This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
These oatmeal chocolate chip bars are Soft, chewy, and LOADED with chocolate chips- They are a five ingredient dessert that bakes in just 12 minutes.
If you love dessert bars but want to make them a little wholesome, swap out the standard flour and use oatmeal to make these chocolate chip oatmeal bars.
They are thick and chewy and make the perfect afternoon pick-me-up or post-dinner sweet tooth fix! I love making them for my family and know that it’s something more wholesome than a generic candy bar or ice cream.
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
- 5 ingredients. Simple pantry staple ingredients mean no eggs, butter, or milk! Instead, I use mashed banana to add moisture and also extra sweetness.
- Quick and simple. With barely any prep time and just 15 minutes in the oven, these make a speedy, sweet treat.
- Healthier. Similar to raisin cookie bars, these are packed with whole grains, healthy fats, and naturally sweetened; these make a fabulous guilt-free dessert.
- Easy to customize. This is the kind of baked good you can easily adapt to use up any mix-ins you have on hand. I love to use up leftover nuts and seeds or even candy bites.
- Perfect texture and flavor. These cookie bars are soft, slightly chewy, and have an almost buttery texture without any actual butter in it. It has notes of chocolate with every bite. They taste like a thick and jumbo oatmeal chocolate chip cookie but with a more tender exterior.
Ingredients needed
As mentioned earlier, this recipe calls for just five simple and wholesome ingredients. Here is what you’ll need:
- Rolled Oats (Old Fashioned Oats)– They provide a chewy texture and a fabulous substitution for flour. They are also a much healthier alternative to it, providing fiber and protein too!
- Almond Butter– Gives these cookie bars that buttery texture and flavor we love without any butter!
- Maple Syrup– Provides sweetness and also masks any banana flavor. Do not omit, as it will change the texture of the cookie bars.
- Bananas– Overripe, mashed bananas! The riper they are, the sweeter they will be! Bananas replace any need for butter or eggs while also providing sweetness and a softer texture.
- Chocolate Chips– What is a good cookie without chocolate chips? I like using semi-sweet chocolate chips, but milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips work, as do chocolate chunks.
- Baking soda– Optional, but helps with the leavening of the bars.
How to make oatmeal chocolate chip bars
What I love about this recipe is that everything is made in one bowl! Clean up is almost non-existant.
Step 1- Make the batter. Stir together all the ingredients except for the chocolate chips. Fold them through, then transfer to a lined pan.
Step 2- Bake the bars. Bake the oatmeal cookie bars for 15-17 minutes or until golden on top.
Step 3- Cool and slice. Let the bars cool completely before slicing and serving.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Don’t overmix the batter. When making the batter, mix everything until just combined. You don’t want these to turn out rubbery!
- Avoid over-baking. These bars will continue to cook as they are cooling down. I like to remove them from the oven once the edges are golden brown.
- Add mix-ins. Enhance the bars by adding mix-ins like pecans, walnuts, butterscotch chips, or vanilla extract. Like i said above, candy bits are also fab.
- Press the batter firmly. Press it firmly into the baking pan when transferring the batter into the pan. This will cook them more evenly.
- Cool completely before cutting. This is important to ensure the bars are fully set.
Recipe variations
These cookie bars are very forgiving and have plenty of ingredient substitutions, including basic pantry staple ingredients.
- Gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip bars. Swap out the oats for gluten-free rolled oats or buckwheat flakes.
- Banana alternative. You can substitute the banana for unsweetened applesauce or pumpkin puree. Neither are as sweet as bananas, but they will still yield a similar texture. You may need to add extra maple syrup to make up for the lack of sweetness from the banana.
- Use other nut butter. Swap out the almond butter for either peanut butter or cashew butter, or keep them nut free by using tahini or sunflower seed butter.
- Lower the sugar. Instead of maple syrup, you can use a sugar-free or reduced-sugar version.
- Use regular sugar. If you don’t want to use syrup, brown sugar or coconut sugar work.
Storage instructions
To store: Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They will keep fresh for up to 5 days.
To freeze: Wrap individual bars in parchment paper and place them in ziplock bags or a freezer-safe container. They will freeze well for up to 6 months.
Reheating: These bars become firm once refrigerated, but to have a gooey cookie bar, microwave it for 20-30 seconds.
More oat-based dessert bars to try
Frequently asked questions
Yes, instant oats will work for this recipe. However, the bars will be softer and less chewy.
