Oatmeal raisin cookie bars are everything you love about a chewy oatmeal raisin cookie, baked in one pan and topped with a fluffy maple-cinnamon buttercream. The brown sugar and butter dough is packed with quick oats, raisins and cinnamon, pressed into a 9×9 pan and baked just until set. The pan makes 16 bars with no scooping or rolling.
How to make them: Cream the butter and brown sugar, beat in the eggs and vanilla, and mix in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Fold in the oats and raisins, press the dough into a lined pan and bake at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool completely, then spread with a frosting of butter, powdered sugar, maple syrup, cream, cinnamon and maple extract.
Why You’ll Love Them
- Easier than cookies: one pan, no scooping or batches.
- Soft and chewy: brown sugar and quick oats keep them tender.
- Maple-cinnamon frosting: a cozy fall flavor on top.
- Great for sharing: 16 bars for lunchboxes, bake sales and potlucks.
Ingredient Notes
Flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt.
Butter and brown sugar: 3/4 cup softened butter and 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar for a chewy, caramel-like bar.
Eggs and vanilla: 2 room-temperature eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Quick oats: 2 cups. They give a softer, more cookie-like texture than old-fashioned oats.
Raisins: 1 cup, plus a few for the top.
Frosting: 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon maple extract.
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Ingredients
For the bars
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 1 cup raisins (plus extra for topping if desired)
For the maple cinnamon frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 to 2 tbsp heavy cream, room temperature, as needed
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp maple extract
How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars
1. Prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang, and lightly coat it with baking spray.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Cream. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar for 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Add vanilla. Mix in the vanilla extract.
6. Add the flour. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix only until no streaks of flour remain.
7. Fold in oats and raisins. Fold in the quick-cooking oats and raisins with a spatula.
8. Press into the pan. Press the thick dough evenly into the prepared pan. Scatter extra raisins over the top if desired.
9. Bake. Bake for 18–20 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the center is just set.
10. Cool. Cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes, then lift the bars out with the parchment and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Start the frosting. For the frosting, beat the softened butter until smooth.
12. Add the sugar. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until combined.
13. Flavor. Add the maple syrup, 1 tablespoon heavy cream, cinnamon, and maple extract. Beat until fluffy, adding the remaining cream if needed.
14. Frost. Spread the frosting evenly over the completely cooled bars.
15. Cut. Cut into 16 squares and serve.
Should You Soak Raisins Before Baking?
It’s optional, but it helps. Raisins can be dry and chewy straight from the box, and they pull moisture from the dough as it bakes. Soaking them in hot water for a few minutes, then draining and patting them dry, makes them plump and juicy. Dry them well so they don’t make the dough wet.
Tips for Soft, Chewy Bars
- Don’t overbake. Take them out when the center just looks set; they firm up as they cool.
- Use quick oats. They make a softer, more uniform bar.
- Press the dough evenly. Even thickness means even baking.
- Cool before frosting. Warm bars melt the buttercream.
- Use the parchment overhang. It lets you lift the whole slab out for clean cuts.
Variations
- Chocolate chips: swap half the raisins for chocolate chips.
- Nuts: fold in chopped walnuts or pecans.
- No frosting: dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with a simple glaze.
- Cream cheese frosting: beat in a little cream cheese for tang.
- Dried cranberries: use them in place of raisins.
If you’d like large cookies instead of bars, Chocolate Chip Cookies makes 12 thick, soft cookies per batch.
Storage
Keep the frosted bars covered, and refrigerate them if your kitchen is warm. Unfrosted bars can be wrapped and frozen; thaw and frost before serving.
What to Serve With Them
Serve them with a glass of milk, coffee or tea.
More oatmeal and cookie treats: no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies, maple cookies with maple icing, carrot cake cookies and banana blueberry oatmeal breakfast cookies. More bars: ooey gooey bars and pecan turtle bars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you soak raisins before baking cookies?
It’s optional. A short soak in hot water makes them plump; dry them well before adding.
What are the ingredients for soft oatmeal cookies?
Butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and quick oats.
What are the ingredients for dairy-free oatmeal bars?
Use a dairy-free butter in the bars and frosting, and a dairy-free milk or creamer in place of the cream.
Can I use old-fashioned oats?
Yes, but the bars will be chewier and more rustic.
Can I freeze them?
Yes. Freeze them unfrosted, then thaw and frost.
Final Notes
Press the dough evenly, pull the pan while the center is just set and frost once cool. If you add chocolate chips or walnuts, tell me in the comments how they turned out.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon for the bars
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened, for the bars
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 1 cup raisins plus extra for topping if desired
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened, for the frosting
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 to 2 tbsp heavy cream room temperature, as needed
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon for the frosting
- 1/4 tsp maple extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang, and lightly coat it with baking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar for 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix only until no streaks of flour remain.
- Fold in the quick-cooking oats and raisins with a spatula.
- Press the thick dough evenly into the prepared pan. Scatter extra raisins over the top if desired.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the center is just set.
- Cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes, then lift the bars out with the parchment and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting, beat the softened butter until smooth.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until combined.
- Add the maple syrup, 1 tablespoon heavy cream, cinnamon, and maple extract. Beat until fluffy, adding the remaining cream if needed.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the completely cooled bars.
- Cut into 16 squares and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
