These oatmeal chocolate chip bars are loaded with oats and chocolate chips, creating a sweet snack or breakfast that's full of delicious flavor and leaves you feeling full all morning long.
We love a home-cooked breakfast, but sometimes, time just doesn't allow for that. That's why we tend to make these chocolate chip oatmeal bars and keep them on hand for quick breakfasts and snacks.
Just like our sausage egg muffins, they're a quick and easy recipe we can make ahead of time for a grab-and-go option for busy mornings.
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Why You'll Love Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
- Basic Ingredients: These bars use simple kitchen staples.
- Easy: This recipe comes together quickly and only takes 20 minutes in the oven.
- Convenient: Make these bars ahead of time and use them for a quick breakfast, afternoon snack, or post-workout meal.
- Great for Meal Prep: These bars can be frozen for later use, making them a great meal prep option.
Ingredients
- Quick Oatmeal: Quick oatmeal gives these bars a healthy kick and a chewy texture.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Chocolate chips add sweetness and flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: Flour turns all the ingredients into a dough, holding it all together.
- Brown Sugar: In addition to standard white sugar, brown sugar adds sweetness and a deeper flavor to the bars.
See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact quantities of each ingredient.
Flavor Variations and Substitutions
- More Texture: Use rolled oats for a chewier texture.
- Chocolate Chips: Milk, semi-sweet, and dark chocolate all work well.
- Dried Fruit: Add your favorite dried fruit to these bars for more flavor.
- Dairy-Free: Use almond milk or another plant-based milk and dairy-free chocolate chips for dairy-free bars.
How To Make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars
Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a 13x18 cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
1: Using a stand mixer, cream together butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Next, slowly add the milk.
2: In a separate bowl, add the flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix together. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well incorporated.
3: Carefully add the chocolate chips and oatmeal. Then, mix just until blended.
4: Evenly press the dough into the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges turn slightly golden brown. Remove the bars from the oven, and cool before serving.
Hint
A stand mixer is the easiest way to mix your oatmeal bar dough. It mixes evenly with much less effort.
Storage
Refrigerate these bars for up to 5 days in an air-tight container. For longer storage, wrap the bars in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
What To Serve With Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
These oatmeal bars are an excellent grab-and-go option on their own, but you can also make them part of a larger breakfast for the family with savory options like our hashbrowns breakfast casserole.
For brunch, pair it with our sausage cream cheese crescent rolls and cinnamon chip bread.
Tips
- Press the bar dough firmly into the bottom of your baking dish so it melds together as it bakes, creating bars that don't fall apart when you cut them.
- When spraying your baking dish, use smooth, even strokes. You want a uniform layer of coating with as little dripping as possible.
- Buttly soften your butter so it blends uniformly with the rest of the ingredients.
FAQ
They're healthy-adjacent. They're made with oatmeal which is loaded with complex carbs, fiber, and protein. However, they're also made with sugar and flour. Enjoy them in moderation, as with all things.
Oatmeal bars can turn out crumbly for a few reasons. If they're over or undercooked they won't hold together. Overmixing can also cause them to become crumbly.
No, you don't. Both quick and rolled oats tend to cook at the same rate in recipes like this.
More Dessert Bar Recipes
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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cups butter room temperature
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 6 cups quick oatmeal
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a 13x18 cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer, cream together butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Next, slowly add the milk.
- In a separate bowl, add the flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix together.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Carefully add the chocolate chips and oatmeal. Then, mix just until blended.
- Evenly press the dough into the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges turn a slight golden brown color. Remove the bars from the oven, and cool before serving.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
*All nutrition information provided is automatically calculated and is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact numbers on your ingredients, I would recommend calculating them with your prefered nutrition calculator.
Ryan Allen
The chewy oatmeal and the chocolate chips is such a yummy combo in these dessert bars.