These are gooey, chocolatey, messy, eat ’em up almond butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars. I started making these last year around camp time and have perfected them to share with everyone at camp this year! They’re also free of refined sugar, gluten, and oil. And they’ve got chocolate chips tucked away in just about every nook and cranny. If there is anything in the ingredients you don’t like or can’t have check out my notes and change the recipe up as needed, that’s like half the fun of cooking and baking right? Making new delicious things to share with friends and family! 🙂  

Almond Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Ingredients

  • 1 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 cup natural almond butter*
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups oat flour**
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, to taste
  • Finishing Salt (optional)

*If you can’t have nuts I suggest a nut butter alternative such as Sunflower Seed Butter, Soynut Butter, or Coconut Butter. 

**If you don’t have any oat flour on hand but do have rolled oats just throw some in a blender and make them into a powder. Be careful not to over blend as the flour will get clumpy. Check your blender for bits of oats and continue blending, occasionally removing your blender from the base and shaking to ensure all oats are well blended.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the coconut sugar, almond butter, and vanilla on high for 1 minute using a stand or hand mixer with a paddle attachment. You can also use a spoon and mix it the old fashion way. 
  3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the oat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, and sea salt. Place the bowl next to the mixer.
  4. With the mixer off, add the oat flour mixture. Then, pour the almond milk over the oat mixture and begin beating on low and increase speed to medium. Beat for 15 seconds or until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. The dough should pull together into large, moist mounds as it moves around the mixing bowl. Add the chocolate chips and stir to incorporate.
  5. Transfer the dough to the lined pan and use your fingers to press evenly into the bottom. It will seem like there isn’t enough dough, but keep pressing it outward until it’s nearly touching the sides of the pan. If desired, dot the top of the cookie dough with another tablespoon or two of chocolate chips.
  6. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes or until the edges are golden and crackled and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a bit of moist crumb at the tip. (note: if you want slightly drier, well-set bars, bake for 25 to 30 minutes). Don’t over-bake.
  7. Let cool completely in pan. Then, grasp the edges of the parchment to gently remove the bar from the pan. Slice into 12 bars.
  8. You can store the bars in the pan at room temperature (loosely covered with foil) or in the refrigerator. I love the dense, fudge-like texture they take on when chilled, so I usually opt for to store them in the refrigerator.

I would love to see your creations so if you make this recipe use the hashtag igglenoms and tag me at jenniibean24 on twitter and Instagram!