Satisfy your sweet tooth without any guilt with these healthy vegan oatmeal chocolate bars that taste like a treat!

Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Bars Recipe

Time required: 20 mins +75 mins cooling time.

Ingredients for 8 bars

For the crunchy outside

• 265 g soft rolled oats
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 tablespoons date syrup or maple syrup
• 120ml (110g) of coconut oil

For the chocolate filling

• 140 g dark chocolate (at least 70%)
• 120ml (110g) sesame butter (tahini) or peanut butter, or any other nut butter (also in combination depending on your taste)
• 2 tablespoons date syrup or maple syrup

Preparation of the Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Bars (8 bars)

• Put 110g of rolled oats in a food processor and grind into flour. Then pour into a bowl. Add the remaining rolled oats, the salt, and mix well.
• Melt the coconut oil (coconut oil can be melted in a water bath), then add it to the oat mixture along with the date or maple syrup and mix well. I have used date syrup for the recipe in the pictures.
• Line a square mold (18 x 18 cm) with baking paper and press about 2/3 of the oat mixture. Then put it in the freezer for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the chocolate filling:

• break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heatproof bowl.
• Add the nut butter and the syrup and melt in a double boiler, stirring occasionally. For the recipes in the pictures I’ve used half peanut butter and half sesame butter (tahini), and date syrup.

• Take the oat mixture out of the freezer and pour the chocolate mixture over it.

• Sprinkle the remaining of the oat mixture on it.
• Put in the freezer for at least 60 minutes.

• Cut it into portions (you may make 8 bars or cut it in smaller pieces) and then enjoy!
• Store the leftovers in the fridge.

Nutritional information of the Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Bars

Here is the nutritional information for 100g

Kilocalories: 530
Carbohydrates: 33g
Of which sugars: 7g
Protein: 12g
Fats: 37g
Of which saturated fat: 22g
Fiber: 9g
Salt: <0,5g

If you have used the recipe to make 8 bars, here is the nutritional information for 1 bar (about 81g each)

Kilocalories: 430
Carbohydrates: 16g
Of which sugars: 6g
Protein: 9g
Fats: 30g
Of which saturated fat: 18g
Fiber: 8g
Salt: <0,5g

Why are these Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Bars Healthy?

These Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Bars are truly delicious and are totally plant based.

They are very nutritious and one bar (circa 80g) brings about 430 kilocalories.

If you would like to satisfy your sweet tooth as a snack or after a meal, you may want to just eat a small piece of it.

If you want to enjoy a full bar, an idea is to make it your breakfast. In the picture you can see a breakfast portion of about 85g of Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Bars and some blueberries.

They contain a good about of fiber

They contain a good amount of dietary fiber, that brings a lot of important health benefits. Read my article 5 amazing health benefits of fiber rich foods to learn more.

100% nut butters are healthy

Nuts butters like peanut butter can be very healthy. When they are made with just one ingredient, e.g. 100% peanut butter, they are nutritious as they contain high amounts of protein and fiber, and they also contain mono- and polyunsaturated fats that can lower “bad” LDL cholesterol.

Peanut butter is also a rich source (which means includes 20% or more of the recommended daily value) of vitamin E, pantothenic acid, folate, niacin, and vitamin B6. It is also rich in minerals such as manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper. It also contains moderate amounts (10-19% of the recommended daily value) of thiamin, riboflavin, iron, and potassium. In addition, eating nuts is linked with significantly lower risk of heart attack or stroke.

Oats adds a lot of health benefits

Oats brings healthy nutrients like fiber (insoluble and soluble), phosphorus, thiamine, magnesium and zinc.

The Nutrition Source of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health provides an overview of the health benefits of oats: “The primary type of soluble fiber in oats is beta-glucan, which has been researched to help slow digestion, increase satiety, and suppress appetite. Beta-glucan can bind with cholesterol-rich bile acids in the intestine and transport them through the digestive tract and eventually out of the body. Whole oats also contain plant chemicals called phenolic compounds and phytoestrogens that act as antioxidants to reduce the damaging effects of chronic inflammation that is associated with various diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”

Dark chocolate (>70%) is healthy too!

Dark chocolate (>70% cacao) is a great source of healthy nutrients, such as iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, and flavanols. The Nutrition Source of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health provides evidence that “Cocoa is rich in plant chemicals called flavanols that may help to protect the heart. Dark chocolate contains up to 2-3 times more flavanol-rich cocoa solids than milk chocolate. Flavanols have been shown to support the production of nitric oxide (NO) in the endolethium (the inner cell lining of blood vessels) that helps to relax the blood vessels and improve blood flow, thereby lowering blood pressure. Flavanols in chocolate can increase insulin sensitivity in short term studies; in the long run this could reduce risk of diabetes.“.

And a bit of date syrup brings health benefits as well

Using date syrup instead of the usual white “empty” sugar, contributes to the health benefits of this recipe. In particular, date syrup is rich in potassium, and can also brings some iron, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. These nutrients are not present in common white sugar that is “empty” of any other healthy nutrients.

However, beware of the saturated fats in coconut oil

Despite coconut oil is often presented as a healthy ingredient, there is mixed evidence that this is actually the case. In addition, coconut oil is one of the plant-based richest sources of saturated fats, that are less healthy than unsaturated fats.

So, to enjoy the full health benefits of these Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Bars, eat them in moderation

Because of the high caloric intake, and the relatively high amount of saturated fat in coconut oil, the beneficial health effects of eating these Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate bars is maximized when these are eaten occasionally and in moderation.

Enjoy!