Healthy Oatmeal Cookie Bars (5 Ingredients!)

Ever wondering if oatmeal cookies can be made into bars? Thes EASY and healthy oatmeal cookie bars are your answer! Soft, chewy, and LOADED with chocolate chips- They are a vegan and gluten-free dessert made in just 12 minutes. 

HEALTHY OATMEAL COOKIE BARS

You guys have loved my flourless breakfast cookies, peanut butter oatmeal cookies and flourless breakfast bars, which inspired me to make these EASY oatmeal cookie bars.

 You guys, I have been making batch after batch of these healthier oatmeal cookie bars.

Why? Well, I firstly had a plethora of leftover bananas, THEN, I found myself with a jar or two of applesauce. 

Safe to say, we are BIG fans of these healthier oatmeal cookie bars.

SO, HOW DO THESE OATMEAL COOKIE BARS TASTE?

The fact that I’ve polished off 4 batches within 2 weeks might give it away. 

These cookie bars are soft, slightly chewy, and have an almost buttery texture, without any actual butter in it. It has notes of chocolate with every bite. They taste like a thick and jumbo oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, but with a more tender exterior.

What I love most about them, is that they are secretly healthy- no eggs, no butter, no flour, and no refined sugar, but you’d never tell.

They also happen to be completely vegan and gluten-free too! 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHIER OATMEAL COOKIE BARS 

The Ingredients

• Rolled Oats (Old Fashioned Oats)– They provide a chewy texture and a fabulous substitution for flour. They are also a much healthier alternative to it, providing fiber and protein too!
• Almond Butter– Gives these cookie bars that buttery texture and flavor we love, without any butter! 
• Maple Syrup– Provides sweetness, and also masks any banana flavor. Do not omit, as it will change the texture of the cookie bars. 
• Bananas– Overripe, mashed bananas! The riper they are, the sweeter they will be! Bananas replace any need for butter or eggs, while also providing sweetness and a softer texture. 
• Chocolate Chips– What is a good cookie without chocolate chips? You can use a mixture of chocolate chips and chopped up chocolate bars, for the ultimate chocolate experience! 

The Instructions

Start by mixing together all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips- You want to fold them through at the end. Once it has been mixed completely, pour the batter into a square pan. I use an 8 x 8-inch pan, but for thicker bars, you can use a smaller one. 

You don’t want to overtake them, to remove them from the oven once the edges just start to brown, around 14-15 minutes. Once you’ve removed from the oven, let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before lifting it out the pan and letting it cool on a cooling rack, before slicing. 

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS

These cookie bars are very forgiving and have plenty of ingredient substitutions, including basic pantry staple ingredients.

Banana Substitutions

I don’t recommend you substituting the banana unless you truly cannot stand bananas!

With that said, you can substitute the banana for unsweetened applesauce or pumpkin puree. Neither are as sweet as banana, but will still yield a similar texture. 

Please note- You may need to add extra maple syrup to make up for the lack of sweetness from the banana. 

Rolled Oat Substitutions

You can substitute the old fashioned oats with either quick oats or even oat bran. However, it will not have the super chewy texture, but will still work well. 

If you want an oat-free substitution, you can use quinoa flakes. Quinoa flakes have a similar texture to quick oats, but a more nutty flavor. 

Almond Butter Substitutions

You can substitute the almond butter for any drippy or smooth nut/seed butter of choice. 

Peanut butter or cashew butter are both fantastic substitutions, as are tahini and sunflower seed butter. 

Regardless of which one you choose, it MUST be smooth and creamy. 

Maple Syrup Substitutions

You can use agave nectar or honey if you aren’t strictly vegan.

Avoid using sugar free maple syrup, as it has a texture to water and will not hold the bars well together.

STORING AND FREEZING OATMEAL COOKIE BARS

• To store: Leftover cookie bars should be stored in the refrigerator, in a sealable container. They will keep fresh for up to 5 days. 
• To freeze: Wrap individual bars in parchment paper and place them in ziplock bags. They will freeze well for up to 6 months.

TIP: These bars become firm once refrigerated, but to have a gooey cookie bar, microwave it for 20-30 seconds. 

More delicious healthy desserts you’ll love

• No Flour Monster Cookies
• Flourless Chocolate Muffins
• Easy Vanilla Cake
• Cinnamon Roll for ONE
• 100 Calorie Chocolate Mug Cake

Healthy Oatmeal Cookie Bars (Vegan and Gluten-Free!)

5 from 1054 votes

Easy and healthy oatmeal cookie bars made with just 5 simple ingredients! Soft, chewy and gooey in one, they are vegan, gluten-free and ready in 12 minutes!

Servings: 18 Oatmeal Cookie Bars

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 12 mins

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Equipment

• Mixing bowl
• Spatula
• Paleo Vegan Chocolate Chips
• Almond Butter
• Gluten-Free Rolled Oats

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 cups gluten free rolled oats can use standard rolled oats, if not gluten-free
• ▢ 1 cup almond butter can substitute for any nut or seed butter of choice
• ▢ 1/4 cup maple syrup * See notes
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas ** See notes
• ▢ 1/2-1 cup chocolate chips use 1 cup for the full chocolate flavor!

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8 x 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, reserving 1-2 inches of parchment paper over the sides, for easily removal.
• In a large mixing bowl, add all your ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold through the chocolate chips, reserving a few to top the cookie bars with.
• Transfer the batter into the lined pan, adding extra chocolate chips on top. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until just beginning to go golden around the pan.
• Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

* Can substitute for agave nectar or honey (if not strictly vegan)

** You can substitute for pumpkin puree or unsweetened applesauce. 1 1/2 cups of mashed banana are approximately 6-7 bananas.

 

• TO STORE: Leftover cookie bars should be stored in the refrigerator, in a sealable container. They will keep fresh for up to 5 days. 
• TO FREEZE: Wrap individual bars in parchment paper and place them in ziplock bags. They will freeze well for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cookie BarCalories: 182kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 5gFat: 9gSodium: 3mgPotassium: 246mgFiber: 4gVitamin A: 12IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 17g

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Arman

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