These chocolate chip baked oatmeal breakfast squares are like eating a giant chocolate chip oatmeal cookie for breakfast, straight from the oven!
❤ Just 7 ingredients
❤ You can make them the night before
❤ Leftovers freeze really well
❤ Great for a healthy meal or snack on the go
❤ A wholesome & filling breakfast
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Don’t forget the chocolate chips
My favorite chocolate chips, that I use almost exclusively in my own recipes, are Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips.
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ve probably noticed I love to add mini chocolate chips to recipes, both for taste and presentation.
Just look at this gorgeous dark chocolate Brownie Baked Oatmeal!
It’s much easier to spread mini chips out evenly in baked goods so you get chocolate in every single bite, whereas with larger chocolate chips you might get one bite with chocolate and then another with no chocolate at all.
People often write in to ask me how I can eat chocolate chips as a vegan.
The Enjoy Life chips I recommended above actually are vegan, non-GMO, and free from 14 common allergens, including gluten, soy, eggs, dairy, and nuts. (They also come in Semi-Sweet Mega Chunks and Dark Chocolate Morsels.) You can find the brand in many regular grocery stores or online.
Breakfast on the go
Of the thousands of recipes I’ve posted here on the blog, my mom will tell you that these breakfast squares are her all-time favorite.
She calls them “boatmeal” (for baked oatmeal) and will often text me on the weekend that she’s made another batch to take into work every morning during the week.
Because leftovers freeze well, you can easily plan ahead and freeze whatever you aren’t going to eat within 4-5 days, to keep an instant healthy breakfast on hand for rushed mornings or any time you don’t feel like cooking.
Step One: Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Step Two: Spread into a parchment-lined 9×13 pan.
Step Three: Bake at 350 F, then slice into bars or squares, and breakfast is ready for the whole week!
Above – watch the video how to make chocolate chip breakfast squares
Chocolate Chip Breakfast Squares To-Go
Ingredients
- 4 cups rolled oats
- 2 2/3 cup applesauce or mashed banana
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup or more mini chocolate chips – I love Enjoy Life Mini Chips
- 1/4 cup oil, nut butter, or additional water
- pinch stevia or 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave
- only if using stevia, 1/2 cup additional water
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment. In a large bowl, stir all ingredients until well-mixed. Smooth into the pan. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top if desired. Bake on the center rack 28 minutes, then do not open the oven door but turn off the heat and let sit in the closed oven an additional 20 minutes. Slice into bars or squares. Leftovers can be refrigerated 3-4 days, or freeze the bars to have on hand any time you need an instant healthy breakfast you can take on the go!View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
**Giant Chocolate Giveaway**
I’ve teamed up with Enjoy Life Foods to offer a very lucky reader an entire year’s supply of their vegan baking chocolate.
To Enter: Just leave a comment on this post sharing about how you’d use the chocolate chips – in cookies, brownies, muffins, bars, eaten straight out of the bag…
Sadly, I’ve been told that I cannot enter my own giveaway, or I would be all over this!
More Healthy Recipes With Chocolate Chips:
My nephew has severe allergies to dairy and nuts, so these chocolate chips have been our go to for making him home baked treats. We use them in everything! I just recently moved to the Netherlands and have to fill my suitcase with these on our return trips back home to the states.
I’m going to make the breakfast bars tomorrow and I would love the free chocolate to make more of these recipes
This may sound like a stupid question, but can you put the pinch of stevia into a measurement? About how much would you use? Thank you!
Not a stupid question! It just depends on the brand as well as the type of stevia being used and if it’s pure or if it’s cut with other ingredients. Just use the amount your package says is equivalent to the amount of sugar called for in a recipe. https://lett-trim.today/stevia-conversion-chart/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
What can’t you make with chocolate!! I’d use them for the usual stuff like brownies, cookies, cakes, breads like banana or zucchini (got to get some veggies in there), frostings, ganache, making my own chocolate-almond candy, I’d use it for meals like overnight oats, porridge, chocolate hummus, and mole (normally a sauce for chicken but I’d use it for beans). I’d probably use it regularly for hot chocolate, sweet potato brownies, chocolate nice cream, and eating it straight out of the bag. What can I say–it makes me happy. Even if this contest is over, I’m glad to express my feeling about wonderful chocolate that’s vegan friendly!
Liz
Hi – I was so excited to try these but they came out with a really gummy texture. I used mostly applesauce and about 1/2 cup of banana (based on what I had). Everything else was the same. Is this how they were supposed to turn out? I expected either cake like or chewy (like a soft granola bar). Would love your thoughts on how to fix! I really want to like these as a healthy go-to breakfast for the family.
Can I use quick steel cut oats in the place of rolled oats in the bars?
We have not tried, but be sure to report back if you experiment!
Jason (media relations)
Hi I’m one that likes to freeze smoothies and iced coffees and I think some chocolate chips whipped up in them would be pretty interesting .
I made the Chocolate Chip Breakfast Squares To-Go and they were very sweet, especially for breakfast. They also were spongy. Your look like more like cake, I followed your recipe to a T. I used all organic food. Did I do something wrong or is that how they are supposed to be, spongy and not cake-ish?
Hi, can you reply back with what specific ingredients you used? 🙂
I have a powerball recipe that is in need of tiny chocolate chips. Theses would be perfect!
What is the ending consistency of the bars? I’m interested in making these, but I can’t tell if I’ll be a fan of the consistency, are they wet, drier and chewy?
Super soft, like a chewy granola bar combined with a muffin, if that makes sense!