No Bake Chocolate Oat Bars

a stack of 3 chocolate no bake granola 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.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 0

Fridge Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings Bars

Calories 216kcal

Author Kim

Ingredients

½ cup Sugar free maple syrup
½ cup Cashew nut butter
1 tablespoon Coconut oil
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
½ cup Bolled oats
1 ½ cup Quick oats
⅓ cup Shredded coconut
⅓ cup Sugar free chocolate chips
⅓ cup Almonds

Instructions

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.
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.
Add Coconut: Add shredded coconut, vanilla extract, salt, ground cinnamon, and almonds. Stir to combine.
Add Oats: Add quick oats and rolled oats and mix to combine.
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
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. (Tip: Run knife under hot tap water to warm it for a clean cut through the bars and rinse after each cut)

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.

Nutrition