Nobody will imagine 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 chunk. They’re a straightforward, more healthy deal with recipe (properly, in comparison with chocolate cake!) that you just’ll need to make many times.
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 check of time.
Comprised 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 should be some Willy Wonka magic in these bars to show such easy substances 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 just a little chia seed and any additional dried fruit I can discover. ★★★★★”
Reader Lisa commented: “I made these at present and the entire household cherished 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 imagine 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, smooth—it’s texture paradise
- Good stability of salty and candy, and oh-so-chocolatey!
Assume Chewy Granola Bar Meets Crispy Chocolate Bar…
A mixture of coconut oil, chocolate, peanut butter, and maple syrup coats the dry substances in what tastes like chocolate fudge. Severely.
The oats give the fudge-like bars essentially the most scrumptious chew, the rice cereal provides the crispy texture of a Nestle Crunch bar, and for those who embrace peanuts, these bars have particular Snickers vibes as properly.
The recipe is sort of a chocolate model of those peanut butter path combine bars.
Begin With These 6 Elements
- Coconut Oil: Melted along with chocolate, coconut oil offers these bars their smooth, fudge-like texture. If you’d like an alternative choice to coconut oil, use butter; you want a fats that’s stable at room temperature, so liquid oils wouldn’t work for this recipe.
- Chocolate Chips: We’re utilizing chips for ease right here, however you may 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 high-quality.
- Peanut Butter: Both creamy or crunchy peanut butter work. I often use natural-style, however processed peanut butter corresponding to Jif or Skippy works too. You might 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 might use honey as an alternative, for those who choose.
- Oats: Old school complete rolled oats give the bars construction with a barely chewy texture.
- Crispy Rice Cereal: Rice Krispies (or related model crisp rice cereal) present essentially the most scrumptious crisp in each chunk.
Now, Select Your Add-ins
You possibly can select no matter add-ins you want, simply use about 3/4 cup whole (roughly 100–120g). I sometimes embrace 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 internal self wishes (or occur to already be in your pantry). Listed here are some ideas:
- 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
- Massive seed corresponding to pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- Chopped pretzel items
Or skip the add-ins and add a Tablespoon of a small seed corresponding to chia seeds or flax seeds. I additionally high the bars with just a little unsweetened coconut, however that’s non-obligatory.
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.
Press right into a lined 9-inch pan, after which refrigerate for two hours or till set.
The bars must be saved within the fridge. Saved at room temperature, they get just a little smooth and melty. Nonetheless scrumptious, however crumble simply!
Are These Chocolate Oat Bars Wholesome?
I say this so much with the lightened-up recipes I publish, however “wholesome” is a relative time period. In my eyes, these are fairly wholesome granola bars. They’re made with complete meals like pure peanut butter and fiber-filled oats. Nevertheless, they could be too sugary for somebody who wants to look at their sugar consumption.
On the subject of labeling recipes as wholesome, use one of the best judgement for YOU. 🙂
- I’m uncertain of the dietary info for these, however be at liberty to calculate it your self utilizing an internet calculator and the precise substances/manufacturers you employ.
No-Bake Chocolate Fudge Oat Bars
Prep Time: quarter-hour
Prepare dinner Time: 0 minutes
Complete Time: 2 hours, quarter-hour
Yield: 12 squares
Class: Bars
Technique: Baking
Delicacies: American
Description
Take pleasure in a pleasant mixture of chewy-crispy-crunchy textures and salty-sweet chocolate-peanut butter flavors in each chunk of those simple no-bake oat bars. Select your favourite add-in from the ideas within the Word beneath.
Directions
- Line the underside and sides of a 9-inch sq. baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the edges to raise the bars out (makes chopping simpler!). Put aside.
- In a medium pan over medium warmth, soften the coconut oil and chocolate chips collectively, stirring typically. As soon as chocolate chips have melted, stir within the peanut butter and maple syrup till mixed. Take away from warmth.
- Whisk the oats, crispy rice cereal, and add-ins collectively in a medium bowl. Pour the chocolate combination on high, and stir to mix. Combination is moist.
- Switch combination to ready pan. Utilizing the again of a flat spatula, press the combination tightly and firmly down into the pan. Ensure it’s compact, which helps assure the bars will maintain their form. Sprinkle with coconut, if utilizing.
- Refrigerate, uncovered, for at the very least 2 hours and as much as 2 days. If refrigerating for longer than 2 hours, cowl calmly.
- Raise the parchment paper out of the pan and reduce into squares. Cowl and retailer bars within the fridge for as much as 2 weeks.
Notes
- Freezing Directions: Layer the reduce bars between sheets of parchment in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Freeze for as much as 3 months. Thaw within the fridge.
- Gluten Free: Bars are gluten free if utilizing licensed gluten free oats and crispy rice cereal.
- Peanut Butter: Both creamy or crunchy peanut butter works. I often use natural-style, however processed corresponding to Jif or Skippy works too. You might additionally make these with almond butter, or use sunflower seed butter for a nut-free choice.
- Add-ins: You possibly can select no matter add-ins you want, simply use about 3/4 cup whole (roughly 100–120g). I sometimes embrace salted roasted 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 corresponding to salted or unsalted peanuts, chopped pecans, almonds, or walnuts, pistachios, raisins, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, or dried cherries, currants, chopped dried apricots or pitted dates, unsweetened shredded coconut or coconut flakes, giant seeds corresponding to pumpkin seeds (pepitas), or chopped pretzel items. Or skip the add-ins and add a Tablespoon of a small seed corresponding to chia seeds or flax seeds.
Key phrases: chocolate fudge oat bars