Soft and Chewy Butterscotch Oatmeal Bars

Butterscotch oatmeal bars are thick and chewy and so quick and easy to make.   A hint of cinnamon and sweet butterscotch chips combine with oats to create an explosion of flavors and textures. A simple streusel topping takes the bar cookies from boring to irresistible! 

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As a busy mama and self taught baker, dessert bar recipes save me all the time! I’ve been making blondies and bar cookies for decades and know you will love the simplicity of this recipe. The butterscotch chips bring a nostalgic flavor that is balanced with a sprinkle of sea salt.

Oatmeal cookies are another kryptonite for me and it took a LOT of self control to not eat an entire batch by myself.  Big E declared these bars “the best” and wouldn’t let me give the final test batch away! 

Much like my Nordy bars and brown butter oatmeal cookies, you will love the soft and chewy texture. My recipe is made using brown sugar; which helps with the soft texture. The recipe is also made without chocolate chips, so the butterscotch can really shine, like in my butterscotch ice cream, oatmeal butterscotch cookies and butterscotch nut bars.

Whether you call them butterscotch oatmeal bars or oatmeal scotchies, I think you will agree with Big E and call them the best too! 

🛒 ingredients that make these cookie bars special

I tested this recipe with old fashioned rolled oats, quick oats and a combination of both. All old fashioned oats won in the taste and texture tests.

Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.

• Oats ~ old fashioned rolled oats are needed for this recipe. The rolled oats provide the chewy and thick texture I wanted for these bar cookies.  One of my test batches was with quick oats and they will work, if it’s all you have.  Quick oats make a denser cookie bar. You can also do a combination, which gives nice texture too.
• Brown sugar ~I love the extra richness that dark brown sugar brings to these bar cookies, but if you only have light brown sugar that works fine as well.
• Cinnamon ~ ground cinnamon compliments the butterscotch and helps give this easy recipe another layer of flavor.
• Butterscotch chips ~ kind of hard to have butterscotch bars without butterscotch!  I tested with Nestle Toll House butterscotch morsels and Target’s Good and Gather butterscotch chips.  Both worked great!
• Flaky sea salt ~ brings balance to the sweetness of the butterscotch chips.  It can be left out, but I highly recommend it!  Murray River salt is what I use.

🥣 how to make in photos

Start by making the oatmeal streusel and set aside.

Now preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand held mixer beat together the unsalted butter, kosher salt, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat until smooth and light, about 3 minutes.

Scrape up and down the bowl, then add in the egg and vanilla and mix on medium until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.

Then sprinkle the baking soda and baking powder over the cookie dough and mix on medium-low until combined.

Now scrape the bowl and add the all-purpose flour and old-fashioned rolled oats and mix on low until a just a few streaks of flour remain. Stir in the butterscotch chips with a spatula until combined.

Now press the dough into an even layer in the prepared pan.

Then sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the cookie dough. Top with flaky sea salt, if desired.

Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are just browning.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.

💬 frequently asked questions

🥜 can I add nuts?

Yes, up to ¼ cup of nuts can be added. Reduce the butterscotch chips to ½ cup.

can butterscotch oatmeal bars be made gluten free?

Yes. Use certified gluten free old fashioned oats and a 1:1 gluten free flour. I like King Arthur's measure for measure flour.

👩🏻‍🍳 tips for the best bar cookies

This recipe for oatmeal scotchie bars makes chewy and soft cookie bars.  To create this texture, be sure to not over mix the batter and don’t over bake! No one likes a dry cookie bar. It's better to err on the side of less done than over done. They will firm up and continue to cook as they cool. If you like a more gooey center, bake them a minute or two less.

For the best cookie bars, I recommend baking in a light colored 8x8 baking pan.  Dark pans absorb more heat and can cause the edges to burn while the middle is undercooked.  Glass pans also distribute the heat differently and can have similar results to dark colored baking pans.  If baking in glass, it’s recommended to lower the temperature by 25°F and bake for a few minutes longer.

Remember your oven is different from mine and the baking time may be slightly different. I use this oven thermometer to ensure my oven is at the temperature I think it is.  

🫙how to store

Store any leftovers covered in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days.

These chewy butterscotch oatmeal cookie bars also freeze well for up to 2 months. Allow to defrost at room temperature before serving.

Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these Butterscotch Oatmeal Bars. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!

If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating.  I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!

📖 recipe

Soft and Chewy Butterscotch Oatmeal Bars

recipe created and tested by:

Tasia

Soft and chewy butterscotch oatmeal bars with cinnamon, butterscotch chips and a streusel topping. Easy to make, rich in flavor and irresistible!

5 from 1 vote

I highly recommend using weight (metric) measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.

Please note

When using 2x or 3x ingredients, the grams in parenthesis DO NOT adjust, you will have to manually do that.

Print Recipe rate this recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Bake Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Bars and Brownies

Cuisine American

Servings 16 bars

Calories 193 kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

streusel topping

• ▢ ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats (50g)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons brown sugar packed (25g)
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter melted (21g)
• ▢ ¼ cup butterscotch chips (45g)

oatmeal cookie bars

• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature (113g)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ⅓ cup brown sugar packed (67g)
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
• ▢ 1 large egg room temperature preferred
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ¾ cup all-purpose flour (94g)
• ▢ 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (100g)
• ▢ ¾ cup butterscotch chips (135g)
• ▢ Flaky sea salt* optional but highly recommended

Instructions

 

• Make the streusel: in a small to medium bowl mix together the old-fashioned rolled oats (½ cup/50g), brown sugar (2 tablespoons/25g) and melted unsalted butter (1 ½ tablespoons/21g). Then stir in the butterscotch chips (¼ cup/45g) and set the streusel aside.
• Make the oatmeal cookie bars: preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
• Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand held mixer beat together the unsalted butter (½ cup/113g), kosher salt (½ teaspoon), brown sugar (⅓ cup/67g) and granulated sugar (¼ cup/50g); start on low until incorporated and then on medium (speed 6 on KitchenAid) until smooth and light, about 3 minutes.
• Scrape up and down the bowl, then add in the egg (1 large) and vanilla (2 teaspoons) and mix on medium until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
• Then sprinkle the baking soda (½ teaspoon) and baking powder (½ teaspoon) over the cookie dough and mix on medium-low (4 on KitchenAid) until combined (about 30 seconds).
• Now scrape the bowl and add the all-purpose flour (¾ cup/94g) and old-fashioned rolled oats (1 cup/100g) and mix on low (stir on KitchenAid) until a just a few streaks of flour remain.
• Stir in the butterscotch chips (¾ cup/135g) with a spatula until combined.
• Now press the dough into an even layer in the prepared pan.
• Then sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the cookie dough. Top with flaky sea salt*, if desired.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are just browning, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Notes

*I highly recommend adding some flaky sea salt. Butterscotch chips are extra sweet and the extra salt helps to balance the flavors.

If you'd like to add chocolate - mini chocolate chips (or regular size) can be added with the butterscotch chips before baking. Reduce the butterscotch chips to ½ cup/90g and use ¼ cup chocolate chips.

If you would like to add nuts, ¼ cup of nuts can be added. Reduce the butterscotch chips to ½ cup.

Store any leftovers covered in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days.

The butterscotch oatmeal cookie bars also freeze well for up to 2 months. Allow to defrost at room temperature before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 barCalories: 193kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 169mgPotassium: 50mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 236IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg

The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.

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