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Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Bars

5 from 122 votes

The classic melt-in-your-mouth chocolate oatmeal no bake bars are popular for a very good reason – they’re impossible to stop eating!

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bar Recipe
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At first glance, traditional chocolate no bake recipes—made with wholesome oatmeal instead of flour—might seem like a healthy choice.

But with half a cup of butter and two full cups of refined sugar packed into traditional no bake bar recipes, they’re really not even close.

These homemade chocolate oatmeal no bake bars offer the perfect healthy alternative:

You get all of the wholesome ingredients, without all the extra butter and sugar.

I swapped out the sugar here for pure maple syrup and have also cut way back on the sweetener in general, and I substituted peanut butter for the butter, for an added protein boost you won’t even realize is in there.

Also Try These Buffalo Cauliflower Wings – Just 6 Ingredients

Oatmeal Chocolate No Bake Bars
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The recipe first came about during the Snowpocalypse 2016, when my then-boyfriend and I were trapped in my apartment while the snow relentlessly slammed down outside.

After watching about seven Daredevil episodes in a row, he looked at me and said, “So where are all the famous Chocolate Covered Katie baked goods?”

With no grocery stores open, I took stock of my pantry and pulled out every one of my favorite ingredients that I always have on hand:

Chocolate.

Peanut Butter.

Oatmeal.

Combining so many delicious ingredients into one easy-to-make and heart-healthy dessert was pretty much a guaranteed success right from the start.

I formed them into no bake cookie balls and put them on a plate.

The boy proceeded to eat eight of them… So I took that as a good sign!

Then we watched even more Daredevil, and ate pasta with jarred Ragu from 7/11 for dinner.

And swore we’d never tell.

Chocolate Covered Katie Cookie Recipe

Also try the recipe in cookie form –> Chocolate No Bake Cookies

No Bake Cookie Ingredients
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Oatmeal Chocolate No Bake Bar Instructions

Step One: Prepare an 8-inch pan by lining it with parchment or wax paper.

Stir together the liquid ingredients, then combine with the oats and stir until evenly mixed.

Chocolate No Bake Bars Recipe
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Step Two: Smooth into the prepared pan, and press down with a spoon as hard as you can.

Really press down as hard as you can.

Transfer the pan to the freezer until the bars are firm enough to cut.

Step Three: Slice into bars, and enjoy!

Leftovers can be left out at room temperature for a few hours, but for optimum freshness I like to keep them in the fridge or freezer, where they last a few weeks…

If you don’t eat them all first!

Above, watch the video of how to make chocolate oatmeal no bake bars.

Secretly Healthy Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Bars
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Pin it now to save for laterPin Recipe

Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Bars

These classic melt-in-your-mouth chocolate oatmeal no bake bars are popular for a very good reason!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Yield 9 – 12 bars
5 from 122 votes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter or allergy-friendly sub
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave
  • 1/4 cup butter or coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 cups quick oats (Here's a keto version)
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder

Instructions

  • Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment or wax. Set aside. Stir together the first three ingredients. Gently heat until the oil is melted and peanut butter is easily stir-able. Whisk in the vanilla extract and salt, stirring until completely smooth. Stir in the quick oats and cocoa powder until evenly coated. Smooth into the prepared pan, and press down with a spoon as hard as you can. Really pack it in. Freeze until firm enough to cut. Leftovers can stay out a few hours, but I like to keep them in the freezer for optimum freshness, where they last a few weeks.
    View Nutrition Facts

Notes

The recipe was adapted from these Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies.
 

Have you made this recipe?

Tag @chocolatecoveredkatie on Instagram

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Published on June 10, 2020

Meet Katie

Chocolate Covered Katie is one of the top 25 food websites in America, and Katie has been 
featured on The 
Today Show, CNN, 
Fox, The 
Huffington Post, and 
ABC's 5 O’Clock News. Her favorite food is chocolate, and she believes in eating dessert every single day.

