Make these soft, chocolatey, and ultra fudgy NO BAKE chocolate oatmeal fudge bars!
Just one chocolate bite, and people fall instantly in love with the recipe!
When I first posted the bars on Instagram, it quickly received over 10,000 likes and hundreds of comments. I couldn’t reply fast enough.
And the chocolate oatmeal fudge bars have only gotten more popular since!
Also try these Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Above – watch the step by step chocolate oatmeal bar recipe video
Classic chocolate oatmeal fudge bars
Oatmeal fudge bars have been a favorite potluck recipe for generations.
However, just because they contain oatmeal does not make the standard version of these treats a healthy choice.
Many classic oatmeal fudge bar recipes, including copycat recipes you can find online for the famous Starbucks oatmeal fudge bars, contain a shocking amount of butter and sugar even by traditional dessert standards.
Think one and a half cups of butter, two cups of flour, and an entire two cups of sugar, not to mention all the sugar from two cups chocolate chips and a can of sweetened condensed milk.
If any recipe were screaming for a healthy dessert makeover, the traditional chocolate oatmeal fudge bar would be it.
With so many facets of the original oatmeal fudge bar recipe needing an update, I opted to start completely from scratch.
These lightened up oatmeal snack bars can be dairy free, flourless, gluten free, and vegan. And they are just as deliciously chocolatey as the originals.
For a breakfast version, make Baked Oatmeal Bars
Chocolate oat fudge bar ingredients
If you’ve never had an oatmeal fudge bar before, imagine eating a homemade oatmeal cookie sandwich with a layer of smooth chocolate fudge in the middle.
That’s pretty much what this recipe tastes like.
Oh, and I forgot to mention the BEST part.
Instead of using any oil in the recipe, I made the bars even more delicious and healthy by adding peanut butter.
Basically, they contain all my favorite foods in one hand-held dessert.
If you are not a peanut butter addict like I am, you have many alternative options for these bars, including almond butter, cashew butter, Coconut Butter, or even sunbutter.
The recipe works with rolled oats, quick oats, or an oat free alternative like quinoa flakes or spelt flakes. I have not tried substituting steel cut oats.
I like to use dark or semi sweet chocolate chips. Or go for a fun twist by using white chocolate chips or even Peanut Butter Chips.
No chocolate chips on hand? It’s fine to substitute an equal amount of broken up chocolate bars, which is what I used in the photo above.
Chocolate oatmeal fudge bar serving ideas
Serve them for an after school snack or a weekday dessert.
The oatmeal bars are also an incredibly popular game day snack. Set out a tray at your next football playoff or Super Bowl party and watch the entire tray disappear.
Store leftovers in a covered container. They are fine to leave out on the counter for a day or two in a cool, dry place. For optimal freshness, I recommend refrigerating leftover healthy snack bars for up to a week.
Or freeze leftover oatmeal chocolate bars in an airtight covered container, with parchment or wax paper in between each layer of bars, for up to two months.
How to make chocolate oatmeal bars
Line an eight inch square pan with parchment paper or wax paper. Set this pan aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir the liquid sweetener (pure maple syrup, honey, or agave) with the water, vanilla extract, and a third cup of the peanut butter until smooth.
Stir in the rolled oats and the salt. Transfer about two thirds of this mixture to the prepared pan. Place a second sheet of parchment over top to press the oat mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan as hard as you can.
Remove the second sheet of parchment paper.
In a new bowl, very carefully melt the chocolate chips. (If you are unsure how to melt chocolate, see my Chocolate Covered Strawberries post.)
Stir in the remaining half cup of nut butter until smooth. Pour this thick chocolate fudge mixture over the oatmeal crust in the baking pan.
Finally, sprinkle the remaining oat crumbles on top of the chocolate layer, and press down firmly with a fork or spoon.
Refrigerate or freeze the bars until firm enough to cut into squares.
Also make the popular Black Bean Brownies
Chocolate Oatmeal Fudge Bars
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cup quick oats, or here’s a keto version
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup peanut butter or allergy friendly sub
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 – 8 oz chocolate chips or sugar free chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup additional peanut butter or allergy friendly sub
Instructions
- **The bars in the photos were made with the lower amount of chocolate chips, and the bars in the video were made with the higher amount. It's your choice!Line an 8×8 pan with parchment or wax paper, and set aside. Stir together the maple syrup, 1/3 cup peanut butter, water, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the oats and salt. Transfer about 2/3 of the mixture to the pan, and press down very well, using a second sheet of parchment to press it evenly into the bottom of the pan. In a separate bowl, carefully melt the chocolate and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Pour this evenly on top of the crust in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining oat crumbles on top of the chocolate layer, then press down. Refrigerate or freeze until firm enough to cut squares.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
Popular Game Day Recipes
These are absolutely amazing. My non-vegan husband says that they’re one of his new favorite desserts. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! It’s so fun to have a quick, easy, insanely delicious dessert recipe.
