Make these soft, chocolatey, and ultra fudgy NO BAKE chocolate oatmeal fudge bars!
Just one chocolate bite, and people fall instantly in love with the recipe!
When I first posted the bars on Instagram, it quickly received over 10,000 likes and hundreds of comments. I couldn’t reply fast enough.
And the chocolate oatmeal fudge bars have only gotten more popular since!
Also try these Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Above – watch the step by step chocolate oatmeal bar recipe video
Classic chocolate oatmeal fudge bars
Oatmeal fudge bars have been a favorite potluck recipe for generations.
However, just because they contain oatmeal does not make the standard version of these treats a healthy choice.
Many classic oatmeal fudge bar recipes, including copycat recipes you can find online for the famous Starbucks oatmeal fudge bars, contain a shocking amount of butter and sugar even by traditional dessert standards.
Think one and a half cups of butter, two cups of flour, and an entire two cups of sugar, not to mention all the sugar from two cups chocolate chips and a can of sweetened condensed milk.
If any recipe were screaming for a healthy dessert makeover, the traditional chocolate oatmeal fudge bar would be it.
With so many facets of the original oatmeal fudge bar recipe needing an update, I opted to start completely from scratch.
These lightened up oatmeal snack bars can be dairy free, flourless, gluten free, and vegan. And they are just as deliciously chocolatey as the originals.
For a breakfast version, make Baked Oatmeal Bars
Chocolate oat fudge bar ingredients
If you’ve never had an oatmeal fudge bar before, imagine eating a homemade oatmeal cookie sandwich with a layer of smooth chocolate fudge in the middle.
That’s pretty much what this recipe tastes like.
Oh, and I forgot to mention the BEST part.
Instead of using any oil in the recipe, I made the bars even more delicious and healthy by adding peanut butter.
Basically, they contain all my favorite foods in one hand-held dessert.
If you are not a peanut butter addict like I am, you have many alternative options for these bars, including almond butter, cashew butter, Coconut Butter, or even sunbutter.
The recipe works with rolled oats, quick oats, or an oat free alternative like quinoa flakes or spelt flakes. I have not tried substituting steel cut oats.
I like to use dark or semi sweet chocolate chips. Or go for a fun twist by using white chocolate chips or even Peanut Butter Chips.
No chocolate chips on hand? It’s fine to substitute an equal amount of broken up chocolate bars, which is what I used in the photo above.
Chocolate oatmeal fudge bar serving ideas
Serve them for an after school snack or a weekday dessert.
The oatmeal bars are also an incredibly popular game day snack. Set out a tray at your next football playoff or Super Bowl party and watch the entire tray disappear.
Store leftovers in a covered container. They are fine to leave out on the counter for a day or two in a cool, dry place. For optimal freshness, I recommend refrigerating leftover healthy snack bars for up to a week.
Or freeze leftover oatmeal chocolate bars in an airtight covered container, with parchment or wax paper in between each layer of bars, for up to two months.
How to make chocolate oatmeal bars
Line an eight inch square pan with parchment paper or wax paper. Set this pan aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir the liquid sweetener (pure maple syrup, honey, or agave) with the water, vanilla extract, and a third cup of the peanut butter until smooth.
Stir in the rolled oats and the salt. Transfer about two thirds of this mixture to the prepared pan. Place a second sheet of parchment over top to press the oat mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan as hard as you can.
Remove the second sheet of parchment paper.
In a new bowl, very carefully melt the chocolate chips. (If you are unsure how to melt chocolate, see my Chocolate Covered Strawberries post.)
Stir in the remaining half cup of nut butter until smooth. Pour this thick chocolate fudge mixture over the oatmeal crust in the baking pan.
Finally, sprinkle the remaining oat crumbles on top of the chocolate layer, and press down firmly with a fork or spoon.
Refrigerate or freeze the bars until firm enough to cut into squares.
