Houston, we have a working oven! This is what I screamed to Eric when I turned on our newly installed oven for the first time this weekend. To celebrate this momentous occasion I made something I’ve been craving for the past 6 weeks – warm, fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies. [Fact: store-bought cookies just aren’t the same.] Then I made oatmeal cookie bars. Somehow I convinced Eric that these were an “anniversary gift” that I made “just for him” (he’s been in OSG baked good withdrawal during this kitchen reno), but we all know that this ready-to-pop, basketball smugglin’ preggo lady planned on eating her fair share complete with Coffee Shop Worthy Caramel Hazelnut Milk. Yea, it was a good weekend. I hope my oven and I shall never part again.
What can I tell you about these bars? Well, first off, we could not stop eating them. Eric said, “They are so light, I feel like I could eat 6 of them without feeling sick!” I suppose that’s a good thing? The gluten-free cookie base is made of up rolled oats (some of which I ground into a flour for binding purposes) and almond flour, just like my favourite GF + vegan cookies on the blog. There aren’t any gums or starches to speak of and because of this they are quite delicate when they first come out of the oven, but the crust bakes up crisp, chewy, and slightly caramelized so it’s a terrific balance. Let me tell you – the crispy corner pieces are prime real estate! Only your favourite people are worthy of the corner pieces. If you have one of those “Baker’s Edge” brownie pans, now would be a good time to put it to use. Then you can avoid that awkward moment when you hand the middle piece to a friend and take the corner piece for yourself.
I used coconut sugar to give the bars a gorgeous dark golden hue and a hint of toffee/caramel flavour. The added bonus when using coconut sugar is that it has a low glycemic index compared to other sugars (35), so it won’t spike your blood sugar as quickly. According to my logic, this means I can eat twice as many. Correct? Phew.
I don’t think I need to tell you that these are great with a scoop of vegan ice cream, but I’ll throw it out there just in case. We turned one into an open-faced ice cream sandwich by chilling a bar and serving it with a scoop of vegan ice cream on top. Oh my lanta. It’s great to have an oven.
Toffee Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookie Bars
Yield
12 bars
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
These cookie bars are soft, delicate, and chewy in the middle with a crispy outer edge. Coconut sugar lends a wonderful toffee flavour to these bars. Try serving them with vegan ice cream for an easy dessert or just enjoy them with some homemade almond milk. Recipe adapted from my vegan and GF cookies.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (8 g) ground flax
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) water
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (75 mL) virgin coconut oil, softened
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) natural smooth almond butter
- 3/4 cup (120 g) coconut sugar*
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (108 g) oat flour**
- 3/4 cup (75 g) gluten-free rolled oats
- 3/4 cup (75 g) almond flour
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (60 g) non-dairy mini chocolate chips, divided
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
- Mix the ground flax and water in a small bowl or mug and set aside to thicken.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the coconut oil, almond butter, and sugar with electric beaters until combined.
- Pour in the flax mixture and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Add the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and beat again.
- Finally add in the oat flour, rolled oats, almond flour, and 1/4 cup of chocolate chips (reserving the 1 tablespoon for later) and beat until combined.
- Spoon dough into prepared pan and spread out until smooth and even. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top and press down. I use a pastry roller to roll the dough out even.
- Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden and firm around the edges. (The edges will be high and the middle portion will be sunken a bit. This is all normal!)
- Gently place the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Then, carefully lift out the bars and place directly on cooling rack for another 10 minutes or so, until mostly cool. Slice and enjoy! Note: The bars will crumble slightly if sliced warm, but they firm up nicely when cooled.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or in the freezer (tightly wrapped and placed in a freezer bag) for up to 3 to 4 weeks.
Tip:
- * Instead of coconut sugar, you can try using unpacked light brown sugar.
- ** To make the freshly ground oat flour, add 3/4 cup rolled oats into a high speed blender. Blend on high until a very fine flour forms. This will make 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of oat flour. Or you can simply use store-bought oat flour.
