the greatest smells! I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe and that you found it easy to do, Michelle! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
A double batch is way too much for a 9 x 13 pan. They were good, but soooo thick! Almost hard to eat. Good, though. We used half butterscotch chips, half semisweet. Next time will definitely make a single batch to get thinner bars, rather than the monstrous “cake” I ended up with!
I am sorry that the bars ended up being too thick. Thanks for sharing, Emily, and for trying my recipe. 🙂
Momy messsed thme up.
Oh no! I am so sorry to hear that, Elise! 🙁
Hi. I just finished making these bars. Oh so chewy. I added a few raisins along with the chips. I luv this recipe. I know my co-workers will enjoy. I just luv to bake. Thanks for sharing your recipes along with your videos.
I am so glad that you loved them, Patricia, I hope that your coworkers will too. Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. I appreciate it! 🙂
Verrrry Goood! These are yummy. Added nuts, coconut, and ground flaxseed meal so I cut back on amount of oatmeal to accomodate extra add-ins. Really perfect. Had to freeze for portion control and thawed perfectly. Give these a try.
I am so glad that you enjoyed the oatmeal cookie bars! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
What can I substitute for the corn starch?
Thank you!
Dianne
Hi Dianne! You can leave it out if you don’t have it. I hope you love the bars!
This is SO helpful because I don’t have cornstarch and really want to make these! I plan to use walnuts or pecans and just leave the chocolate out. Thanks for the lovely recipient and notes!!!!’
Hey I just made the oatmeal bars. They are so good. I had to make myself quit eating them. I used a glass pan and had to add 8 more minutes. I also use an electric stove. I am a senior citizen and thought your video was right to the spot. Older minds seem to not quite remember the best way to mix the ingredients. Thank you.
I am so glad that you enjoyed the oatmeal cookie bars, Karen! It is hard to have just one that is for sure! I am happy that you found the video helpful and that the directions were spot on. Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Oatmeal bars are delicious! The only change I made was 1 cup raisens & 1 cup dark chocolate chips (my preference). Yummy!
Thank you!
I am so glad that you enjoyed the oatmeal bars, Dawn! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Seriously? Three cups of oats?! Terrible, dry,
I should have realized…and I followed the recipe, waste of good ingredients
Hmm, the 3 cups of oats is correct. As you can see from the photos and the video the cookie bars did not turn out at all dry for me and no one else has reported this problem, is it possible another ingredient was measured incorrectly? Or if you used quick oats instead of the old fashioned ones that could make the bars dry too.
OMG!!!! SO DELICIOUS!!! My kids loved it, I loved it!! My 2 year old said “Fumbs up mommy!!”
Aww, so glad to hear the cookie bars were such a success for everyone! Thank you so much for letting me know how they turned out for you, Simone 🙂
Hi! I am making these tonight and I only have quick oats. What will the texture be like if I use them? Thank you!
Hi Yvonne, I think they would be a bit more dense, a bit more dry, and a bit less chewy with quick oats.
There yummy doubled batch and made 9×13 pan.
Thank you so much, Susan! I am so glad that you enjoyed the Oatmeal Cookie Bars. 🙂
WOULD QUICK OATS WORK BY DENSE DO YOU MEAN DRY
You can use quick oats, but the texture won’t quite be the same, and by dense I mean they are not light and fluffy cookies. They are not a dry cookie. 🙂