Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Bars

I try not to buy sweets. I like that Michael Pollan rule about how if you’re going to indulge, save it for things you make yourself. I think he underestimated my readiness to bake, but I like the idea.

Make yourself something nice that you can savor. I am a creature of habit, and my habit is to have something tasty on hand. When supply starts running low I’ll make a quick Pinterest pass, set aside a few potential recipes in case I’m in a sweets pinch. Today I was caught in such a pinch with tea time quickly approaching.

You’re probably thinking, “Big deal. Tea time, you sound like a nut.” But there are a few habits in my day I seldom neglect. A morning mediation in the shower — kinda like a cousin to a walking mediation. When you live with two little kids, this tends to be the only place they’ll leave you be for 10 minutes. Secondly, tea time. Round abouts 4 everyday we stop what we’re doing, sit down and have tea, but not just tea. Tea alone is not enough to make our little daily rehab feel celebratory. We need a treat and today our pantry was bare. So to the Pinterest boards we turned, to see what deliciousness had been pinned and left abandoned on a board for just such a moment — Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Bars.

Entirely amazing. All ingredients on hand, check. Now in the interest of full disclosure, there is a healthier version on the site. I was completely impressed she gave two versions, and after a little discussion naturally we opted for the naughty one. A far cry from naughty I must say — all the fats are from nut butters or coconut oil and it uses whole wheat flour. All that aside, they taste amazing.

By the way, this is what it really looks like when you bake with a four year old. Awesome. I love making a big freaking mess. Not really. Just looking at these pictures makes me a little queazy, but baking with kids is loads of fun so I compromise (and take deep breaths as maple syrup drips into the cracks of my dining room table).

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Bars

Here's a list of what you'll need to make these wonder bars. Be sure to check out the entire recipe at Vedgedout. They're perfect with a cold glass of homemade almond help milk.