These chocolate oatmeal bars are a blend of chewy oatmeal and fudgy brownie. Made with an easy oatmeal crumble and a brownie filling. Make as a baked or no bake treat. High in fiber and protein, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
These chocolate oatmeal bars are so easy to make. There is just one recipe for both the crust and crumble top, and another for the chocolate fudge brownie filling. They are similar yet different from my peanut butter oatmeal bars and my three layered chocolate coconut bars.
Yes, they are baked, but they could also be no bake since no eggs are used (apple sauce instead). To make these as no bake chocolate oat bars just pop the pan in the freezer. I more often like to bake this recipe however because the middle filling turns out like a fudgy brownie.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Deep chocolate brownie flavor. The center layer is truly one of the fudgiest brownies I've ever had.
Easy to Make. Since the crust and top crumble are the same recipe, it's a three layer dessert that's as easy as a two layer dessert.
Nourishing. It's a dessert with sugar, yes, but the oat flour help up the fiber and protein to 2-3 grams each, and the sugar levels are relatively low.
Pantry Ingredients. Hopefully you won't need to go shopping to make this unless oat flour isn't a staple in yours. You can make it by blending or food processing rolled oats. Or you can use all purpose flour. (Heat treat all purpose flour first though if you make this recipe no bake; not necessary with oat flour.)
Ingredients
For the crust and crumble top
- Oat Flour & Rolled Oats - Both are needed for structure, although all purpose flour can be used instead of oat flour. See substitutions for amounts.
- Sugar - Brown sugar or coconut sugar.
- Butter - To keep it vegan, I used Earth Balance vegan sticks, but regular butter works too.
- Salt
For the brownie filling
- Chocolate chips - Use at least 60% cacao or semi-sweet. Enjoy life mini chips brand melts well for this recipe.
- Apple sauce - Apple sauce provides stability instead of eggs. Regular eggs can also be used or aquafaba.
- Butter - To keep it vegan, I used Earth Balance vegan sticks, but regular butter works too.
- Nut butter - I used cashew butter for the mild flavor but any nut butter works.
Equipment Needed
- A bowl, measuring cups and spoons
- Hand mixer, or use a spoon or whisk to stir
- Square baking pan, 8-inches square
- Parchment paper to fit, 12-inches x 8-inches
Steps To Make Crust & Crumble
Step 1: Make the crust and crumb recipe. Melt the butter in the microwave at 10 seconds until the butter is warm and liquid. Add all ingredients to a bowl.
Step 2: Stir together with a spoon.
Step 3: Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper and press ¾ of the mixture, flattening the surface with a spatula or spoon.
Step 4. Bake the crust for 30 minutes and let it cool. Set aside the remaining ¼ for the crumble on top and go make the brownie filling. Or for a no-bake version, just set aside and make the filling.
Steps to Make the Filling
Step 1: Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave.
Step 2: Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir with a spoon or hand-mixer.
Step 3: Pour the filling mixture onto the cooled crust. The center layer is thick so the filling will seem considerable.
Step 4: Sprinkle on top the remaining crumble that you held back.
Step 5: Bake the bars until the top is golden. The center will seem moist and leave a testing stick fudgy. Or for no bake, freeze the pan covered for 30 minutes.
Recipe Tips
Making No Bake Chocolate Oat Bars. To make no bake chocolate oat bars, assemble all three layers with no baking, and slip the pan in the freezer for 30 minutes or until it can be sliced. The texture will be less crunchy and more icy.
How to Get Clean Slices. The center brownie filling will come out of the oven soft so if you want the clean slices you see here, let the bars cool out of the oven around 30 minutes, cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.
Substitutions
Flour. You can use all purpose flour instead of oat flour, but use less, 1 ¼ cup instead of 1 ½ cup.
Butter. In the crust, you can reduce butter by half if you want to, and add in ¼ cup of apple sauce instead. In the filling, you can use ¼ cup of nut butter instead of 3 tablespoons of butter + 1 tablespoon of nut butter.
Sugar. I use coconut palm sugar for the micronutrients, but brown sugar works as well.
Apple sauce. To keep it vegan I use apple sauce instead of eggs. However, aquafaba, the liquid from a can of unsalted chickpeas, can be used. Both replace 2 eggs.
FAQS
Are These Bars Good For You?
Oatmeal bars are healthy to eat as a breakfast or snack because they are full of healthy fiber that fills you up and protects your heart as well as boosts your digestion. These bars have about 3 grams protein and 2 grams fiber per bar and are low in sugar compared to commercial oat bars.
How Long Do These Oat Bars Last?
These oat bars last a long time refrigerated, at least two weeks, and months if frozen. That makes them a very convenient snack to have on hand.
More Healthy Chocolate Bars
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
- Chocolate Oat Caramel Cups
- Chocolate Caramel Candy Bars
- No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
- Homemade Fudge Bars
- How to Make Homemade Protein Bars
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
Equipment
- 1 Measuring cups & spoons
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Hand-mixer Or use a fork or spoon to stir
Ingredients
Bottom Crust & Top Crumb
- 1 ⅓ cup oat flour or 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup butter softened in microwave for 10 seconds; I use Earth Balance vegan butter
Chocolate Filling
- 1 cup oat flour or ⅔ cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar or cane sugar
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips Enjoylife melts well.
- 6 tablespoon apple sauce unsweetened or use room temperature aquafaba, same amount
- pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoon butter softened, 10 seconds in a microwave
- 1 tablespoon nut butter
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Gather ingredients.
- Line a 8-inch by 8-inch pan with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter for the crust in microwave for 10 seconds. You want it melted as it is the glue that holds the crumble together.
Make Crust & Crumble Top
- Combine crust ingredients and melted butter. I used a hand mixer. You want the mixture to be crumbly.1 ⅓ cup oat flour, 1 cup rolled oats, 1 cup brown sugar, pinch of salt, ½ cup butter
- Remove ¾ cup of the mixture and set aside to use for the top crumb.
- Press the rest into the parchment-lined pan and level off with a spatula.
- Bake the crust for 8 minutes at 325 F. Or for a no-bake version, just set aside and make the filling.
- If baked, remove from oven, keep the crust in the pan and allow it to cool while you make the filling.
Make Chocolate Filling
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. (note the temperature change) Measure out filling ingredients.
- Put the butter and chocolate chips, into a 2-cup pyrex glass measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute. Stir in sugar and stir until creamy. Spoon in the apple sauce, and nut butter and stir again.1 ½ cups chocolate chips, 6 tablespoon apple sauce, 3 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon nut butter, 1 cup brown sugar
- Into a medium mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.1 cup oat flour, pinch of salt
- Add the chocolate mixture to the dry mixture and stir into a batter. It will be like a brownie batter.
- Spoon batter onto the baked crust and smooth the surface with a spoon.
Add Crumb Top
- Sprinkle the reserved crumb top onto the brownie batter.
- Bake at 350 F for 30 to 35 minutes or until the crumb is golden brown. The center layer will seem moist and leave a testing stick fudgy. Or for no bake bars, freeze the pan covered for 30 minutes.
- If baked, remove pan from oven and let the bars cool in the pan for 30 minutes.
- For clean slices, refrigerate the pan until you can slice cleanly.
Storage
- Store the oatmeal bars in the refrigerator for 1 week in sealed container. Or freeze for 3 months.
D'vorah
These look amazing I can't do seeds and nuts so what can I replace instead of the nut butter or is that possible?
Dee Dine
Yes, you can replace the nut butter in the filling with regular butter. Good luck!
sarah
I saw cocoa powder in the picture but not in the recipe?
Dee Dine
Yes, adding 1 tablespoon of a quality unsweetened cocoa to the dry ingredients deepens the chocolate flavor. It's an option in notes.