Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars (Small Batch)

These Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Bars are the perfect blend of a cookie and a granola bar! These bars are are great for a post-workout snack, weekday dessert or to take to a potluck or party.

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Sometimes you want cookies but just don't feel like spending the time to scoop the dough. Cookie bars are a one-pan way to get a cookie-like taste without all the fuss of making individual cookies.

Contents:

• Ingredient Notes
• How to make this recipe
• Recommended tools
• More dessert recipes
• Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars Recipe

Ingredient Notes

The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.

• Rolled oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats are best for this recipe. You could substitute quick-cook oats however the consistency of the bars will change a bit.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips: I recommend using chocolate chips instead of baking chunks for this recipe. You could substitute milk chocolate if that's your preference but this will make the bars a bit sweeter.
• Whole wheat flour: You should be able to find whole wheat flour in the baking aisle in any large grocery store.
• Roasted almonds: I use them whole in this recipe but if you like you can break them up into smaller pieces.
• Apple sauce: I tested this recipe using a couple of different options for adding moisture to the recipe and landed on a combo of applesauce and eggs to create the best texture. You want unsweetened applesauce to avoid an overly sweet bar.

How to make this recipe

The full printable recipe card is below, but let’s walk through the details before you get started.

Since we are making bars instead of individual cookies, this is essentially a two "pan" recipe - one for mixing the ingredients and one for baking.

Step 1 | Mix the dry ingredients. You start by mixing the flour, baking soda and salt together in a small mixing bowl. Set this aside for now.

Step 2 | Combine the wet ingredients. If you have one, I recommend breaking out our stand mixer for this step, though you can mix everything by hand. Add the brown sugar and apple sauce to the stand mixer bowl. Mix on medium until they are well combined. Then add the coconut oil, egg and vanilla and continue mixing.

Step 3 | Combine the wet and dry ingredients. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and needed and continue to mix until fully blended.

Step 4 | Add the oats, chips and nuts. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and add the oats. Stir the batter until combined then add the almonds and chocolate chips. Continue mixing the batter until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

Step 5 | Bake the bars. Add the batter to an 8x8 baking pan coated with baking spray. Spread it into an even layer and bake the bars for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the bars cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before cutting. 

Kitchen Tip: Cooked bars can be sliced and stored in an airtight container for several days. They can also be frozen after they have cooled.

Recommended tools

KitchenAid Stand Mixer – I love my stand mixer - it's one of my favorite kitchen tools. If you don't have one, you can use a hand mixer or mix the batter by hand.

8X8 Baking Pan – A pan this size is another kitchen staple that I recommend everyone have. It's great for brownies or small sheet cakes and you can bake chicken breasts in it too!

More dessert recipes

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