There is no need to add eggs to this recipe, but if you’d like to increase the protein, adding 1-2 eggs will not affect the texture.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars
Ingredients
- 4 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup almond butter can substitute for any nut or seed butter of choice
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 1/2 cups bananas measured once mashed
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8 x 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, reserving 1-2 inches of parchment paper over the sides, for easily removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, add all your ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold through the chocolate chips, reserving a few to top the cookie bars with.
- Transfer the batter into the lined pan, adding extra chocolate chips on top. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until just beginning to go golden around the pan.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
These are so delicious! I freeze a batch and heat them in the microwave for about 30 seconds. They are my go-to “breakfast bar” for busy mornings. Thanks for sharing!
These are absolutely the BEST ever! I actually divided my batch and added pecans and coconut shavings to the second half and it was amazing!
I used PB since that is what I had on hand. Great clean recipe- stuck to the exact recipe besides the almond butter. Next time adjustments I will make:
– bake time- wish I left them in for more like 20+ minutes- these were a little too gooey with a 16 minute bake time. I thought they would harden more and they did once in fridge.
– I will use a 9×9 or bigger bake sheet- these were a bit too thick in and 8×8
– less chocolate chips- can’t believe I am even saying this!! However these are so rich and heavy my husband couldn’t eat even half of one. Next time I make these if they were thinner and a little less chocolate they will be perfect and a great way to protein replenish with something sweet post workout!
Could eggs be added to give some protein?
I haven’t tried
Made these today to take with me for trucking work…Yummy! Didn’t have choc chips, used raisens. Came out Excellent!!!
These look amazing. Love they are gluten free. These would be great for lunch boxes.
Came out good! Kept falling apart when I took it Out of the oven but it was just because I didn’t cook it enough and didn’t put enough maple syrup and bananas want to suggest doing a little more maple syrup After I cooked it some more it came out nice!
Very delicious and simple cookie bar recipe! I was looking for recipe to make that doesn’t have a shopping lists full of ingredients, and then I found this! It was so good, and I love the almond butter idea!
I tried these yesterday. Because I have a tree nut allergy, I had to sub the almond butter but for some reason I went right to butter, not peanut butter (yeah, neuron malfunction). Don’t do it! After 45 mins, these bars were still soft and not browning at all. I finally took everything out of the pan, added some peanut butter and more oats, stirred, tried again. Tastes fine but doesn’t stay together. Even without my blunder, what is the binder? Maybe next time I’ll use less banana, as someone noted.
Delicious! I managed to get them to look exactly like the photo! I don’t have a mixer, so I mixed by hand–literally my hands haha. I added a teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp salt, both of which are needed, in my opinion. I used frozen banana slices that I microwaved for 45 seconds. And I topped the bars with chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, and a pinch of coarse salt. YUMMM. Very tasty. You can taste a hint of banana in them, but mostly they just taste like cookie bars. The sweetness is subtle and just right. I’m surprised the texture is so cookie-like, but it is! Bravo! Next time I might add shredded coconut just for grins. Thanks for this great recipe!
Really good! I topped them with melted dark chocolate instead of the chips and froze them. They are great frozen or fresh. One of the best healthy recipes I’ve made and I bake often. Thank you!
I made these for my family and everyone loved them! Great way to get kids eating healthy. Thanks!
Question-
I love the tips for substitutions, as I have some people with odd allergies, stomach issues or are picky… however not being extremely experienced in this type of baking could you put if the substitute is the exact measurement as the original item? For example, the 1 1/2 c mashed banana, when you say pumpkin puree and unsweetened applesauce can be used, what are the suggested proportions of each? Or is it one or the other? These are the things we novices need help with. 🙂 I am personally enjoying each recipe of yours I’ve tried! And have many others marked to try! Thanks for easy alternatives that are yummy too! 🙂
I just made these!! I’ve been following The big man’s world on Instagram of a few years and I’ve never tried any of his recipes . Not going to lie i was extremely skeptical of this recipe but I’ve really been craving dessert these past few days and decided to give it a shot … I substituted with Peanut butter and used 2 cups of mashed banana mixed with unsweetened applesauce. Also it did take longer than 17 minutes in the oven, make sure to keep checking till the knife comes out clean. This recipe came out so delicious!! I’m really happy I tried it. Will definitely be trying more of his recipes!! 🙂
Wonderful recipe! Really delicious. I’m wondering if I did something g wrong though, my cookies don’t look anything like yours, was I supposed to blend the oats :)?
Nope 🙂 It could be the brand of old fashioned oats you use 🙂
I have a kiddo with autism and these look amazing. Could i possibly make them into muffins? He has lots of sensory issues and I have to make every baked good into a muffin or a pancake 😉
Hi Jen! I haven’t tried but you could definitely put them in a muffin tin and cut the time to 10 minutes