Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

My go to recipe for a sweet treat is oatmeal chocolate chip bars! My family loves them and they are so easy I can whip them up in under an hour. I keep a few in the freezer to pull out for emergency dessert on a long day, just in case the cookie jar is empty!

I love oatmeal. It is one of those foods I didn't develop an appreciation for until I was in my 40's. Now I love it for breakfast like this brown sugar overnight oatmeal recipe. I use it in sensory activities with the kids and of course, I make snacks like oatmeal chocolate chip bars with it!

You will love this recipe because it is made with simple ingredients you likely have in your pantry, and it is so easy!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Blondies

Makes 16 servings

½ c melted butter, cooled 

½ c light brown sugar, packed

¼ c granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

¾ c flour

1 c old fashioned oats

1 c chocolate chips

Directions:

Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Add brown sugar, granulated sugar and melted butter to a large mixing bowl.

Mix until smooth.

Add egg and vanilla and mix until evenly combined.

Add baking soda and baking powder to the batter.

Add flour and oatmeal, mix until well combined.

Add chocolate chips and stir until mixed throughout the batter.

Pour the batter into the parchment lined pan.

Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown, be careful not to overbake or the cookies will be very chewy.

Allow to cool before cutting.

Make 4 cuts across the blondies and turn, then make 4 more cuts.

Makes 16 servings. 

You can wrap these in parchment and place in a freezer bag and freeze to enjoy later.

Find more favorite recipes here:

3 Ingredient Biscuits

Maple Brown Sugar Cookies

Homemade Coleslaw Dressing

Peanut Butter Chicken and Noodles

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Big Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Butter

Big Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies (No Butter!): A Perfect Treat for Any Occasion

Chocolate chip cookies are a timeless favorite, but what if you’re out of butter or looking for a different twist? These big batch chocolate chip cookies swap out butter for Crisco, resulting in a cookie that’s soft, chewy, and perfect for sharing. Whether you’re baking for a crowd or just want to stock up on homemade treats, this recipe delivers delicious results every time.

Why Use Crisco Instead of Butter?

Crisco, or vegetable shortening, has been a baking staple for generations. Unlike butter, it creates a cookie that stays soft for longer while giving it a slightly crisp edge. It also helps maintain a consistent texture, making it a great choice for large batches. Plus, since it’s dairy-free, it’s an excellent option for those avoiding dairy products.

The Benefits of a Big Batch Recipe

Making a big batch of chocolate chip cookies means you’ll always have enough to share. Whether you’re baking for a party, a bake sale, or just filling the cookie jar for your family, having plenty of cookies on hand is never a bad thing. These cookies store well and can even be frozen for later enjoyment.

Perfect for Any Occasion

Soft, chewy, and packed with chocolate chips, these cookies are ideal for every situation. Pair them with a glass of milk, take them to a gathering, or simply enjoy them as a sweet treat any time of day. The Crisco ensures they stay fresh and delicious for days, making them a go-to recipe for busy bakers.

So, if you’re looking for a chocolate chip cookie recipe that’s easy, delicious, and perfect for big batches, give these no-butter cookies a try. You might just find a new favorite way to bake this classic treat!

 Big Batch Butter Less Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 50 cookies

Ingredients

2 cups of shortening

4 room temperature eggs

2 cups of dark brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

3 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract

5 ½ cups of flour

1 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons of baking soda

3 ½ cups of chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the shortening and both white and brown sugar.

Mix on medium speed for one minute.

Add the eggs and vanilla to the mixing bowl, mix on medium speed until well combined.

Remove the bowl from the stand.

Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix by hand until all ingredients are blended.

Add the chocolate chips and stir by hand.

Scoop out dough with a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, or you can do this by hand if needed.

Place the cookies about 3” apart on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown and the tops look just a little shiny.

Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

Store at room temperature for 4 days or in the freezer for 4 months.

Find more great recipes here:

Chocolate Espresso Cookies

Foolproof Biscuits

Homemade Coleslaw Dressing

Peanut  Butter Instant Pot Noodles

Brown Sugar Sugar Cookie Recipe

A classic cookie get a delicious deep flavor with this recipe for brown sugar sugar cookies! This cookie is perfect for a fall day. Make a batch to savor over coffee with a friend, or as the ultimate after school snack for the kids. The entire family is sure to love this easy cookie.

Photo Credit: Sara Lehman.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Cookie Ingredients:

2 ⅓ cup flour

1 stick of softened butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup of sugar

1 large egg

⅓ cup of maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoon maple extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

Icing Ingredients:

1 cup of powdered sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons of milk

2 teaspoons of maple extract

Directions:

Cream butter and both sugars together. Beat for 2 minutes.