Also make the popular Black Bean Brownies
Chocolate Oatmeal Fudge Bars
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cup quick oats, or here’s a keto version
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup peanut butter or allergy friendly sub
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 – 8 oz chocolate chips or sugar free chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup additional peanut butter or allergy friendly sub
Instructions
- **The bars in the photos were made with the lower amount of chocolate chips, and the bars in the video were made with the higher amount. It's your choice!Line an 8×8 pan with parchment or wax paper, and set aside. Stir together the maple syrup, 1/3 cup peanut butter, water, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the oats and salt. Transfer about 2/3 of the mixture to the pan, and press down very well, using a second sheet of parchment to press it evenly into the bottom of the pan. In a separate bowl, carefully melt the chocolate and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Pour this evenly on top of the crust in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining oat crumbles on top of the chocolate layer, then press down. Refrigerate or freeze until firm enough to cut squares.View Nutrition Facts
Notes
Have you made this recipe?
Tag @chocolatecoveredkatie on Instagram
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Lauren says
These look so good! I just happen to have all of the ingredients at home!
Ellen @ My Uncommon Everyday says
Those are all the best ingredients 🙂 These look amazing!
collee says
I am concerned about the amount of maple syrup, which is 1/2 cup. Can you lessen the sweetener? I have diabetics in my family.
Carol says
I substitute NuNaturals Simple Syrup (it’s an awesome stevia syrup) for the same amount of maple syrup in these recipes. Nunaturals also makes a chocolate syrup which is great too! I make sure I never run out! Just Google it and you will find plenty of places to buy.
Debbie says
The chocolate syrup is the best!
Shawn Bliss says
We do too try using sugar free syrup ?
Poshnessary says
Amazing. This makes me hungry .)
Kisses from http://poshnessary.com ❤
Emily says
Hi katie. About how much (measured) melted chocolate is there in this recipe? I don’t use chocolate chips (*gasp*, I know), and am wondering if I can use melted oil with Cocoa powder in a pan. It wouldn’t be oil-free, but I don’t mind. Thanks!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I’m sure your coconut oil idea should work. But the only measurement I took for the chocolate is the 4 to 5 oz. Be sure to report back if you experiment!
Jenni says
I used Katie’s recipe for healthy chocolate sauce (with maple syrup in place of the agave) and it turned out perfectly! I’ve eaten the whole pan in less than a week single-handedly… at least they’re a healthy dessert! 🙂
Megan says
I think I need to invent a special occasion to whip these bars out. Maybe to celebrate surviving another week of work…
Aubrey says
Yummy! As always <3
Melissa says
These look incredible! I love the combination of oatmeal and chocolate!
Kelley says
Katie – did you happen to try this with regular oats vs quick? My store doesn’t carry quick oats that are gluten free. I was able to successfully sub regular in your black bean brownies but I’m not sure if that worked because the oats were both ground and cooked in that recipe.
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I haven’t… they might be a bit more crumbly that way (but you never know). Or you can make your own quick oats by pulsing rolled oats in the food processor. If you experiment with rolled oats, be sure to report back 🙂
Sophie Gillum-Webb says
I need to recreate these they look so absolutely delicious!!
http://www.sophobsessed.com
Hannah says
I made these chocolate fudge bars last night after seeing them on Pinterest. I’d never made anything from your blog before, but these have made a new fan out of me (and out of my husband!!!)
Thanks for the recipe!
Hannah says
Forgot to mention, we used almond butter and it worked great.
Christy says
These bars are amazing and help curb my sweet cravings!!
Joelle says
Thank you for this! Our oven is broke and being poor college kids we have been doing everything “no bake” until we move out in May. Can’t wait to make these!
Colleen says
Katie for President 2016! This recipe has more to offer the people than anything being spewed by this year’s candidates. (or any other year)
Iris Koller says
Perfect timing.. I was thinking about what mid-week treat to make to get us through until Shabbat. As I am grain-free I will adapt your crust to a nut-based instead of oatmeal based; should work fine. Ohhh.. I am excited!
Angela says
Oh. Wow! I am speechless! This is something that I will be making with the block of chocolate that I have in my cupboard. Yummy!
– Yo Santana
Genevieve says
I am using only non sugar type sweeteners such as stevia or Lakanto (monk fruit/erythritol mix). Do you have suggestions of how much and what I could use to replace the “liquidyness” of agave/honey etc.? Thanks 🙂
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I’ve not tried so I really can’t say. But be sure to report back if you experiment!
Carol says
I use NuNaturals Simple Syrup in these recipes instead of maple syrup. It works great.
Maria says
Lakanto has a sugar free maple syrup that works in a lot of my recipes. the problem with this recipie is that you need something very viscious to hold the oats together well. I make this occasionally and usually just allow the real syrup….since you are eating grains anyway. Lakanto chips are fine in this and I like to use raw almond butter. TJS
Coldman says
What can I use as a allergy-friendly alternative? (low calorie would be creat but other
recommendation are great too :D)?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Alternatives to peanut butter that will work include almond butter, cashew butter, sunbutter, or even coconut butter.
Coldman says
Can I use something that is not butter or just a little nut butter and something else, but what?
Sarah says
I also wish there was something to use instead of a butter – my daughter is allergic to peanuts and almonds and I hate the taste of soy butter. I think I’ll try your bananas suggestion, how can you go wrong combining bananas, oatmeal and chocolate? !
Laura says
Maybe tahini would work.
Laura says
I made these with tahini and they were awesome!
Jessica says
Have you tried sunflower seed butter? It’s SO GOOD and I use it a lot in place of nut butters when baking to accommodate a friend with an allergy.
Sara Capalbo says
I used specaloos cookie butter. It makes it not as healthy, but the consistency is similar.
Tegley says
I am late to the party but have to say THANK YOU!!! We use the Specaloos as a treat in our house. I will be using it in these occasionally.
Great recipe. Simply simple. Looking forward to trying it.
Cassie Tran says
I don’t blame anyone who went crazy! These bars look stupendous! Peanut butter, chocolate and oats are the perfect combination!
Fox Kitchen says
These look soooo good!
Lauren says
Whipped these up last night, didn’t measure the pb or chocolate, just melted a good amount together, added a touch more salt to the oatmeal mixture because I like salt with my chocolate. Delicious and so simple. I had some for breakfast. 🙂
Marianne says
Oh yes, I am definitely making these tonight!!! Yummmmmm!!!!!
Melissa says
had everything on hand and made them this morning. should I admit it’s all i ate for lunch?!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Thank you so much for making them!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Doritos puppies? If it includes puppies, it’s automatically my favorite. 🙂
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Thanks 🙂
It’s actually just the wood flooring of my apartment, shot with a very low f stop to blur it out!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I’ve not tried so I really can’t say. Be sure to report back if you experiment!
Lauren says
These are AMAZING. I wasn’t sure if natural PB would work, so I used traditional, but I might have to try it next (and maybe keep em in the freezer?). SO delicious and fudgey. Like a peanut butter cup meets an “energy ball” (I made energy balls with oats and honey, so the texture of the oatmeal layer reminds me of them!) Thank you for a perfect recipe!
Ayaka says
Is your peanut butter salted r unsalted??
Mary @ LOVE the secret ingredient says
I’ve never been to keen on oatmeal cookies, but oatmeal brownies are a different story. These look delicious!
Courtney says
I knew these were going to be amazing because they are made from my three favorite things, but wow, they didn’t disappoint! Thanks for sharing!
vogelstar says
keep surprising us with these indulgent treats!
Stacia says
I just made these and they are AWESOME!! With my peanut butter chocolate addiction, these will be gone by tomorow night. You are amazing Katie!
Molly says
Made these for a work event and they were so popular! Like the old fashioned no bakes but yummier and in bar form. Thanks so much Katie!
Dee Tracy says
Katie,
These are my favorite recipe of yours to date! Absolutely delicious!
Crystal says
Thanks for compiling these in such a handy way! I just moved to Iceland and don’t understand by Celsius oven, so I appreciate the no-bake theme. 🙂
Katie C. says
I just made these, and they are ridiculous! My husband has eaten 2 already! I used old fashioned oats and agave as my sweetener. I love the agave in them, but I can definitely see where quick cooking oats would be more appropriate in this recipe. Regardless, I cannot believe how good they are! My new go to homemade treat! Thank you!
Lori says
These rocked!!! Made my own sunbutter but other than that, no changes. So delish! Thank you for the great recipe!
Mary Beth Elderton says
O.M.Goodness!!! This recipe came through my FB feed last night, so I made them this morning as our weekend treat. Oh man, these are good! I love that it is sweet enough to be a real treat, but the maple syrup and the fiber in the oats make it a really good treat. BTW–I did increase the chocolate layer…there are no judgments when it comes to chocolate 🙂
Thank You!
Lauren says
I made these and they were delicious! I only think that the portion size of 29g is very small.
Hannah says
These look AMAZING! Iove using maple syrup as sweetener in recipes. I will be giving these a try this weekend!
Sandy Murphy says
Love this recipe
Rory says
These are AMAZING!!! Made them for our three kids and my husband and I for a Valentine’s Day dessert and everyone gobbled them up! Could eat the whole pan!
Anne says
So good! Shared my first batch with hubby and my parents, not “healthy dessert” people, and they loved them! Made a second batch tonight to share with my sisters… if they last long enough! Used honey for sweetener and more chocolate with less on for the fudge layer because I’m a chocoholic!
Sarah says
This is now one of my favorite desserts. So easy to make, with ingredients I almost always have on hand, and delicious!
Desi says
Hi Katie, these look so delicious and I have been planning on making them all week. You mention a can of condensed milk in your post but it is. It included in the ingredient list- do I need it or can I omit it? If I use it – when does it go in? Thanks!
Michelle says
I just wanted to say these are really, really GREAT! In fact I have them individually wrapped and frozen, so that I can pull one out when I want a treat. I subbed old fashioned oats and they turned out very good. I made some other minor, personal tweaks… I have detoxed from sugar in the past year and I use a lot of recipes from “I Quit Sugar”, so I used brown rice syrup instead of maple syrup and I used Lilly’s brand vegan dark chocolate chips. They remind me of Revel Bars, if you have ever had those. Quick cooking oats are probably great, too. However, I would NOT use steel cut oats (trust me, I tried that w/ a revel bar recipe — much TOO chewy!) Anyway, I will definitely make these again, in fact I already have the recipe in my recipe box! Thanks, Katie. I was really struggling trying to find low sugar, chocolate treats that taste really good — until I found your site!
Judi says
I just made these and they are delicious! Thanks again for another great recipe!
Sonja says
What type of chocolate chip cookies do you use??
Sharon says
Hi Katie! I love your work…it’s delicious! I wish that you had a print friendly option for your recipes.
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Hi! Just be sure to view the recipe on a desktop, and there is a print button right there above the ingredients 🙂
Ana @ Ana's Rocket Ship says
I have never had oatmeal fudge bars before. That status is not going to remain for very long after seeing this though!!!
Don says
Easy to make and yummy
Upma Dhingra says
Can I use Olaf fashioned oats instead of quick oats to make fudge bars..?
Unofficial CCK Helper says
Those are the size of the ones in the pictures. About half an index card.
Vicki says
These look fantastic!! I can’t wait to try them. I love that colouring – looks ultra chocolatey!
Maria says
I made these and they remind me SO much of the ones Starbucks used to sell, I even made the topping in the circle shapes that SB had. Drool.
Bobbie says
Can you use old-fashioned oats instead of quick oats? I want to make these, but all I have at home is old fashioned oats and I can’t run to the store anytime soon. Thanks.
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I’ve not tried, but be sure to report back if you experiment 🙂
Eileen Patterson says
I used old fashioned oats and they were still delicious.
Sue says
Your post is completely ruined by the invasive L’oreal advertisement that takes over the whole sce
Jill says
Do you think this recipe would work if I swapped homemade strawberry jam for the fudge layer? Just for a yummy alternative.
I made a pan of these and in less than 24 hours, every delicious bar was eaten (including by my picky middle daughter). I love that this is also a no-bake recipe – I see myself making this often in the summer.
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I don’t see why not! Be sure to report back if you experiment 🙂
Kathy says
Fantastic!!! They remind me of no bake cookies. Thank you so much!
bryony says
I made these and everyone loves them, they are SO good and easy to make. Keep the amazing vegan recipes coming, katie, you’re an inspiration
Mishel says
Just made these! Can’t wait to try ’em! You never cease to amaze with your creations 🙂
The parts by themselves taste amazing so I have no doubts that the finished product will be hard to resist
Kelly says
Did you use semi sweet chocolate chips?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I’ve made them with both semi-sweet and dark chocolate. Both work.
Michelle says
Can you use sugar free syrup instead of maple or honey?
Vivi says
I tried these and they were so addicting :s
now I just need a version that’s less calorie dense
they were super peanut buttery but hey, they are good fats
Polly says
I have made these bars 6 times and we love them more each time!
GREAT recipe. I make them with almond butter because my husband says he doesn’t like peanut butter. Poor man!
