These healthier chocolate chip oatmeal bars are soft and sweet. They only need 3 ingredients and don’t require any flour, eggs, refined sugar, dairy, butter or oil. The bars take just 5 minutes to prepare and they store well.
A stack of four Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars

These oatmeal bars are a favorite for my family. They are so easy to make. I like eating them for snack or dessert. I usually make a large batch and store some in the fridge or freezer. You can also customize them with other mix-ins.

Ingredients

  • Quick Oats
  • Bananas
  • Dark chocolate chips

Quick oats: Quick oats are oats that are smaller and thinner than regular rolled oats. This recipe works best with quick oats because they bind together better and cook faster.

Bananas: Make sure to use very ripe or overripe bananas. The oat bars are naturally sweetened with bananas. If you need a substitute for bananas, you can also use applesauce but you may want to add a little maple syrup or other sweetener since applesauce is not as sweet as bananas.

Dark chocolate chips: If you want to keep these refined sugar free, you can use chocolate chips sweetened without refined sugar. This recipe also works with any other kind of chocolate chips.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars

  • The mashed bananas and quick oats are combined until all the oats are incorporated.
  • The chocolate chips are then stirred in until evenly mixed.
  • Transfer the batter to your prepared baking pan.
  • Bake for about 25 minutes or until the bars are lightly golden on the surface and cooked through.
  • Let the bars cool before cutting and serving.

Texture

These oatmeal bars are soft, chewy and lightly sweet.
A bite taken from an oatmeal bar

Expert Tips

  • You can add other mix-ins like chopped nuts or dried fruit. I like using chocolate chips because they add sweetness and richness to the bars.
  • You can halve the recipe and bake in an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan.
  • If you don’t have quick oats on hand, you can pulse rolled oats in a food processor until they become the consistency of quick oats.

Oatmeal bars with chocolate chips cut into squares

More Oatmeal Bar Recipes

3.60 from 5 votes

3 Ingredient Healthier Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars

These soft and chewy healthier oatmeal bars are studded with chocolate chips. They are just 3 ingredients and take about 5 minutes to prepare. No flour, eggs, refined sugar, dairy, butter or oil.
Servings: 12 bars
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups (360g) mashed very ripe or overripe bananas
  • 2 cups (175g) quick oats
  • 1/2 cup (90g) dark chocolate chips, see note

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal later.
  • Add mashed bananas and quick oats to a large mixing bowl. Stir and mix with a spatula until the ingredients are evenly mixed and the oats are fully incorporated. Your batter will be very thick. Add in the chocolate chips and stir until they are evenly mixed throughout.
  • Transfer the batter into your prepared baking pan. Use a spatula to evenly spread it across the pan and smooth the surface.
  • Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the bars set, lightly golden around the edges and surface and cooked through. Let bars cool fully before removing them from the pan and cutting and serving. Store uneaten bars in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • Chocolate chips note: You can use whatever type of chocolate chips you prefer for this recipe. You don't have to use dark chocolate. If you want these bars to be refined sugar free, use a chocolate sweetened without refined sugar. I tested these bars with Hu dark chocolate gems* (sweetened with unrefined coconut sugar) and Guittard dark chocolate chips* (dairy free but does contain regular sugar).
  • I used Happy Belly Quick Oats* this recipe.
  • These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Banana note: Make sure your bananas are well mashed. I like using a whisk to help mash them.
Serving: 1bar, Calories: 117kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 0.3mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 7g, NET CARBS: 16
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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