This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Here’s a recipe for Low Fat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars that turn out moist and chewy. I think you’re gonna love them. I sure do 🙂 These chewy chocolate chip cookie bars are really easy to make too. Just mix and bake, no mixer required.
How to Make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars, Step by Step
Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375F degrees. Spray a 8×8-inch pan with nonstick spray or line it with aluminum foil and spray the foil.
Step 2: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt until blended.
Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, applesauce, and brown sugar together until creamy and well blended. Add the egg, milk and vanilla and whisk until well blended.
Step 4: Add the dry flour mixture into the wet mixture and stir with a wooden spoon (affiliate link) just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Step 5: Stir in the oats and chocolate chips and mix well.
Step 6: Press the dough onto the bottom of your prepared 8 x 8-inch pan.
Step 7: Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. (Don’t over-bake or they will be dry.)
Step 8: Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan.
Step 9: Cut into 16 squares.
Step 10: Store any leftover cookie bars in an airtight container.
How Many Calories and WW Points in Low Fat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies?
According to my calculations, each cookie bar has 162 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
7 SmartPoints (Green plan)
7 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
6 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
4 PointsPlus (Old plan)
Recipe Notes
I used half whole wheat pastry flour and half all-purpose flour to make these low fat oatmeal chocolate chip squares. And substituted unsweetened applesauce for half the oil.
Reduce the WW Points in these dessert bars by substituting the brown sugar with your favorite zero calorie brown sugar sweetener (Truvia (affiliate link) Sweet Complete Brown, Swerve Brown (affiliate link) Sugar Replacement, etc.).
Be careful not to over bake them or they will become dry!
Substitutions and Variations
No Canola Oil? Substitute your preferred vegetable oil, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.
No Semi Sweet Chocolate Chip? Substitute whatever chips you prefer – dark chocolate, peanut butter, milk chocolate, butterscotch, etc. I think half peanut butter chips and half chocolate chips or half butterscotch and half chocolate would be great too. You could also chop your own chocolate to substitute for chocolate chips.
No Whole Wheat Flour? Substitute barley, spelt or oat flour (affiliate link). Or use all all-purpose flour instead.
Possible Additions: Raisins, dried cranberries, chopped nuts, peanut butter, mashed banana, etc.
If you’ve made these Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Low Fat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons non-fat milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-1/4 cups rolled oats (quick or old-fashioned), uncooked
- 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 375F degrees.
- Pull out a 8 x 8-inch pan. Spray with nonstick cooking spray or for super easy cleanup, line it with aluminum foil and spray the foil.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt until blended.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, applesauce, and brown sugar together until creamy and well blended.
- Add the egg, milk and vanilla and whisk until well blended.
- Add the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon (affiliate link) just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips and mix well.
- Press the dough onto the bottom of your prepared 8 x 8-inch pan
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. (Don’t over-bake or they will be dry.)
- Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan.
- Cut into 16 squares.
- Once completely cool, store tightly covered.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 7 SmartPoints (Green plan) 7 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 6 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 4 PointsPlus (Old plan) Substitutions and Variations I love this super-easy low fat healthier bar cookie recipe. It’s so simple and delicious. You can modify this recipe in lots of ways.
- I like to use a combination of all-purpose and wholegrain flour but use whatever you like best. Barley and oat flour are good choices.
- Reduce the WW Points in these dessert bars by substituting the brown sugar with your favorite zero calorie brown sugar sweetener (Truvia (affiliate link) Sweet Complete Brown, Swerve Brown (affiliate link) Sugar Replacement, etc.).
- You can use whatever kind of chips you like or a combination. I think half peanut butter chips and half chocolate chips or half butterscotch and half chocolate would be great.
- Add your favorite chopped nuts and/or dried fruit, but if you are a Weight Watchers member, adjust your Points value accordingly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you like lighter oatmeal chocolate chip squares you may also like
- Enlightened Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars made healthier by reducing the amount of butter and increasing the bananas to compensate.
- 90 calorie Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip Cookies with Salted Peanuts have fewer chocolate chips and less butter than traditional chocolate chippers, but you’d never know it!
- A great collection of 15 Recipes for Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies for the health-conscious baker.
- Seriously dense and chocolaty, WW Chocolate Mint Cookie Bars contain a secret ingredient that provides a healthy dose of protein of fiber.
- Beginning with a box of cake mix, Chocolate Coconut Cake Mix Bars turn out soft and chewy and can be modified in dozens of different way.
- Caramel Oatmeal Chocolate Mini Bars have a winning combination of crunchy oat and brown sugar base with a chewy caramel middle and chocolate drizzle on top!
Would adding protein powder work with this recipe? Any adjustments needed? Always looking for a protein bar without nuts, seeds or soy that I can’t have!!
Hi Bonnie, I haven’t tried to make these with protein powder, so can’t offer suggestions/advice. If you try it would love to know how they turn out for you. ~Martha
Low Fat along with oatmeal bars, what else anyone looks in protein bars. Those notes which you have mentioned in this article are very useful. Thank you very much.
I used recipe builder for new WW program of Smart Points and they are 7 points each. These would have to be an extra special treat for me to have. Afraid I might not be able to stop at just one. They sound wonderful though!
I reduced the sugar and choco chip to a 1/2 cup and added 2 extra-rip bananas and some chia seeds. Cranked the heat to 390 to account for high elevation (Boulder, CO) and they turned out amazing!!! I ate my slice this AM so fast, I almost chocked myself… yum
Hi Brittany,
Love the changes you made and glad you enjoyed them 🙂
How long do these keep for? And could I potentially freeze them?
Hi Michelle,
They’re best if eaten within 2 to 3 days of making. And yes, they should freeze well provided you wrap them well. I usually wrap them in plastic and then place them in a ziplock freezer bag.
These were fantastic! I did change it a bit, but not extensively. I doubled the recipe. Subbed the AP flour with almond flour (fatter, but healthier), subbed half the oil with more applesauce, and used a third less brown sugar because my homemade applesauce was honey sweetened. I also used EVOO instead of canola. My kids were less than thrilled with bar cookies, since I’d never made them before and they were “different” but try LOVED THEM. Thanks for a great basic recipe!!
Jennie,
Thanks for sharing your modifications with us! Adjusting recipes to suit your tastes is part of the fun of cooking and baking. I’m glad my basic recipe worked for you !
Is this the recipe from the lid of the Quaker Oatmeal container? It looks very similar…so yummy! I always add cranrasins, coconut flakes, and dark choc chips.
Thanks, Christina. It’s probably similar but I’ve tweaked it a bit to make it lower in fat! It’s hard to go wrong with oatmeal cookies and bars as far as I’m concerned 🙂
Hi there, we’ve made these a few times now at our house, and they’re good with dried cranberries too. I’m not sure about the points plus value though. I put these in my WW recipe builder exactly as you listed on this page, and the points came out to 5 per bar, not 3. How did you calculate the nutritional value of the recipe?
Hi Becky,
Glad you like the bars. I calculate the PointsPlus value by entering the recipe into a nutritional software program to determine the calories and grams of fat, fiber, carbs and protein and then use my PointsPlus calculator to determine the PointsPlus. I want to include the actual calories, fat, fiber, carbs, and protein information on my recipes so I can always go back and double check them or adjust if Weight Watchers were to change the way PointsPlus values are calculated and the Recipe Builder only gives the PointsPlus values.
To be safe with your weight loss, always go with the higher PointsPlus value that you calculated!
These are great. Thanks
These turned out awesome – my husband and I love them. Thanks for the good recipe. 🙂