Linda says
These are amazing! Thank you for another great recipe, Katie!
Sara says
Do you think you could use the biscoff cookie butter? I have a coworker that is allergic to nuts, so I was hoping that would work as an alternative.
Yaz says
oh my gosh, thank you so much for this!! we’ve been doing a kitchen reno and i’ve been without an oven for about a month and seriously going through baking withdrawls! now i can make something finally and i LOVE that you put peanut butter in so many recipes LOL. can’t wait to try these!
Gail Nero says
Hi, Katie! These are delicious!! And easy!! Thanks!!
One suggestion: I had a hard time having to scroll up and down to read the instructions and see measurements because there was a delicious looking picture in between the two… If this has already been mentioned, sorry for the repeat. Maybe consider not separating the ingredient measurements from the instructions? Just a suggestion. =)
Virginia says
Hi Katie! These look amazing and I’m going to make them! I don’t know what kind of chocolate you use…would they be good with dark chocolate? I have a 72% bar. Let me know what you think!
Alexis says
Ooooh my goodness… these are amazing. I just made them for my kiddos, (they’ve been eating too much junk after school, so I wanted to make a better-for-you treat) and I will definitely be keeping the kitchen stocked up with them this summer! I even snuck a whole scoop of chocolate protein powder into the chocolate layer! So easy, practically no clean-up, no hot oven, and a sneaky source of protein and fiber. Most definitely a winner, Katie!
Becky says
Would these freeze well?
A H says
Yes.
Danielle says
It says to melt the chocolate and peanut butter. Do you melt them separately or melt the chocolate and stir in the peanut butter?
A H says
Melt the chocolate and then stir in the pb.
Rosemary says
I earmarked this recipe and have been eyeballing it for a few days now with designs on making it. Well, today was the day! Since there are only two of us, I halved the recipe, and in place of melting chocolate chips I followed somebody’s suggestion of substituting the chips for a batch of your healthy chocolate sauce. I opted for maple syrup as my sweetener, and I whirled the thick oats I have on hand in the food processor for a bit to create a quick oats consistency. They look delicious! The pan is now in the fridge firming up, and all I can do is think about them sitting in there! 🙂
Samantha says
These were sooo good! My only problem is that my chocolate layer didn’t look as thick as yours does – how did you get these bars looking so pretty and fudgy?
Emma says
I’ve made this recipe 3 times now and it always turns out perfectly. Everyone I’ve served it to loves it! I can’t have peanuts so I use cashew butter and it tastes amazing.
Geoffrey Levens says
Curious why “quick oats” as opposed to just regular? Chewability? I actually enjoy eating regular even “thick cut” ones uncooked…
J Hutchinson says
Katie could you clarify whether muffins are going into a mini muffin tin or a regular muffin tin on your recipes and also list ounces as well as grams for the calories per serving? I love everything you do. Use tons of your recipes
Julie Dove says
Unless otherwise stated, it is always regular muffin tins. You can do a grams-to-ounces conversion by googling for a grams to ounces calculator.
Emaan says
Hello! These are wonderful, absolutely loved making them but dont know how long to keep them for? There’s nothing in it really that expires but would u say a week is good? And best storage advice xx Thanks Katie
Shuli says
lol not sure the point of having nutrition facts if you don’t indicate how many servings there are
(Don’t get me wrong these are awesome I’ve made them a few times but your nutrition facts are pretty useless – most people don’t have a way to measure out 28 grams – so number of servings is usually pretty key. Then you can figure out if I ate about a quarter of this thing or an eighth of this thing I had x amount of sugar etc)
Julie Dove says
Serving size is always listed in the blog post right above the ingredients. Hope that helps!
leah says
i needed a quick dessert to make last-minute for a family gathering and this was perfect!! everything whipped together quickly and no-bake was a huge plus. i used whole oats (i like the more dense consistency and didn’t have quick oats anyway), added flax seeds, only used 1/4 cup honey (but it was thick, sugary honey), and coated my pan with coconut oil instead of parchment paper (so much for no oil in the recipe but the bars all came out with no problem, plus no waste, and it wasn’t coconut-tasting for my family who hates coconut). they turned out great!! i loved the salt in the oats; it went really well with my dark chocolate chips. (i read online that 3/4 cup is about 4.5 oz so that’s what i used and probably wouldn’t change it next time, though most people might like a full cup of chocolate chips.) and all the peanut butter in it (i used natural- just mashed peanuts with no add-ins) was a definite win. i will very happily make these again- it was such a breeze to make and turned out delicious. i just might need to double the recipe and make it in a bigger pan next time because these went quick! (we cut ours into 16 pieces and most of us had two right away.)
thanks for the great recipe!! i don’t often find desserts i like to make because i’m not a huge fan of all the sugar, but this was perfect. will have to check out what else you have on your site.
