Cherry Chocolate Cookie Bars

A close up image of a piece of cookie bar stacked on top of other cookie bars.

Cherry Chocolate Cookie Bars

Chewy and easy to make, these chocolate cookie bars are ready in 45 minutes. They're a huge hit for the whole family and perfect for lunchboxes or snacks!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Low Salt

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings bars

Calories 291kcal

Author Jessy Freimann

Equipment

Ingredients

½ cup salted butter, softened- 1 stick
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup all purpose flour
¾ cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 generous pinch kosher salt
½ cup dried cherries, chopped
½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8" x 8" baking pan and line with parchment making sure extra comes up over the sides. Set aside.
Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl combine flour, oats, baking powder and salt. Add to wet ingredients and mix until almost combined.
Stir in dried cherries and chocolate chips until just combined.
Spread the batter evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
Bake uncovered on the center rack for 30-35 minutes or until golden. Once cooled, remove the bars in one piece and cut into 9 slices.

Video

Notes

Line the pan with plenty of parchment. It keeps the bars from sticking and makes them much easier to remove later for clean slicing.
Use room temperature butter. It blends more easily, giving your bars a better texture and flavor.
Stir just until everything comes together. Over-mixing can make your bars dense and tough.
The batter is meant to be sticky, not pourable. Just spread it evenly with a spatula or your hands! My favorite trick is once it's spread in the pan, use the bottom of a glass (choose one with a straight bottom) to gently flatten the dough into the pan evenly.
Let the bars cool fully in the pan so they hold together when you slice them. Use the parchment overhang to lift them out easily.
Ingredients to prep ahead- Chop dried fruit and measure dry ingredients before you start.
Leftovers and storage- Store bars at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze for longer storage. Thaw at room temp.

Nutrition