Cookie Butter Bars

Cookie Butter Bars start with a simple oatmeal cookie dough with a gooey cookie butter and chocolate filling.

Use leftover cookie butter in these tasty Cookie Butter Cups, Cookie Butter Meltaways, or as a delicious topping for Crepes.

Cookie Butter Bars

These Carmelitas are one of the dessert recipes I turn to most often. They are downright delicious and always a hit wherever I take them.

One day, as I went to make them and after making the oatmeal dough, I realized I was all out of caramels. That’s when I had probably my best idea to date (not being dramatic here;) why not substitute caramel with cookie butter? Let me tell you, this combination is unbelievably good.

We pack these sweet oatmeal Cookie Butter Bars with melty milk chocolate and gooey cookie butter. They’re such a unique, rich, and totally delicious treat!

Ingredients

• Butter: Make sure it’s softened to room temperature for easier mixing into the dough.
• Brown sugar: Pack it firmly into the measuring cup to ensure the right amount of sweetness and moisture in the bars.
• Vanilla: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
• Oats: Use regular, old-fashioned oats, not quick or steel-cut.
• Baking soda: Check if it’s still good so the bars will rise properly.
• Salt: Use fine salt salt for even flavor distribution.
• Flour: Measure it carefully so the bars turn out right. Don’t press down the flour in the measuring cup, and make sure it’s level on top. Too little flour can make the bars greasy, and too much can make them dry.
• Cookie butter: Find it at Trader Joe’s or in the nut butter section.
• Chocolate chips: Use your favorite kind! I like milk chocolate best, but some other great alternatives: white chocolate, dark chocolate, butterscotch, or semi-sweet chocolate!
   

How To Make Cookie Butter Bars

1. Prep: Preheat your oven and line a baking pan with parchment paper. 
2. Make Dough: Mix melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, oats, flour, baking soda, and salt. Make sure everything is evenly mixed. I like to use hand mixers or a stand mixer here.
3. First Layer: Press half of the dough into the pan and bake until lightly browned. Press it down into one even layer for even baking.
4. Add Fillings: Sprinkle chocolate chips over the base, then spread warmed cookie butter. I like to smooth it over with a spatula.
5. Top Layer: Crumble remaining dough over the fillings. Keep the top layer loose for a light texture. 
6. Bake Again: Bake until the top is lightly golden. Keep an eye on baking time for even cooking.
7. Cool and Serve: Let bars cool completely before cutting into squares. Letting them cool down makes cutting them easier.

Cookie Butter Bar Tips

• Parchment Paper: Line the pan with parchment paper for easy removal and cleanup. This keeps the bars from sticking and makes it easy to take them out. Leave an overhang to make the bar removal even easier.
• Even Crust: Press the oatmeal mixture evenly into the pan to make sure the bottom of the bars is the same thickness all over.
• Cookie Butter Spreading: Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the cookie butter evenly over the chocolate chips, aiming for the same thickness everywhere. Warm up the cookie butter in the microwave so it’s easier to pour.
• Oatmeal Crumble: Sprinkle the remaining oatmeal mixture evenly over the caramel layer for a good balance of flavor in every bite.
• Let the bars cool completely before cutting: They’re too soft and crumbly when they’re hot, but taste the best when they’re completely cooled down.

More Delicious Desserts

• 7 Layer Bars with three kinds of chocolate
• Oatmeal Cookies soft and chewy, with a hint of cinnamon
• Caramel Cookie Bars sweet and salty
• Vanilla Cheesecake Bars with a berry sauce
• Dessert Cheese Ball brownie batter flavored

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4.80 from 5 votes

Cookie Butter Bars

By Chelsea Lords

These Cookie Butter Bars start with a simple oatmeal cookie dough that is baked, then topped with chocolate chips and lots of gooey cookie butter and finished off with another layer of oatmeal cookie dough.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes minutes

Total Time: 37 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 bars

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) unsalted butter, at toom temp
• ▢ 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup old-fashioned oats (not steel cut or quick oats!)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1-14 cups white flour
• ▢ 1 cup cookie butter or Biscoff spread
• ▢ 1 cup milk chocolate chips (or semi-sweet or dark) (Note 2)

Instructions 

• PREP: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal later.
• BATTER: In a large bowl, mix together the room temp butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, baking soda, vanilla extract, and salt using electric hand mixers until a thick dough forms. Divide the mixture in half and press half of it into the prepared pan.
• COOKIE BUTTER: Measure out 1 cup of cookie butter and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 15-30 seconds or until warm enough to pour.
• BAKE BASE: Bake the base for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the crust. Pour the cookie butter over the chocolate chips, using a spatula to gently smooth it into an even layer.
• BAKE BARS AGAIN: Crumble the remaining oatmeal mixture over the caramel layer (don't press it down), then bake for another 13-18 minutes until the edges are lightly browned and the top is set.
• LET STAND: Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour before cutting into bars. These bars are best enjoyed within 2-4 days when stored in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: You can find Cookie Butter at Trader Joe's and Biscoff Spread at most grocery stores--look by the nut butter!

Note 2:  I love milk chocolate chips, but if you prefer less sweetness or like dark chocolate more, go for semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips instead.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 277IU | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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