Sally Porter says
Have you tried substituting the choc centre for dates….i make a similar recipe and it is delicious!
Julie Dove says
That sounds delicious!
Ginger says
These are absolutely amazing. My non-vegan husband says that they’re one of his new favorite desserts. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! It’s so fun to have a quick, easy, insanely delicious dessert recipe.
Rebecca says
Just made these with the homemade chocolate chip recipe here (I cut this recipe in half to equal the amount needed in your recipe): http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-homemade-chocolate-chips-in-detail and it is so yummy! I put peanut butter in the oats and almond butter and it is DELICIOUS. THanks for the recipe!
Sheri says
Is regular old pancake syrup okay to use? Or do you buy pure maple syrup?
Julie Dove says
Pure maple syrup, honey, or agave.
shula kantor says
I have a recipe from your web site and not sure what it is It is made with 3 tbsp splelt flour which I had ordered for the recipie it has mashed banana and a topping of cinnamon brown sugar mashed banana and buttery spread I am not sure what it is and I had bought the flour for this recipie
Jason Sanford says
Coffee cake in a mug?
Sabiha says
These look amazing and so easy to make with a toddler keeping me busy.
How long do you think they will last in warm temperatures? We live in Cairo and I wanted to take these to a house we’ve been invited to this Ramadhaan for dinner but do you think they’ll melt quickly?
Jason Sanford says
I think they should be okay as long as you don’t use coconut oil.
Jennifer says
These look JUST like the “Grandma’s Mistake” bars my mom made when I was a kid. Can’t wait to try these!
Jennifer says
These are chilling in my refrigerator! I grew up on the traditional oatmeal chocolate bar with 2 cups butter and a can of sweetened condensed milk. This is a wonderful find!
Miriam says
Just made these and they are delicious! They have the texture and amazing mouthfeel of something that has a ton of butter. I’m so impressed! Yum!
Jennifer Parker says
Oh my Kate, you are brilliant. I haven’t even eaten these yet and I know they will be awesome. Heating peanut butter and chocolate chips ( I use sugar free chips since my boyfriend is diabetic) is yummy in itself. I bet my Dad will love these too and he is a sugar freak. Thanks
Jennifer Parker says
I was right, your Oatmeal Fudge Bars were a hit. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Deb says
Hi! I just entered your recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Fudge Bars into my Weight Watchers App. The Fudge bars calculated out to be 5 FREESTYLE POINTS if you make 24 bars out of an 8×8 pan. :\ Like that’s gonna happen. Not really realistic. RIGHT??? I also input the Secret Vegan Peanut Butter Cookie. If you make 10 cookies. . .using the TRUVIA baking blend instead of the sugar you have. . .it calculates to 4 FREESTYLE POINTS. Hoping you’ll update your calculations??? As a Weight Watcher LIFETIME member 20 lbs under goal for 11+ years. . .I was really hoping to find some tasty treats.
Mary Jane Hall says
Katie, did you use milk chocolate or semi sweet chips? Also, ha you ever tried to toast the oatmeal in the oven first? Just wondering. Can’t wait to try these!
Jason Sanford says
Toasting the oatmeal sounds like a fantastic idea! I know Katie normally uses these chips (cheapest on iherb) https://www.iherb.com/pr/Enjoy-Life-Foods-Mini-Chips-Semi-Sweet-Chocolate-10-oz-283-g/32772?rcode=KAT9868
Jason (media relations)
Sandra says
Hi there,
I don’t have chocolate chips 🙁 only cocoa powder! Would I be able to utilize that in place of the chips?
Jason Sanford says
You never know unless you experiment but it sounds like a fun experiment. Be sure to report back if you try!
