We adore these No-Bake Chocolate Oat Bars. Made with just a few pantry staples, they come together in 10 minutes and are the perfect treat to keep in your freezer.
*This post is sponsored by SunButter, a sunflower seed spread perfect for allergy-safe baking and cooking! Thanks for supporting the brands that keep Sunkissed Kitchen running.
Contents
The Perfect No-Bake Oatmeal Bars
No bake cookies have a special place in my heart. Combine a few ingredients, allow the cookies to set, and enjoy! Simple and pretty difficult to mess up.
When I was a kid, my mom made the classic chocolate no-bake drop cookies. A few years ago, I made a healthier version of those Chocolate No Bake Cookies. They were so good, I followed that recipe up with a Salted Caramel No Bake Cookies recipe. Both awesome recipes to also try!
This version keeps the chocolate and oatmeal separate, making a delicious layered bar cookie that’s simple to make and gorgeous to look at!
I make them with gluten-free oats, SunButter sunflower seed butter, maple syrup, and dark chocolate. They might look like a complex recipe, but I promise you, this sweet treat is a quick process.
SunButter is such a delicious addition to so many recipes. I use it in my favorite Vegan Oatmeal Cookies and these Raspberry Bars.
It’s nut free (sunflower seeds!) so safe to pack in school lunches and for people who suffer from nut or peanut allergies.
See where SunButter is sold near you and keep a jar on hand to swap in recipes that call for nut butter!
What You’ll Need
- SunButter No Sugar Added
- Pure Maple Syrup (date syrup and honey also work!)
- Coconut Oil
- Oats (I use certified glyphosate free and gluten-free sprouted rolled oats. If you have quick oats on hand, they also will work.)
- Sea Salt
- Dark Chocolate Chips (or a dark chocolate bar – it will be melted!)
- Mini Chocolate Chips (or cacao nibs, optional, to decorate tops)
- Flaky Sea Salt (optional, to give them a fun salted chocolate flavor!)
Kitchen Tools
How to Make No-Bake Chocolate Oat Bars
Step 1: Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl, add the maple syrup, 1/2 cup of the SunButter, 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, and sea salt. Mix together well.
Step 3: Add the oats, and stir until they are evenly coated.
Step 4: Reserve 2-3 tablespoons of the oat mixture (save for topping the bars). Press the remaining oat mixture into the pan. Use wet hands to press it into the pan. A wet pastry roller also helps pack down the oat layer evenly. Set aside while making the chocolate fudge layer.
Step 5: Combine 1/4 cup of SunButter with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Stir well.
Step 6: Use a double boiler (or a glass bowl over a pan with water) heated to a low boil. Melt chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons of the SunButter and coconut oil mixture, stirring over low heat until smooth. Reserve 2 tablespoons to swirl on the top.
Step 7: Pour chocolate mixture on the oatmeal layer. Drizzle the remaining SunButter and coconut oil mixture over the top of the melted chocolate. Use the edge of a knife to run back and forth through the chocolate to swirl the SunButter.
Step 8: Carefully break apart the leftover oat mixture to sprinkle across the top of the bars. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips (or cacao nibs) over the top of the chocolate layer if desired. Add a sprinkling of flaky salt if using (highly recommended!).
Step 9: Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate the bars for 1 hour (or overnight). Pull the bars with the parchment paper out of the pan and place it on a cutting board. With a very sharp knife, cut into 16 bars.
How to Store Leftover No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
Once the bars have been sliced, place them in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. The chocolate oatmeal cookies are awesome served right out of the freezer!
The bars will not keep well at room temperature. The coconut oil will soften and the bars will become crumbly.
Variations & Tips
Other Nut Butters: Using SunButter keeps these bars nut-free. If you don’t have SunButter, another kind of nut butter can be subbed. Options are natural peanut butter, almond butter, and cashew butter. Also try making Sunflower Seed Butter at home!
Type of Chocolate: Use semi-sweet chocolate chips if you have those on hand (they will be sweeter and higher in sugar) or even white chocolate! The white chocolate will gives these bars a salted caramel flavor to lean in to.
Other No Bake Treats Recipes
- Healthy Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
- Salted Caramel No-Bake Cookies
- German Chocolate No Bake Cookies
- Almond Joy No Bake Cookies
- No Bake Lemon Bars
- Strawberry Rice Crispy Treats
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No-Bake Chocolate Oat Bars
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup SunButter No Sugar Added or other nut butter or choice
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups oats
Chocolate Fudge Layer
- 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate bars
- 1/4 cup SunButter No Sugar Added
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted
- 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips or cacao nibs, to sprinkle on top
- flaky salt to spinkle on top, optional
Instructions
- Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the maple syrup, 1/3 cup SunButter, 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, and sea salt. Mix together well.
- Add the oats, and stir until they are evenly coated.
- Reserve 2-3 tablespoons of the oat mixture (save for topping the bars). Press the remaining oat mixture into the pan. Use wet hands to press it into the pan. A wet pastry roller also helps pack it down into an even layer. Set aside while making the chocolate layer.
- Combine 1/4 cup of SunButter with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Stir well.
- Use a double boiler (or a glass bowl over a pan with water) heated to a low boil. Add the dark chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons of the SunButter and coconut oil mixture. Reserve 2 tablespoons to swirl on the top.
- Pour the melted chocolate on the oatmeal layer. Drizzle the remaining SunButter and coconut oil mixture over the top of the melted chocolate. Use the edge of a knife to run back and forth through the chocolate to swirl the SunButter.
- Carefully break apart the leftover oat mixture to sprinkle across the top of the chocolate. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips (or cacao nibs) over the top if desired. Add a sprinkling of flaky salt if using (highly recommended!).
- Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate the bars for 1 hour (or overnight). Pull the bars with the parchment paper out of the pan and place it on a cutting board. With a very sharp knife, cut into 16 bars.
The BEST! So simple to make and they are just so pretty.