Jump to Recipe·★★★★★5 from 11 reviews

These no-bake chocolate coconut chia seed bars can be mixed up in a bowl in minutes – no food processor or blender required!

8 slices of chocolate oat bars with chia seeds.
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Recipe Features

  • quick and easy – you’ll need just 5 minutes of prep time, no blending or baking needed!
  • vegan and gluten-free – works for those with dietary restrictions, they can also be made nut-free!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Oats, coconut, chia seeds, peanut butter and cocoa powder in small bowls.
  • oats – I use quick oats because they hold together better, you can use rolled oats if that’s all you have
  • coconut – use unsweetened fine or medium shredded coconut, may be labeled desiccated coconut, you can use sweetened if you want just note it has added sugar
  • cocoa powder – regular cocoa powder works great but for extra nutrition, you can use cacao powder
  • chia seeds – use whole chia seeds
  • peanut butter – use natural peanut butter (no added sugar or oil)
  • coconut oil – this binds the recipe so can not be substituted
  • maple syrup – sweetens the recipe, can be subbed with agave

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1. Mix the dry ingredients up in a bowl. This includes the coconut, oats, cocoa powder, chia seeds and optional sea salt.

Cocoa powder, coconut, chia seed and oats in a mixing bowl.

Step 2. Melt the coconut oil then mix it together with the peanut butter and maple syrup until smooth and creamy.

Creamy peanut butter in a bowl with a spoon.

Step 3. Add the peanut butter mixture to the bowl with the oats and stir well to combine into a uniform mixture.

A crumbly chocolate oat mixture in a glass mixing bowl.

Step 4. Firmly press the dough into a 7-8 inch square baking dish.

A crumbly chocolate oat mixture in a square baking dish.
A baking dish of chocolate oat bars.

Place in the freezer for 30-minutes to firm, then lift out of the pan and slice into bars.

Chocolate oat bars cut into 8 pieces.

Recipe Tips and Notes

  • These bars need to be kept in the freezer or fridge to hold together properly.
  • The salt is optional but recommend. The sweetness from the maple syrup combined with the sea salt is delicious!
  • Peanut butter can be substituted with almond butter or for nut-free bars, tahini or sunflower seed butter.

How to Store

  • Freezer: Store in a sealed container or freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. Can be enjoyed directly from the freezer.
A stack of 3 chocolate chia energy bars with oats.

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A stack of 3 chocolate chia energy bars with oats.

Chocolate Coconut Chia Seed Bars

★★★★★ 5 from 11 reviews
  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 10 bars
  • Category: Snack
  • Method: No-Bake
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

These chocolate chia bars are super easy to make, you only need a few ingredients and there is no baking or blending required. Stash a batch in the freezer to keep cravings at bay and provide a boost of energy and nutrition whenever you need it.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Stir the peanut butter, coconut oil and maple syrup together in a bowl until smooth, creamy and completely combined. 
  3. Add the wet mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix to combine.
  4. Line a 7-8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper so the ends stick out over the edges of the pan.
  5. Add the mixture and firmly press it down into the pan. Take a few minutes to really press it in, this will help them stick together better.
  6. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to set.
  7. Lift the bars out of the pan and cut into 10 bars. Store in the freezer in a sealed container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.

Notes

These bars need to be kept in the freezer or fridge to hold together properly. FYI, they taste amazing pulled straight from the freezer!

The salt is optional but recommended. I love the sweetness from the maple syrup combined with the sea salt. Tastes amazing!

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bar
  • Calories: 246
  • Sugar: 6 g
  • Sodium: 23 mg
  • Fat: 15 g
  • Carbohydrates: 24 g
  • Fiber: 5 g
  • Protein: 5 g

Keywords: chocolate chia bars, chia energy bars

Did you make this recipe?

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This recipe was originally published May 16, 2015. It was updated July 8, 2020 with new photos and text.