Chocolate Oat Bars are made with oats, coconut and warming chai spices, and with a rich and fudgy chocolate filling, they’re simply irresistible. They’re also gluten-free and vegan, and perfect for all the Christmas cookie lovers in your life!
*This post was originally published in December 2017 and has been updated to include adjustments to the recipe to make it vegan, as well as new text and photos.
Happy December! Are you in the mood for some holiday baking?
While I’ve been in full Christmas mode for about a month now, the baking season really kicks off for me in December. I love having a stash of cookies on hand for gifting and impromptu gatherings. And these chocolate crumble bars are always on my baking list. They’re a favourite around here!
I’m also a huge fan of chai spiced desserts, so if you are too, be sure to check out this Vegan Chai Cake with Orange Cardamom Frosting. It’s a delicious snack cake and one of the easiest desserts you’ll make this season.
Why you’ll love these vegan chocolate oat bars
- There’s no special equipment required. Just a few bowls and some utensils.
- They’re hearty and wholesome. With all the oats in this recipe, you can almost get away with eating them for breakfast.
- They freeze well, so you can make them now, store in the freezer and pop them out for the holidays.
- They’re fairly sturdy and don’t require refrigeration, so they’re great for holiday cookie exchanges.
Ingredients for these healthy chocolate oatmeal bars
- Steel cut oats
- Rolled oats
- Coconut
- Coconut sugar
- Chai spice (see recipe notes)
- Salt
- Almond butter
- Maple syrup
- Vegan chocolate chips
- Coconut oil
How to make chocolate oat bars
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine your oats, coconut, sugar, chai spice and salt and stir until combined. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, stir together the almond butter and maple syrup. Your almond butter should be softened to room temperature. If it’s too hard to mix with the maple syrup, just warm it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. You may need to get your hands in there to ensure the dry ingredients are well incorporated.
- Add just over half of the oat mixture to a 9-inch pan lined with parchment paper, and press down to form a firm bottom layer for the bars.
- In a small microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and almond butter and microwave in 30 second intervals until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir the chocolate in between intervals. This will take about 2-3 intervals.
- Pour the chocolate over the oat layer and spread until evenly distributed. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate and press down lightly. Don’t worry if the oat mixture doesn’t completely cover the top.
- Bake on 350F for 20-22 minutes, or until the top starts to brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars. You can also drizzle some extra chocolate over the bars if you’re feeling fancy!
Frequently asked questions:
- How do you store these oat bars? Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 2-3 days. If your environment is warm, you can store them in the refrigerator, and just leave them at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
- Can you freeze these bars? Yes, once cooled and cut into bars, just place them in an airtight container, either in a single layer or in between sheets of wax paper. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To defrost, just leave them at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.
- Can you use honey in place of maple syrup? Absolutely. Honey works in these bars in place of maple syrup. Just keep in mind that the bars will no longer be vegan.
- Can you use other nut butters in place of almond butter? Yes. If you don’t have almond butter, you can use another type of nut or seed butter. Just make sure they are natural. And note that other butters will change the taste of the bars slightly.
- What’s a good substitute for coconut sugar in these bars? If you don’t have coconut sugar, you can use brown sugar as a replacement.
Additional recipe tips and substitutions
- I like to use some steel cut oats in this recipe for their nutty texture, but if you don’t have any, just use all rolled oats.
- If you’d like to make these bars nut-free, try substituting the almond butter for sunflower seed butter.
- Whatever nut or seed butter you use, make sure it’s natural and brought to room temperature. This will allow it to easily mix together with the maple syrup. If it’s still not soft enough after sitting at room temperature, just warm it in the microwave for a few seconds.
- To keep this recipe gluten-free, make sure your oats and spices are certified gluten-free.
- To keep this recipe vegan, make sure you’re using vegan chocolate.
- I made these bars in a 9-inch square pan, but if you want a thicker bar, you can use an 8-inch square pan.
Other Christmas cookies you might enjoy
- Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are soft and chewy with dark chocolate chunks, peppermint and crushed candy canes. They’re also grain-free and dairy-free.
- Cookie Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft-batch cookies with chewy edges and hints of cinnamon and ginger. They’re made with biscoff cookie spread, toasted coconut and dark chocolate chips.
- Cranberry Pistachio Cookies are ultra chocolatey and packed with dried cranberries and pistachios.
- Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies are gluten-free and dairy-free with a chewy texture and a tart cranberry orange filling.
If you make these chocolate oat bars, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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Chocolate Oat Bars (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Chocolate Oat Bars are made with oats, coconut and warming chai spices, and with a rich and fudgy chocolate filling, they’re simply irresistible. They’re also gluten-free and vegan, and perfect for all the Christmas cookie lovers in your life!
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten-free steel cut oats
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 cup coconut, shredded and unsweetened
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons chai spice (see notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup almond butter, natural and unsalted, room temperature
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 1/2 cups vegan dark chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons almond butter, natural and unsalted
- Optional chocolate topping:
- 1/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 tablespoon virgin, cold-pressed coconut oil
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F and line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the oats, coconut, sugar, chai spice and salt and stir until combined. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, stir together the almond butter and maple syrup until smooth. (If your almond butter is hard, you can warm it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds).
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. You may need to use your hands to ensure the dry ingredients are well incorporated.
- Add just over half of the oat mixture to the prepared pan, and press firmly into the pan to form the bottom layer of the bars.
- In a small microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and almond butter and microwave in 30 second intervals until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir the chocolate in between each interval. This may take 2-3 intervals.
- Spread the chocolate out over the oat layer. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate and press down lightly. Don’t worry if the topping doesn’t completely cover the chocolate.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the top starts to brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool in pan.
- For the optional chocolate topping, add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a small microwave safe bowl and heat for two 30 second intervals, stirring in between intervals. Stir until chocolate is smooth. Drizzle over bars.
- Once fully cooled and chocolate is set, cut into bars and store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the refrigerator for 6-7 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- To make chai spice, I follow this recipe from Fit Foodie Finds.
- I like to use some steel cut oats in this recipe for their nutty texture, but if you don’t have any, just use all rolled oats.
- If you don’t have almond butter, you can substitute another type of nut or seed butter, just make sure it’s natural and brought to room temperature.
- If you don’t have coconut sugar, you can substitute brown sugar.
- If you don’t need these bars to be vegan, you can substitute honey for the maple syrup.
- I made these bars in a 9-inch square pan, but if you want a thicker bar, you can use an 8-inch square pan.
- Be sure to check out the detailed sections above the recipe card for additional advice and suggestions for making this recipe.
These sound great and will be a wonderful healthy snack. I think I made something similar once and the family devoured them. I will have to give these a try as it would be nice to have more healthy homemade snack options.
Thanks Sarah! I hope you get the chance to make them!
These look delicious, and I just want to tuck right in! Chai and chocolate, that is a winner!
Thanks Matt!
Two fo my favorite things are steel cut oats and chai flavors, these bars are definitely calling to me!
Thanks Lauren!
My favorite part about these bars is the texture from the oats and the coconut! It’s wonderful!
They do have a great texture! Thanks Amy!
Yum! I’m not vegan or gluten free but will certainly be trying these, they look delicious.
Yay! Hope you like them!
Yum! I love the combination of chocolate and spice. Can’t wait to try these.
Thanks Kathie!
These look like bars that could be enjoyed year-round, but a great option for the enjoying over the holidays, too! Love the chai flavours with the chocolate 🙂
Definitely great year round! Thanks Jennifer!
These are such beautiful bar cookies Leanne! Love all the spices and that I can get away with eating them for breakfast! 😉
Thanks Tasia! You can totally get away with a few for breakfast! 😉
Your photos are totally mouthwatering, Leanne! I’m seriously excited to try these crumble bars – I love everything about them! Perfect edible gift idea for the holidays too!
Thanks Marissa! Appreciate it. And yes, great for gifting!
I’d love to get ahead on holiday baking and this recipe sounds intriguing with the chai spice! The bars look amazing too – so dramatic:) Pinned.
Thanks Milena! Getting ahead on baking is key!
How delicious are these!? Love the chai spice addition! Great recipe, Leanne! 🙂
Thanks Alexandra!
Sign me up for two batches of these! Chai spices are EVERYTHING! And of course you know how I feel about chocolate. . .These look fantastic, Leanne!
Thanks Kelsie! Wish I could deliver a batch to you!
I have everything on hand to make these bars! They sound delightful and a healthier snack for this indulgent times.
Yay! Hope you get a chance to make them!