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!
These look great!! I don’t have any coconut oil or coconut sugar on hand, but I am thinking thatI might substitute butter and apple sauce for the oil, and perhaps maple syrup for the sugar. Could turn out funny, but I might give it a try! Thanks!
YUM! These look absolutely fantastic! I’ve never baked (or purchased) coconut sugar before, but I’m curious to try it.
Angela these were SO delicious, I made them tonight as a treat after dinner for my boyfriend and I and we ate half the pan before they were cooled! So chewy and flavourful, definitely a keeper! Thank you so much.
haha sounds familiar ;) So glad you both enjoyed them!
Hello there!
I just recently discovered your blog! And I am SO in love with it! I had a miscarriage a few weeks ago and although it was quite difficult, the motivation to go vegan has came about. I was vegetarian for a few years. But now I am ready to become vegan! When I try to get pregnant again I know my body will thank me for it! Thanks so much for having such an awesome blog and being such an awesome person. Congrats on the baby!!! xoXoXXXooo
Joy :D
OMG I’m dying for one of these!! *__*
Oh wow wow wow! These look so good, going to have to track down some GF oats and make some of these to get me through the working week! YUM! Thanks for the amazing post!
Wow… these look amazing. Will be making ASAP! I’m also pregnant (25 weeks!) and needing a yummy baked good that won’t make me feel TOO guilty :)
Yummy!! I am sure my kids are going to love this, definitely going to try this out, hopefully this coming weekend.
P.S. Congrats on your new oven :)
These look incredibly good! My sister is visiting this weekend so it will be the perfect time to make these babies. Please, be weekend soon!
These are ridiculously amazing! I made last night and truly cannot stop eating them. I used Ener-G’s egg replacement instead of Flax and Dark Chocolate and they turned out fantastic.
SOOO good! I made these last night but just used all oats since I didn’t have almond flour and used organic cane sugar and a tablespoon of molasses. They are PERFECT! another great recipe :)
Well, I know what I’ll be making after we move! I’ll be unpacking my kitchen first. ;)
My gluten-sensitive husband is going to be so glad when I make these. Can’t wait to try them!
Yeah for a working oven! This looks like a great fresh out of the oven recipe… love the warm flavors from the cinnamon and toffee… perfect for the fall and a cup of coffee! YUM! Gorgeous pics too girl!
Hi Angela,
I thought you’d be amused to hear that I’ve made these for my Prenatal Yoga & Nutrition Class in New Orleans. I make a treat each week so we can congregate after class. I’m often inspired by Oh She Glows blog and cookbook. As a dietitian and mother, I love making healthy treats for my little one and friends. Thank you for all that you do. And good luck with the end of your pregnancy! My little one was born August 25th 2013. It has been a year of incredible joy.
Hey Jessica! Oh that’s so nice to hear you made them for your class :) And happy belated birthday to your little one! Thanks for your well wishes.
Amazing recipe! These cookie bars look super delicious and healthy, that’s what I call a winning recipe. I’ve been looking for this type of recipe for a while but the ones I found were not healthy at all. These are the perfect mid-afternoon snack or a great breakfast.
Will try them for sure!
xoxox
These are AMAZING!! They even fooled my non-vegan husband! Angela, I just want to thank you for sharing incredibly nutritious recipes with the world. I am 25 weeks pregnant and feel I can credit you with helping me have such an easy, healthy pregnancy. Nutrition is key! Thank you so much!
Yum! These look amazing!
Love love this recipe and the kids loved it even more… couldn’t keep them around.
Question for you, what could I sub the Almond flour to make it nut free, so they can take them to school? Thanks!
I saw some comments from people saying they had success subbing with more oat flour
I made these this evening and they’re amazing! I could tell they were going to be good because I couldn’t stop eating the batter! I used chia seeds instead of flax and it worked wonderfully.
Thank you for an awesome recipe :)
This recipe was so inviting that I had to make it right away. Yummy and easy!Thanks so much. It is always fun to have a new treat in the rotation
I made these tonight & they are really good!! I made them exactly as directed & wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks for a great recipe!
I just made this recipe and it is delicious! I am always on the look out for healthy recipes for the lunch box for my kids and this ticks all the boxes. We just had it for an after school snack and the kids and I loved it. No doubt my husband will too. Thanks Angela!
Yummy..
These look amazing! Haha the toffee caught my eye. Do you know if there are any replacements for the almond flour?
Can you explain what ingredient gives the recipe the toffee flavor? Thanks!
The coconut sugar – it has a light toffee/caramel flavour :)
Perfect timing, Angela! I’m heading away for the weekend to celebrate a friend’s birthday. I’ll whip up a batch of these for everyone to enjoy. Plus, they will be a yummy treat for me to eat while everyone else devours the (non-vegan) birthday cake!
I tried many of your pastas and sweets. Everytime it turns out perfect. This one was the summum for me, it’s do yummy you can’t stop yourself from eating it. You just take vegan food to another level and it makes my transition easier. THANK YOU !
So simple to make, nutritious and delicious, just perfect :-) Hoping my 5 year old will love them when he gets back from school. I used cacao nibs instead of the chocolate chips, they tasted awesome, thanks!
