Dark Chocolate Almond Oatmeal Bars
You’ve gotta try these healthy oatmeal bars, they’re naturally sweetened oatmeal cookie bars, layered with dark chocolate almond butter. A simple vegan cereal bar recipe!
Healthy Oatmeal Bars!
Let me introduce you to your new favorite snack. Or dessert. Or breakfast. Or, anytime you want really want chocolate but also the wholesomeness of oatmeal and almonds.
These bars don’t last too long in my house. I’ve been making a batch a few times a month and BL always bee-lines for them as soon as I set them in the fridge. If you’ve followed our story for any time, you know that BL doesn’t bee-line for everything. He’s particularly wary of anytime I use dessert and kinda healthy in the same sentence.
But these? These are a favorite.
A super simple vegan cereal bar recipe!
Thankfully, they are also easy to put together. If you’ve ever made any kind of cereal bar before, you can make these.
Combine the oats, flour, maple syrup, coconut oil, almond butter and spices together to make a dough. It should come together fairly easily, but you might need to add a little more almond butter/flour depending on what kind of oats you use and how runny your almond butter is. You’ll know it’s right when you can pinch off a piece with your hands.
Place half of that in a 8×8″ baking dish and press to form a thick layer. Pop that in the fridge to harden while you make the chocolate.
Oh yeah, the chocolate. See that ribbon of dark chocolate? That’s what takes these bars to a whole ‘nother layer of deliciousness. I used dark chocolate chips, but you could also use a combination of dark and milk chocolate if you prefer. Need to keep these vegan? Then be sure to select dairy-free chocolate chips. We love Enjoy Life dairy-free chips!
Melt the chocolate, spread on top and pop back into the fridge to harden. Don’t worry, it doesn’t take too long. You just need the chocolate firm enough to spread more of the almond-oat dough on top.
Top with the oat mixture, then place back in the fridge one last time to firm up. This is usually about the time when BL comes into the kitchen asking if they are done.
Patience grasshopper, patience.
Slice ’em and eat! Because these have coconut oil in them, you’ll want to store them in the fridge. If by some miracle you don’t eat all of them in a few days, wrap the bars in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for 2-3 minutes. Thaw before eating.
Watch how to make these Dark Chocolate Almond Oatmeal Bars!
Dark Chocolate Almond Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup oat flour or almond flour*
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 3/4 cup almond butter, divided (or other nut-butter)
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flour, maple syrup, 1/2 cup almond butter, coconut oil, vanilla and cinnamon. The mixture should be sticky and clump together easily. If it’s too crumbly, add a bit more nut butter. If too wet, add in more oats/flour.
- Transfer half of the mixture into the baking pan and spread evenly. I like to use a piece of parchment paper to press down the mixture evenly, but a small rolling pin (or your fingers!) also works. Place in the fridge and let harden for at least 30 minutes.
- After the mixture has hardened in the fridge, melt the chocolate chips along with the remaining 1/4 cup almond butter in a double boiler or small pot over boiling water until creamy and smooth. Pour the chocolate on the oat layer and refrigerate until hardened, about 1 hour.
- Remove the chocolate layer from the fridge and place the remaining oat mixture on top. I think it’s easiest to crumble the the remaining dough all over the chocolate and press together. Place back in the fridge to harden, at least 30 more minutes.
- Slice into 9-12 bars (depending on what size bar you like). The bars will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer.
Notes
Nutrition
If you like these Healthy Oatmeal Bars, then you’ll want to try my vegan PB&J oatmeal Bars, Apple Pie Bars, Apple Pie Bars, Almond Joy Granola Bars, Almond Joy Granola Bars
it says eating dry uncooked oats isn’t good your stomach because of how dry they are and you should either soak them and milk or water if you’re going to eat them uncooked so I followed everything double the batch to get rid of my rolled oats and I’m putting it in the oven for maybe 20-30 minutes with it being chilled I’m hoping I don’t lose too much chocolate within the mix will see
Made with quick cooking oats because that’s what I had, so I needed an extra 1/4 cup of nut butter. We are gluten free so I used king authurs gluten free flour mix. Also was lazy and spread the entire mixture in 9×13 and immediately poured chocolate on top. Kids loved it! Thanks 🙂 Might try adding protein powder next time like Lori!
Thanks Andrea! Glad you liked it!
They are easy and wonderful but My oatmeal mixture won’t stay together. It’s very crumbly and falls apart.
Sorry Carolyn! I would add more almond butter and see if that helps.
Made these tonight- awesome! I used the mixed nut butter from Trader Joes and I put some of the oatmeal through the food processor. Let them set in the freezer and they taste great frozen. Thanks!
Doesn’t not cooking the oats add calories?
Hi Gina, I don’t cook the oats because I like the texture of raw oats. Cooking them doesn’t change the calories.
just made – used peanut butter and half flour and half protein powder. My new favorite snack bar !! Fantastic. Lasts two weeks in freezer – how do you make them last the day. Thanks for the recipe.
Love that addition! Thanks for letting me know Lori, glad you liked it!
Can you maybe replace the flour with protein powder? I know it might change the texture but these would be a great post workout treat I think! If not what kind do you recommend? Coconut? Almond? And could you maybe use honey instead of maple syrup? Thanks!
Hi Amanda, I don’t know!? I think that sounds like a fun idea, but since I haven’t done it, I can’t speak to how it will turn out and taste. Honey should work. If you try any variations and they work, come back and let us know.
My team love this recipe We are going to try it on this weekend!!
Could you replace the coconut oil with butter?
Hi Peggy- I’d worry that the butter would “leak” out once they cooled. Though, there isn’t much of it here so you could try it. Or, you could just use more peanut/nut butter instead of the coconut oil. If you try any variance, let us know how it worked out!
Thanks. I’m also looking to avoid the coconut oil so will up the almond butter.
Let me know how it turns out!
Love this recipe I am going to try it out soon!! 🙂