Add egg, continue to mix for 1 minute and then add maple syrup.

As you are mixing add the vanilla and maple extracts.

Begin adding the flour, baking soda, salt. During this step I like to switch from my mixer to a mixing spoon to stir as the dough will be very creamy and soft and a little sticky.

Chill in the refrigerator for 90 minutes.

When you remove the dough from the fridge, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Use a cookie scooper to form balls of dough and place them on a cookie sheet, 2” apart.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet.

I added a basic drizzle to our cookies to give them a little extra sweetness and they looked even yummier!

Serve these with milk or coffee. 

You can bake them ahead of time and freeze them, or you can freeze the dough if you like, and then you can bake them as needed. I

If you plan to freeze before baking, scoop your cookie dough out, freeze on a cookie sheet then transfer to a zipper seal bag.

Mark the flavor, baking time and temp with a permanent marker. I always set 6 cookies aside for baking later, you NEVER know when a cookie craving is going to strike HA!

You can find more yummy recipes here.

Mint Chocolate Chip S'mores

Nashville Hot Chicken Fried Potatoes

Strawberry Syrup

Maple Brown Sugar Cookies

The perfect fall cookie is easy to make in your home kitchen with this recipe for maple brown sugar cookies. This recipe creates cozy, warm cookies that are perfect to make and share.  Bake a batch with the kids, or surprise someone special with a dozen. Everyone will love these maple brown sugar cookies.

I love to bake and share my creations with neighbors and friends. I have fallen head over heals for maple and brown sugar flavors so I knew I had to bake cookie that captured them perfectly. I feel like maple should be an official flavor of fall. What do you think?

This recipe starts with simple ingredients like butter, flour, sugar and Ohio maple syrup. It creates a cookie that is bakery quality. You are going to love the burst of buttery, maple flavor each bite offers.

 Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Cookie Ingredients:

2 ⅓ cup flour

1 stick of softened butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup of sugar

1 large egg

⅓ cup of maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoon maple extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

Directions:

Cream butter and both sugars together. Beat for 2 minutes.

Add egg, continue to mix for 1 minute and then add maple syrup.

As you are mixing add the vanilla and maple extracts.

Begin adding the flour, baking soda, salt. During this step I like to switch from my mixer to a mixing spoon to stir as the dough will be very creamy and soft and a little sticky.

Chill in the refrigerator for 90 minutes.

When you remove the dough from the fridge, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Use a cookie scooper to form balls of dough and place them on a cookie sheet, 2” apart.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet.

Icing Ingredients:

1 cup of powdered sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons of milk

2 teaspoons of maple extract

Combine all the ingredients in your mixer and blend over low speed until smooth.

Drizzle over cooled cookies.

These are so good with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk. They feel warm and cozy long after they have cooled off.

I am sure you will agree this maple brown sugar cookie recipe has a great crumb and a delectable buttery vibe going on that makes them perfect. 

If 3 dozen cookies sounds like too much for you to eat, you can freeze this recipe. Just scoop the dough into balls onto a cookie sheet. Pop it in the freezer for 2 hours or so until the dough is frozen, from there you can place the frozen cookie dough into a freezer bag. Mark the bag with time that they need to bake and the time to bake. Then you can pull a few cookies out as needed. 

You are sure to love these maple brown sugar cookies as much as my family does.

Find more great recipes here:

Golden Graham Cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

This is the best cookie recipe yet! It has juicy, sweet cherries baked into double chocolate chip cookie dough. Make these for the winter holidays like Christmas or Valentine's day. They are decadent, delicious and so easy! Let the kids help, or whip up a batch this afternoon to share with someone special.

I love everything about this recipe. It brings decadent chocolate cookie dough together with chocolate chips and juicy cherries! Drizzle chocolate over the top to set this cookie over the top!

Ingredients:

1 1⁄2 c all purpose flour

1⁄2 tsp baking soda

1⁄2 tsp baking powder

1⁄2 c sweetened condensed milk

1⁄2 c of granulated sugar

1 cup of mini chocolate chips

3⁄4 c softened butter

1⁄2 c cocoa powder

A pinch of salt

1 cup of maraschino cherries, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, or a baking mat.

Drain the maraschino cherries and allow them to dry on a paper towel.

Slice the maraschino cherries in halves or quarters, your choice.

Mix butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add sweetened condensed milk and blend until creamy.

Add baking powder, baking soda and pinch of salt, mix until combined.

Add flour and blend until fully incorporated.

Add chocolate chips, chopped cherries and cocoa powder.

Mix for 30 seconds on medium speed until the cocoa is incorporated.

