Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

Easy no bake chocolate oatmeal bars that will boost your energy sky high, and contribute toward your daily nutritional requirements. They are also no bake, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and refined-sugar-free.

Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

These no bake chocolate oatmeal bars are the perfect healthy breakfast cookie! They energize, provide protein and fiber and all sorts of nutrients you need to jump start your energy and metabolism at the beginning of the day.

And it's very fun, isn't it, that these cookies are almost like candy bars. Actually quite similar to the candy bar, KitKat. Although, much healthier.

In fact, they are also the perfect both workout food and energizer.

I have made a few easy workout food recipes using both black and white beans, here and here, but this time I decided to create a healthy no bake chocolate oatmeal cookie that incorporates uncooked rolled oats.

I think all healthy breakfast cookies should involve rolled oats. Do you want to know why?

How Healthy Are Rolled Oats?

Let me tell you about the beauty of oatmeal in the form of rolled oats.

This grain, and I use a gluten-free brand, is a huge source of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants that support weight control, lower blood sugar levels, reduced risk of heart disease and even boost the immune system.

And oats are actually higher in protein and healthy fats, and lower in carbohydrates, and contain more fiber than most other whole grains.

Why Chocolate Adds Nutrition to this Recipe

And combining these no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies with quality dark chocolate is genius. That's because dark chocolate is high in fiber, iron, magnesium, which boosts cognitive function.

Chocolate - and we are always talking about cacao levels 70% and higher, and of course no added processed ingredients - even protects against disease, especially heart disease and high blood pressure. And can even boost protection from the sun!

Whether your workout consists of pedaling or running hard, studying for over-demanding professors or chasing a toddler or even puppy around the house, you can benefit from these cookies-turned-pro-workout-snack!

Ingredients in No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

So in summary, the total number of ingredients in this easy recipe is just 5. I don't even note that in the beginning. As a publisher of a 4-ingredient recipe cookbook, a 5-ingredient recipe doesn't impress me, haha.

But still, it does mean all you have to gather to make this recipe is rolled oats, cashews, cacao powder, maple syrup and vanilla.

Questions About No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

1. Why doesn't this version contain butter, sugar and milk as in the traditional no bake chocolate oatmeal bar recipes online?
Because this is a healthy recipe and doesn't have dairy or sugar. The traditional recipe you are referring to involves boiling butter, sugar, milk and chocolate, and also involves quick oats. My recipes doesn't have dairy ingredients, doesn't use refined sugar, and uses the less processed rolled oats. It's a different cookie in the end, and healthier.
2. Can these bars be made smaller in size?
Sure, just cut the 8 slabs in half, so you have 16 squares.
3. Can this mixture be baked?
I don't know, maybe. I haven't tried. There are no rising ingredients though, so you'd just be browning it.
4. What do these bars taste like?
Chocolatey, mildly sweet, a touch of salt, rich, and filling.

Why This No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bar Is Different

All no bake cookies need a glue. Some people use dates or maple syrup. I didn't want to add sugar to such a nutritious chocolate oatmeal cookie. So the glue I used for this no bake chocolate oatmeal cookie is cashew cream.

Cashew cream is also a nutrition booster, full of fiber, and essential minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and zinc - all minerals necessary for a good post-workout recovery.

You could also replace the cashew cream with peanut butter or another nut butter. Or to get really fancy, add another recipe of mine, Homemade Marzipan Recipe. Also known as Almond Paste. Making these no bake bars with marzipan as the binder would be another way to make this no bake chocolate oatmeal cookie unusual and yet delicious.

How To Make Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

This recipe is fairly easy, as no bake recipes often are. You just mix ingredients together, press into a pan and chill.
The only time challenge in this recipe, is you do have to soak the cashews overnight to get the creamiest cashew cream the next day. These chocolate oatmeal cookies are worth the effort. I promise.

If you like making breakfast cookies like these or protein bars, you might also like this recipe for quinoa chocolate cherry bars. This quinoa chocolate cherry bar recipe also provides you with a basic protein bar recipe that you can customize to make your own protein bars, and spells out the incredible nutritional power of quinoa!

Interested in sharing on pinterest? Use this image...

I invite you to keep up with me on: Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Food Gawker | Twitter

Don’t miss a thing, subscribe here to get recipes delivered to your inbox!

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

Created by Dee Dine

Easy homemade no bake chocolate oatmeal bars that will boost your energy sky high, and make a good start on your daily nutritional requirements. Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar-free.

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 18 mins

Total Time 28 mins

Cuisine vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free

Servings 8

Ingredients

 

US Customary - Metric

Make Chocolate Cashew Cream (about 1 cup)

• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked at least 1 hour in just-boiled water or overnight for a creamier mixture; rinse and drain the cashews after soaking and before blending)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp cacao powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• pinch of himalayan salt Why Himalayan salt? Because it helps replenish all 84 elements found in your body, slowing aging, increasing hydration, improves circulation, expels toxins, absorb nutrients

Oats Mixture

• 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats (Or use popped quinoa or even gluten-free steel cut oats for a crunchier texture)
• ½ cup chocolate cashew cream (recipe above)

Chocolate Top

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

 

Prep:

• Make the chocolate cashew cream ahead of time for this recipe. To make chocolate cashew cream, blend up ingredients until smooth, keep refrigerated until ready to make the cookies. You will only need half a cup for this recipe; keep the remaining half for smoothies and other recipes.
  
• When you are ready to make the cookies, line an 8x4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
  

Make the bars

• Make the crust first: Put ONLY ½ cup of the chocolate cashew cream mixture you just made into a large mixing bowl.

  Then add the oats like this: First put in 1 cup and stir up the oats and cashew cream. Then add another ½ cup of oats and stir up the oats and cashew cream. Then decide if you have the texture you want before adding the last ½ cup of oats.
• Pour the oat mixture into a parchment-lined pan. Freeze 15 minutes to set.

Make chocolate topping

• Melt 1 cup dark chocolate chips in a pyrex measuring cup in the microwave at 60 seconds. Remove from the microwave, and stir the hot chocolate until all lumps are melted. Then pour it onto frozen oat mixture. Freeze at least one hour before cutting into 8 slabs.
• Like any treat, store refrigerated in an airtight container.. But also feel free to wrap 2-4 bars up in a pretty package and give them as a gift - they do not need constant refrigeration to remain sturdy; just refrigerate if you want to keep them fresh long term. We eat them too fast to know how long they keep, haha.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 306kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 8gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 28mgPotassium: 354mgFiber: 4gSugar: 10gVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 2mg

Keyword chocolate oatmeal bars

Leave a ReviewLet us know what you think of my recipe!

Dee Dine

Dee Dine is founder of Green Smoothie Gourmet, a plant based recipe blog, and author of the recent cookbook, Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients and another immunity-boosting smoothie shot book, 4-Ingredient Smoothies + Juices , due out in January 2021. On this blog you'll find incredibly easy recipes with hidden veggies for anyone wanting to eat healthier, regardless of diet. Dee has graduate degrees in sciences and  journalism, editor at The Feedfeed and a nutritional expert at WikiHow. More about Dee Dine here.