No-Bake Chocolate Fudge Oat Bars

January 25, 2023

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Nobody will consider these no-bake chocolate fudge oat bars didn’t come out of a sweet bar wrapper! Take pleasure in a pleasant mixture of chewy-crispy-crunchy textures and salty-sweet chocolate-peanut butter flavors in each chew. They’re a simple, more healthy deal with recipe (properly, in comparison with chocolate cake!) that you just’ll wish to make time and again.

overhead photo of chocolate fudge peanut-filled oat bars cut into squares..

This recipe has lived on my web site since 2012, and after making the no-bake bars for the a hundredth time, I made a decision they wanted some new pictures, and easier-to-understand directions. Whereas a lot has modified within the final decade, the recipe for these extremely irresistible bars has stood the take a look at of time.

Made out of pantry staples like oats, coconut oil, peanut butter, maple syrup, and chocolate chips, and textured with crisp rice cereal, crunchy nuts, and chewy plump raisins… I swear there have to be some Willy Wonka magic in these bars to show such easy components into one thing that tastes like a sweet bar.

Reader Sandy commented: “These are SO scrumptious!! I get so many requests for the recipe each time I make them. I additionally add a bit of chia seed and any further dried fruit I can discover. ★★★★★”

Reader Lisa commented: “I made these at present and the entire household beloved them. My add-ins had been coconut, pecans, and dried cranberries. My 7-year-old appreciated them a lot, she requested them for her birthday! ★★★★★”

Why You’ll Love These No-Bake Chocolate Fudge Oat Bars

Tastes like a sweet bar—nobody will consider it’s a more healthy deal with
Simple no-bake recipe comes collectively in 10 minutes
Gluten free if utilizing licensed GF oats and rice crisp cereal
Dairy free and vegan if utilizing non-dairy chocolate chips
Select your favourite granola bar add-ins, like nuts and dried fruit
Chewy, crispy, crunchy, tender—it’s texture paradise
Excellent steadiness of salty and candy, and oh-so-chocolatey!

Suppose Chewy Granola Bar Meets Crispy Chocolate Bar…

A mix of coconut oil, chocolate, peanut butter, and maple syrup coats the dry components in what tastes like chocolate fudge. Significantly.

The oats give the fudge-like bars probably the most scrumptious chew, the rice cereal provides the crispy texture of a Nestle Crunch bar, and in the event you embody peanuts, these bars have particular Snickers vibes as properly.

ingredients on counter including oats, maple syrup, peanut butter, coconut oil, chocolate chips, and more.

The recipe is sort of a chocolate model of those peanut butter path combine bars.

Begin With These 6 Substances

Coconut Oil: Melted along with chocolate, coconut oil provides these bars their tender, fudge-like texture. If you’d like an alternative to coconut oil, use butter; you want a fats that’s strong at room temperature, so liquid oils wouldn’t work for this recipe.
Chocolate Chips: We’re utilizing chips for ease right here, however you might additionally use chopped baking chocolate. Usually, if melting chocolate (like when making chocolate ganache or coating Oreo balls), I like to recommend utilizing chopped baking chocolate as an alternative of chocolate chips, however as a result of we’re melting the chocolate with coconut oil, chocolate chips work simply wonderful.
Peanut Butter: Both creamy or crunchy peanut butter work. I normally use natural-style, however processed peanut butter similar to Jif or Skippy works too. You can additionally make these with almond butter, or use sunflower seed butter for a nut-free choice.
Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup sweetens the bars, however they don’t style like maple. You can use honey as an alternative, in the event you desire.
Oats: Old school entire rolled oats give the bars construction with a barely chewy texture.
Crispy Rice Cereal: Rice Krispies (or comparable fashion crisp rice cereal) present probably the most scrumptious crisp in each chew.

Now, Select Your Add-ins

You may select no matter add-ins you want, simply use about 3/4 cup whole (roughly 100–120g). I sometimes embody peanuts and raisins, for that crunchy-chewy texture combo, however be at liberty to make use of no matter mixture of nuts, dried fruit, and/or seeds your interior self wishes (or occur to already be in your pantry). Listed below are some solutions:

Peanuts (salted, unsalted, or honey roasted)
Chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds
Pistachios
Raisins, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, or dried cherries
Currants
Chopped dried apricots or pitted dates
Coconut flakes or shredded coconut (or strive these no-bake coconut granola bars)
Giant seed similar to pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Chopped pretzel items

Or skip the add-ins and add a Tablespoon of a small seed similar to chia seeds or flax seeds. I additionally high the bars with a bit of unsweetened coconut, however that’s elective.

Soften the coconut oil and chocolate chips collectively on the range, after which stir within the peanut butter and maple syrup. Pour this combination over the oats, crispy rice cereal, and add-ins. Stir to mix.

oats in chocolate mixture in glass bowl and shown again mixed together with a red spatula.

red spatula smoothing chocolate oat mixture into parchment paper-lined baking pan.

Press right into a lined 9-inch pan, after which refrigerate for two hours or till set.

The bars ought to be saved within the fridge. Saved at room temperature, they get a bit of tender and melty. Nonetheless scrumptious, however disintegrate simply!

close up photo of chocolate fudge oat bars with raisins and peanuts.

Are These Chocolate Oat Bars Wholesome?

I say this quite a bit with the lightened-up recipes I publish, however “wholesome” is a relative time period. In my eyes, these are a reasonably wholesome chocolate deal with. They’re made with entire meals like pure peanut butter and fiber-filled oats. Nevertheless, they could be too sugary for somebody who wants to observe their sugar consumption.

I’m not sure of the dietary data for these, however be at liberty to calculate it your self utilizing an internet calculator and the precise components/manufacturers you employ.

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