Description
These Iced Oatmeal Cookie Bars combine the hearty texture of oats with warm cinnamon and a smooth vanilla icing, creating a delightful treat perfect for any occasion. With a tender, chewy base and a sweet glaze on top, these bars are easy to make and sure to satisfy your cookie cravings.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cookie Bars
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup (95 g) old fashioned oats
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (140 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon molasses (or honey)
Vanilla Icing
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Process Oats: Pulse the old fashioned oats in a food processor until they are cut into smaller pieces but not ground into oat flour. Set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the pulsed oats, all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Mix Sugars and Butter: In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter with granulated and brown sugars. Mix on low speed or whisk for about 1 minute until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg, vanilla extract, and molasses to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix well to combine.
- Combine Dry and Wet: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a large spatula or wooden spoon just until incorporated. Be careful not to over mix.
- Bake Bars: Transfer the dough to your prepared pan and bake for 24 minutes, or until the edges are set and the top is a rich golden brown. Avoid overbaking to keep bars moist.
- Cool Bars: Remove from oven and cool bars in the pan on a wire rack for 1 to 2 hours until they reach room temperature.
- Prepare Icing: In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until thick but smooth. Adjust consistency by adding more powdered sugar if needed.
- Ice Bars: Once bars are cool, spread the vanilla icing evenly over the top using a spoon, allowing bits of the cookie to show through.
- Set and Serve: Allow the icing to set before slicing the bars into 16 squares and serving.
Notes
- Store bars tightly covered at room temperature for up to 4 days to maintain freshness.
- Bars can be frozen without icing for up to 3 months. Allow to cool completely before freezing and defrost at room temperature before icing.
- Do not overbake the bars to avoid dryness; golden edges and top indicate doneness.
- Pulse oats gently to keep texture—avoid turning into fine oat flour for best bar texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
