Vegan No-Bake Oatmeal Chocolate Bars
on Dec 18, 2022, Updated Aug 14, 2024
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These vegan no-bake oatmeal chocolate bars are easy to make with just 7 simple ingredients.
These bars are somewhat of a copycat version of the oat fudge bar from Starbucks. The texture is a little different since they’re no-bake but they still have a creamy chocolate fudge layer between a chewy brown sugar oatmeal crust and oatmeal topping.
These are the perfect easy and delicious no-bake dessert. They’re made with just a few simple ingredients, and they’re so good that you’ll want to make them again and again.
If you’re looking for something sweet and satisfying that requires minimal effort to prepare, you’ll love these yummy homemade bars.
For more holiday recipes, don’t miss 7 layer bars, pecan snowball cookies, chocolate snowballs cookies, thumbprints, Nanaimo bars and lemon shortbread cookies.
Recipe Highlights
- Vegan and gluten-free.
- No baking required.
- Easy to prepare.
- Just 7 ingredients.
Ingredients
- Butter: Use a plant-based butter such as Country Crock, Miyoko’s, Earth Balance or Melt Organic. I like the butter sticks for dessert recipes.
- Brown Sugar: The recipe calls for dark brown sugar but light brown sugar or coconut sugar can be used as well.
- Vanilla: Any pure vanilla extract or artificial extract works.
- Oats: Quick oats have a finer consistency than rolled oats so help everything hold together better but you can use rolled oats if that’s what you have available.
- Walnuts: The nuts are optional but add a nice crunch and texture to the oat layer. You can substitute chopped pecans or slivered almonds.
- Chocolate: Use dark chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips. I preferred semi-sweet chocolate chips here for a bit more sweetness.
- Peanut Butter: Use natural peanut butter or substitute any other nut or seed butter.
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
Variations and Additions
- Add up to 1 cup shredded coconut to the oat mixture.
- Add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to the oat layer.
- Use almond or cashew butter for peanut-free bars.
- Use sunflower seed butter or tahini for nut-free bars.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix butter and sugar.
In a medium pot over medium heat, melt the vegan butter. Once it’s melted, whisk in the brown sugar and salt until well-combined.
Step 2: Add vanilla, oats and walnuts.
Turn the heat down to low and stir in the vanilla, oats and walnuts. Mix it all up until evenly combined. Remove the pot from the heat.
Step 3: Form the bottom layer.
Press half (about 1.5-1.75 cups) of the oat mixture into the bottom other prepared pan using a spatula until you have a firm even layer.
Reserve the remaining oat mixture for adding on top after the fudge layer.
Step 4: Melt the chocolate and peanut butter.
Add the chocolate chips and peanut butter to a microwave safe bowl.
Microwave for 30-seconds then stir. That may be enough to melt in the remaining pieces of chocolate. If it needs more time, continue in 15-second increments, stirring between each, until fully melted.
Step 5: Layer the bars.
Add the chocolate and smooth into an even layer then and sprinkle with the remaining oat mixture, gently pressing it down just slightly. Chill the bars for at least an hour until the chocolate fudge is set.
Step 6: Slice and enjoy!
Once the chocolate fudge layer is firm, lift the bars out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper. Slice the bars into 16 squares and enjoy!
FAQs
Yes! This recipe is gluten-free as written just be sure to use gluten-free certified oats if needed.
The recipe calls for quick oats but you can use rolled oats if that’s what you have available.
Quick oats have a finer texture so work well in this recipe.
Yes. To make these nut-free, omit the walnuts and substitute sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter.
For a peanut-free recipe, you can use almond butter or cashew butter instead of peanut butter.
Expert Tips
- Weigh your ingredients. I always recommend using a digital scale to measure your ingredients. This will ensure accuracy and recipe success!
- Line the pan. Line the pan with parchment paper so it sticks out over at least 2 of the edges. This will make it easy to lift the bars out of the pan to slice them.
- Chill before slicing. It’s important to chill the bars in the fridge until completely firmed. I’d suggest at least 1 hour of chill time, if not more. You can pop them in the freezer to speed it up if you like!
Storing Instructions
- These bars need to be kept chilled. They’re ok at room temperature for some time but will get soft if it’s warm.
- Fridge: Store in a sealed container for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Recommended to store in freezer. Store in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to comment section below to leave your star rating and review.
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Vegan No-Bake Oatmeal Chocolate Bars
Ingredients
For the Oat Layer
- ½ cup vegan butter, 112 g
- ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar, 50 g
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups quick oats, 188 g
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, 60 g
For the Fudge Layer
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 120 g
- ¼ cup creamy natural peanut butter, 62 g
Instructions
- Prepare Pan: Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper so it sticks out over at least 2 of the edges. Set aside.
- Melt Butter and Sugar: In a large pot over medium heat, melt the vegan butter. Then, whisk in the brown sugar and salt until well combined.
- Add Oats: Turn the heat to low and add in the vanilla extract, quick oats, and chopped walnuts. Mix until evenly combined. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Form Oat Crust: Press half of the oat mix (about a heaping 1 ½ cups) into the bottom of the 8×8 inch pan using a spatula or your fingers until you have firm, even layer.
- Melt Chocolate: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter in the microwave in 30-second increments until the mixture is uniform.
- Layer Bars: Pour the fudge mix over the oat layer and smooth into an even layer and then sprinkle the remaining oat mix evenly over the top, gently pressing it down a little.
- Chill Bars: Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before lifting out of the pan and cutting in 16 bars. Serve right away or store in the fridge or freezer.
Thank you so much for your suggestions. You were so right- the temperature of the fats was apparently too hot so this time I melted them together, cooled them a bit just until slightly warm/room temp, then whisked the coconut sugar into the mix. They look perfect and are setting up right now. Can’t wait to devour some once they do (and steal another one as a midnight snack of course)!
Glad to hear it. Thanks for the feedback on the recipe. Let me know they turn out!
I’m obsessed with these but wanted to do half ghee/ half coconut oil- my coconut sugar keeps separating from the fats once heated and will not whisk uniformly, producing brown bits throughout the oat mixture once combined. Any suggestions? I’m trying again tomorrow!
Hmm! I haven’t had that happen. All I can think of is the butter being heated or cooled too quickly, getting too hot or over-mixing, which could cause separation. Maybe try heating the fats over low heat, then mixing in the remaining oat ingredients off the heat or even just mixing the oat layer ingredients in a bowl first, then pouring the melted fats in and mixing. Let me know if what happens!
Made these today, so quick and easy to make and absolutely delicious 😋
Thanks, Nicky! So glad you liked them! Thanks for the review 🙂
Super tasty bars. I didn’t have quick oats so I used regular ones instead.. I suspect with the quick oats like the recipe suggests the base stays together and forms a bit better layer. Will follow this next time! I also used crunchy PB which I highly recommend. very yummy and so simple to make.
Hi! Thanks for the recipe, glad you liked them! Yes, that’s why quick oats are used, let me know if you try them again.