Use a cookie scoop to form balls of dough, and drop them 2” apart on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The tops should no longer look glossy.

Allow the cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes.

Drizzle with chocolate glaze when completely cool.

Remove and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

This recipe makes about 18 cookies.

Chocolate Glaze

1 cup of milk chocolate chips

3 tablespoons of milk

2 cups of powdered sugar

Melt the chocolate chips over medium heat, using the double boiler method, or pop them in the

microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring frequently, until the chocolate stirs smooth.

Add the milk and stir.

Add the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth.

Drizzle over cookies and allow to cool and harden for 15 minutes.

Find more favorite cookie recipes here:

Brown Sugar Sugar Cookies

Maple Brown Sugar Cookies

Golden Graham Cookies

Reclaimed Farmhouse Joy Sign

This farmhouse joy sign was made entirely from reclaimed materials to add a festive touch to your home.

I have been making a ton of things with pallets. From creepy Halloween signs, wooden black cats and even some fun pallet Christmas trees that I am going to share with you soon. I knew exactly what I wanted to make the last time I tore apart some pallets. Rustic and charming farmhouse holiday signs.

These reclaimed farmhouse joy signs are so easy to make.  They add a festive touch to your space or are perfect for gifting. Plus, they are so budget friendly you can make dozens for a dollar!

This is a really easy project. Gather some supplies, finding inspiration in trash.

Supplies for one sign

One pallet board section

One pop tab

One screw

One penny nail

Glue

One Christmas Bauble

Paint

Paint Brush

Screwdriver

Hammer

I cut one pallet board into 4 smaller boards, just big enough to proclaim my message, Joy.

I pulled tabs off of empty soda cans for my method of hanging.

Line up the soda tab so that it is even with the board. 

Place the screw in the small hole and tighten.

In the center of the other side of the board, place the penny nail. Drive it in half way.

Paint the board in the color of your choice. 

After the board is dry, place a Christmas bauble over the nail. Add a bead of glue to secure and allow to dry.

Use stencils, or with another color of paint, freehand  your letters J and Y. Allow to dry.

Now you can display your Joy sign, or share it with a friend this holiday season.

In the mood for more creative projects?
Check out some of my favorites here:
Ribbon Tree OrnamentsBarbie Serving TrayButton Tree Ornaments

Crumbl Copycat Golden Graham Cookies

Looking for a really good cookie recipe? These golden graham cookies are just what you need. They have such a lovely flavor and are perfect for anyone who loves cereal and milk. These are even better than Crumbl cookies! I think it is safe to call these a copycat crumbl recipe.

I love to bake cookies, muffins, biscuits and even popovers. It is my dream to someday have a bakery of my own where I can spread cheer and cookies all around. 

Well, until that happens, I keep myself happy coming up with recipes like this one. It is perfect for creating huge, delicious cookies with a wonderful texture. These are so big you can only make 6 to a cookie sheet and you will need your ice cream scooper to form them!

Bake these for a friend, to share with family or for a bake sale, and prepare for compliments! Go on and pin this recipe for later because you are going to want to make these all the time!

.

1 c salted butter, softened to room temperature

1 ½ c sugar

2 large eggs

2 ½ c flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

1 ½ c crushed golden graham cereal

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper.

Add butter and sugar to a medium mixing bowl. Beat for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Add eggs and vanilla, mix for 1 more minute.

Add baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix for 1 minute.

Add flour and mix until you can’t see any flour in the dough.

Crush the golden graham cereal with a food processor.

Add the crushed cereal to the dough and mix for a minute

Use an ice cream scoop to make large dough balls.

Place them 6 to a cookie sheet.

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.

When the cookies are completely cool you can add glaze or frosting to them.

Garnish with golden graham cereal.

Glaze

1 ½ c powdered sugar

¼ c softened butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 tbsp of half and half of milk.

Add the powdered sugar and butter to a mixing bowl. 

Add vanilla and 1 tbsp of milk or half and half.

Begin mixing.

If your glaze feels too thick add an additional tbsp of milk and continue to blend until you achieve the desired consistency.

These cookies are SO GOOD. I think they are even better than CRUMBL cookies!

These would be incredible for a cookie exchange, or to add into your cookie tray at the holidays. But, these are awesome anytime of the year. So don't wait for the holidays to roll around to bake this recipe.

Look at those scrumptious cookies! They are great with both milk and coffee. They have a wonderful flavor!

You can find all of my dessert recipes here

Homemade Rice Pudding

Instant Pot Banana Rice Pudding

Brown Sugar Overnight Oats

More copycat recipes:

Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings