These homemade chocolate oatmeal bars are thick, chewy, fudgy, and yet 100% refined sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free, and made with just 8 healthy, wholesome ingredients. Perfect for satisfying chocolate cravings as a snack, breakfast, post-workout snack, or healthy dessert!
Healthy Chocolate Oatmeal Bars with Banana
It’s been years since I purchased store-bought granola bars and similar snacks, since they’re often loaded with empty calories and sugar. Instead, I’ve been whipping up batches of my far healthier and still delicious homemade granola, granola bars, no-bake granola bars, and—most recently – even homemade cocoa puffs. However, when I’m in the mood for something a little more decadent, these chocolate oatmeal bars hit the spot!
Looking at them, you’d be mistaken for thinking these are just like many other chocolate oat bars recipes online; made with ingredients like sugar, butter, flour, condensed milk, and lots of chocolate- but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Instead, these bars are naturally sweetened (no sugar crash!), contain no chocolate, and are surprisingly well-balanced as a wholesome treat containing plenty of fiber, healthy fats, and plant-based protein to stay full for hours.
Even better, these oatmeal chocolate bars require just a handful of simple and inexpensive ingredients, just a few minutes of hands-on prep, are child-approved, and are meal-prep and freezer friendly. Ultimately, they make for great, low-fuss sweet, satisfying vegan oatmeal bars along with my fruitier strawberry oatmeal bars and chocolate chip oat bars.
This isn’t the first time I’ve lightened up a chocolate treat, either. You might also enjoy my homemade vegan chocolate mousse, healthy chocolate ice cream, zucchini brownies, or even homemade chocolate!
The Ingredients
You need only 8 simple, inexpensive, wholesome ingredients to prepare these healthy oatmeal bars.
The Oatmeal Dough:
- Oats: You’ll need rolled oats and oat flour (certified gluten-free if necessary) for these vegan oat bars, which will help keep you full for longer. To make your own oat flour, grind the oats in a coffee grinder/high-speed blender.
- Ground nuts/seeds: I often use almond flour, but any finely ground nuts or seeds (sunflower seeds, cashews, hazelnuts, etc.) will work and help to add heart-healthy fats and plant-based protein. Dried, shredded coconut should also work.
- Banana: Mashed bananas are a great binder for vegan oatmeal breakfast bars.
- Maple syrup: Or another unrefined liquid sweetener, like date syrup, agave, or even a sugar-free syrup.
- Sea salt: To balance the sweetness and enhance the various flavors in the banana oat bars.
The Chocolate Layer:
I confess that the fudgy chocolate layer in these chocolate oatmeal bars contains no melted chocolate or refined sugar! Instead, it’s a healthy (and perhaps surprising) combination of:
- Bananas: The secret ingredient behind the fudgy chocolate filling is over-ripe bananas with plenty of black spots for naturally sweet banana oatmeal bars.
- Dates: Soft Medjool dates are best, though any dates will work. Soak them in hot water for 15 minutes first (to help them blend). Other dried fruits, like figs or raisins, will also work (and require soaking).
- Nut/Seed butter: I used peanut butter, but any nut/ seed butter will work. I.e., tahini, cashew butter, hazelnut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.
- Cocoa powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder (the latter contains more antioxidants and nutrients but tastes more bitter).
- Vanilla extract: Use natural vanilla for the best flavor.
- Sea salt: To balance and enhance the flavors.
All the above help to make wonderfully decadent chocolate oatmeal peanut butter banana bars the entire family will love!
Please read the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information.
How to Make Healthy Chocolate Oatmeal Bars?
Follow a handful of steps with minimal hands-on prep (thanks to a food processor) to prepare these chocolate oat bars in no time!
- First, preheat the oven to 355 °F/180 °C and line a 7×7-inch square baking dish (18 cm) or 9×6-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
You could use an 8×8 pan, but the bars will be thinner. For a much larger pan, it’s best to double the recipe.
- Then, process all the dough ingredients in a food processor until dough-like.
- Press ¾ of the dough into the prepared pan, using the bottom of a flat glass to help make a single even layer.
- Then, rinse the food processor and process the chocolate layer ingredients until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the chocolate layer over the oat base, and then crumble and sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown on top, then leave the banana breakfast bars to cool completely (they will firm up/set as they cool). Finally, cut them into bars, and enjoy!
You can optionally drizzle the chocolate oat bars with a simple homemade icing (regular or sugar-free), homemade vegan Nutella, or another nut/seed butter.
Storing Instructions
Store: Store the leftover chocolate oatmeal bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Freeze: Spread the bars across a baking tray, not touching, and freeze until solid. Then transfer to a Ziplock bag (or individually wrap each bar with plastic wrap or parchment paper) and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for an hour or two.
FAQs
Can I substitute the bananas?
I haven’t tried using another ingredient, though another sweet puréed ingredient like sweet potato will likely work best. Unsweetened applesauce may also work, but the texture may be stickier.
Can I use all-purpose flour?
No, as the almond flour adds fats (more mouth-feel/moisture) AND flavor. Regular AP flour would likely be dry and tasteless without further recipe tweaks.
Can I use quick oats?
