These healthy no bake oatmeal brownies are chewy and have a rich chocolate flavor. The brownies don’t need any baking or cooking. They are just 4 ingredients and don’t contain any flour, refined sugar, eggs, butter or oil. The brownies are great for snack, dessert or even breakfast.
These brownies have such a rich chocolate flavor and I especially love that they don’t require any baking. They are a quick treat to make and I love eating one for a snack.
Ingredients
- Cocoa powder
- Peanut butter or almond butter
- Maple syrup
- Quick oats
Cocoa powder: The brownies get their rich chocolate taste from unsweetened cocoa powder. You can use dutch process or natural.
Peanut butter or almond butter: Make sure to use natural peanut butter or almond butter. This means there should be no added oils. Double check the ingredient list on your jar because there are some brands that label their peanut butter “natural” but still contain added oils. The only ingredients should be peanuts and salt (or just almonds if you are using almond butter). You do need to make sure to use natural because the brownies will not firm up and develop their crumb texture if you use the wrong kind.
Maple syrup: Maple syrup is used both to sweeten the brownies and also it interacts with the nut butter to create a brownie texture.
Quick oats: Quick oats or rolled oats can be used. I prefer quick oats because they are easier to break down into small pieces. You do want the oat pieces inside the brownies to be quite small so that they fully soften and are more pleasant to eat.
How to Make No Bake Oatmeal Brownies
- The quick oats are first pulsed in a food processor for a few seconds so that they become smaller, finer pieces. The peanut butter, cocoa powder and syrup are then added in and mixed until a thick dough forms.
- Scrape the dough from the food processor and transfer to a lined baking loaf pan. Be sure to press the mixture down to really compact it and make the crumbs stick together.
- Place into fridge to firm up the brownies and let them set. The brownies are then ready to be cut and served. If desired, you can also top with frosting before cutting and eating.
Brownie Texture and Taste
These brownies do have a texture similar to baked brownies. They are chewy and slightly fudgy, though the crumb is more loose than a baked brownie.
The brownies are only lightly sweet with a strong cocoa flavor. Because these are meant to be healthier brownies I did not want to add too much syrup. You can add more syrup to suit your personal preferences, though adding a lot more syrup will make your brownies more wet. You can also add a sweet frosting on top if you prefer sweeter.
More No Bake Oatmeal Recipes
- 3 Ingredient No Bake Lemon Oatmeal Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Chewy No Bake Oatmeal Bars
- 3 Ingredient No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
4 Ingredient No Bake Oatmeal Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (24 g) quick oats
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (160 g) natural peanut butter or natural almond butter (see note)
- 5 tbsp (37 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 tbsp (74 ml) maple syrup
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Add oats to a food processor. Pulse for about 20-30 seconds until oats become a finer consistency. All the oats should be very small, no bigger than the size of a large crumb, and some of the oats should be powdery like flour.
- Add in peanut butter, cocoa powder and maple syrup. Mix in food processor until the ingredients are fully combined and becomes a thick dough. Taste and if your mixture is not sweet enough, you can add another 1-2 tbsp of syrup. I don't recommend adding more than that because your dough will be too wet. When you pinch your dough, the crumbs should stick together. If you find that the dough is too dry, you can add another 1 tbsp of peanut butter.
- Use a spatula to scrape the dough from the food processor and transfer to your lined loaf pan. Use your hands to press the mixture down firmly into the pan and spread it evenly across. You do want to apply some pressure so that the crumbs all stick together. Place brownies into the fridge to set and firm up further. This should take about 30 minutes. The brownies will not change much during this time but they will be a little firmer and easier to cut and hold.
- If desired, add frosting on top of brownies once they are set. You can also leave them plain. Use a sharp knife to cut brownies.
Notes
- Make sure to use natural peanut butter or natural almond butter with no added oils. The brownies will not become crumb-like if you use peanut butter or almond butter with added oils.Â
- Optional healthy chocolate frosting:
- 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (dutch process does not work) or cacao powder
- 2 tbsp maple syrup.
- First mix the coconut oil and cocoa powder until smooth. Then stir in the syrup until incorporated and the frosting thickens. This will produce enough for a thin layer of frosting on the brownies like in the pictures. If you prefer a thicker layer of frosting you can also double the recipe.
- Estimated nutrition does not include optional frosting.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
