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These oatmeal chocolate chip bars are an easy and healthy dessert (or even breakfast!) made from instant oats and whole wheat flour. They are the best snack for busy families and taste like traditional chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.
Oatmeal chocolate chip bars are truly what my dessert-for-breakfast loving self needed and I just never knew it. Thick and chewy, made from good for you ingredients, and can be eaten for dessert or for breakfast? Count me in.
Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies have long been a favorite of mine because I love the chewy addition that the oatmeal adds to any cookie. Also, anything with chocolate chips in it is already five times better than if it were just raisin like the traditional oatmeal cookie.
Plus, making these into bar form is much more fun than cookies! We love a good cookie bar here.
What makes this oatmeal chocolate chip bar recipe special is that they are truly healthy enough to eat for breakfast! You could swap out the chocolate chips for raisins if you want to add some more nutrients, or you could include both!
I love bars to grab and go and have to share my Pumpkin Oat Bars which are great any time of year.
Healthier Desserts
Many of the dessert recipes I make, like these chocolate chip oatmeal bars, can be eaten for breakfast because of the healthier ingredients that are using in place of traditional ingredients. I love to make desserts like these because they don’t leave you with a sugar hangover or with any worry about ‘oh no, what did I just eat that’s making me feel awful?’
I choose to bake with wholesome ingredients that are made from real food and I promise that these baked goods taste just as good as the traditional versions! In my opinion, they taste even better!
Let’s take a look at what ingredients I use for a healthier dessert:
Natural sweeteners: I love to bake with coconut sugar, maple syrup, or honey because they all have a lower glycemic index than white sugar or brown sugar. What this means is that you won’t feel that sugar rush and then crash like you would with typical baked goods.
Alternative flours: Whole wheat flour is a great alternative to white flour, which is what I use in this recipe! I also bake with a lot of almond flour and gluten-free flour blends to ensure those who can’t eat gluten can still have my recipes. Also, almond and coconut flour are a lot more nutrient dense than regular white flour.
Different fats: I love to bake with coconut oil, if you haven’t already noticed! It’s a neutral tasting oil that works great in baking (make sure you buy refined in order to have no coconut flavor!). I also like to bake with grass-fed butter made from real ingredients. Long are the days of baking with canola oil and margarine.
Ingredients in oatmeal chocolate chip bars
The ingredients in this recipe are easy. You can pick them all up in one stop to the grocery store! Here are the main ingredients you need to make chocolate chip oatmeal bars:
- whole wheat flour
- quick cooking oatmeal
- coconut sugar
- coconut oil
- chocolate chips
- egg
How to make oatmeal chocolate chip bars
Best part about these bars? They take less than five minutes to actually prepare.
All you have to do is prepare an 8-inch baking dish with non-stick spray or parchment paper. Then mix together all of your dry ingredients: flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.
You’ll set that aside and then whisk together egg, coconut oil, and coconut sugar. Then add in the vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and add the splash of almond milk and chocolate chips. Stir until completely combined.
Pour into your baking dish and bake! Then let cool before cutting into.
Enjoy!
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment below and let me know how it was! Also tag @erinliveswhole on Instagram and use the hashtag #erinliveswhole so I can see it and feature you!
If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars
These oatmeal chocolate chip bars are an easy and healthy dessert (or even breakfast!) made from instant oats and whole wheat flour. They are the best snack for busy families and taste like traditional oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup coconut oil – melted
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp almond milk (or other if nut free)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Grease 8×8 inch baking pan or a bread loaf pan with cooking spray. Use a bread loaf pan if you want thicker squares.
- In a medium bowl mix together flour, oats, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl beat coconut oil, coconut sugar, egg, and vanilla
- Add dry ingredients into wet and stir in almond milk. Then add in chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared pan; spreading evenly with a rubber spatula.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes ( or 14-16 minutes for bread pan) Let cool on a wire rack then cut into squares.
- Store on counter for up to 5 days or freezer for longer.
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Erin says
Another winner. I halved the sugar for this recipe and they are still delicious. I also used rolled oats instead and they worked great. My only complaint is that my bake time was maybe 5 mins longer than the recipe called for but regardless these are SO tasty! And the batter is heavenly
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Erin, so glad you loved them and made them your own!!