- This recipe is an updated version as of May 24/16. The previous version did not contain almond butter, and it had 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil. Everything else is the same.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Cheers to September, baking, and working ovens!
Congrats on the working oven! I can’t even imagine having to work around that. *furiously knocking on wood*
I can’t wait to try these. I’m SOOOO ready for good comforting foods like this!
I have a stupid question, can you make a chia egg and have it work the same way? (I don’t know if there is such a thing or not but I have chia seeds not flax on hand so just curious)
Chia eggs can work really well too! The only issue when swapping them for the flax egg is that chia absorbs more water than flax, so it could impact the recipe a bit. I can’t say for sure unless I tried it, but if you do please report back!
I guess my question is kinda the same when do use the flax egg? I first was using the boxed egg replacer then happily switched to flax I’ve tried the Chia few times. The truth is I’m not the baker in our house I use what recipe calls for or what I have the most. When do you use which
I just used the chia egg mix as I was out of flax and it worked well! I just added a tiny bit more water to the mix. Such great cookie bars, thank you! Love your recipes :)
So glad it worked out! Thanks for sharing.
These look uh-may-zing. As anything with toffee in the name should be. I can’t wait to try these!
Why do you rate a recipe without trying it first?
I agree with Curious. Seems the point of the rating system is to weed out the people that have not tried the recipe yet and still feel the need to comment. Btw, I think the star rating is genius.
im just wondering why many are saying it looks good, delicious etcetera without even trying the recipe first,ive tried most of your cookies and soups and they are delicious im making more for christmas presents
I agree! Anything with toffee is just instantly delicious. I mean, you could put in salad and it would be good. Well, that’s a little ridiculous but you get the drift. And cinnamon supposed regulates blood sugar, or at least that’s what I’ve read. What a perfect fall dessert. Yay for September and working ovens =)
Oh my goodness! I’m going on a trip this weekend and I think these need to be in my suitcase, right?!
Now I’m craving fresh & warm cookies! I think it’s been about a year since I’ve made any. This is unacceptable.
yuuuum these sound incredible! can’t wait to add them to my things-to-bake list this fall.
These look amazing! I will need to be making these asap!
No working oven? Talk about torture! Glad you have it back and can continue sharing your awesome baked good recipes with us – like this one. Toffee, oatmeal and cinnamon? A sure winner in my books. I must make these soon!
So I had all of the ingredients for these and could not wait to make them, so I did so. OMG soooo good. Thanks Angela for giving me an excuse to eat cookies in the morning. They have oats, so that’s how I’m justifying it :)
haha, this makes me so happy that you already made the recipe!! We must be soul sistas. ;) So glad you enjoyed them!
The color on these bad boys is just killin me! Coconut palm sugar is like the best thing to ever happen to my pantry. Pinned!
Hi There,
I have been following your blog for several months now…this is my first time commenting. I just wanted to tell you that you have an awesome website and all of your recipes that I have made were delicious. You are an truly an inspiration…Best of luck to you.
Thank you for your lovely comment Laura! So happy you are enjoying so many recipes :)
i love oatmeal in all forms. these are on my to-do list! you should make these and freeze a bunch for when baby arrives!
I hope you’ll give us a kitchen tour once you’re all settled!
These cookie bars look like the perfect way to break in the oven. And the ingredient list is pretty impressive too! I don’t usually bake with coconut sugar because the flavor is too strong for my taste but I bet it blends in just right with the toffee and cinnamon. Yum!
These look like exactly the end of summer treat I need to be baking immediately. Any advice for an almond flour-swap? Perhaps a mix of extra flax/ground sunflower seeds/buckwheat flour? I typically just avoid recipes with nuts, but this one looks too good to pass up!!
You could probably get away with a bit more oat flour or raw buckwheat flour (I’d probably start with 1/4 cup)…or like you said, ground flax (although I’d probably only use 3-4 T max due to its strong flavour). If you try anything, please let us know!