Yes, I have used quick oats in place of rolled oats and it works fine.
Recipe Notes
- Using larger pans: The bars will be thinner when using a slightly larger pan (i.e., 8×8).
- Cool before slicing: The bars require cooling to fully firm up/set.
- Experiment with add-ins: Add extra texture and flavor with chopped nuts, shredded coconut, cacao nibs, semi-sweet chocolate chips (regular or sugar-free), or dried fruits (like dates/raisins) to the dough or over the top.
More Healthy Vegan Breakfast Recipes
- Raspberry oatmeal crumble bars
- Chocolate granola bars
- Healthy banana bread (sugar-free)
- Breakfast granola cups
- Peanut butter overnight oats
- One pan apple cinnamon baked oatmeal
If you try this healthy chocolate oatmeal bars recipe, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, please don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan and #elavegan—I love seeing them.

Chocolate Oatmeal Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 2/3 cups (150 g) oat flour (gluten-free if needed)
- 1 cup (100 g) oats (gluten-free if needed)
- 1 cup (100 g) almond flour (see notes)
- 2 medium (200 g) bananas (peeled)
- 3 Tbsp (60 g) maple syrup (or any other liquid sweetener)
Chocolate layer:
- 2 medium (200 g) bananas (peeled)
- 200 g (200 g) dates (soaked)
- 1/4 cup (60 g) peanut butter (or any other nut/seed butter of choice)
- 1/2 cup (45 g) cocoa powder
- 1 Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- You can watch the video in the post for visual instructions.
- First, preheat the oven to 355 °F/180 °C and line a 7x7-inch square baking dish (18 cm) or 9x6-inch baking pan with parchment paper.You could use an 8x8 pan, but the bars will be thinner. For a much larger pan, it's best to double the recipe.
- Then, process all the dough ingredients in a food processor until dough-like.
- Press ¾ of the dough into the prepared pan, using the bottom of a flat glass to help make a single even layer.
- Then, rinse the food processor and process the chocolate layer ingredients until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the chocolate layer over the oat base, and then crumble and sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the top.
- Crumble the remaining 1/4 dough on top of the chocolate layer.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown on top, then leave the banana breakfast bars to cool completely (they will firm up/set as they cool). Finally, cut them into bars, and enjoy!
- You can optionally drizzle the chocolate oat bars with a simple homemade icing (regular or sugar-free), homemade vegan Nutella, or another nut/seed butter.
Notes
- You can use any other ground nuts or seeds instead of almond flour. For a nut-free version, use ground shredded unsweetened coconut.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
These were so good! I especially loved the chocolate topping and could eat that by itself! I will definitely be making this again.
Hi Caroline, I am so glad you liked them! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
I don’t do well with nut butters or tahini. Any substitute??🤞
You could experiment with vegan butter, but I never tried that. 🙂
Bliss ???? These are so delicious, easy to make and healthy. ???????????? Thank you Ela. ????
That’s amazing, Rose! I am so glad you like these bars. 🙂
Hi Ela,
I really like this recipe and would like to make it.
I have steel cuts oats at home and I am wondering if I blend them to make flour if it can substitute oat flour?
T
Hi Zdenka, I always grind old-fashioned oats in an electric coffee grinder to make oat flour. I think steel-cut oats should work too. 🙂
Thank you Ela very much!
Hi Ella,
Can I cut down the amount of dates in this recipe? Will it effect the consistency and fall apart?
Thank you.
Sueling
Hi Sueling, I think it would definitely affect the consistency of the bars. You can replace some dates with raisins (same amount in grams). 🙂
Thank you Ela
I have a new silicon bar pan that makes individual bars? Any suggestion on how to adjust baking time?
Hi Patti, it will probably cook faster, so I would reduce the baking time by 5 minutes or so. 🙂
This looks amazing! I was going to make these for a friend, but he’s allergic to bananas as well. Any ideas for substituting those?
Hi! That’s difficult to answer because I never tried a different version. Applesauce might work though! 🙂
Hi!
This looks amazing, I would like to know if the dates can be replaced?
You can use any dried fruit like figs or raisins instead. Make sure to soak in water to make them soft.
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
Yes, you can store them in the fridge for some days or freeze them! 🙂
This recipe look amazing ? I was wondering if I could us normal flour instead of almonds flour?
Hi! No, I wouldn’t recommend regular flour as it doesn’t contain fat and will make the bars tasteless and dry. If you can’t eat almonds, then you could use any ground nuts of choice. Some examples would be, ground hazelnuts, ground walnuts, etc. You can also use ground dried, shredded coconut for a nut-free version.
Coconuts are tree nuts 🙂 I, too, would love to make this, but I have a kid allergic to tree nuts and seeds so peanuts it is!
Hi Mandy, yes, peanuts should work! 🙂
These look so good! What a perfect healthy breakfast meal prep!
Thank you Suzanne! 🙂
Amazing and easy recipe! Great for breakfast and snacks!
Thanks, Carol! I am glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Can you use thawed, frozen bananas or do they need to be fresh?
I never used thawed, frozen bananas in this recipe, however, I believe the bars would end up too sticky, so I would recommend using fresh bananas.