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These no bake chocolate oat bars are an easy 5-ingredient dessert recipe that comes together in minutes!
Chocolate and oatmeal are a pretty perfect combination.
If you’ve tried our chocolate no bake cookies or chocolate baked oatmeal before, you already know this.
Using this combination to make dessert bars has been a no-brainer and these chocolate oatmeal bars are a firm favorite!
My chocolate oatmeal bars recipe is made from a mixture of oats, chocolate chips, maple syrup, and peanut butter that are pressed into a baking pan and chilled until they become firm and chewy. Inspired by my crunch bars and kit kat bars, they make a fabulous chocolate fix.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s so versatile. It could be a snack, a dessert, a healthy treat, or something to bring to an office potluck or brunch!
- Minimal ingredients. Five easy ingredients and five minutes of preparation are all you’ll need to whip these delicious bars up, and it’s completely foolproof.
- Dietary friendly. They also happen to be completely vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
- Perfect texture and flavor. Taste-wise, they are sweet and LOADED with chocolate and peanut butter flavor. In terms of texture, they are somewhat chewy, thick, and satisfying- you won’t stop at one!
Ingredients needed
These oatmeal bars call for simple pantry staples that you may already have on hand.
- Rolled Oats. Also known as old-fashioned oats. They give the oatmeal bars the ideal chewy texture. You can use quick-cooking oats if that is all you have on hand.
- Peanut Butter. Opt for the smooth and creamy variety with no added sugar. If you can’t tolerate peanuts or just aren’t a fan of them, you can use almond butter or cashew butter. If you’d like these bars to be completely nut-free, try using tahini or sunflower seed butter.
- Chocolate Chips. Any chocolate chips of choice will work, including dairy free and sugar free ones. I typically use semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Pure maple Syrup. A liquid sweetener makes the bars smoother to bite into, along with some creaminess.
- Coconut Oil. Keeps the bars stable at room temperature but is also easier to bite into! Opt for refined coconut oil to ensure there is no coconut flavor!
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to make no bake chocolate oat bars
Making them requires very little prep, and the hard part is waiting for them to firm up!
Step 1- Prep. Start by placing peanut butter, coconut oil, chocolate chips, and maple syrup into a microwave-safe bowl. Alternatively, you can use a saucepan. Melt the ingredients until smooth and gloss. Stir through your oats, ensuring it is properly mixed into them.
Step 2- Set. Finally, transfer the chocolate mixture into a lined pan (8 x 8 inches works well for me). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so that it firms up. Once firm, slice up into bars.
Recipe tips and variations
- Use a slightly wet knife to slice these into bars. It will make it so much easier to cut into.
- If you choose the microwave option, keep a firm eye while everything is heating up. Chocolate can burn quite easily.
- Feel free to add some mix-ins like nuts, seeds, or dried fruit.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover no-bake bars can keep well at room temperature in a sealed container. They will keep well, covered for up to 1 week. To keep them longer, store them in the refrigerator.
To freeze: Place chocolate oat bars in a freezer-friendly container or ziplock bag, and store them in the freezer. They will keep well frozen for up to 6 months.
Frequently asked questions
When made with certified gluten free rolled oats, these bars are suitable for celiacs or those with a gluten intolerance.
Compared to traditional oatmeal bars made with processed sugar, butter, and margarine, these ones are a much healthier option, thanks to the wholesome ingredient used.
This is a no bake recipe for chocolate oatmeal bars and the combination of ingredients used reflects that. If you’d like a baked version, try baked oats.
More easy no bake desserts to try
- Peanut butter no bake cookies
- No bake oatmeal cookies
- Chocolate no bake cookies
- No bake oatmeal bars
- No bake peanut butter chocolate cookies
No Bake Chocolate Oat Bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil can sub for butter
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish or deep baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add rolled oats into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a microwave-safe bowl or stovetop, combine all your other ingredients and heat until melted. Remove from microwave and whisk until completely incorporated.
- Pour the chocolate/peanut butter mixture over the oats and mix until combined. Pour into the lined baking dish and refrigerate until firm, for at least 30 minutes. Remove and cut into bars.
The best no bake chocolate oat bars recipe. It had the best texture ever!!!
Love all your recipes, they’re tasty, healthy and easy to make! I have an unhealthy question to ask, can some of the ingredients get substituted for snickers bar and butter? Apologies if this is offensive!
Not offensive at all! Yes, we can transform this into a snickers slice. Swap out half the oats for chopped up snickers pieces and also some extra nuts 🙂
Love this recipe. Hands down the easiest and tastiest no bake oatmeal bars out there ..and I have tried a few. And I hate baking. 🙃
These were the BEST oatmeal chocolate chip bars recipe I’ve ever made!
I just made these last night and they are absolutely delicious. They remind me of a treat I had as a kid but these are much healthier. I used sugar free/calorie free syrup, sugar free chocolate and pbfit. I also subbed a some of the oil w milk. Fantastic flavor, I will make these again and again, ty
I made these bars the other week, and my husband and I absolutely loved them. Who would have thought that four ingredients could make such a delicious and satisfying treat!! They will definitely be a regular at our house!❤
LOVE these!! Please, more, more, more!!! Thankyou soooo much Arman!! This recipe goes STRAIGHT to my saved list! Family favourite dessert :). I also tried the edible cookie dough and the raw fudgy brownies! Also straight to the favourite list! They were delicious! Please make more no-bake recipes!!!!!!!
Can I sub peanut butter for tahini nut butter.
Yes you can!
Made these last night with the additions of dried cherries and walnuts. So so easy and good. So glad I found you, Arman.
PS ~ I usually half the recipes for taste testing and b/c I have a small household.
Thank you, Bethany!!
I made these again. They’re a new household staple. Thank you so much!
LOVE IT! You are so welcome!
Hi Arman – Thanks for the recipe. Just made these and they are delicious. Thanks for sharing!
I made these as directed and they disappeared in an instant! Even my gluten and dairy consuming guests wanted the recipe! I did goof and realized half way through mixing that I was out of syrup so subbed dark brown sugar and it certainly seemed to do no harm. I found the rice cereal to bring a far more interesting texture to the bars than the more traditional rolled oats do. Thank you so much for posting. This recipe goes straight to the head of my carry-in dinner list.
Thank you SO much for your positive feedback, Patricia!
How many bars do you get out of 1 recipe? I want to ensure my 100 calorie snack is the right size
Sure, I get 15-20 bars 🙂
If your photo for this recipe was already published by foodgawker, you shouldn’t submit another photo from the same link to be published again. It is against their TOS and not fair to other bloggers who play by the rules.
Hi there, you are incorrect. This is a new recipe submitted. I have never nor have any intentions to submit duplicate photos. Besides, foodgawker don’t allow that.
Can almond butter be substituted for the peanut butter?
Absolutely- I personally love the almond butter 🙂
I vote for chewy all the way! I also love the combo of PB and honey. I remember making PB and honey sandwiches as a kid. Looking back, I realize how unhealthy that was as a lunch. I also ate a lot of PB and marshmallow fluff, which is ridiculously amazing.
As always this is a stellar looking recipe! I like a crunchy bar rather than chewy but ill eat anything chocolate
Chewy bars! These sound delicious…and I’m digging the maple syrup in there. Chewy! Chewy! Chewy! (Although that does remind me of Chewbacca…can I just call these Chewbacca Bars?) 🙂
Edit my previous review to five ingredients…sorry!