Sourdough Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

These sourdough oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars are soft, thick, and chewy. Made with oats, sourdough discard, and loaded with chocolate chips in every bite. They are the perfect thick and gooey sourdough cookie bar everyone will love!

It’s an easy one-bowl recipe that doesn’t require scooping batches of cookies or rotating pans in and out of oven. Just mix, pour, bake, and ta-da! An easy sourdough dessert for any occasion.

If you like this recipe, then my sourdough cowboy cookie bars and sourdough double chocolate chip cookies were made for you, my fellow cookie loving friend! You’ll also love my classic sourdough oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Basically the sister recipe to this one!

Sourdough Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Sourdough Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Hello Honeycomb

These sourdough oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars are soft, thick, and chewy. Made with oats, sourdough discard, and loaded with chocolate chips. They are the perfect thick and gooey sourdough cookie bar everyone will love!

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Calories 285 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup salted butter melted
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• ⅔ cup sourdough discard
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ cups oats
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Line a 9×13 glass baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
• Add melted butter and brown sugar to a mixing bowl and combine. Add eggs, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
• Add salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon. Mix and scrape down sides of bowl with a spatula as needed. Add flour and oats and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Pour batter into parchment lined baked pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 20-22 minutes until golden brown all over and the middle is mostly set. Do not over-bake; the cookie bars will continue to set as they cool.
• Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Batter – The batter for these sourdough cookie bars will be thick so make sure you spread it evenly in the baking pan for even baking.

Oats – You can use either quick oats or old-fashioned oats for this recipe. Either one will work!

Chocolate chips – I use regular semi-sweet chocolate chips for this recipe but you can use mini semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips as well.

Baking – Just like when perfecting a chewy cookie, the key is to slightly underbake these cookie bars. It should be golden brown all over and the edges set with middle slightly underdone. It will continue to set as it cools so watch carefully that you don’t over-bake. Add just a couple minutes at a time of extra baking when nearing the perfect golden brown.

These sourdough oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are the perfect dessert for a crowd! It makes a large 9×13 pan and there’s no scooping individual cookies. I love to make these when I’m short on time or will be going to a gathering with lots of people. Showing up with a large pan of dessert is always a good idea!

These are especially great for gatherings with kids because they’re easy to hold and don’t need silverware. They would be perfect for cookouts, class parties or anywhere you have a large crowd to feed.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• They’re easy and quick! There’s no fermentation time with this sourdough discard recipe, no scooping individual cookies, and only one bake time! No waiting for batches to come out of the oven.
• It’s a one-bowl recipe you can customize. Simply mix the ingredients together, pour in a pan, and bake. Could not be easier for busy bakers! You can add your own mix-ins like dried fruit or nuts to change it up.
• It feeds a crowd. This recipe makes 24 thick, chewy cookie bar squares. The portions are generous and it makes enough to feed a crowd in no time.
• It’s chewy and wholesome. I loooove a chewy, gooey, melt-in-your-mouth cookie and these cookie bars fit the bill. The combination of oats, sourdough discard, and chocolate chips create a perfectly gooey and thick cookie bar. My favorite!

• Oats – You can use quick oats or old-fashioned oats for this recipe. The texture will change somewhat based on what oats you use. For fluffier, softer bars, use quick oats. For more dense, chewier bars, use old-fashioned oats.
• Sourdough discard or active sourdough starter – Yes, you can use either one! Since you’re using sourdough discard or starter to enhance the flavor, you can use either one you have on hand. 
• Chocolate chips – I use regular semi-sweet chocolate chips for this recipe, but you can mix it up. Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark, or milk chocolate would also be good.
• Cinnamon – You may be tempted to skip this, but don’t! Cinnamon adds a layer of warmth and depth of flavor to these cookie bars.
• Vanilla extract – Maybe I’m biased, but there is nothing like the flavor of homemade vanilla extract. I think it levels up any sweet treat recipe. Any kind of vanilla extract will do, but if you want to kick it up a notch, use homemade. I like this recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen.

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card above.

How to Make Sourdough Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (Step by Step)

Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Line a 9×13 glass baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

Step 1: Add the melted butter and brown sugar to a mixing bowl and combine. Add eggs, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract. Mix to thoroughly combine everything.

Step 2: Add the salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon. Mix together and scrape down the sides of bowl with a spatula as needed. Add flour and oats and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips.

Step 3: Pour the batter into parchment lined baked pan and spread evenly with a spatula. The batter will be thick so take time to make sure it is spread evenly.

Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 20-22 minutes until golden brown all over and the middle is mostly set. Do not over-bake; the cookie bars will continue to set as they cool. This is the key to chewy cookie bars!

Allow the cookie bars to cool completely (and finish setting in the center) before slicing. Once cooled, slice into squares and enjoy!

How to Serve

These sourdough oatmeal cookies bars are best served to a crowd! This recipe makes a large 9×13 pan so think cookouts, family dinners, parties, or game day celebrations. Anywhere you need to have a dessert ready for a dozen or more people, this is a great go-to.

It’s also ideal for activities like camping, lake days, or picnics because they’re easy to make ahead of time and are easy to package and transport. I recently made these to take for a group meal at a local hiking trail and they’re no fuss to grab and go. The kids loved them and could grab one and keep playing.

How to Store

Sourdough oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Or cover the baking pan tightly with plastic wrap. I like how these bars don’t dry out and just get chewier the next day!

You can also wrap them individually in plastic wrap after they are completely cool. Don’t try to do it before they’re cool or you’ll have a melty, gooey mess on your hands! But once they’re cool, wrap them individually in plastic wrap to add to lunches, a picnic basket, or cooler for camping or kayaking.

Frequently Asked Questions