easter bunny oatmeal cookie bars
A pretty nibble for our fluffy little springtime friend.
If one good thing came from being sick, it’s that I had a lot of spare time to think about what goodies I wanted to cook and bake once I felt better. That is, when my brain wasn’t over-occupied with an aching fever and headache. Good stuff.
I’m a little flabbergasted that we’re in the tail end of March already, which also means I should probably do my taxes before I totally forget. Also means that Easter is creeping up, and many of ya’ll might be making plans for your menu, whether you’re a table for two or twenty. So far we’ve thrown in a nice appetizer a la Roasted Garlic Whipped Ricotta Toasts and the best Spiced Carrot Sheet Cake with Bourbon Vanilla Bean Frosting, and today, we’ve got an easy little munchy: Easter Bunny Oatmeal Cookie Bars.
I’m probably rehashing, but I’ve been keeping multicolored hydrangeas in my house constantly of late, and they’re really making me adore using bright colors at almost every opportunity. So is Target’s seasonal section, where I found these lovely pastel M&Ms which I had to use for a cookie bar this year.
These oatmeal-laden beauties are chewy, gooey, and filled with crisp M&Ms and melty white chocolate chips. Eat a few fresh out the oven, when they’re especially soft and melty, but they set up wonderfully too if you’re planning to make ahead and save them for another day. Like any cookie or cookie bar, they’re quick to make and quick to bake, and probably quick to eat, too.
Cookie Dookie
These bars are on the vein of monster bars minus the extreme amount of fillings (not that I’ve a qualm against that) and peanut butter. They’re more like an oatmeal cookie spread into a cake pan. A giant slab of cookie. Fuck yeah.
The dough is easy, featuring an all brown sugar base since I love the slight toasty caramelized flavor it adds to the finished good. Whip up that sugar with butter, then eggs and vanilla. Add in your flour, old fashioned oats (I don’t like using quick oats personally), baking soda, and salt. Finish up by folding in your white chocolate chips and pastel M&M candies. Reserve some of the latter – you’ll be using them in a moment.
Spread – well, more like push and shove and pat – the dough into a 9 x 13 inch cake pan lined with parchment. Press those reserved M&Ms into various spots on top of the dough. Then bake it up!
I like to ensure the sets of my cookie bars are set up and slightly golden, but the center is still a bit soft. The bars will continue to bake a bit as they cool in the pan. If you’re in a rush, throw the pan in your freezer for about 20 minutes to expedite the cooling process.
Eat That Shit
All you need to do now is eat them. Easy, right?
I like to sprinkle a bit of flaky salt on the bars once I cut them, because I’m a ho for that sweet and salty shebang.
The bars store up really well at room temp for about 3 days, the fridge for a week, and the freezer forever (just kidding, think 3 months sealed up well in foil and a ziptop bag). So, if you’re planning to prep some shit for the holiday to make life easier the day of, you have some wiggle room.
One final note – use good quality white chocolate. I almost always buy Ghirardelli myself!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Bunny munchies:
Raspberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
easter bunny oatmeal cookie bars
Ingredients
- 12 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup Easter pastel M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with parchment.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, then beat in the vanilla. Mix in the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips and 3/4 cup of M&Ms with a spatula. Do not overmix.
- Spread and pat the dough evenly into the cake pan. Bake for 22-25 minutes until the edges are set and the centers are still a little gooey. Let cool 15 minutes in the pan, then slice and enjoy!
