Made with five simple ingredients, these oatmeal chocolate chip bars are ideal as a snack for that mid-afternoon slump!
This recipe was a bit of a fail. I say fail, because these oat bars were meant to be a vegan version of British flapjacks. They were supposed to be soft, gooey, oaty goodness which would melt in the mouth.
But they didn’t turn out like that. For some reason (probably not enough maple syrup and too much coconut sugar) they turned out crumblier and crunchier than expected, with a golden brown top that’s more like a cookie than a flapjack.
Anyone remember Hobnob biscuits in the UK? I’ve pretty much accidentally made them with these bars. Which isn’t really a terrible problem to have, in my opinion! They turned out so well that despite not being what I was aiming for, I thought they deserved a place on the blog anyway. Sometimes the best recipes come from mistakes…..
These chocolate oatmeal bars are crunchy, rich, sweet and delectable, and perfect for an afternoon snack. I’ve added protein powder to mine to make them extra filling, and to help ensure you won’t get a sugar slump after eating!
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bar Recipe Notes
My favourite thing about these oatmeal chocolate chip bars is the fact that they’re so easy to add extra protein to. I’ve used two scoops of Omega Pumpkin Protein here, because I like the texture and the fact that you can’t really taste it, but if you want to try it then feel free to use whichever brand of powder you prefer.
As for chocolate chips, although I love the addition of them they aren’t absolutely essential to the recipe, and if you prefer you can add raisins or nuts instead, or leave the oat bars plain! I personally like using unsweetened chocolate chips as I find these bars have more than enough sweetness in them already.
These homemade oat bars were inspired by this BBC Good Food flapjack recipe.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars (vegan & gluten free)
Ingredients
- 2½ cups gluten free rolled oats (250g)
- ⅔ cup coconut oil (125g)
- ½ cup coconut or date sugar (60g)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ cup chocolate chips (75g)
Optional
- 2 scoops your favourite protein powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C. Grease a deep ovenproof dish or tin (11"x7") with coconut oil.
- Add oats, coconut oil, sugar, maple syrup and protein powder (if using) to a food processor and pulse until mixture is combined and comes away from the side of the jug.
- Add in chocolate chips and pulse briefly to mix in.
- Pour oatmeal mixture into your ovenproof dish, and use the back of a large wooden spoon to press it down.
- Using a flat knife, score the mixture into 12 equal pieces.
- Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until just turning golden.
- Remove from the oven and immediately cut bars into 12 pieces along your scored lines.
- Allow the bars to rest in their dish for 15 minutes in order to firm up (they will be very soft when they come out of the oven).
- Turn onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
These Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars go really well with my DIY Vegan Hot Chocolate or my Golden Turmeric Latte.
If you’ve tried this recipe, please leave a comment or tip for others below. I'd love to know how you’ve made it your own!
