No Bake Chocolate Oat Bars

These no bake chocolate oat granola bars are sweet and chewy with flavours of chocolate, almond, and coconut.  These are a healthier option granola bar that is naturally sweetened and contains no added sugars.  These bars are easy to make in around 20 minutes and let them set in the fridge for upto and hour.

Recipe Highlights

• Healthier than storebought granola bars that are often loaded with sugars
• Uses Sugar free maple syrup and sugar free chocolate chips
• Quick and easy to make and no oven required
• Makes 10 generous sized bars
• Many ways to customize with different addins and flavours
• These bars have a great chewy texture that's not too soft and not too firm
• Uses whole almonds for an extra crunch and nutty flavour
• No food processor needed as the mixing is easy to do in a bowl
• They last in the fridge for upto 1 week, like these Date Nut Bars
• These bars travel well and are great for lunchboxes, morning snacks, or pre workout snacks
• Perfect for making ahead so you have easy and health grab and go snacks during the week like these Chocolate Oat Granola Bars.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

• Maple Syrup:  I use a sugar free maple syrup when making this recipe.  Typically the brand I use is Lakanto sugar free maple syrup as it is naturally sweetened with monkfruit.  I buy it from the supermarket and its usually in either the baking aisle with the sugars and sweeteners, or with the dessert toppings depending on the store.  Feel free to use regular maple syrup if you like, and then the bars will be a little high in natural sugars, but still healthier than store bought!

• Nut Butter:  I love using cashew nut butter, but you could also use your favourite peanut butter, or almond butter which would also be lovely since the recipe also includes whole almonds.  If using peanut butter, the peanut butter flavour will be more prominent.  Using cashew nut butter, the nut butter is a little more subtle, allowing some of the other ingredients to shine through.

• Oats:  There are both rolled oats (the bigger and  flatter oats) and quick oats (smaller and finer oats) in this recipe.  Both work together to create the ideal chewy texture.  If you don't have both, using one or the other will still work.  Using all rolled oats will result in maximum texture where the oat pieces are more visible, and using quick oats will result in a finer texture and the oats will blend in more seamlessly.

• Coconut:  There are so many different types of coconut.  My preference is for using a shredded coconut as I find its texture blends well into the bar and it doesn't "disappear" and you can still taste it.  If using desiccated coconut it may disappear and the taste may not be as prominent

• Chocolate Chips:  Whilst using sugar free chocolate chips is ideal, if you can find them in the baking aisle of the supermarket, use dark chocolate chips, or buy a sugar free chocolate bar from the health food aisle and chop it up into small pieces.  It works just as well.

• Almonds:  You can use hole almonds or chop them up if you like.  I love using whole almonds as it adds extra crunch.  Using toasted almonds also adds some extra flavour, but most times I'm using natural whole almonds with the skins on.

• Coconut Oil:  this helps to hold the bars together.  Make sure to use the "firm" coconut oil that melts with heat, as opposed to the liquid coconut oil or the kind that comes ion a spray can.  There's not really a substitute for the coconut oil and it helps to set the bars.  If you don't have it I would leave it out and add extra nut butter instead to help with setting.

• Vanilla Essence/Ground Cinnamon:  This adds flavour to the bars and is optional, but highly recommended.
• Salt:  this helps to balance out the sweetness and flavours.  Highly recommend to add a little sea salt as it will make all the other flavours better!  A flavour enhancer.

Love easy no bake snack recipes? Check out my Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars with no added sugar, or these simple 3 layer Chocolate Coconut Bars, or these Chocolate Protein Bars - great for breakfast.

How To Make

1. Heat Wet Ingredients:  Add sugar free maple syrup, coconut oil, and cashew but butter into a medium-sized pot. Bring pot to medium heat, stirring ingredients they are all combined.

2. Add Chocolate Chips:  Remove the pan from heat and add sugar free chocolate chips.   Mix until chocolate melts and combines with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Add Coconut:  Add shredded coconut, vanilla extract, salt, ground cinnamon, and almonds. Stir to combine.

4. Add Oats:  Add quick oats and rolled oats and mix to combine.
5. Prepare Tin:  Place parchment paper/baking paper in an 8 inch/20 cm square mold. Spoon the mixture into the prepared mold, patting down with hands or back of a spoon all the way to the sides so that it is even and level on top

6. Set:  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Once the bars have firmed up, use a sharp knife to slice into 10 individual bars. 

For a non chocolate version, check out these Blueberry and Lemon Crumb Bars which come together quickly in around 20 minutes.

Recipe Tips

• Perfect Edges:  Run knife under hot tap water to warm it for a clean cut through the bars and rinse after each cut
• Squares:  Instead of 10 bars, to make them go further, especially useful if there are lots of people in the house, cut each bar in half or thirds, to make 20 or 30 squares.
• Storage:  Once cut, store bars in an air tight container in the fridge for upto 5 days

Flavour Addins

• Spices:  a hint of either Ground Nutmeg, Ground Ginger, or Pumpkin Spice
• Seeds:  pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds would be a nice addition, or use them instead of the nuts

Flavour Swaps

• Swap dark chocolate chips for white chocolate chips, or use a combination of both
• Swap almonds for macadamias, cashews or pistachios
• Instead of putting the chocolate chips into the bars, melt them and drizzle the chocolate on top of each bar.  Or do both!

These no bake chocolate oat bars are a great skinny or weight watchers alternative to store bought granola bars.  They are perfect for making ahead so that you have snacks on tap to grab and go as you head out the door. 

They are the ideal breakfast bar packed with  fibre and protein, and are  great with a coffee.  They also work a treat to cure after dinner cravings as well!