I am basically in the constant state of wanting a freshly baked dessert but in the quickest and easiest way possible. Typically that would mean cookies, but even cookie recipes require a bit of extra time or effort that I’m just not willing or able to give. And so, I finally whipped up a recipe that checks all of my easy boxes:
no waiting for butter to soften
everything mixed in one bowl
only uses pantry staples
only one kind of sugar
no chilling the dough
no forming the dough into balls
no stand or hand mixer needed
takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish
They are sweet but not too sweet, moist but chewy, and loaded with dark chocolate. It doesn’t get any easier and they are guaranteed to satisfy that fresh-baked dessert craving at a moment’s notice.
Notes on recipe
Dark chocolate chunks are my preferred chocolate for this recipe, but you can certainly mix it up. A mix of dark and milk would be delicious. Adding butterscotch chips would be amazing too.
Do not overcook the bars. When you take them out of the oven they may appear undercooked on the top/center. That’s okay! They will cook more as they cool. And they are definitely better slightly undercooked than overcooked.
Store the bars at room temperature in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.
This recipe can be doubled and cooked in a 9x13 pan. Cook time may adjust slightly.
Easiest Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Bars
Total time: 25 minutes
Makes 16 square bars
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chunks, plus more for topping
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray and line and 8x8 square pan with parchment paper. Melt butter in the microwave until fully melted, about 1 minute, stirring at the 30-second mark. Remove and let cool while you prep the other ingredients.
In a mixing bowl, add the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt, and stir until well-mixed. To the same bowl, add the brown sugar and stir again to ensure it is evenly distributed. Next, add the melted butter, egg and vanilla, stirring until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
Transfer the mixture to the lined pan, pressing it out to evenly fill in the bottom of the pan. Top the bars with more of the chocolate chunks. Transfer to oven and cook for 13-16 minutes, until the edges are slightly browning and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not over cook, as the bars will cook more as they cool. Let cool about ten minutes, or until you can use the parchment paper to pull them out of the pan. Cut into 16 squares and enjoy while still warm. :)
