Oatmeal chocolate chip bars are a delightful twist on the classic oatmeal cookie, combining the wholesome, chewy texture of oatmeal with the rich, indulgent taste of chocolate chips. These oat bars are super easy to make and perfect for a quick snack, a sweet treat after dinner, or a crowd-pleasing dessert at gatherings.
The addition of oatmeal not only adds a wonderful texture but also a slight nutty flavor, complementing the sweetness of the chocolate. Oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars are a versatile treat that can be customized with nuts, dried fruits, or other mix-ins to suit your taste.
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Why You'll Love This Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars Recipe
- Perfect Balance: Combines hearty oats with rich chocolate chips.
- Delicious Flavor: A creamy blend of sugars, butter, vanilla, and chocolate creates a luscious taste.
- Great Texture: Satisfying combination of chewy oats and chocolate chips.
- Easy to Make: This simple recipe is super quick to make. These bars taste like cookies, but you don't have to bake them in batches.
- Versatile: This can be customized with your favorite mix-ins.
- Anytime Treat: Ideal for breakfast, snacks, or dessert.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Perfect for sharing at gatherings. This recipe makes a large pan full of bars, providing plenty to go around.
- Homemade Goodness: Offers a homemade treat that feels both indulgent and nourishing.
Sometimes I want chocolate chip cookies or oatmeal cookies, but I don't have a lot of time to bake them, or I don't feel like taking the time to bake them. Cookies can be time-consuming since you have to scoop and bake them in batches. So cookie bars are the perfect alternative.
Ingredients
- White Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create a slightly crisp texture on the edges.
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness, moisture, and a subtle caramel flavor, contributing to the chewiness.
- Vegetable or Canola Oil: Adds moisture and richness, helping to keep the bars soft.
- Butter: Provides flavor, richness, and a creamy texture, helping to create a tender crumb. (I use salted, but unsalted works too.)
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together, add moisture, and help the bars rise slightly.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor with a warm, sweet note.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure and stability, forming the base of the bars.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors and balances the sweetness. (Sea salt is my choice.)
- Baking Powder: Helps the bars rise, creating a lighter texture. (I recommend using aluminum-free baking powder.)
- Baking Soda: Works with the baking powder to help the bars rise and become tender.
- Quick Oats: Add a chewy texture, a nutty flavor, and a hearty, wholesome element. (For variety in texture, you could use half quick oats and half rolled oats.)
- Chocolate Chips: Provide bursts of rich, sweet chocolate throughout the bars. (Use your chocolate of choice. I like dark chocolate.)
Each ingredient plays a role in creating the texture, flavor, and structure of the oatmeal chocolate chip bars, resulting in a delicious and satisfying treat.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Making these chewy oatmeal chocolate chip bars with quick oats is super easy, especially if you have a large Kitchen-Aid mixer, but you can mix them by hand as well.
Preheat Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Prepare Wet Ingredients:
- Place the white sugar, brown sugar, oil, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract into a large mixing bowl.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, mix the ingredients well until the mixture is nice and creamy.
Prepare Dry Ingredients:
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and quick oats until well combined.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients:
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Prepare Baking Pan:
- Grease a 13 x 18-inch sheet pan (½ sheet pan) with cooking spray or butter.
Spread Batter:
- Spread the batter evenly onto a 13 x 18" sheet pan (a half-sheet pan, not a jelly-roll pan).
Bake:
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the bars are set and lightly browned around the edges. Do not overbake, as overbaking always leads to dry baked goods.
Cool:
- Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting.
Cut and Store:
- Once cooled, cut the bars into squares or rectangles.
- Store in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze any bars you won't eat within a few days. Anytime you get a craving for a sweet treat, simply remove a bar from the freezer, thaw, and enjoy!
Variations
Substitute the chocolate chips for raisins, and turn these into Oatmeal Raisin Bars. For a different twist, make these oatmeal bars with craisins and white chocolate chips. Add chopped nuts, mini M&Ms, or whatever else you think sounds good.
Health Benefits of Oatmeal
Even though we all know that baked goods made with sugar, fats, and flour are not healthy for us, there are benefits to eating oats.
They are high in fiber and antioxidants and are a great addition to a heart-healthy diet.
If you enjoy oats, perhaps you'd like to try my oat fudge bars recipe, granola bars, or honey oat bread. Try my homemade granola cereal recipe or baked oatmeal for a hearty oat breakfast.
Baked Oatmeal Bars
Baking is one of my favorite hobbies. It's so much fun to create delicious food. And I think it would be fun to run a bakery/deli/coffee shop someday. But I don't know if that will ever happen.
So for now, I have fun baking for my family. And with six of us in the house, it sure doesn't take long for food to disappear.
Whenever I bake cookies or bars, I usually make a large batch and put some in the freezer. It keeps them fresh, and I also have hopes that maybe they won't all get eaten as quickly if they're not sitting out where everyone sees them. 🙂
More Amish Cookie Bar Recipes
I hope you enjoy these easy oatmeal chocolate chip bars. If you try this Amish recipe, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
Homemade cornstarch pudding is yummy with these sheet pan oatmeal bars.
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Recommendation for serving bars...
A good bar scoop is a must-have. I found a cheap one at a garage sale and used it all the time until one day it got legs and walked off. I am missing it so much and need to get myself a new one because they are the perfect size for scooping and serving bars and so many other things like lasagna, etc.
And men, if your wife likes to bake and doesn't have a big stand mixer, here's a great idea for her next birthday gift ;). I would be lost without my KitchenAid mixer.
📖 Recipe Card
Amish Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars
Ingredients
- 1 c. white sugar
- 1 ¾ c. brown sugar
- 1 ½ c. vegetable or canola oil
- ½ c. softened butter
- 5 large eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 4 c. quick oats
- 1 ½ c. chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Place sugars, oil, butter, eggs, and vanilla into your mixing bowl. Mix well until nice and creamy.1 c. white sugar, 1 ½ c. vegetable or canola oil, 5 large eggs, ½ c. softened butter, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, 1 ¾ c. brown sugar
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and quick oats.4 c. all-purpose flour, 2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. baking powder, 2 tsp. baking soda, 4 c. quick oats, 1 ½ c. chocolate chips
- Stir together the wet and dry ingredients until mixed. Do not overmix. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Spread onto a greased 13 x 18" sheet pan. (½ sheet pan, not jelly roll pan)
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until set and lightly browned.
- Cool completely before cutting into bars.
- Store in an airtight container. Freeze whatever you won't get to eat within a few days.
Anna
Love this easy recipe that makes a big pan of bars!
Jo
Amazing bars
Anna
Thank you