I also can’t have almond flour so I upped the oat flour to one cup and added 1/4 cup of buckwheat flour and they turned out really well! I’ll definitely use this recipe again!
Update! I made these, substituting the almond flour for: 1/4 cup oat flour, 1/4 cup raw buckwheat flour, 2TB ground flax, and 2TB pure hemp protein powder. They are DELICIOUS. Now, I realize that’s a little complicated…if I make again, I’d probably just use a full 1/4 cup of the hemp. I get the feeling the recipe is flexible. I also imagine a hint of ginger/clove would turn these into a lovely holiday treat. Yums.
Love it!! Thanks for following up :) I’m sure this will help others looking to make it nut-free!
Can I just use AP flour or Whole Wheat Pastry flour to sub for the oat and almond flour?
same question… or maybe all purpose flour ? Im also trying to avoid almond flour…. I wanted to make these tomorrow night, with a vanilla vegan ice cream :D
I have made them several times with the almond flour and they were so delicious! I tried to make them for a friend with an almond allergy and I subbed 3/4 c. coconut flour for the almond flour and it was super dry and crumbly. Next time I would probably just do 1/4 cup of the coconut flour and skip the rest.
I also used coconut flour and they are too dry.. flavour still there but not texture… will try almond flower next time
these look miraculous, angela! yay for a working over and delicious warm from the oven baked goods.
These sound heavenly! congrats on the functioning kitchen! :)
These look so delicious! Gonna make them tommorow!
Oh my! These look so wonderful! I’ve been really craving baking recently. Autumn must be on its way!
Oat and almond are my favourite flours for baking too, oh and coconut sugar is fantastic.
So happy your oven is ready for Fall baking season :) These cookie bars look amazing – crispy edges on cookies are a must! It just so happens I have all the ingredients ready to go! Can’t wait to try these tonight!! Pinned!
Tried them and they are amazing :) I should have taken your advice and waited for them to cool down – I couldn’t wait!!! Dee-lish!!
These are happening. Tonight!
I baked like a madwoman in my third trimester, too. Partly due to nesting, partly due to cravings :)
You look great, and you are so close! Enjoy those final weeks when you have ample time to bake.
Thanks Jen. I hope you enjoy the bars if you make them!
Yes, I have major plans for my oven this week. Two soups going down today and who knows what else all week long. I’m going to need a bigger freezer!
Nothing feels better than having a working oven again… except having a working oven again and celebrating the occasion with delicious baked treats :D These look delicious, Angela! Soft and chewy cookies are the love of my life. Pinned!
Oh my gosh these look fantastic! I need these in my life! Glad you have a working oven now again :)
…and I have decided on what to bake myself for my birthday tomorrow morning, thank you Angela! However I don’t have coconut sugar, would a few dates, banana or apple sauce work?
So since there is Oatmeal in them, does that mean I can have them for breakfast??
What a great recipe to celebrate the return of your oven with!
I am making these today, perfect day to turn on the oven with the fog out there.
I’m allergic to almonds, what’s an alternative to almond flour? I have whole wheat, coconut or buckwheat flour… Would any of those work? I am still perplexed in when to use the dense coconut flour… It’s botched a few recipes for me already.
I am allergic to almonds also and just use the same amount of oat flour that was called for with almond flour and they turned out perfect.
Mmm Ang these look great! Im loving all your gluten-free recipes lately! You’re on a roll. I hope your pregnancy is going great! Cant wait to see more adorable belly pictures. And soon to be baby pictures. Thanks for making the world a healthier place. Take care Ang & baby!
Mandy @ Mandys Healthy Life
These look so fab! Thanks for sharing and thank you for spelling out what a flax egg is =).
Team crispy edges, all the way!
Instead of the flax egg could I use chicken egg? And how many should I use? Your recipe sounds amazing and I am looking forward to trying it.
I’d also like to know if you could use a chicken egg in this recipe, and if it’s a 1-to-1 replacement?
Yes, you can use an egg just omit the flax and the water. It works well both ways!