Learn more about Katie

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127 Comments

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  1. Kathryn says

    Will probably try these within the next couple days. If I was home, I’d be making them now! They look delish! I enjoyed the story behind them, too. I love reading personal stories- it totally makes me feel like I know you, which is a good thing, instead of reading something robotic.

    • Chocolate Covered Katie says

      Thanks; I wish I could share more stories – I have so many good ones of things that happen to me. But most of them are probably not appropriate for the blog or could potentially hurt feelings or infringe on others’ privacy. In my dream world, I would be Taylor Swift and just not care 🙂

  2. Ashley says

    I always loved no-bake cookies. Those were one of the addictive treats that I could just eat and eat – until they became too disgustingly sweet to handle and I had to leave them alone for a week. I’m betting these would be a delicious substitute, especially given my fondness of peanut butter. Cute story too; limited resources can turn out some delicious treats 😀

  3. Santana says

    I’m eating these right now! They’re so delicious. And still warm, because I’m pregnant and too impatient to wait 🙂
    Thank you for sharing the recipe.

  4. Jessica Binev says

    Scrolling through Instagram today I came across your post about these.. Given that I’m super tired and crampy and just ?% over it today I decided to go ahead and make them.

    I didn’t have any coconut oil so I subbed butter. I also don’t own an 8″ square baking dish so I used an 8″ cake pan instead, which worked out perfectly because I was then able to use the second cake pan to really press the mixture down into a nice compact layer. Finally, I sprinkled some chocolate chips on top and pressed them in because yum.

    10/10, will make again.

    • Samantha says

      I did the same thing, I used butter instead of the coconut oil. Also, i didnt have enough peanut butter, so i used 1/4 cup pb and 3 tbsp ghee. And i used only honey as the sweetener. Perhaps i didn’tmeasure correctly, but i found i had too much liquid for the oatmeal. Im not complaining, though, the end result tastes like an amazing chocolate bar with oats in it! This recipe is amazing, Katie! Ive been a long time reader but this is the first time I’ve left a comment. Glad to see how you have been doing over the years and the success you’ve found!

  5. Marie says

    Why did I use my quick oats up on baked oatmeal??!! As soon as I re-stock I will definitely be making these (easy for a bake sale too!). Would either natural or “regular” peanut butter work for this recipe?

  6. Kimberly says

    Katie
    Please forgive me if this is the dumbest question you receive this year….. I’m still very unclear on coconut oil in general and it use(s). Is “virgin coconut oil” the solid form or liquid? Does it matter? The only liquid I can identify in the picture appears to be maple syrup…and I don’t see anything identified as “virgin coconut oil”.

    I am VERY eager to try this one out for my son and myself!

    Many thanks !!!

  7. Heidi says

    These are delicious! Only problem with them is they will test my self control.
    Wondering about a recipe you mentioned coming up a while ago for cinnamon bars?

  8. Theron says

    Awesome, Awesome. I’m a 64 yr. old vegan guy who has followed your blog for a couple of years and also have your book. I was looking all summer for a recipe for no bake oatmeal peanut butter chocolate cookies that I remember from my school days. Your recipes are the only ones I trust to lighten the sugar properly. I must confess that I did sub some well-chopped dates for 3 tbsp of the maple syrup. I love your work. Thank you.

  9. Win says

    I must try this recipe. I love no-bake recipes to mix things up a bit and produce something delicious really quickly. Thanks for sharing, so glad you created them in your Snowpocalypse! And your photos look amazing.

  10. Kerri says

    I seriously made these before I even finished reading the post! They’re awesome! So easy, I’m going to bring these to all the parties now.

  11. Nene says

    I made this following the recipe quantities posted on your Instagram (but now I can’t find the photo anymore!). I didn’t have coconut oil nor liquid sweetener so I substituted them with vegetable oil and cane sugar. I also added some chopped salted peanuts for some extra crunch.The bars turned out AMAZING! I loved the salty/sweet/chocolate-y taste combination. Yum. Thank you for another wonderful recipe, Katie!

