Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars (Easy One-Bowl Recipe)

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars is an easy one bowl recipe.

Packed with hearty oats and melted chocolate chips, these bars are perfectly chewy and dense with a fudgy center.

Why this recipe works

This recipe is made with simple ingredients that you may already have on hand.

Here is what else you will like about this recipe.

• It takes just one bowl and one pan to make these bars.
• The added oats give these bars a bit of protein.
• Personalizing these bars is as easy as adding chopped nuts or drizzling melted chocolate on top.
• Leftovers can be individually wrapped and taken on the go as a quick breakfast or snack.

Have you tried my recipe for Peanut Butter Granola Bars ?

Those tasty snack bars are the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and nutty flavors with a bit of chewy crunch added in. Both this recipe for Chocolate Chip Bars and that recipe for Granola Bars are tasty snack bar ideas made with healthier ingredients.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips give the perfect soft and fudgy center to these bars. You can find semi-sweet chocolate chips here.

Ingredients Needed.

• Butter. Unsalted and softened.
• Brown Sugar Light brown sugar was used in my bars.
• Sugar. Regular granular sugar.
• Eggs. Large eggs at room temperature.
• Vanilla Extract Added for flavor balance.
• Salt. You can omit this if you are using salted butter.
• Leaveners Both Baking Powder and Baking Soda.
• Flour. Spooned and leveled for accuracy.
• Old Fashioned Oats. Rather than quick oats.
• Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips These chocolate chips have a nice flavor and are able to melt to a fudgy texture for this recipe.

How to Make Chocolate Oat Bars.

• Prep Time 15 minutes .
• Bake Time 30 minutes .
• Servings 20 .
• How to serve : Serve warm or cool.
• Notes: You will need a 13x9" baking dish, a mixing bowl, a whisk, and rubber spatula or similar item.

1. Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Also, prep your baking dish for nonstick. I like to use parchment paper that overhangs the sides of the dish for easier removal and clean up.
2. Cream. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugars (brown and white) with the softened butter until creamy and smooth. This can take a couple of minutes.
3. Eggs. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, gently mixing between additions. Then add in the vanilla extract.
4. Dry Ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and mix in the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Then add the flour to the mixing bowl and mix until just combined.
5. Oats. Use a rubber spatula to mix in the oats. Then fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Bake. Transfer the mixture from the mixing bowl to your prepared baking dish and evenly spread the mixture out. You can use a spatula (or lightly floured hands) to press the dough to even it out. Bake the bars for 30 minutes or until the edges are starting to golden and the center is set.
7. Set. Let the bars cool completely in the pan before lifting the parchment paper out of the baking dish for slicing.

FAQ

• Can I use quick oats instead of old-fashioned oats?
  Yes, you can substitute quick oats in a 1:1 ratio. However, quick oats are thinner and more processed, so the bars will have a softer, more uniform texture and a less prominent "chewy" oat bite compared to using old-fashioned rolled oats.
• Can I make these gluten-free?
  Absolutely. You can swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Just ensure your oats are certified gluten-free, as standard oats are often processed in facilities that handle wheat.
• My bars are too dry. What happened?
  Dry bars usually happen when the flour was over-measured or if the bars were overbaked. Make sure that you are use the "spoon and level" method when measuring out your flour and pull the pan out of the oven when the center still looks slightly soft. The bars will firm up as they cools.
• Why are my oatmeal bars falling apart?
  The most common reason for bars that fall apart is that they were cut while they were still warm. Because these bars are loaded with oats and chocolate chips, they need time to fully set as they cool. For the cleanest squares, wait until the baking dish is completely cool to the touch.

Variations.

• Make these bars into "Kitchen Sink Bars". Cut your chocolate chips down to one cup and add in a half cup of chopped nuts such as walnuts and a half cup of shredded coconut.
• Turn these into Chocolate Chewy Oatmeal bars by swapping out ¼ cup of the flour and with a ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Make these bars healthier omitting the chocolate chips and adding a cup of dried cranberries or raisins and a cup of sunflower seeds or slivered almonds.

How to store chocolate chip oat bars

Once the bars cave full cooled and set they can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped really well. When properly stored, they should keep for up to five days at room temperature or frozen for up to a few months. If you find that your bars getting a bit firm, you can microwave a single bar for 10 seconds to soften the chocolate and the oat base.

You may also be interested in these recipes for snack bars.

• Simple Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
• Favorite Apple Pie Bars Recipe
• Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe
• Easy No Bake Reeses Chex Bars
• Layered Magic Cookie Bars
• Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars