Healthy chewy oatmeal chocolate chip bars for breakfast made with 5 main ingredients including oats, peanut butter, and lots of chocolate chips. Decadent bars made without refined sugar, high in fiber and protein, an easy grab and go breakfast bar ready in under an hour!
These oatmeal chocolate chip bars for breakfast are such an easy substantial morning meal. They mix up easily in one bowl, and bake as quickly in a pan. The oatmeal and peanut butter provides so much protein and fiber that these bars make the perfect breakfast and lunch box snack.
I have made these with both rolled oats and quick oats, and more chocolate chips than most oat recipes. They turned out as chocolatey and delicious as my chocolate baked oats, my chocolate oatmeal bars, that can be baked or no bake, and my healthy oatmeal peanut butter bars. Have one with a chilled easy iced coffee or a refreshing single serving lemonade.
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Why You'll Love This
Fast breakfast bar. These oatmeal chocolate chip bars take only 25 minutes to make with 6 ingredients. A super simple dessert recipe when you’re baking with kids or short on time.
Healthy with fiber. The oatmeal, chocolate chips and peanut butter give this oatmeal chocolate chip bar a ton of nutrients, protein and fiber.
Delicious & great for all diets. These bars are chewy with oats and peanut butter-rich like a candy bar. Dairy free, egg free, vegan, gluten free and nut free options.
Ingredients
Rolled oats or quick oats. Either one works well. Oats are the primary ingredient in these bars. Use gluten-free certified oats to make a gluten free breakfast bar.
Flour. I used oat flour which is just rolled oats blended into a powder. Or you can use all purpose flour.
Brown sugar. Coconut sugar keeps it refined sugar free, however regular light brown sugar is less refined and also adds a lovely caramel flavor to the bar.
Peanut Butter. Peanut butter brings a strong nutty flavor to these oatmeal chocolate chip bars. To reduce the nutty flavor, use a milder tasting nut butter such as almond butter or cashew butter.
Apple sauce. Apple sauce contains pectin which is a starch that helps create a binding texture to these bars as eggs would do.
Pure vanilla extract. I can't have a cookie without vanilla, use the real stuff!
Chocolate chips. Use semi sweet, and dairy free brand if needed. I used Enjoylife.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
Oats. I prefer to use rolled oats because they will give the bars more structure, but quick oats also work - just reduce the apple sauce by 1 tablespoon as quick oats absorb more liquid.
Flour. Use oat flour or all purpose flour. You can buy oat flour or make it by dry-blending rolled oats.
Brown sugar. Use coconut sugar to keep the bars refined-sugar-free, or use regular light brown sugar.
Peanut butter. Any nut butter works.
Step by Step Instructions
For more detail, visit the complete recipe for these oatmeal chocolate chip bars at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.
Step 1: Mix sugar and wet ingredients: Add apple sauce, sugar and vanilla to runny peanut butter in a mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar about 2-3 minutes. This step is key to a shiny top - your goal is to melt the sugar.
Step 2: Dry Ingredients: Add all the dry ingredients at once. Mix until combined, about 1 minute.
Step 3: Fold in chips. Fold the mini chocolate chips in with a spatula or spoon.
Step 4: Add to Pan: Fold the batter into a loaf pan with parchment paper with overhanging flaps, or foil. Sprinkle on a few extra chocolate chips.
Step 5: Bake: Now bake the bars until they’re golden for about 25 minutes. Allow the bars to cool in the pan for about 25 minutes. This will allow them to finish cooking.
Recipe Tips
Melt peanut butter. You want the peanut butter for these bars to be very soft and warmish. Measure out the peanut butter into the mixing bowl, microwave 15 seconds and stir to soften.
Mix the sugar and peanut butter well. This step is crucial so the sugar dissolves - this is key to the shiny, cake-like top of the bars.
Don’t overmix the batter. Once the oats and flour are added, don't mix the batter beyond just combining or you'll risk releasing the gluten in the oats and making the batter rubbery.
Avoid over-baking. Look for a dry, cracked top and a slight golden color to edges. The center might be a little wiggly, and that's okay because the bars will continue to cook as they are cool in the pan.
Level the batter. Level batter is important so the final bars bake up even and level.
Cool in the pan before cutting. This is important to ensure the bars are fully set.
Variations & Mix-ins
- Change the flavor of the chips: Use white chocolate, peanut butter or butterscotch chips.
- Make chocolate chip coconut bars: Add ⅓ cup shredded coconut.
- Make chocolate bars: Add 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa to the batter.
- Make oatmeal raisin bars: Mix in ¼ cup of raisins.
- Make oatmeal walnut bars: Mix ¼ cup of walnuts or other nuts into batter.
Storage
Once these bars have cooled completely, they can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container for 3 days.
The bars freeze well. Cut them first, and add them to a container, seperated by a square of parchment or foil. They can last 3 months.
FAQS
This oatmeal chocolate chip bar has only 154 calories, lower than most store bought breakfast bars which tend to have 300 kcal and more.
These oatmeal chocolate chip bars are made of rolled oats, oat flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, salt and apple sauce.
Yes, these oatmeal bars also provide 3 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, only 13 grams of sugar and will help you feel full and energized through out your morning.
More Oatmeal & Chocolate Bars
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup apple sauce
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour (Or ½ cup oat flour)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper or foil.
- You want the peanut butter to be very soft and warmish. Microwave the peanut butter once measured in a bowl for 15 seconds.
Make bars
- Add apple sauce, sugar and vanilla to the melted peanut butter. Mix to dissolve the sugar about 2-3 minutes. This step is key to a shiny top - your goal is to melt the sugar.
- Fold in the dry ingredients. Mix the batter about 1 minute or until combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. Reserve a few to sprinkle on top at the end.
- Fold the batter into the pan, level the top with a spoon. Sprinkle on the spare chocolate chips.
- Bake the bars for 20-25 minutes. Remove when the top middle looks dry and tiny cracks begin, and the edges take on a bit of golden brown.
- Cool the bars in the pan for 30 minutes. Then slice and serve. Or cool for ten minutes and use the parchment paper to lift the bars out and let them cool on a wire rack.
Storage
- Store bars sliced in a sealed container for 5 days. Then refrigerate for a week, or freeze for three months.
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