This easy recipe for Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Bars is a one bowl buttery treat perfect for holidays and bake sales.
A One Bowl Recipe
These Cookie bars are literally the most simple thing you will ever bake. You don’t need to be a master baker to perfect this recipe.
You will be thrilled with the results. If these are a winner, why not try my Salted Toffee Cookie Bars or Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, once you’ve made cookie bars, you’ll never go back!
My twist on these chocolatey delights is to use cinnamon and nutmeg as well as vanilla, resulting in a mouth-watering spiced surprise.
Why This Recipe Works
- The spices along with the vanilla add an extra depth of flavor
- The melted butter keeps things simple and hassle-free.
- The brown sugar adds a caramel flavor as well as a chewy consistency
What Is a Cookie Bar?
A Cookie Bar is cookie dough that’s spread and baked in a pan, as opposed to making individual cookies. Once baked it’s cut into bars. Easy!
The Best Oats For This Recipe
The best oats to use are old fashioned rolled oats. Instant oats will not work with this recipe. Old fashioned rolled oats are best for baking as they hold their shape and give you the chewy consistency you’re looking for.
Which Chocolate Chips?
The best chocolate chips to use are the ones you love best. There are no rules!
Step By Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190C. Grease and flour a 9 x 12 baking pan.
Add the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg together into a large mixing bowl.
Add the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar.
Add the eggs, vanilla, and oats and mix until combined.
Add the chocolate chips and mix to combine
Spread evenly into the pan
Sprinkle with extra chocolate chips.
Bake until golden. Allow cooling for ten minutes before removing from the pan.
How to tell if The Bars Are Ready
After baking for 30 minutes, give the pan a little shake. If it jiggles in the middle, put the pan back in the oven and try again every 5 minutes until there is no longer any jiggle.
Slice into cookie bars.
How To Cut Cookie Bars
- Position a clean ruler on the top of the cooled, baked bars.
- Use a small knife to score a line as a cutting guide in even intervals both horizontally and vertically.
- Starting in the middle, line up the knife between scored cut marks and cut.
Serve and enjoy!
For Best results
- For a more even look, use an offset spatula to spread the dough evenly into the pan.
- For a more professional looking slice cool the cookie bars completely before slicing. You can also chill in the refrigerator to fully set before slicing. Chilled bars cut cleaner.
- Use a ruler for your first slice to make the straightest possible cut.
- I recommend using a wooden spoon instead of a mixer in this recipe to avoid over mixing, which will result in a tougher bar.
FAQs
Can you freeze this recipe? Yes, cookie bars freeze really well wrapped well in plastic and finished with foil for up to three months.
How Do You Store Cookie Bars? Cookie bars can be stored for 3 – 4 days right in their baking pan covered tightly with aluminum foil or cut and stored in an airtight container.
Other Great Cookie Bars
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Let’s Make Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose/plain flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda/bicarbonate of soda
- 1¼ cups salted butter melted
- 1½ cups packed light-brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1¼ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190C. Grease and flour a 9 x 12 baking pan
- Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg together into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, and rolled oats. Mix until combined. Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips and spread evenly into the pan. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.
- Bake 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, give the pan a little shake. If it jiggles in the middle, put the pan back in and try again every 5 minutes until there is no longer any jiggle.
- Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before cutting. Best served warm, but great cooled as well.
Tips + Notes
- For a more even look, use an offset spatula to spread the dough evenly into the pan.
- For a more professional looking slice cool the cookie bars completely before slicing. You can also chill in the refrigerator to fully set before slicing. Chilled bars cut cleaner.
- Use a ruler for your first slice to make the straightest possible cut.
- I recommend using a wooden spoon instead of a mixer in this recipe to avoid over mixing, which will result in a tougher bar.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This post was originally published on Aug 29, 2016, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, tips, and FAQs in Jan of 2020.
Amanda L says
Such a winner in our house! I’ve made them once a week since I found the recipe! Thank you!!
Erren Hart says
Hearing that you enjoyed the recipe makes all the hard work worthwhile. Thank you for sharing your positive experience.
Jennifer R Howell says
Very easy to make. Helps to put in fridge , keeps shape of cookie instead of spreading out on pan
Erren's Kitchen says
Glad you liked it Jennifer 🙂
Debbie H says
These were a hit in this house. We are chocoholics. I used twice as many chocolate chips as iin the recipe. Perfection! Thank you!
Erren Hart says
I’m delighted to hear you liked it so much! 🙂