Fudgy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars — Chewy oatmeal cookie bars with a thick layer of fudge in the middle! Whoa, hello chocolate overload!!
Table of Contents
Chocolate Oatmeal Bars Recipe
I love oatmeal cookies. Add chocolate chips? Even better. Make them as easy cookie bars with a layer of fudge in the middle? Better yet.
The chocolate chip oatmeal cookie bars are soft, chewy, and chock-full of texture. They’re hearty and packed with oats but aren’t overly crumbly or dry.
I love oatmeal cookies that have as many oats packed in as possible, but often that means they lose softness and moistness, which isn’t the case with the bars.
I tweaked my trusty no-mixer, easy blondie base by adding old-fashioned whole-rolled oats. The fudgy layer is made with melted chocolate chips and half a can of sweetened condensed milk.
After the bars came out of the oven, I sprinkled them with chocolate chips. Between the fudgy layer and the chips on top, the bars tamed my chocolate cravings. It’s smooth, rich, and a perfect contrast to the oats.
I promptly donated most of the pan to my neighbors. So much chocolate and way too good to keep around.
Ingredients in Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
To make these oatmeal cookie bars with chocolate chips, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Light brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Old-fashioned oats
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Sweetened condensed milk
Recipes to Use Up Leftover Sweetened Condensed Milk
Make 7-Minute Microwave Caramels, Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Dough Crumble Bars, or Milky Way Chocolate Cookie Crumble Bars with the other half can of sweetened condensed milk.
How to Make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
These chocolate chip oatmeal bar cookies couldn’t be any easier! Here are the basic instructions:
- Melt the butter, then whisk in the egg, brown sugar, and vanilla.
- Add the oats, flour, and salt, then turn 3/4 of the mixture into a greased 8×8-inch pan.
- Melt the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk together. Once fully melted and smooth, pour over the oatmeal cookie crust.
- Crumble the remaining oatmeal cookie dough over the chocolate layer, then pop the bars into the oven to bake.
- Once done, sprinkle with additional chocolate chips and let the bars cool for at least an hour before slicing.
Love Salty-Sweet Desserts?
For more of a salty-sweet flavor, sprinkle with flaky sea salt once the oatmeal chocolate chip bars come out of the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, don’t use instant or quick cook because they’re finer and behave more like flour, which would make the oatmeal chocolate chip bars dry and crumbly.
Yes, but I prefer using semi-sweet chocolate chips since the slightly bitter chocolate balances out the very sweet condensed milk.
I’m sure this oatmeal cookie bar recipe is fine to double. You’d need to bake the bars in a 9×13-inch pan, and I think the bake time would be roughly the same.
These chocolate chip oatmeal cookie bars freeze very well. You can freeze an entire pan or individual slices. To thaw, set on your counter to come to room temperature.
If you want regular cookies, I recommend following my classic oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe instead. Those cookies truly are the best ever, and I know that recipe works as written.
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Fudgy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned whole-rolled oats, not quick cook or instant
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, for batter
- half of one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, just eyeball it
- about 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the oats, flour, and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
- Turn three-quarters of the batter out into prepared pan, smoothing it with a spatula to form a crust; reserve remainder and set aside.
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, add 1 cup chocolate chips, pour sweetened condensed milk over the top, and heat on high power until the chips melt and mixture can be stirred smooth, about 45 to 60 seconds.
- Evenly pour chocolate mixture over crust, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula. Work somewhat quickly because mixture begins to set up after a couple minutes.
- Evenly crumble the reserved oatmeal mixture over the chocolate layer. I find it easiest to make heaping 1-tablespoon-sized ‘blobs’, and after all the blobs are in the pan, smoosh and smooth them together with a spatula. The entire surface will not be covered and there will be some gaps.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, or until top is set; it should be very pale in color for soft bars; golden colored means bars will be crunchier.
- Evenly sprinkle bars with about 1/3 cup chocolate chips, or as desired. Chips will soften and melt slightly. Avoid jostling the pan because it will cause chips to melt more rather than stay intact.
- Set pan aside and allow bars to cool in pan for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Oh, yes….I really need to make the incredible bars!
Those bars look so yummy & fudgy! Wow! Looks like the perfect combination of chocolate & oats to me.
These look incredibly, like yum-o-Rama! Seriously chocolate and oatmeal call me totally sold on this recipe ;-)
Omg that fudge layer looks awesome! I need to try to veganise these, they look too good to resist!
These look amazing Averie! Totally craving a bite of one right now.. they definitely are fudgy and delicious.
Omigoshhhh that fudge layer is KILLIN MEEEE
Hi Averie,
I made these bars today because a friend was coming over. I need a reason to bake otherwise I’ll bake everyday and that could be deadly! :D
These were delish! I love the fudgy part and my hubby liked the oatmeal part. I’m gonna have a piece for breakfast tomorrow. Because there’s oatmeal and it and to me that sounds “healthy”. lol
thx so much
I agree about the ‘healthy’ part. I told a friend that I gave some too they were ‘breakfast bars’ because there were oats in them, after all :)
Glad you guys enjoyed them!
Hey Averie. I love your photography. My question is this: what do you do with all the baked goods? Do you and your family eat them? Do you freeze some? Share with neighbors and guests??
I always eat at least one (or two) of everything I make…cookies, pieces of cake, squares of brownies, etc. Then from there, I donate it to friends, family, neighbors, and basically anyone who want it, I give it away. Every once in awhile, I deem something worthy enough to hoard but after 5.5 years of doing this fulltime and writing 2 cookbooks, I am INSANELY picky and get pickier with each passing year!
I just made chocolate chip oatmeal bars a little while ago, and now I’m wishing I’d put a chocolate layer in the middle! That looks fudgy layer looks incredible. Pinned!
Thanks for pinning & everything’s better with chocolate in the middle, right!
Averie, I don’t know how you do it, not instantly scarfing down the entire pan. I love some oattmeal cookie withn my chocolate
Amazing bars Averie!! Pinned a few times :)
Thank you my awesome friend for always being a pinner and a sharer :) You know I’ve always got your back too!
Oh My…That chocolate layer looks divine!! Wish I could reach into my monitor and grab one of these! :)
These Fudgy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars look awesome, a must try, Pinned!
Thanks for pinning!
I love keeping a batch of these cold in the freezer and I am totally craving some now, so I’ll have to make them soon. Great share, Averie!
Oh I love these so much! That thick layer of fudge in the middle? Absolute brilliance!
Oatmeal cookies are some of my faves, and that middle fudge layer is making me drool! Love it.