GoGo’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

The recipe is finally here, GoGo’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars!!! 

Named after my outstanding mother-in-law, whom we call GoGo, these bars are one of her specialties in the kitchen that everyone in her life knows and loves so very much! Growing up, my husband, Clayton, says that these oatmeal chocolate chip bars were a regular staple in their house and there was almost always a batch ready to be eaten at any given time. In fact, all of his high school friends know and love GoGo’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars and always rant and rave about how they loved them growing up! GoGo took them everywhere with her, and I completely understand why. 

These chocolate chip bars are just about the easiest recipe to make, using limited ingredients and a box of yellow cake mix. It can be thrown together at any given time and taken to a friend in need of a little sweet treat, a potluck gathering or when hosting friends at your house.

While they are *fantastic* when warm or at room temperature, they are (arguably) better kept in the freezer and eaten straight out of there — a Snodgrass family secret! We carve them into squares, toss them in a ziplock and leave them in the freezer for a sweet treat whenever your heart desires or easily warmed up if that is what you prefer. But, if you do try our freezer trick,  definitely let me know what you think!

GoGo’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

Serves: 20 bars

Print

4.75 from 12 votes

Total Time45 mins

Ingredients

• 1 [15-ounce] box Miss Jones vanilla cake mix *use my code 20DEFINED for 20% off
• ½ cup avocado oil
• ¼ cup water
• 1 large egg
• 1 stick butter, softened
• ½ cup packed Miss Jones Smart Sugar *you can also use regular brown sugar here
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats *do not use quick oats
• 1 [8-ounce] package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a 9x13 metal baking pan with parchment paper.
• In a large mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, combine the avocado oil, water, egg, softened butter, smart sugar (or brown sugar if using) and only ½ of the bag of the vanilla cake mix. Mix at medium speed until well combined.
• Add the remaining cake mix and the oats. Mix over medium speed once more until just combined.
• Fold in the chocolate chips. Transfer to the parchment-lined baking pan and spread into an even layer using a rubber spatula.
• Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for exactly 30 minutes. It might not look completely done, but once it has time to set it will be perfect and still chewy in the center. *GoGo says never take it out earlier or later than 30 minutes!

  Allow the bars to cool completely, at least 30 more minutes, before lifting the parchment paper out of the baking dish and carving into squares.

Notes

• Quick oats does not work as an alternative in this recipe!
• 1:1 substitute for brown sugar
• I do not like plain coconut sugar as a sub in this recipe
• I have tried grain-free boxed yellow cake mix as an alternative and it did not work the same.