Soft, chocolatey, and ultra fudgy NO BAKE chocolate oatmeal fudge bars!
When I first posted a picture of this recipe on Instagram, people went crazy.
In under 24 hours, the photo had already gotten close to 10,000 likes and over a hundred comments… I couldn’t respond fast enough!
It was hard to keep the recipe secret, but I wanted to first test the bars out at a party in real life, to make sure they tasted as good as they looked.
The test run went even better than I’d hoped, with 6 requests for the recipe and TWO batches of these bars completely gone before the party was even half over.
So I can now tell you with confidence this recipe is definitely non-health-food-eater approved!
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Oatmeal fudge bars have been a favorite potluck recipe for generations.
But just because they contain oatmeal does not make the standard version of these treats a healthy choice.
Many 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 1 1/2 cups of butter, 2 cups of flour, and an entire 2 cups of sugar, not to mention all the sugar from 2 cups chocolate chips and a can of sweetened condensed milk.
If any recipe were screaming for a healthier makeover, the traditional oatmeal fudge bar would be it.
With so many facets of the original recipe needing an update, I opted to throw the traditional recipe out the window and start completely from scratch.
These lightened-up oatmeal bars are flourless, vegan, and just as deliciously chocolatey as the original version!
Also Try These: Healthy Butterfingers – Healthy Candy Bars
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! Except I forgot to mention the BEST part!
Instead of using any oil in the recipe, I made these bars even more delicious 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.
Inspired By: Chocolate No Bake Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cup quick oats, or here’s a keto version
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave
- 1/4 cup peanut butter, or allergy-friendly sub
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 to 5 oz chocolate chips or sugar free chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup peanut butter, or allergy-friendly sub
Instructions
- *If you want a thicker chocolate layer than the bars in the pictures, feel free to increase the amount of chocolate chips. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment or wax paper, and set aside. Stir together the maple syrup, 1/4 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
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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 .