Iced Oatmeal Cookie Bars
These Iced Oatmeal Cookie Bars are soft, chewy, and topped with a sweet vanilla icing that gives them that old-fashioned charm. Made with oats, brown sugar, and a touch of molasses, they’re the perfect mix of cozy and nostalgic — just like grandma used to make, but easier! They’re great for holiday parties, bake sales, or cookie swaps and make your kitchen smell like pure Christmas magic.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashion oats
- 1 cup & 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 stick butter melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prep the pan and oats: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Add the oats to a food processor and pulse just a few times — you’re not making oat flour here, just breaking them up a bit for that chewy cookie texture.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Transfer the chopped oats to a medium bowl and add flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda. Stir it all together and set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, melt the butter and let it cool slightly for about 5 minutes. Whisk in the brown sugar and granulated sugar for about 30 seconds until smooth and glossy. Add the vanilla, egg, and molasses, whisking again until fully combined.
- Combine and bake: Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Spread the dough evenly into your prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown and the center no longer jiggles.
- Cool and ice: Let the bars cool completely before icing (it’s worth the wait!). In a medium bowl, stir together vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar until a thick, smooth icing forms. Spread it evenly over the cooled bars, let it set, then slice into squares.