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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 if you’re not vegan, 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 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 sugar, egg or flax egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined. Stir in the almond flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
- 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.
OMG! These were so easy, quick and delicious! I was in the mood for something sweet; remembered I saw you post this recipe and knew I had all the ingredients on hand. So good!
Woohoo! So glad you loved them, Janis.
Have you try this recipe with a nut free flour?
Hi Eugenia, I haven’t tested that way, but you could probably do these with oat flour to keep nut-free. Since it’s a little more absorbent, I’d use 3/4 cup flour instead of the full cup. Hope this helps, and enjoy!
I was wondering what the calories would be on a square/bar? I noticed a lot of your recipes do not have calories listed. Is this something you would be interested in doing with future recipes?
Hi Marianna, I don’t typically include calorie counts with my recipes because I place focus on cooking and baking with healthier, whole food ingredients, instead of focusing on the calories/macros. It’s easy to calculate yourself if you’re curious on a website like myfitnesspal.com!
Hi Rachel,
It’s great to see a website with gluten free dessert recipes! I don’t mean to be a naysayer but in order for a food to be truly gluten free there can be no wheat, barley, rye or oats. Oats contain gliadin which is the major component of wheat gluten. I know some oats are labeled as gluten free but there are no gluten free oats. It’s just an advertising gimmick. What might be used instead of oats to make this recipe truly gluten free? There must be something would be just as good!
Thanks,
TED
Hi Ted, I have lots of folks who are truly gluten-free who eat my recipes that include oats/oat flour. I did a little research and it seems as though you are right for folks with celiac, it’s best to avoid oats, but in my experience, those with gluten sensitivities can eat the “gluten-free oats” that haven’t come in contact with wheat/barley on the same processing equipment. Thanks for informing me of this! You should be able to use flaked coconut here for a similar texture to the oats, but without any of the gliadin :)
Because of this comment, I found out that oats are a trigger for me. I was still bad headache symptoms even though I wasn’t eating gluten. I removed the oat milk and granola from my diet and my headaches were gone within 48 hours!! And all my oats and oat products are strictly gluten free. It just depends on the person, some people can still tolerate oats and some people can not unfortunately. :( IT’s so sad because I love oat milk
Going to try this recipe with the coconut and will check back! :)
Yesss I hope you love it!
Hi Ami, so glad this helped you figure it out!! My sister is also super sensitive to oats, but my dad and I aren’t (all of us are gluten-free) so definitely depends on the person, but I’m SO glad this helped you figure it out and that you’re feeling better!!! I do have some paleo granola recipes that may help with the loss :) but oat milk is definitely a sad one!
They were soo good! We ate half the pan. (also Used PB cause it’s all we had enough of- so good!) Bakerita does it again!! We will definitely be making these again!!
Woohoo, so glad you loved them Jill!!! :D
Can I give this recipe more than five stars? These are the BEST bars I’ve ever made and my family keeps requesting more! I’ve made three batches in the last few days and they get devoured immediately! I highly recommend making these. You won’t regret it!
Can I give this recipe more than five stars? These are the BEST bars I’ve ever made and my family keeps requesting more! I’ve made three batches in the last few days and they get devoured immediately! I highly recommend making these. You won’t regret it!
So glad you’re loving them Carol!!
These were next level amazing! I ran out of almond flour so used like 1/3 almond and the rest bob’s 1:1 gf flour and they were still very good!
Thanks for the feedback, Krissy! So glad you enjoyed them.
Best GF blondie bar recipe. Had to try it when I saw the post. The recipe was easy to follow and the bars were moist, tasty and can’t just have one. Made second batch with 2 extra tablespoons of oatmeal for more fiber. The texture was just as moist.
Great for back to school snack!
So thrilled you’re loving them, Maria! Thanks for the feedback :D
These were so good! I may add a little flaky salt on top next time. Thanks for another great recipe!
So glad you’re loving them, Cathy. Flaky salt is always a good idea!