Description

These Healthy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars are a delicious and nutritious snack or dessert option, packed with wholesome ingredients like rolled oats and almond flour. Sweetened naturally with maple syrup or honey and enriched with coconut oil, they offer a perfect balance of flavor and texture. Featuring mini dark chocolate chips and optional nuts or seeds, these bars are both satisfying and versatile, ideal for a gluten-free, refined sugar-free treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup almond flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Wet Ingredients

⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
⅓ cup maple syrup or honey
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add-ins

½ cup mini dark chocolate chips
Optional: ¼ cup chopped nuts or seeds

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Instructions

Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper to ensure easy removal of the bars once baked.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir these dry ingredients together until evenly mixed.
Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, maple syrup or honey, egg, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.
Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir thoroughly until the mixture is well combined and cohesive.
Add Chocolate Chips and Nuts: Gently fold in the mini dark chocolate chips along with the optional chopped nuts or seeds, distributing them evenly throughout the batter.
Press into Pan: Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Using your hands or a spatula, press the batter down firmly and evenly to create an even thickness layer.
Bake the Bars: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The bars are done when the edges turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs.
Cool and Slice: Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. This step helps the bars to firm up and makes slicing easier. Once cooled, cut into 12 bars and serve.

Notes

For a vegan alternative, replace the egg with a flax egg and use dairy-free chocolate chips.
Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, keep the bars refrigerated for up to one week.