Brenda Arellano says
@erinliveswhole delicious. I added chopped walnuts. Not to sweet very good
★★★★
Erin says
Hi Brenda, so happy you loved them and made them your own!
catherine says
hi! loved this recipe especially for breakfast! i swapped out the coconut sugar for maple syrup (i didn’t have coconut sugar) and just reduced the oil to 1/4 cup and it worked out great! thanks!
Erin says
Hi Catherine, so happy you loved the bars and made them your own!
Summer says
Great quick dessert for when the craving hits! I used oat flour instead of whole wheat (1:1 sub) and it turned out great.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Summer, so glad you loved the bars and made them your own!
BARBARA REYNOLDS says
I made the oatmeal chocolate chip bars substituted almond flour, used coconut sugar and coconut oil, added the chips and some walnuts…Delish!
Erin says
Hi Barbara, so glad you loved them and made them your own!!
Merry says
We make these probably twice weekly in my house. They are amazing. Def love to toss some extra salt on right after they come out of the oven! Have even made them plenty of times with GF flour (and add an extra tablespoon of liquid if I do) and they are still amazing!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Merry, so happy you love them and great ideas!!
Bri says
Absolutely perfect 🤩 One of my fav go to recipes when I have a sweet tooth!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Bri, so glad you love them!!
Cynthia Holcomb says
Made these today, they were awesome! Just what I was looking for! Thank you!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Cynthia, so happy to hear that!
Avery says
These were so delicious! The flavor is fantastic and mouthwatering. Definitely a great treat!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Avery, I am so glad you liked the bars!
Andi says
These are AMAZING! The perfect snack to have around during quarantine, they do not last long bc they’re so delicious but so easy to make it doesn’t matter! I subbed 1 cup of all purpose flower for the 3/4 cup whole wheat flour because of dietary restrictions in my fam and subbed old fashioned oats for the quick oats and they still came out so good!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Andi, I am so happy you enjoyed them and made them your own!
Ava says
These are so so good, I love to unerbake them just a little bit to make them just a little bit fudgier!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Ava, so glad you love them!
anna says
DELICIOUS! family finished them all within minutes 🙂
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Anna, I am so glad your family loved them!
Willow says
Seriously these are amazing. They taste sooo decadent, but no stomachache afterwards! I bake them for 20 minutes because I don’t like anything gooey or under-baked. They taste like a rich chocolate chip cookie, I’m obsessed!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Willow, I am thrilled you love them! Thanks for sharing!
Marie says
I’ve made these a million times and I always have to force myself not to eat the whole tray! Very similar to the Bobo’s bars, but yummier and obviously way less processed. 10/10 would recommend!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Marie, thank you for sharing! I am so happy you love them!
Ana says
LOVED THEM! So yummy!!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Ana, I am so glad you liked them!
Rachel says
These are simple but so good! My husband, who doesn’t even like oatmeal desserts, declared these one of his favorite desserts I’ve ever made! They’re now a go-to recipe, and they never last long in our house!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Rachel, I am so happy to hear that!! So glad you both enjoy the bars!
Madiha Tosif Ahmad says
I just put these in the oven. I replaced whole wheat flour for almond flour, rolled oats for quick oats, cane sugar for coconut sugar and only 1/4 cup, 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup applesauce, and 2 tbsp rice milk. And I added some pecans! Lets see how it turns out LOL.
Erin says
Hi Madiha, thank you so much for making the bars. How did they come out?
Alison Coen says
I also used almond flour and rolled oats as that is what I had on hand. I had to cook them about twice as long and while they are delicious, they are very crumbly and don’t look at all like the pictures you posted. Definitely not “bars” of an sort…more like a crumbly brownie. I’m guessing it needs the whole wheat flour to keep it together better? Not sure. I will try it again with the ingredients you used and see if that helps. And the dark chocolate chips taste great!
★★★★
Erin says
Hi Alison, hmm I haven’t tried the recipe with those flours so I am not sure. Oat flour is more dry, so maybe if you want to try it again, add more liquid or try them with whole wheat flour to compare.
Chloe says
LOVED these cookie bars! I used oat milk instead since I had it on hand and they turned out perfect. So simple to make, and I’m so happy I found a recipe that lets me satisfy my sweet tooth while still being somewhat healthy! I’ll definitely make these again!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Chloe, I am so happy you love the bars and made them your own! 🙂