  12. Kathryn says

    These are delicious! I don’t think my husband and kids even noticed that they weren’t the real thing (we’re not vegan, and no bakes are my husband’s favorite, so we have them often)! Thanks for cutting down the sugar! Every time I make the “normal” recipe, I am always appalled at the two cups!

  13. Darline says

    I doubled this recipe to use as snack in school lunches. My kids (8 & 11) LOVED these! They reported that the bars tasted like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups! My 11 year old son came home from school telling me that a classmate begged to trade a chocolate pudding cup for his No Bake Bar. Chocolate Covered Katie is winning the hearts of 6th graders in the lunch room!

  14. Heather says

    No Bake Cookies have been a favorite of mine for many years. Now you’ve created a lightened up version so I can still enjoy them. I have 2 words for you, Ms. Katie: Thank You!!!!!

  15. Phylis Stevens says

    My husband cannot have oatmeal or sugar but has a sweet tooth need ideas. Love all your ideas and have made them.

  16. Karen Becker says

    I made these last night and they turned out great. My five year old said “Yummmmmmy!” when he tried one this morning. Thank you for the recipe 🙂

  17. Erin says

    I made these this week as lunch snacks for the lads when my oven broke and I couldn’t bake. They turned out beautifully! Thank you for the recipe, Katie!

  18. Carol says

    This is a fantastic recipe! I used GF Oates for guests with food sensitivity. To change it up I used cashew butter instead of peanut butter. Delicious! Sprinkled unsweetened coconut on the top for decoration. Thank you!

  19. Betty says

    Katie, I just have to say first off that you are awesome……I am a very obese woman who struggles so much but you have helped me to find a better way to comfort myself with sweets without hurting myself so much physically…..THANK YOU!!

    Just wondered if anyone else has issues with trying to print a recipe??? When I click the print recipe button it prints EVERYTHING, not just the recipe. I didn’t use to have that problem….is it just my computer??

  20. Suzanne Tedrick says

    Dear Chocolate Covered K,
    There is a slight problem with this recipe. It is so incredibly yummy that I cannot stop making these and eating these. Everyday my boys get home and ask me for a “bar”. I know exactly what they mean. They go digging through the freezer and if I’ve run out, I’m in big trouble. McDonalds is losing a big fortune, because, when I’m out for the day, I no longer have to stop and eat junk food: I just grab a bar out of a bag in my purse, and it holds me for a couple of hours. I love this because it utilizes healthful fats. To make it even more tasty, I add about 1/2 cup of shredded coconut. Last time I made these bars, I “accidentally” quadrupled the recipe. Oh, well! No longer do I need to bake: I love this “no bake” revolution. Thanks, Suzanne

  21. GiannaT says

    I like to make this for women I know who have just given birth. They’re super easy to eat while nursing or juggling a baby, and the oats help with their supply if they’re breastfeeding. 🙂

  22. Renee Parisio says

    I didn’t have vanilla extract, but I did have vanilla flavored Hemp Milk. The first go around, I used just a tablespoon of that instead and lowered the amount of maple syrup (since the milk was already sweetened.) They turned out really well.
    Second time around, I used 1/4 cup of the hemp milk, and only 1 tbsp of coconut oil and 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp of maple syrup. I heated it all while stirring. Turned out delicious!

  23. Carrie Metcalf says

    My 16yr old son is a carb fanatic and loves his sugar. He loves these! For the PB I used 1/4c almond butter and 3tbsp of your recipe of healthy Nutella. In the 2 cups of oats I snuck in about a quarter to a third c of flax meal. He’ll never know. He begs me to keep them on hand!

  24. Lisa says

    Has anyone added up the calories? I’m coming out to over 250 calories for one bar. That seems really high, as the original no bake cookies are only 100 calories per cookie. Maybe I’m entering it wrong.

    • Sandra says

      Hi there,
      I’d like the calorie content per bar also. If any lively ladies out there have the answer….please post it 🙂

      • Jason Sanford says

        Calorie count is included in the nutrition facts, linked directly in the post where it says “view nutrition facts”

  25. Shannon says

    The only problem with these bars is how do I stop myself from eating them before they are ready?! I would like to redefine “ready” ?. So simple and delicious!

  26. Andrea says

    These look wonderful! Really silly question. I only have steel cut oats, and they’re not the “quick” kind. Will these work?

  27. Anna says

    This is my second CCK recipe today…! I added some unsweetened shredded coconut on top and it is SO good. It also helped the spoon not to stick as much when I was patting it down. They’re in the freezer now and I’m sitting here licking the bowl…mmm! I love this recipe because:
    1. it’s DELICIOUS, and
    2. I always have all of these ingredients on hand. So easy!
    Perfect!
    Here’s a question if anyone is still reading this post (and isn’t already too lost in the chocolate/peanut buttery goodness of this dessert), what is your favorite brand of peanut butter? I’ve been using Crazy Richard’s for a while and I really like it (only ingredient is peanuts). Any other must try brands? 🙂

    • Jason Sanford says

      Katie’s go-to brand is Harris Teeter crunchy natural. It’s ridiculously cheap (1.99 when on sale). It’s a store brand, so not available everywhere. But I personally like Whole Foods crunchy as well, the one with salt but no sugar.

      Jason (media relations)

  28. Grace says

    I substituted 2 tbsp of applesauce instead of the additional 3tbs of sweetner—adds a really nice flavor with the peanut butter and chocolate! Would recommend to anyone looking to cut down a bit on the sugar in these!

  29. Denise says

    Hi! I made the recepie exactly the way u said and it turn out that the bars aren’t crunchy they are all goey why??? They have been in the freezer like 3 hours I live them all day there? Thanks in advance!

    • Jason Sanford says

      Hmmm what coconut oil did you use? Unless it’s gone bad somehow, coconut oil always solidifies when chilled!

  30. Joy says

    I am a Celiac who lives to eat. I was VERY happy with these bars. Like another user, I used tahini. I find Peanut Butter to be a little overpowering sometimes. Using coconut oil and tahini made this reminiscent of an Almond Joy, especially with a glass of almond milk! I was feeling lazy when I made them, so I measured everything using a digital scale (Bye, measuring cups!) and instead of the 8 x 8 dish, I just dumped the mixture onto a piece of Parchment paper and folded over the side and “smashed down” the mixture with a rolling pin. No dishes, and delicious fat snacks for me! I liked them better the second day. I would recommend letting them sit for a while before eating. Those oats are really dry and need time to soak up the ingredients. Thank you very much for an under 200 calorie bar that tastes delicious! Next time I’m adding chopped almonds!

  31. Nechama says

    I made these with silan/date syrup- the sugar free kind and they came out AH-MAZING!!!!! I don’t think I’ve eaten something so good and perfect in my life!
    Def my fave recipe on this blog!

  32. Arlene says

    I guess I’m the only one who doesn’t think they r anything like the original. It tasted too strong of coconut oil and very little of anything else. I substituted coconut nectar for the maple syrup, which should be a one to one substitution for sugar. Oh well, it was worth a try. I won’t make these again.

    • Jason Sanford says

      Sounds like you probably used a bad jar of coconut oil. I’ve found that a lot of brands have a strong coconut taste that is unpleasant, and Katie has said the same thing in some of her posts and that she uses Whole Foods 365 brand or Artisana because those do not have the unpleasant coconut taste. What brand did you use? I know I hate the one from Trader Joes!
      Jason

  33. Diane says

    These are getting made this weekend. Any thoughts if I wanted to add protein powder or chia/flax seed? Amounts to add? Thank you, Katie.