Just made these last night and the really did make my whole apartment smell like toffee! They definitely did not disappoint! Thank you for another delicious recipe!
Where do you buy your gluten-free oats? what brand do you use? I haven’t been able to find them here in Vancouver yet. Love your blog & cookbook!
Bobs red mill makes certified gluten-free :)
Hi Angela!
I found your blog a couple of months ago and fell in love instantly! I have since bought your book, every recipe is awesome!
I was so excited to try these bars, they looked amazing! I decided to make a half batch as I had a feeling I would devour these in one go! But unfortunately they were over done, even though I adjusted the time!
They now are a cookie texture, and the flavor is amazing! Will definitely be trying these again. :)
I will be making these again! I used brown sugar (will have to check out coconut sugar) and they turned out great. I baked them for 20 mins and thought they didn’t look done – still bubbly and the ingredients swished a bit in the pan when I moved to take them out – so I left them in for another 2 mins and that did the trick. After they cooled a bit I could see they were just fine, I worried for nothing! But, I like things crispy and really wanted dessert tonight! Thank you for another great recipe.
These are amazing! Great texture and flavor. They’re perfect for school lunches. I will definitely make these again!
Oh and by the way, brown sugar works just fine with these. :)
Dear Angela, this is a great and yummy recipe, I like to follow your recipes to the “T” and always have great results . This recipe is a keeper! Love it!
Hard to believe you are 36 weeks already! You look fantastic and so cute !
Oh my – my eyes popped when I read the title of this post! Looks and sounds AMAZING! We LOVE your turtle cookies and this is what I thought of – and I am always looking for bar recipes as I find I have little time to make individual cookies these days. With 3 teenage boyz I am baking more than ever to try to fill their bottomless pits!
Thanks so much Angela…hope you are feeling well..cannot wait to read the baby announcement post :-)
Enjoy your oven!!! (*I had no oven for 6 mths living abroad so I feel your pain…and your joy!…it was like withdrawal…I no longer take it for granted!)
These were amazing. I subbed whole wheat flour for the almond flour and they were amazing! I say were because I made them this morning and they are gone now. Double batch next time!
These were fantastic!! My boyfriend loved them and my Mom thought they were totally amazing. I made the Lentil Walnut Loaf for dinner and then these for dessert…..winning September dinner! :)
AMAZING!!! I love the soft, chewy, caramel taste. I took your advise, and made coffee shop worthy hazelnut milk, such a fantastic treat. I did think they were a little oily. I don’t know if you tried in testing, but I might not add the extra 2 Tb. of coconut oil.
Delish! We actually didn’t have an 8×8 so we turned them into cookies. 350 degrees for 9 minutes. Everyone in the house loved them!
Holy craps these are sooooooo good!!!!!!!! The coconut sugar is amazing! The chocolate is amazing! The chewy oath goodness is amazing! And the crispy corners are mine, all mine!!!! Thanks for another great recipe ange!
I made these yesterday and there is only one left! Everyone in the house loved them! Thanks for the recipe Angela!
I made these yesterday and they are so delicious, but super crumbly. They can’t be picked up or they fall apart. I didn’t make any substitutions. Any idea where I went wrong? The flavor is outstanding! I can’t stop eating them and would love it if they held together a bit more.
Hey Kim, Hmm, I’m not sure…ours we’re only delicate until they cooled. Once they cooled they held together very well and didn’t crumble at all.
I made them tonight for my son and his girlfriend, who are driving down to MD from CT for Thanksgiving. The taste is good, not as sweet as I’d prefer, but mine crumble apart too, long after cooling down. It was very frustrating trying to cut them. My theory is that the coarser your almond flour, the more they crumble. I thought they were a bit too oily, too. However, this was my first cooking experience with almond flour. I’m a whole-wheat-and-honey (or maple syrup) mom from decades back. When my 4 boys were young in the late 80’s and 90’s, there were very few cookbooks (and no internet) with dessert recipes that didn’t have white flour, sugar, and shortening as the main ingredients. I had to adjust everything until I found my main whole foods cookbook in a health food store. Now I’m trying to adjust once again to a new way! Thanks for your ideas.
So easy to make and sooooooo yummy!!! Thank you. This is a keeper!!
I love Eric’s comment about eating 6 without feeling sick:) Every time I make cookies I end up feeling sick, between eating the dough and then “testing” a cookie from each batch “to make sure they are done”. I will have to give these bars a try in hopes that I too can eat many without feeling sick!
Oh man. These are AMAZING. I love the cookies these are based on, but you have outdone yourself with these. I made them for me and my boyfriend yesterday afternoon, and all but a little strip are gone. Delicious! Next time I’m going to cut and freeze them as soon as they’ve cooled so I can manage to pace myself a little. ;)
These look amazing! Thank you for sharing. I can’t wait to make them and eat all of the edge pieces ;)
They whip up really fast and bake perfectly. I didn’t add any chocolate chips in the batter but instead scattered more on the top. In the baking they rose quite high and the chocolate chips sunk into the batter.
I gave them a 4 vs 5 star as I found them a bit too sweet. Next time I will add less sugar, though I wonder how that might change how they bake.
These look fabulous and I’m going to be making them on the ASAP. Also, haven’t heard anyone other than my good friend use MY-lanta as an exaltation…love it!