This post may contain affiliate links.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are everything you love about a chewy oatmeal cookie, baked into one easy pan so there is no scooping and no waiting between batches. They are soft in the middle, a little chewy at the edges, and loaded with melty chocolate chips, and Maddie grabs one the second they are cool enough to cut. If you love our monster cookie bars, these are the simpler, chocolate forward cousin you will make on repeat.
One bowl, one pan, and about 30 minutes in the oven stand between you and a tray of chewy chocolate chip bars.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 30 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 45 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 bars
- ⚡ Calories: 482kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Chewy, buttery oatmeal with plenty of melty chocolate
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our Oreo fudge brownies
Quick Answer
Whisk the oats, flour, baking soda, and baking powder together, then cream the butter and brown sugar and beat in the eggs and vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet, fold in chocolate chips, and press the dough into a baking dish. Top with a few extra chips and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until golden, then cool and cut into bars.
Jump to:
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars FAQs
- Other Recommended Cookie Bar and Brownie Recipes
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- One pan, no scooping. Pressing the dough into a baking dish skips the scoop, bake, repeat routine of regular cookies and gets you to dessert faster.
- Oats add chew. Old fashioned rolled oats give the bars that hearty, chewy texture that sets them apart from a plain chocolate chip cookie.
- Brown sugar keeps them soft. Using all brown sugar adds moisture and a deeper caramel flavor that keeps the bars soft for days.
- Reserving chips for the top. Pressing extra chocolate chips onto the surface before baking makes every bar look bakery worthy.
- They are forgiving. No chilling and no rolling means even brand new bakers get consistent, chewy results.
- They travel well. Sturdy bars are perfect for lunchboxes, bake sales, and potlucks since they hold their shape.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They deliver chewy oatmeal cookie flavor with a fraction of the effort.
- It is a one bowl, no chill recipe that comes together fast.
- They are loaded with chocolate chips, just like our cosmic brownie cookies.
- They are easy to cut, pack, and share, which makes them a potluck and lunchbox favorite.
Key Ingredients
Here is what goes into these chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars. It is all pantry basics.
- Old fashioned rolled oats: They give the bars their signature chew and hearty texture.
- Light brown sugar: Using all brown sugar adds moisture and a rich caramel note that keeps the bars soft.
- Salted butter: Creamed with the sugar, it makes the bars tender and flavorful.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Mixed into the dough and pressed on top for melty chocolate in every bite.
- Eggs and vanilla: They bind the dough and round out that classic cookie flavor.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These bars take well to mix ins and swaps. Here are a few we love.
- Swap half the chocolate chips for chopped nuts, butterscotch chips, or M&Ms.
- Add a half teaspoon of cinnamon for a warm, oatmeal cookie spice note.
- Use dark or milk chocolate chips in place of semi-sweet to suit your taste.
- Fold in a handful of raisins or dried cranberries for a chewy oatmeal raisin twist.
- Press a few extra chips and a sprinkle of flaky salt on top for a salty sweet finish like our chocolate chip cake.
How to Make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 11×7 baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, and baking powder, then set aside.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar for about 3 minutes, then beat in the eggs and vanilla until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until there are no dry patches, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Reserve a handful of chocolate chips, then stir the rest into the dough.
- Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan and sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips over the top.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, then cool completely before slicing into bars.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Do not overbake. Pull the bars when the edges are golden and the center is just set so they stay soft and chewy.
- Use room temperature butter and eggs so the dough creams together smoothly.
- Line the pan with parchment leaving an overhang, so you can lift the whole slab out and cut clean bars.
- Cool completely before cutting, or the bars will crumble while they are still warm.
- Reserve some chips for the top so every bar looks loaded with chocolate.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars are perfect cut into squares for a lunchbox treat or stacked on a plate for an after dinner dessert. Serve one slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate version.
They are a great addition to a cookie tray alongside our cosmic brownie cookies and a batch of pop tart sugar cookies for a spread that covers every craving.
Hosting a bake sale or potluck? These bars hold their shape and travel well, just like our double chocolate zucchini bars, so they are an easy crowd pleaser to bring along.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars FAQs
Old fashioned rolled oats are best because they give the bars a hearty, chewy texture. Quick oats will work in a pinch but make a softer, less chewy bar. Avoid instant oats, which can turn the bars mushy.
Dry bars usually mean they were overbaked or had too much flour. Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off, and pull the bars when the center is just set with golden edges.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Layer them with parchment paper so they do not stick together, and keep them out of direct sunlight to stay soft.
Yes. Once cooled and cut, freeze the bars in a single layer, then transfer them to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the microwave.
Absolutely. These bars keep well, so you can bake them a day or two ahead. Cool and cut them, then store in an airtight container until you are ready to serve.
Yes. Double the ingredients and press the dough into a 9×13 baking dish. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the bake time, so check for golden edges and a set center.
Craving more easy bars? Try our chewy monster cookie bars next.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 & 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 11×7 baking dish with cooking spray (the kind with flour in it) or line it with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the old-fashioned oats, flour, baking soda, and baking powder, and set aside.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar in another large bowl for 3 minutes with an electric hand mixer on medium speed or in the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, mix until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well until there are no dry patches. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Reserve a handful of chocolate chips on the side. Add the remaining chocolate chips to the bowl and mix them in.
- Press the cookie dough into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining extra chocolate chips on top of the bars.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into bars.
Notes
- This makes a large batch, but you can easily double it to feed more or halve the recipe as needed. Bake in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish to make half a recipe, baking times may vary.
- Tons of custom options, see my tips above on that.
- Great for a make-ahead dessert.
- This freezes well, see my tips above on how to store.
- Make sure to use old-fashioned rolled oats to get the right texture.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
Follow @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen on Instagram and @danadevolk on Pinterest for more!
Yes, you would need to double it. Baking time will change slightly as well.
An 11×7 is obviously smaller than a 13×9 baking pan. Can or should this recipe be doubled for a 13×9 baking pan? I would love to make these. But I don’t have a 11×7 pan. Didn’t even know a pan that size even existed. I always say. Go big or go home. I love to bake ALOT. And always share with everyone. I’m a baker by trade and my specialty is Cheesecakes.