Do you ever feel like you have so many recipes to try you don’t think you’ll ever try them all? My Aunt Marilyn who has greatly influenced my cooking and recipe pile always jokes that her main concern in life is that she’ll never get to try all the recipes she wants before she dies. I whole-heartedly agree! Because of that, when it comes to desserts and treats, I don’t often make the same thing twice (unless we are talking about chocolate chip cookies where I often get stuck in a rut). However, I have made these bars TWICE in the last two weeks because we have loved them so much and they are very simple. Plus they have gotten rave reviews from everyone that has tried them. They are chewy and soft and the perfect chocolate chip cookie smashed into a sheet pan and baked into bars. This will definitely be a go-to recipe for a fast, simple, delicious treat. I found the recipe on 24 Hour Menu – thanks Jaesi!
Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars
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Printable Version with Picture
INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chunks
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional – I left these out)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. Beat butter, sugars, egg and vanilla till fluffy and add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chunks and walnuts. Press into a greased 9×13 inch pan and bake for 18-20 minutes until light golden brown. I have also doubled the recipe and pressed into a large sheet pan (11X17) with great results.
A few tips: Don’t overbake!!! I overbaked them the first time I made them and when I actually baked them correctly the second time (perhaps even underbaked by a minute), they were 100 times better. Also, the second time I made them, I doubled the recipe and instead of adding two bags of chocolate chunks, I added one bag of chunks and one bag of mint chocolate chips. Fabulous!
Recipe Source: adapted from 24 Hour Menu
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Stacie – next time I make these I’ll have to reserve some to try the next day (they never make it that far). Glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for checking in.
These were so yummy. Even better the second day… not so rich. Thanks!
Melanie,As soon as I saw this on your blog I went directly to the kitchen and made them. My kids had some friends over playing Wii Fit and I made up a batch for them – I am sure any calories they burned playing the Wii Fit were destroyed by these yummy bars!! They are so good and gooey right out of the oven- perfect with an ice cold class of milk. I only had chocolate chips – no chunks so just used those.
I’m Sophie, Key Ingredient’s Chief Blogger. We would like to feature this adapted recipe on our blog. Please email sophiekiblogger@gmail.com if interested. Thanks
Sophiehttp://blog.keyingredient.com/
I made these last week. The only changes were to use only about 1 cup of chocolate chips, 1/2 cup of nuts, and I used King Arthur white whole wheat flour. I use it in almost all of my cookie baking. I think it adds a nice nuttiness, plus I like the idea of not eating procesed white flour. They were delicious! So much so that I just made them again-this time with only 1/2 cup of chips, plus 1/2 cup of orange flavored dried cranberries, some orange zest, and 1 tablespoonful of orange juice. Fabulous!
ah, yes–the bar cookie. it’s almost always my favorite form of cookie to make, since i am a lazy, lazy sloth.
what a bonus when they’re as delicious as their drop cookie cousins.
your a girl after my own heart…gotta love em. I’ll have to try with mint chips..mmmm
Oh, my mouth is watering. I’ve got to try these. And I agree about the recipes – sometimes I’m compulsive about trying out all the recipes in a cookbook just so I know if they are good or not!
Anonymous – this is why I love comments! I love all the ideas you shared about how you changed these up. I use a lot of ground white wheat flour, too, but have never used them in these – now I know they will taste great if I do. And I love the combination of cranberries and orange. Awesome ideas!
I am totally the same way – too many recipes, too little time!!These bars sound delicious, and easy which is always a plus!
I’d have to agree with you. I have so many recipes printed out at home but whenever I find out I have to make something I always go to the internet for something new. I just gave myself a challenge of making something out of each of my cookbooks I own, check it out!
Those look so good! My collection of bookmarked recipes is growing much faster than I can try them.
I made two batches of these for a party yesterday, but I didn’t have any chocolate chunks. The first batch I used one cute up Symphony candy bar along with enough chocolate chips to equal 12 oz. They were good, but I’ve had lots of bars that tated similar. Then I made the second batch with semisweet chocolate chips, 1 T. orange juice and some orange zest, like a visitor suggested in his/her comment. I didn’t add the cranberries since I didn’t have them. That batch was so good and I will make it that way again. It tastes like you’re eating a chocolate orange candy, but softer. Thanks for the recipe.
I made these yesterday after church for a little father’s day snack while my hubby watched the US open. They were a big hit! Thanks!
These are just what my taste buds are craving right now! Thanks Melanie!
Valerie – thanks for letting me know about your changes. They sound delicious. I’m definitely going to have to try it this way next time since it is so popular!
These are SOOOO good! I’m making them for the 3rd time in 3 weeks right now…
Melissa – these are some of my favorites, in fact I am making them tomorrow. So glad you liked them, too!
I linked this recipe on my post today
Thanks Mel!
I just made these today – wow, they are so good!!
Can you freeze these once baked? Has anyone noticed a huge difference in quality when you did that?
n82 – I’ve frozen these before and they seem to fare quite well out of the freezer.
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