Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

My oatmeal chocolate chip bars are Soft, chewy, and LOADED with chocolate chips- They are a five-ingredient dessert that bakes in just 15 minutes. 

Love quick and easy oat-based bars? Try my raspberry bars, banana bars, oatmeal raisin bars, and strawberry oatmeal bars next.

My family LOVES a good chocolate chip cookie or blondie, but to make things a little bit wholesome and healthier, I like to make these healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars.

I swap out the butter and refined sugar for more wholesome alternatives but without sacrificing taste. If you ask certain family members, they reckon these taste incredibly indulgent!

Table of Contents

1. Why I love this recipe
2. Ingredients needed
3. Arman’s recipe tips
4. Storage instructions 
5. Frequently asked questions
6. More oat-based desserts to try
7. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

• 5 ingredients. Simple pantry staple ingredients mean no eggs, butter, or milk! Instead, I use mashed banana to add moisture and also extra sweetness.  
• Healthier. 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 them. It has notes of chocolate with every bite.

Ingredients needed

• 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! Use gluten-free oats if needed.
• 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

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Arman’s recipe tips

• 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. As I said above, candy bits are also fabulous.
• 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. 

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.

Frequently asked questions

More oat-based desserts to try

• Healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
• Oatmeal brownies
• Oatmeal cookie dough
• Healthy oatmeal raisin cookies

Originally updated July 2023, updated and republished November 2024