This looks so so soooo good!! Cookie recipes is something I’m always on the lookout for, as it can be so hard to find a good healthy one that actually works with my cravings.
This one looks absolutely perfect. Honestly, can’t wait to give this a try!
{Teffy’s Perks} X
So delicious with a good cup of coffee. Blessings, Catherine
Made these today and they are SOOO delicious. The BF took one bite and was at a loss for words. I didn’t have coconut sugar so I used brown sugar. They are super sweet so next time I would probably reduce the sugar even more. I also added chopped pecans and they add just the right texture and nuttiness. Thanks for a great treat!
Always looking for new vegan and gluten-free snacks…this is great, thank you.
For some reasons I missed your pregnancy announcement (I just had a baby -boy- myself and do not read blogs as often… Btw -on the other way around- in my surounding everyone just had or currently expect a baby boy!) Anyway, I would like to give you my congratulation!! You are a very pretty expecting lady! I wish that the delivery goes as well as possible and more importantly, for you to have an healthy baby (my end of pregnancy/delivery experience was terrible, but I have one healthy baby now and that’s what matter the most!) :)
You had me at toffee….yum!!!
Wow these look incredible (as usual!) can’t wait to try them out. Maybe tonight *fingers crossed* I have everything
These look so good! Too bad I am not eating sugar this month :((((
Yay for having your oven back though!
This looks amazing Angela!! I love anything oatmeal and this bar looks like heaven!
Yeah for a working oven! These bars look like the perfect way to celebrate a successful kitchen renovation!
It’s so great that you are still sharing fabulous recipes for us!
I don’t have coconut sugar. Do you think this would work with brown sugar?
Yes, check out the notes on the bottom of the recipe instructions. She does mention the coconut sugar substitutions you can use :)
Thanks, Anna, I missed that. Now these will be in my very near future!
Yay to working ovens!! These bars scream fall to me!! I assn ready for fall and these bars!
HOORAY for the convenience of modern day appliances!!! :) Seriously Ange, these bars look insane! I love Eric’s comment about being able to eat 6 without feeling sick.. that’s quite the yardstick to measure by lol! So glad your oven is up and running now, and that you’ve been able to enjoy getting back to baking. I hope you’re feeling great and that things are going well with the little bambino (or maybe not so little any more!) inside of you. Not long now! :) xo
These cookies look perfect! Love the recipe!
My goodness, this looks amazing! I can’t wait to try this out, and the ingredients are fairly simple too. Thanks so much for the recipe!
http://mindfullyaudrina.blogspot.com/
Is there any way to make these with no oil?
Thanks!
Hi Kelly, I haven’t tried it, but if you do let us know how it goes. Off the top of my head, I’m thinking mashed banana *might* work as an oil replacer. Obviously the flavour would change though!
I’m glad you’ve got your oven back! I’ve been traveling for work the past 2 weeks and I can’t wait to try these this weekend. There is nothing like a home made treat. These are going to be great for fall.
Has to be such an amazing to have your oven back! These were the perfect way to break it in, they look so delicious!
Wowza. These look insane. Way to break in the new kitchen!!
I saw this post and immediately went to the kitchen and made these. Amazing! I had to sub out the coconut sugar for organic light brown sugar and still the taste was dead on. Even my non vegan husband who tends to whine about my “healthy” treats loves them. Every recipe I’ve tried from you has been a winner. Your cookbook is my bible! Thanks so much!
I’m so happy the sugar swap worked…I suspected it might! Thanks for your feedback and kind words about my cookbook. :)
Oh, my goodness. Angela, I’ve been on a crazy roll cooking from your cookbook – I live and work in Mexico, where it is impossible to find vegan food, let alone good vegan food… everything I have made has been amazing, and these bars were no different! I only had 1/4c. coconut sugar so had to use muscovado for the rest, but they are SO GOOD. THANK YOU!!!
Thank you Amy! I’m so glad you enjoyed the bars (and cookbook too!)