Rich & Gooey Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars (Video)

Warm, gooey, and filled with rich chocolate chips, these oatmeal chocolate chip bars are the perfect treat.

Not only are they easy to make, these bars will be loved by all ages and can satisfy any sweet tooth craving!

CHOCOLATE + OATS = INCREDIBLE COOKIE BARS!

My husband loves treats with oatmeal and chocolate chips, and he said these bars are his new favorite treat! I’m pretty sure these are the reasons:

• Melted butter gives them a thin crunchy crust on top that just melts in your mouth.
• They are perfectly buttery and chewy, and the oats give them a perfect amount of crunch.
• Milk chocolate chips add sweetness, semi sweet chocolate chips give them that ooey gooey melted chocolate we all love!
• You can eat them warm, at room temperature, cold, or even straight from the freezer.

I also love that they are made in one bowl, take less than 10 minutes of prep work, and are easy to transport to potlucks and picnics.

HOW TO MAKE OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS

1. PREP – Spray a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray. (For faster cleanup, line with foil or parchment paper first.) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. WET INGREDIENTS – Melt the butter in a large glass bowl. Vigorously whisk in the brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk again.
3. DRY INGREDIENTS – Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and oats. Stir until all the flour is moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips. (I like to save about 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top.) Batter will be similar to the consistency of brownie batter.
4. TRANSFER – Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spread out evenly. Sprinkle with the reserved chocolate chips.
5. BAKE – Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and middle is set. A toothpick inserted in the middle shouldn’t have sticky batter, but moist crumbs are fine. For moist and chewy bars, don’t over bake.
6. COOL – Let the bars cool for at least 15-20 minutes before serving. But they are much easier to slice after they have cooled completely for a couple of hours.

STORING LEFTOVER CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL BARS:

Leftover bars will store just fine in the pan for 3-4 days if you cover them tightly. They will stay more moist if you don’t cut them until you are ready to serve them.

If you need to cut them, they will still be fine, but I like to individually wrap them in plastic wrap to keep them at their freshest.

You can also freeze the oatmeal cookie bars. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap, then place them in heavy duty ziplock bags or a freezer safe container. They will keep for 4-5 months in the freezer.

You can let them thaw at room temperature, heat them in the microwave for a few seconds, or even eat them frozen.

VARIATIONS:

• For a rich, nutty flavor, brown the butter instead of just melting it. So, so good!
• Toss in a cup of chopped nuts. I prefer pecans, but walnuts are tasty too. For best flavor, toast them first.
• I use half milk and half semi sweet chocolate chips, but you can use any kind you like. You could even use white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or peanut butter chips.
• Try adding some sweetened flaked coconut to the batter.
• I couldn’t get away with this at my house, but if you have raisin lovers, add a cup of raisins.
• For really fun bars, stir in 1-2 cups of M&M candies, any color. Party time!

MORE BAR COOKIE RECIPES:

• Oatmeal Fudge Bars
• Snickerdoodle Bars
• Congo Squares
• Pistachio Bars
• Churro Cheesecake Bars
• Sugar Cookie Bars
• Toffee Bars

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS RECIPE

If you need a crowd pleasing treat that comes together in minutes, travels well, and tastes incredible, give these oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars a try.

Anyone who is a fan of oatmeal cookies will go crazy for them!