Happy Friday, let’s kick off the weekend with oatmeal cashew cookie bars! These chewy cookie bars are flavored with creamy cashew butter, brown sugar, and vanilla, and baked with healthier fats (cashew butter and coconut oil). Feel free to swap in almond butter, peanut butter, or even cookie butter, and if you feel inclined to mix in toffee bits or mini chocolate chips to the cookie base, go for it – this is one cookie bar to make your own!
Finished with a generous drizzle of chocolate and flaky sea salt (because where there’s chocolate, I’m forever adding salt), these cookie bars are the ideal weekend treat.
Ingredients
Bars
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 cup rolled oats, toasted
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt (see note below)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, solid state
- 1/2 cup creamy cashew butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Topping
- 2 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
- flaky salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, toasted oats, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat coconut oil, cashew butter, and brown sugar in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until creamy. Add egg and vanilla, beating to combine. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture; beat just until incorporated.
- Scrape dough into prepared pan and use a piece of parchment paper lightly coated with nonstick spray to press dough evenly into pan. Bake bars for 16 to 17 minutes, until top and edges are golden and set. Cool completely in baking pan on a wire rack.
- For the topping, place chopped chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 20 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth. Drizzle chocolate over cookie bars and sprinkle with flaky salt. Let chocolate set before cutting into bars.
Notes
Reduce salt to 1/2 teaspoon if your cashew butter (or other nut butter) contains added salt. To toast oats, spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for about ten minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden and fragrant.
Nutrition
- Calories: 210
- Carbohydrates: 28
18 comments
Cashews are my husband’s favorite nut so I can imagine how he would enjoy the flavor of these cookies.
I adore the rich flavor of cashews, these look fabulous!
What delicious looking bars, love that you used cashew butter. Making these for the week-end;)
I’m loving the thin drizzle of chocolate, Laura xx
As usual, I wish I could grab one of these bars right off my screen Laura! I love that you tried to healthy these up too. I bet the flavor of these with the cashew butter is delicious. On my list! (I think everytime I visit your blog I gain a pound or two!)
Weekend baking is always a must! I’m happy to be in the kitchen and family and friends are overjoyed to have home made treats. These scrumptious oatmeal bars would disappear very quickly!
I’m not sure I’ve ever had cashew butter. But this recipe has given me the best excuse to add it to my shopping list!!
THESE!!! Oh my gosh! These are totally my kind of bar! 🙂
Ohhh these look incredible, Laura!
I love cashews but haven’t found a cashew butter that I really love. These will be on the list once I do! 😀
Oh my! Cashew butter cookie bars sound absolutely divine. Must be a great combination with the oatmeal and that chocolate drizzle 🙂
I would not say no to one (or two..ok three!!) of these!
Gorgeous oatmeal cashew butter bars! I recently got cashew butter from TJs and love it! Such a fun addition to fun bars 🙂
These bars look SOOOOOO good!!!!
Oh this is such a great idea to start a week!
You made me realised what I’m missing on <3
Ah, I just looooove the chocolate drizzle on these bars! How’d you know I like a sprinkle of sea salt with my chocolate?! ????
Two of my favorite things, Laura! Oatmeal & cashews! These bars look fantastic! Oh and that chocolate drizzle! 🙂