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These Vegan Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars are like an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, pressed into perfectly portable chewy bars! This easy vegan dessert will become a hit, and they only take 30 minutes to make from start to finish.
Meet your new favorite easy dessert: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars. They’re fantastic, easy to make, and have simple ingredients. And if your family is anything like mine, the pan will be empty within 24 hours.
We’re big fans of all things bar cookies around here: give me all the brownie and blondie recipes! I truly can’t get enough, especially when there is chocolate involved. I’ve got a fabulous oatmeal cookie recipe in my cookbook that is so good, too, but today, we’re talking OATMEAL COOKIE BARS! Let’s get into it.
What you’ll need to make these oatmeal chocolate chip bars:
The ingredients are super simple, and chances are, you’ve got everything you need to make them!
- Nut Butter: I used cashew butter, but nut or seed butter will do the trick!
- Coconut Oil: I recommend refined coconut oil if you’re hoping to avoid any coconut flavor; otherwise, virgin coconut oil will work. Regular or vegan butter also works well here.
- Coconut Sugar: for sweetness! Any granulated sweetener will work; don’t use a liquid one.
- Flax Egg or a real egg will also do the trick if you’re not vegan.
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Flour
- Rolled Oats: For the best texture, I like using thick, old-fashioned rolled oats. Make sure you use gluten-free if you cook for anyone with a gluten allergy or sensitivity!
- Baking Soda & Salt
- Chocolate Chips: or chunks! Whichever floats your boat. :)
Can I use quick oats?
Yes, you can, but the texture will be slightly different. The rolled oats provide a chewier, more toothsome texture, whereas the quick oats will melt into the bars a bit more. Both work, so go with whichever you prefer.
How to make Oatmeal Cookie Bars:
We love simple recipes, and this one definitely qualifies.
- Whisk together the nut or seed butter, coconut oil, and coconut sugar until combined.
- Add in the flax egg and vanilla and stir it up.
- Fold in the almond flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix in the chocolate chips!
- Press into the pan and bake for 18 minutes or until golden brown.
- Enjoy warm for gooey goodness, or let them cool for a chewy, delightful dessert you’ll adore!
PRO TIP: For extra gooey bars, underbake them by a few minutes. This will give you a doughier, gooier dessert with melty chocolate and a softer center, but it will still have nice and crispy edges!
Storing & Freezing Oatmeal Bars:
To Store: They’ll keep well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
To Freeze: You can freeze them for long-term storage. Keep in an airtight container for up to 6 months, and thaw before serving.
PRO TIP: To make your chocolate chip oatmeal bars super gooey when they come out of the fridge or freezer, pop them in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds until the chocolate is melty. Yum!
Want more oatmeal chocolate chip goodness?
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-Free & Vegan)
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites (Gluten-Free & Vegan)
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal (Gluten-Free & Vegan)
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet (Gluten-Free & Vegan)
Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup (128g) nut or seed butter of choice, I used cashew butter
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1 flax egg or regular large egg, for flax egg, whisk together 1 tablespoon flax meal with 2.5 tablespoons water. Let gel for 10 minutes before using
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (96g) blanched almond flour
- ½ cup (48g) gluten-free rolled oats
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips, or chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8” square baking pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the nut or seed butter, coconut oil, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and egg or flax egg, until smooth and combined.½ cup (128g) nut or seed butter of choice, ¼ cup coconut oil, 2/3 cup coconut sugar, 1 flax egg or regular large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Stir in the blanched almond flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chunks.1 cup (96g) blanched almond flour, ½ cup (48g) gluten-free rolled oats, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
- Spread evenly in prepared pan and bake for about 18 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Cool completely, and then cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container.
I LOVED THESE BARS!!! will be making them so often, one of the best GF desserts I’ve ever had, thank you!!!
Yayyyy thanks so much Sam!! So glad you loved them.
These are sooooo good!! Hands down the best chocolate chip style dessert I’ve ever made super quick, easy and delicious! Now off to hide the leftovers from my family lol
Wow- what a compliment!! So glad you’re loving them, Haley!
A really lovely healthyish treat. It’s more on the dry than the fudgy side so ‘cookie bar’ is the perfect description. The one downside is that they are so tasty that they disappear fast!
Hi Han, so glad you’re loving them! If you want a fudgier cookie, just bake for a few minutes less :)
I made these delicious bars today. I took them over to my daughter house for dinner and they were a big hit.
Thank you for all the work that you do to make sure that all of us with special diets can enjoy wonderful baked goods.
So thrilled you enjoyed them, thanks Karen!
Your recipe is great! Do you got a idea about calorie count per serving? I’m watching my calories.
Very good, quick and easy. Next time I may lessen the amount of sugar, I used a blend of coconut and monk fruit/erythrotol and with the chocolate chips, found it a bit sweet but otherwise very nice.
Hi Rita, yes monk fruit/erythritol can have a much sweeter flavor than just coconut sugar, so I’m guessing that’s why you found them too sweet! Especially if you used a lower cacao/sweeter chocolate chip. Glad you enjoyed them though :)
Very delicious, fast and easy! I used toasted walnut oil in lieu of coconut (because it’s what I had), mixed nut butter, and added a few walnuts. This seems like a foolproof recipe that will adjust well to substitutions when I need to go to the store.
So glad it works well with your substitutes! Sounds delicious. Thanks for the feedback, Val.
Can you freeze these? Or how long will they keep fresh ?
Yes, you can definitely freeze them. Just store in an airtight container!
I’ve made these several times, and although they’re delicious, they’re also very crumbly. I’ve tried adding more flour, I’ve tried baking them longer, but no matter what I do, they fall apart. Do you have any suggestions? What am I doing wrong?
P.S. Everyone loves them and no one seems to mind that they are mostly crumbs, but I’d like them to stick together and look like actual bars.
Thanks so much!!
Hi Ellie, sorry you’re having trouble! I’d recommend adding another flax egg to help with binding (or another egg yolk if using a real egg). Also make sure your nut butter is super smooth and not one with a lot of grit/texture. I hope this helps!! Glad you’re enjoying the taste :)