BELINDA says
HI. I PLACED ALL INGREDIENTS IN MYFITNESS PAL USING 2/3 CUP CHOCOLATE CHIPS, AGAVE AND PEANUT BUTTER. AT 25 BARS I HAVE A CALORIE COUNT OF 132 PER BAR. PLEASE EXPLAIN HOW YOU GET 96 CALORIES. tHANK YOU.
Jason Sanford says
Hi, it will depend on the brands of things you use. Online calculators are also notoriously off on certain ingredients, so it’s best to always take their numbers as more of a guide. Hope that helps!
Joy says
I couldn’t wait to make these, even though I didn’t have the exact ingredients. I used old fashioned oats, not quick oats and part honey and agave. They were amazingly amazing. I’m making them again now that I have the correct ingredients. But I can’t imagine how they could get better .
Jennifer K says
Love this recipe! I made 4 batches so far. Try it with tahini for sesame goodness. I have tried almond butter, peanut butter and tahini. I sprinkled sesame seeds on the sesame ones and peanuts on the peanut ones before I put on the remaining oat mixture.
Jennifer K says
With Tahiti and sesame!
Natalie says
How many servings does this make? I’m trying to figure out my portions. My 3-year-old daughter has helped make these twice and it went well!
Jason Sanford says
Hi, the post says the yield is 20 bars. Of course it depends on how big you cut them! 🙂
Brianna says
I just made these and haven’t tried any yet, but I wanted to give alternative nutrition info based on the brands I used for anyone else who counts calories because I was a little surprised.
Brands I used:
Great Value Creamy Peanut Butter
Great Value Clover Honey
Quaker Quick Oats
Great Value Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
I attached the nutrition info as a picture, hopefully it shows up.
Brianna says
Unfortunately it looks like the picture is too small. Here it is:
Servings per recipe: 25
– Calories: 124
– Total Fat: 6g
—- Saturated Fat: 1g
—- Monounsaturated Fat: 3g
—- Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
—- Trans Fat: 0g
– Cholesterol: 0mg
– Sodium: 32mg
– Potassium: 67mg
– Total Carbohydrates: 17g
—- Dietary Fiber: 1g
—- Sugars: 9g
– Protein: 3g
– Vitamin A: 0%
– Vitamin C: 0%
– Calcum: 0%
– Iron: 5%
If you up the servings per recipe to 30, the bars come down to 103 calories but I’d imagine they’d be tiny.
Martha says
What brand of chocolate chips do you use to make this vegan? All the major brands in my store contain milkfat or milk powder, even the dark chocolate and semi-sweet. Is there a brand you prefer? These look so good, thanks for the recipe.
Jason Sanford says
Hi Martha, Try Enjoy Life brand, or Target Simply Balanced (their organic line), or Kroger’s organic line. I think Costco’s semi sweet chocolate chips are accidentally vegan. Look in your regular grocery store in the natural food section if it has one, and that’s usually where you can find vegan brands! Or if nothing else, Vitacost.com has great prices.
Martha says
I just saw your preferred brand on the comments, might have to venture to another store! Thanks!
Jeanie says
Perfection!!!
These gluten free, vegan chocolate bars are delicious. My first try and they turned out amazing!!! Everyone loved them…in fact,
the bars were gone in less than 5 minutes!!! And did I mention that they are super easy to make. I refrigerated mine and sliced them up! I will definitely be making these again soon.
Shira Rosenthal says
Is there something I can add to the oat mixture to help them stick together better? I don’t want to add more peanut butter because it will up the calories but the oats didn’t really stick together at all. Otherwise, they are FANTASTIC!
Jason Sanford says
Hmm what did you use for the sweetener?
Katie says
Do you recommend natural peanut butter for this recipe? Or the kraft/skippy types of peanut butter?
Jason Sanford says
Both work!
TeenChef says
Just made these for the umpteenth time- so delicious and so simple. It’s a perfect blend of amazing ingredients, rich but not overpowering. For the millionth time, you hit it out of the park Katie!
Emma says
Hi Katie, is there any way I could make these with cocoa powder instead of chocolate chips? How would I adjust the recipe? Thanks
Laura says
Your recipes are SO GREAT! I just wish there weren’t so many ads. I understand why they’re there, but they really make the experience less enjoyable.
