Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars (Gluten Free)

Name: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars (Gluten Free)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, melted; 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (certified gluten free); 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

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These Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars are filled with chewy oats and sweet chocolate chips. This easy recipe makes rich, tasty gluten free bar cookies your friends and family will love.

If you enjoy making bar cookies, you’ll also like my recipe for Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.

Close-up view of sliced gluten free oatmeal chocolate chip bars on a wood cutting board.

Everyone enjoys homemade cookies, but you don’t always have time to scoop the dough and bake one pan at a time. This easy recipe for bar cookies allows you to bake all the cookie dough in a 9x13-inch pan.

This one bowl recipe makes tasty, chewy cookie bars loaded with oats and chocolate chips. If you’re craving the taste of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, but are short on time, give this gluten free cookie bar recipe a try.

What Oats Should I Use?

To get a thick and chewy texture, rolled oats are the best choice. I use rolled oats that are certified gluten free.

Pure oats are gluten free, but if they’re processed in a facility that also processes barley, rye, and wheat, there’s a possibility for cross-contamination. For more information, see The Oat-Conundrum: Are Oats Gluten-Free?

Why This Recipe Works

Using rolled oats give the bars a deliciously chewy texture.
The combination of brown sugar and white sugar gives the bars flavor without being too sweet.
Vanilla extract and ground cinnamon enhance the flavor of the bars.

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Ingredients You’ll Need:

Ingredients, with labels, for making oatmeal chocolate chip bar cookies.

Gluten free flour blend - I like Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour. If your local store doesn’t carry Bob’s Red Mill you can find it online at Amazon.
Salt - Table salt.
Baking powder and baking soda - The combination adds lift to the cookie bars.
Cinnamon - Ground cinnamon.
Butter - Unsalted butter. I use unsalted butter so I can control how much salt is in the recipe.
Brown sugar - I use golden brown sugar, but light brown sugar will work as well.
Sugar - White granulated sugar.
Eggs - Large eggs at room temperature.
Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract.
Old-Fashioned oats (certified gluten free) - If you’re making these bars for someone with Celiac disease, be sure to use certified gluten free oats. I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats.
Chocolate chips - I use semisweet chips, but you can use your favorite flavor.

How to Make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

Whisk together the dry ingredients, minus the sugars and oats, in a large mixing bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients, except the chocolate chips, and stir until combined.
Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.
Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared pan, spread evenly, and sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Cut into the cooled bars and enjoy!

Overhead view of cut oatmeal chocolate chip bars on a parchment-lined cutting board.

Step by Step Instructions

(For ingredient amounts see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)

Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan. Line the pan with enough parchment paper so the paper overhangs the long sides of the pan.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour blend, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

Overhead view of gluten free flour blend, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and a wire whisk in a glass mixing bowl.

Add the melted butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla, and rolled oats. Stir until combined.

Overhead view of dough for making oatmeal chocolate chip bars, before the chocolate chips are added, and a wooden spoon in a glass mixing bowl.

Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.

Dough for making gluten free oatmeal chocolate chip bars and a rubber spatula in glass mixing bowl.

Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared pan and spread evenly around the pan.

Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top of the cookie dough.

Overhead view of a parchment lined 9x13 baking pan filled with oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough.

Bake the cookie bars at 350-degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the top of the bars is golden brown.

Place the baked bars on a wire rack and allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Overhead view of baked oatmeal chocolate chip bars in a parchment lined 9x13 pan.

Tips for Making the Best Bar Cookies

After greasing the pan, line it with enough parchment paper to overhang the long sides of the pan. This will make it easy to lift the cooled bars out of the pan and cut them into squares.
Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir in the ingredients. This will prevent overmixing the cookie dough.
Cool the bars completely before cutting into squares. Cooled bars cut cleaner than warm cookie bars.

Gluten free oatmeal chocolate chip bars on wood cutting board.

Recipe FAQs

What are cookie bars?

Cookie bars are simply cookie dough pressed into a pan, baked and then cut into squares. They’re quicker and easier than baking individual cookies.

Why are my oatmeal cookie bars dry?

There are two common mistakes that can lead to dry cookie bars. The first is overmixing the dough. The second is overbaking the bars.

What’s the best way to store cookie bars?

Allow the bars to cool completely before storing. The cut bars will last for 3-4 days, at room temperature, if stored in an airtight container.

Can these cookie bars be frozen?

Oatmeal cookie bars are perfect for freezing. Wrap the bars in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months

A stack of three gluten free oatmeal chocolate chip bars on a white dessert plate.

These thick and chewy chocolate chip oatmeal bars, loaded with oats and chocolate chips, are an easy gluten free treat to share with family and friends.

This one-bowl recipe is great for when you’re short on time, but still want to enjoy homemade chocolate chip cookies.

More Gluten Free Dessert Recipes to Try

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