Just made these with the homemade chocolate chip recipe here (I cut this recipe in half to equal the amount needed in your recipe): http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-homemade-chocolate-chips-in-detail and it is so yummy! I put peanut butter in the oats and almond butter and it is DELICIOUS. THanks for the recipe!
Is regular old pancake syrup okay to use? Or do you buy pure maple syrup?
Pure maple syrup, honey, or agave.
I have a recipe from your web site and not sure what it is It is made with 3 tbsp splelt flour which I had ordered for the recipie it has mashed banana and a topping of cinnamon brown sugar mashed banana and buttery spread I am not sure what it is and I had bought the flour for this recipie
Coffee cake in a mug?
These look amazing and so easy to make with a toddler keeping me busy.
How long do you think they will last in warm temperatures? We live in Cairo and I wanted to take these to a house we’ve been invited to this Ramadhaan for dinner but do you think they’ll melt quickly?
I think they should be okay as long as you don’t use coconut oil.
These look JUST like the “Grandma’s Mistake” bars my mom made when I was a kid. Can’t wait to try these!
These are chilling in my refrigerator! I grew up on the traditional oatmeal chocolate bar with 2 cups butter and a can of sweetened condensed milk. This is a wonderful find!
Just made these and they are delicious! They have the texture and amazing mouthfeel of something that has a ton of butter. I’m so impressed! Yum!
Oh my Kate, you are brilliant. I haven’t even eaten these yet and I know they will be awesome. Heating peanut butter and chocolate chips ( I use sugar free chips since my boyfriend is diabetic) is yummy in itself. I bet my Dad will love these too and he is a sugar freak. Thanks
I was right, your Oatmeal Fudge Bars were a hit. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Hi! I just entered your recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Fudge Bars into my Weight Watchers App. The Fudge bars calculated out to be 5 FREESTYLE POINTS if you make 24 bars out of an 8×8 pan. :\ Like that’s gonna happen. Not really realistic. RIGHT??? I also input the Secret Vegan Peanut Butter Cookie. If you make 10 cookies. . .using the TRUVIA baking blend instead of the sugar you have. . .it calculates to 4 FREESTYLE POINTS. Hoping you’ll update your calculations??? As a Weight Watcher LIFETIME member 20 lbs under goal for 11+ years. . .I was really hoping to find some tasty treats.
Katie, did you use milk chocolate or semi sweet chips? Also, ha you ever tried to toast the oatmeal in the oven first? Just wondering. Can’t wait to try these!
Toasting the oatmeal sounds like a fantastic idea! I know Katie normally uses these chips (cheapest on iherb) https://www.iherb.com/pr/Enjoy-Life-Foods-Mini-Chips-Semi-Sweet-Chocolate-10-oz-283-g/32772?rcode=KAT9868
Jason (media relations)
Hi there,
I don’t have chocolate chips 🙁 only cocoa powder! Would I be able to utilize that in place of the chips?
You never know unless you experiment but it sounds like a fun experiment. Be sure to report back if you try!
HI. I PLACED ALL INGREDIENTS IN MYFITNESS PAL USING 2/3 CUP CHOCOLATE CHIPS, AGAVE AND PEANUT BUTTER. AT 25 BARS I HAVE A CALORIE COUNT OF 132 PER BAR. PLEASE EXPLAIN HOW YOU GET 96 CALORIES. tHANK YOU.
Hi, it will depend on the brands of things you use. Online calculators are also notoriously off on certain ingredients, so it’s best to always take their numbers as more of a guide. Hope that helps!
I couldn’t wait to make these, even though I didn’t have the exact ingredients. I used old fashioned oats, not quick oats and part honey and agave. They were amazingly amazing. I’m making them again now that I have the correct ingredients. But I can’t imagine how they could get better .
Love this recipe! I made 4 batches so far. Try it with tahini for sesame goodness. I have tried almond butter, peanut butter and tahini. I sprinkled sesame seeds on the sesame ones and peanuts on the peanut ones before I put on the remaining oat mixture.