Jason Sanford says
No one likes ads, but unfortunately the only alternative I can think of where she’d still be able to do this and make a living is for Katie to charge a subscription fee to view her recipes, and I don’t think anyone wants that. -Jason
Hungry Heather says
Great recipe! I think next time I’ll use less chocolate & more PB for a peanut buttery variation.
Melissa says
I have a question about the nutrition facts. Is that based on 25 bars? It seems like they would be really small. Thanks!
Melissa says
Never mind, clearly I can’t do math. LOL
Dawn L says
Made these today. I used 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/4 cup water. Still great!!!
Cassie Thuvan Tran says
These look fantastic Katie! I think I’d have trouble not eating the entire chocolate base recipe though. The combination of melted chocolate and peanut butter sounds delightful! Definitely quite a fatty pairing but it’s worth a spoonful (or two)!
Lauren says
Just made these and they are AMAZING! I used 6oz of chocolate and it was a pretty thick layer. Couldn’t imagine you’d want any more than that. Definitely will be making these regularly. So easy and delicious!
Carol says
Delicious!! Quick and easy. And, because they’re no bake, perfect for a HOT day when you don’t want your oven to heat up the house!
Sienna says
i have made these bars so many times i practically have the recipe memorized and every time they come out delicious!!! i love these and so does my entire family and it is definitely a big hit when we have company over. im 12 years old and make these easily so if you don’t bake a lot then that’s fine because these are super delicious and easy to make!!!
Sarah says
I have tried these before as written and they were wonderful. Just wondering if you think they would work with an equivalent amount of lentils?
Sarah says
Oops, That comment was for the banana blender muffins.
Aya says
Such a wonderful recipe ! I used hazelnut butter instead of peanut butter and it’s Nutella tasting heaven .
Gina says
These are soo good! For the nutrition – how many bars did you cut it into? I cut mine into 16 but not sure how that lines up…
Carolyn McFarland says
Oh, superb!! Eaters love these Chocolate Oatmeal Bars, and the “baker” (me) surely likes how easy they are!!
Melanie says
I made these over the weekend and can’t stop eating them. They are so good. They’re like a Reese’s and a no bake cookie all rolled into one.
Naomi says
These are very good, very rich
Like extra chocolatey granola bars
I subbed muesli for oats
Added about
2 Tb shredded coconut,
2 Tb Trail mix,
1 Tb hemp seed,
2 Tb more nut butter
to oat mixture
Sonia says
I LOVE this dessert! SO good and decadent tasting, but still more healthy!
Pragya Gupta says
Can we completely omit the maple syrup/honey in the oats, or is it an absolutely necessary thing to maintain the structure?
CCK Media Team says
If you omit the sweetener, the bars will probably taste like cardboard so we definitely don’t recommend that.
Sharon says
Hi Katie,
I have made this recipe multiple times for my vegan and or gluten-free friends-they love them! What surprised me is how how much my non vegan and non gluten-free friends love them as well! I love that they only have ingredients that everyone has in their cupboards. After multiple times making them, I found that if you use parchment paper to press the 1st layer down, they stay together better-less crumbs! Thanks for an easy great tasting chocolate fix.
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for making them!
DeeDee says
Have made these several times! Fantastic. Used 72% Cacao chips the 3rd time. Not as smooth but still delicious. Thanks for creating a healthier snack.
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for trying them 🙂
Cherril says
Made these yesterday. They are hands down amazing. I have to tell you though, they are rather addictive. Five of us have enjoyed them and not one of us could stop at just one. They will definitely test your willpower! But, why not indulge? Its a great treat that’s good for you. Btw, I used organic blue agave as my sweetener of choice in these. And now that I’m done writing up this review, I think I will go and grab another one!
Jay Vargas says
AMAZING!!! Extremely easy to make and so delicious! My entire family loved them
Eva Ferencz says
I love this recipe, tried once with 90% cacao pure chocolate, taste was a bit stronger but still delicious. Once with 3 different sorts, and both times was within no time gone, received only compliments.
lyndy overacker says
I can’t make these in 5 minutes as the recipe says but who cares?! These are so good I’ve made three batches in 4 days. Everyone loves them and we can’t stop eating them! I used agave for sweetener and sugar free chocolate chips – the full amount.
They are a bit messy due to the oatmeal but WHO CARES?! These are soooo Yummy!!
Sabrina says
Amazing! Fantastic! Scrumptious! The best food I have every tasted!!!