    • CCK Media Team says

      You can add a handful of chia seeds, no problem. Katie has done it before (without measuring). For protein powder, try replacing some of the cocoa powder with protein powder. Be sure to report back if you try!

  34. Robin says

    Looking forward to trying this. One question…my coconut oil is melted due to the warmer air, is the measurement the same as when solid?

  35. Jenn says

    These are dangerously delicious! I’ve been doing a lot of baking the last few months and wanted to thank you for always having such consistently great recipes. When I make a CCK recipe I don’t have to worry about it not tasting great or having to toss the results and waste food. Love these!

    • CCK Media Team says

      Hi, coconut butter works for sure, or sunbutter would probably work as well if you like the taste. Maybe soynut butter too?

  36. Lisa says

    These are outstanding. I used maple syrup and coconut oil. Not too sweet but enough to feel like it’s a treat. Excellent right out of the freezer, firm but not frozen.

  37. Jill says

    These are now a family favorite. I made them for both my sons’ families and we all agree that they are the best less fat, less sugar no bake bars ever. Plus, there’s something psychologically appealing to keeping them in the freezer!!

  38. Lisa says

    These are really good. I made double decker ones. A layer of peanut butter (without the cocoa) topped with a layer with the chocolate. Yum. They go fast!

  39. Debra Wilson says

    I’ve made these twice and the 2nd time I added chopped almonds which gave a terrific crunch! I took them to school and was asked for the recipe by a few of my friends. They really satisfy! I love how EASY they are to make, and in the summer heat, you don’t have to turn on the oven!

    • CCK Media Team says

      They will be more chewy and textured, and you might need a little more peanut butter for them to stick together, but they will still work 🙂

  40. Milia says

    Do you know of a healthful sweetener that can be substituted for the maple syrup? I am a Type 2 diabetic and was hoping for something that doesn’t have sucralose or aspartame in it.

  41. Ruthie says

    I just made these with the following substitutions:
    Apple sauce in place of Maple syrup or honey
    PBfit in place of peanut butter
    They were so good! If you do this then you definitely need extra liquid so I used more apple sauce and that worked for me. Probably not as sweet as using the other sweeteners but I liked them not so sweet.

  42. Renate says

    My family loves these easy to make bars. They are part of our lunch box treats. We are adding peppermint extract during the prep. Chocolate and peppermint is the perfect combination.

  43. Michelle Goodman says

    5 stars
    Delicious!!!! These bars taste just like no bake cookies but without any refined sugar and only real ingredients. Great w maple syrup or honey. Have only used butter not coconut oil. My son is on modified SCD and these are such a great treat for him… as long as I don’t eat them all first. Ty so much!!!

  44. Meagen ODonnell says

    5 stars
    Absolutely awesomely delicious!! Definitely near impossible to stop at one piece!! I used Western Star unsalted butter instead of coconut pot (it was what I had on hand) and cacao instead of cocoa powder. My family will be devouring these over coffee without a doubt!! So simple and quick. Will be a permanent fixture in our freezer!! 😄

  45. Marsha says

    5 stars
    My grandson insists I have these on hand at all times. I double the recipe, throw them in the freezer then cut them up and keep one container in the frig and 3 in the freezer. Lucky if they last a week 🙂

  46. SWEETS ARE ME says

    5 stars
    After seeing this recipe, I made it the same day! I used honey & butter but I also added slivered Almonds, dried cranberries & topped with coconut. And OH MY GOSH! Talk about absolutely wonderful! Definitely curbs the sweet tooth & makes for a great snack! Will definitely be experimenting with other add ins & making again!!

  47. Ann Huffcutt says

    5 stars
    These were delicious! I made a few adjustments, (I added sunflower seeds, mini chocolate chips,a scoop of chocolate whey powder and honey instead of syrup) I’m going to make more right now, since the first batch “mysteriously” vanished!

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