No-Bake Oatmeal Chocolate Bars – Running on Real Food

These no-bake oatmeal chocolate bars are simple to make with simply 7 easy components.

A stack of 3 Starbucks-copycat oat fudge bars with layers of chocolate fudge between layers of oat crust and crumble.

About this Recipe

These oatmeal chocolate bars are the proper simple and scrumptious no-bake dessert. They’re made with just some easy components, and so they’re so good that you simply’ll wish to make them many times.

These bars are considerably of a copycat model of the oat fudge bar from Starbucks. The feel is a little bit completely different since they’re no-bake however they nonetheless have a creamy chocolate fudge layer between a chewy brown sugar oatmeal crust and oatmeal topping.

For those who’re on the lookout for one thing candy and satisfying that requires minimal effort to organize, you’ll love these yummy selfmade bars.

For extra vacation recipes, don’t miss pecan snowball cookies, chocolate snowballs cookies, thumbprints, Nanaimo bars and lemon shortbread cookies.

Highlights

Vegan and gluten-free.
No baking required.
Straightforward to organize.
Simply 7 components.

Components Wanted

All the ingredients needed for making oatmeal chocolate bars. Each ingredient is labelled with text.

Butter: Use a plant-based butter resembling Nation Crock, Miyoko’s, Earth Steadiness or Soften Natural. I just like the butter sticks for dessert recipes.
Brown Sugar: The recipe requires darkish brown sugar however gentle brown sugar or coconut sugar can be utilized as properly.
Vanilla: Any pure vanilla extract or synthetic extract works.
Oats: Fast oats have a finer consistency than rolled oats so assist all the pieces maintain collectively higher however you should use rolled oats if that’s what you have got obtainable.
Walnuts: The nuts are elective however add a pleasant crunch and texture to the oat layer. You may substitute chopped pecans or slivered almonds.
Chocolate: Use darkish chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips. I most popular semi-sweet chocolate chips right here for a bit extra sweetness.
Peanut Butter: Use pure peanut butter or substitute some other nut or seed butter.

Step-by-Step Directions

Step 1: Combine butter and sugar.

In a medium pot over medium warmth, soften the vegan butter. As soon as it’s melted, whisk within the brown sugar and salt till well-combined.

Melted butter mixed with brown sugar in a small pot with a wooden spoon resting in the pot.

Step 2: Add vanilla, oats and walnuts.

Flip the warmth right down to low and stir within the vanilla, oats and walnuts. Combine all of it up till evenly mixed. Take away the pot from the warmth.

A crumbly, dough oat mixture in a small pot with a wooden spoon resting in it.

Step 3: Type the underside layer.

Press half (about 1.5-1.75 cups) of the oat combination into the underside different ready pan utilizing a spatula till you have got a agency even layer.

Reserve the remaining oat combination for including on high after the fudge layer.

A layer of oat crust pressed into a square baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Step 4: Soften the chocolate and peanut butter.

Add the chocolate chips and peanut butter to a microwave protected bowl.

Microwave for 30-seconds then stir. Which may be sufficient to soften within the remaining items of chocolate. If it wants extra time, proceed in 15-second increments, stirring between every, till totally melted.

Melted chocolate in a small glass mixing bowl with a small wooden spoon resting in it.

Step 5: Layer the bars.

Add the chocolate and clean into a fair layer then and sprinkle with the remaining oat combination, gently urgent it down simply barely. Chill the bars for at the very least an hour till the chocolate fudge is ready.

A layer of melted chocolate in a square baking pan lined with parchment paper. — Unfold chocolate in even layer.

Overhead view into a pan of oat fudge bars with a crumble oatmeal layer on top. — Unfold chocolate in even layer.

Step 6: Slice and revel in!

As soon as the chocolate fudge layer is agency, raise the bars out of the pan utilizing the sides of the parchment paper. Slice the bars into 16 squares and revel in!

Overhead view of a pan of oatmeal chocolate bars cut into 16 small squares. The bars are sitting on a piece of parchment paper on top of a round cutting board. — After chilling, raise out of pan and slice.

Skilled Ideas

Weigh your components. I at all times advocate utilizing a digital scale to measure your components. This can guarantee accuracy and recipe success!
Line the pan. Line the pan with parchment paper so it stands out over at the very least 2 of the sides. This can make it simple to raise the bars out of the pan to slice them.
Chill earlier than slicing. It’s necessary to sit back the bars within the fridge till utterly firmed. I’d counsel at the very least 1 hour of chill time, if no more. You may pop them within the freezer to hurry it up for those who like!

FAQs

Are oatmeal fudge bars gluten-free?

Sure! This recipe is gluten-free as written simply be sure you use gluten-free licensed oats if wanted.

Can I exploit rolled oats?

The recipe requires fast oats however you should use rolled oats if that’s what you have got obtainable.

Fast oats have a finer texture so work properly on this recipe.

Can I make nut-free oat fudge bars?

Sure. To make these nut-free, omit the walnuts and substitute sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter.

For a peanut-free recipe, you should use almond butter or cashew butter as a substitute of peanut butter.

A stack of 4 oatmeal chocolate bars that look like the oat fudge bar from Starbucks.

Variations and Additions

Add as much as 1 cup shredded coconut to the oat combination.
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.

Close up of an oatmeal chocolate fudge bar with a bite taken out of it so you can see the texture inside the bar. There are more bars in the background.

Storing Directions

These bars have to be saved chilled. They’re okay at room temperature for a while however will get comfortable if it’s heat.
Fridge: Retailer in a sealed container for as much as 1 week.
Freezer: Really useful to retailer in freezer. Retailer in a sealed container for as much as 3 months.

Did you do that recipe?
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’d love to listen to about it! Click here to leave a review and be sure you tag me @runningonrealfood for those who put up it on social media.

Description

A selfmade model of no-bake oat fudge bars made with simply 7 easy components.

For the Oat Layer

For the Fudge Layer

Put together Pan: Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper so it stands out over at the very least 2 of the sides. Put aside.
Soften Butter and Sugar: In a big pot over medium warmth, soften the vegan butter. Then, whisk within the brown sugar and salt till properly mixed.
Add Oats: Flip the warmth to low and add within the vanilla extract, fast oats, and chopped walnuts. Combine till evenly mixed. Flip off the warmth and put aside.
Type Oat Crust: Press half of the oat combine (a couple of heaping 1 ½ cups) into the underside of the 8×8 inch pan utilizing a spatula or your fingers till you have got agency, even layer.
Soften Chocolate: In a microwave-safe bowl, soften the chocolate chips and peanut butter within the microwave in 30-second increments till the combination is uniform.
Layer Bars: Pour the fudge combine over the oat layer and clean into a fair layer after which sprinkle the remaining oat combine evenly excessive, gently urgent it down a little bit.
Chill Bars: Cowl and refrigerate for at the very least an hour earlier than lifting out of the pan and reducing in 16 bars. Serve straight away or retailer within the fridge or freezer.

Notes

Retailer bars within the fridge for as much as 5 days or within the freezer for as much as 3 months.

Gentle brown sugar or coconut sugar may very well be used as a substitute of darkish brown sugar.

Walnuts could be changed with pecans or slivered almonds or omitted.

For the fudge layer, use a peanut butter whose solely components are peanuts and salt. Peanut butter could be substitute with almond or cashew butter for peanut-free bars, or sunflower seed butter or tahini for nut-free bars (omit walunts).