Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars are filled with hearty oats and butterscotch chips, then baked and drizzled with butterscotch sauce for even more flavor. If you love my Oatmeal Scotchies, these dessert bars will give you the same delicious flavor in bar form!
Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars Ingredients & Smart Substitutions
- Flour: All-purpose flour gives the bars their structure. You could substitute whole wheat flour for a nuttier flavor, but that could make the bars more dense.
- Oats: I prefer old-fashioned or rolled oats for the hearty texture, just like I do in my oatmeal cookies that were tested and perfected. Quick oats would also work, but the bars will be a little less chewy.
- Butter: To have control over the amount of salt in these bars, I like to use unsalted butter. If using salted butter, you may want to lessen the amount of salt.
- Sugar: You will only need light brown sugar for these bars. It provides sweetness, moisture, and a slight caramel flavor. If you only have granulated sugar, you could use that. But, that will not give the bars the most flavor.
- Butterscotch Chips: The butterscotch chips give the bars their signature name. If you want to change the flavor, you can use chocolate, white, or even peanut butter chips.
- Butterscotch Sauce: Although optional, I love to drizzle butterscotch sauce over the bars for a finishing touch (and taste)! And, if you make a batch of butterscotch sauce, you can use the rest for other desserts like a bowl of vanilla ice cream!
Can I Make The Dough Ahead Of Time?
Sure! Once the dough is mixed together, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. It will last in the refrigerator for up to a day or two. When ready to bake the bars, let the dough sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes so it’s easier to work with.
Adding Nuts To Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars
Feeling nutty? I sometimes like to add nuts to bars for a little crunch. Chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans, or almonds would be delicious! If adding, use about 1/2 cup of chopped nuts.
How To Store Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars
Room Temperature: Once the bars have cooled to room temperature, store them in an airtight container. They will last up to 4-5 days.
To Refrigerate: If preferred, you can store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will last up to a week or so.
To Freeze: For even longer storage, you can freeze the bars. Wrap them individually or in layers with plastic wrap or foil, then place them in an airtight container or a freezer-safe bag. Properly stored, frozen oatmeal butterscotch bars can maintain their quality for about 2 to 3 months. To thaw, transfer the desired number of bars to the refrigerator and allow them to thaw gradually.
Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (180 g) old-fashioned oats
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (340 g) butterscotch chips, divided
- butterscotch sauce, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add butter and brown sugar. Beat on low speed until smooth.
- Add eggs, molasses, and vanilla. Mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer still on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients until fully incorporated.
- Add 1 ½ cups of butterscotch chips and mix until just combined.
- Press the dough into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining ½ cup of butterscotch chips.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs, but not wet batter. Allow bars to cool in the pan.
- Drizzle with butterscotch sauce. Cut and serve.
Did you make this recipe?
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
These bars a great–chewy and packed with flavor. A drizzle of butterscotch sauce on top makes them even better!
Elizabeth
I am not always a butterscotch fan, but these bars are really good, with or without the butterscotch sauce!
Bella
The texture of these bars is great, and the oatmeal adds a good chewiness. If you’re a fan of butterscotch, these bars will definitely hit the spot!
Annabelle
These bars are a solid choice for a sweet snack. And, they seem pretty easy to make!
Selena
These bars are sweet and comforting, with a good balance of chewy oats and creamy butterscotch chips. Adding the butterscotch sauce on top, which I highly recommend, takes them to the next level!
Looks delicious and easy to make. Thank you.
I discovered I was 3/4 cup short of oatmeal while making these and decided to sub store-bought salted caramel granola for that amount since I didn’t have anything else remotely similar to oats on hand. The recipe is very easy and even with my odd substitution turned out delicious! Everyone enjoyed the treat at our house. This recipe is a keeper and next time I’ll plan ahead to have the correct ingredients.