Healthy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

This healthy oatmeal bars recipe is a perfect make-ahead option when you need a quick breakfast or a snack on the go. Loaded with gooey chocolate chips, these homemade soft baked oatmeal bars are easy to prep and freezer-friendly too! {Gluten-free, dairy-free & vegetarian}

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Soft Baked Oatmeal Bars – Perfect for Breakfast or Snack!

If you’re on the hunt for nutritious and easy breakfasts or snacks to go, you’ll love these Healthy Oatmeal Bars! They’re soft baked to perfection and loaded with gooey chocolate chips and banana for the ultimate breakfast treat.

Not to mention, these healthy oatmeal breakfast bars are super easy to prepare and contain wholesome ingredients, so they’re the perfect way to get the energy you need to face the day!

Eat them for breakfast on busy mornings, as a healthy snack, or add them to lunch boxes. Either way, you can’t go wrong with these delicious bars!

For more easy oatmeal bars, be sure to check out these 3-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Bars, Carrot Cake Oatmeal Bars and Peanut Butter Protein Bars!

Why We Love These Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Quick and easy: It only takes about 10 minutes to prep these bars before baking them in the oven. Doesn’t get much easier than that!

Family-friendly: These healthy chocolate chip oatmeal bars are suitable for kids and adults, making them a great recipe for the entire family! Plus, who doesn’t love chocolate for breakfast?

Make-ahead option: These oat bars can be made in advance and are perfect to have on hand if you’re looking for a nutritious breakfast for busy mornings or if you need an afternoon pick-me-up. You can make up a batch and store them in the fridge or freezer for a convenient grab-and-go option!

Ingredient Notes

ingredients for oatmeal breakfast bars on a marble background with labels

Oats – I used quick cooking oats, but you can use old fashioned oats as well. If there are any gluten intolerances, use certified gluten-free oats.
Oat flour – Make your own homemade oat flour or purchase it at the grocery store. You can also sub in whole wheat flour if you don’t have oat flour.
Almond milk – use regular or vanilla unsweetened almond milk. You can also sub in regular cow’s milk or another milk alternative like soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk or oat milk if desired.
Bananas – use overripe bananas for best results. If you don’t like bananas or don’t have any on hand, you can try subbing in unsweetened applesauce.
Maple syrup – use 100% pure maple syrup. You can also sub in honey, agave or brown rice syrup instead.
Eggs – if you want to make it a vegan option, try replacing regular eggs with flax or chia eggs.
Chocolate chips – I typically like to use dark chocolate chips for extra antioxidants. Sub in your favorite chocolate chips, using ones that are dairy-free if necessary.

How to Make Healthy Oatmeal Bars – Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together oats, oat flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

Dry ingredients mixed together in a glass bowl

In a separate bowl, add the mashed the bananas and whisk in the eggs, almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla, stirring until well-combined.
Add the wet ingredients in to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Wet ingredients mixed together in a glass bowl.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Chocolate chips folded into oatmeal bar mixture in a glass bowl with a wooden spoon

Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer.

The oatmeal breakfast bars mixture poured into the baking dish lined with parchment paper.

Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Let the pan sit for 5 minutes to cool, then remove the parchment paper with the bars from the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Slice into 16 square bars (or 9 larger bars).

The baked oatmeal mixture cut into bars in a pan on parchment paper.

Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the full oatmeal breakfast bars recipe!

Recipe Notes:

You can purchase oat flour at many grocery stores, or make it yourself at home. Simply add oats to a blender and blend until a flour consistency is achieved.

For best results, use overripe bananas as they will help to enhance the sweetness and flavor of the bars.

I recommend lining the baking dish with parchment paper and letting some of the paper hang over the sides of the pan. It will make it much easier to remove the bars from the pan and cut them into pieces.

If making for a crowd, double the recipe and bake in a larger baking dish. You may need to add an extra 10 minutes or so of cooking time. Alternatively, you can bake the bars in two square baking dishes.

Allow the baked oatmeal mixture to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing into bars to allow them to firm up slightly.

Oatmeal bars cut into squares on a cooling rack.

Storage Guidelines

Refrigerate: Once the bars have cooled and have been cut into squares, place them in an airtight container. They will keep well in the fridge for up to five days.

To freeze: Freeze these bars for up to four months in a large ziploc bag. Allow them to thaw out in the refrigerator before serving.

To reheat: Warm the bars up in the microwave for 30 seconds or so, if desired.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use rolled oats instead of quick?

Yes! If you choose to use rolled or old-fashioned oats, the bars will be a little more chewy in texture, similar to baked oatmeal (like this Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal).

With the quick oats, they’ll be less textured and chewy and will have a more cake-like consistency, especially when combined with the oat flour.

Are baked oats healthier than oatmeal?

Not necessarily; the nutritional breakdown of both of these options really depends on which other ingredients are mixed in with the oats.

Since oats form the base of both, they are nutritionally comparable, and both are great sources of soluble fiber, which can help decrease LDL cholesterol and manage blood sugar levels.

Whether preparing baked oats or a bowl of oatmeal, for the healthiest option, limit added sugar and include healthy add-ins such as chia seeds or flaxseeds.

Can you freeze these banana oatmeal bars?

Yes, these snack bars can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. You can cut the bars into squares or bar form and store them individually wrapped in plastic wrap or snack bags for a convenient grab and go option.

Alternatively, you can stack them in an air-tight container separated by a piece of parchment paper or wax paper so they don’t stick together.

Oatmeal breakfast bars cut into squares on a cooling rack lined with parchment paper.

Are oatmeal bars good for you?

Oatmeal bars can be a great healthier option, especially when they’re homemade since you can control the ingredients going into them.

The base of these bars is made up of quick oats and oat flour which is incredibly nutrient-dense, offering soluble fiber, and vitamins and minerals, such as iron, calcium, and magnesium.

Bananas are rich in B6 and folate. The B vitamins play an important role in energy metabolism and are involved in many enzyme processes. Bananas can also improve gut health since they are a source of prebiotic fiber, which essentially feeds probiotics, the healthy bacteria found in our gut. Additionally, the fiber found in bananas can help keep you regular and prevent constipation.

Dark chocolate offers compounds known as flavonoids. Flavonoids are antioxidants that help repair damaged cells in the body, which may reduce the risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases (source).

Each bar is a source of fiber which can help manage blood sugar levels and keep you feeling full for longer and energized throughout the day!

These oatmeal bars contain no refined sugar since they’re sweetened naturally with bananas and maple syrup. But don’t worry, they’re plenty sweet.

Additionally, these bars are naturally gluten and dairy-free, so perfect for those with intolerances.

Serving Suggestions

Serve these healthy breakfast bars warm or at room temperature. They also taste delicious topped with a drizzle of nut butter or seed butter. Our favorites are peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter!

To make more of a complete breakfast, serve these bars with any of the following recipes:

Recipe variations

This healthy oatmeal breakfast bars recipe can be easily adapted to enhance the nutritional profile or switch up the flavor.

Try any of the following add ins:

Add fruit: Try adding fresh fruit such as banana slices, raspberries or strawberries, or dried fruit such as dried cranberries, raisins, chopped dates or shredded coconut.
Increase protein: Add a scoop of protein powder or some hemp hearts.
Make vegan/egg-free: Replace the eggs with chia or flax eggs.
Without chocolate: If you’re not a chocolate lover, you can make these bars without the chocolate chips.
Add nuts or seeds: Try chopped walnuts, cashews, or peanuts, sunflower seeds, chia seeds or ground flax seed for some extra healthy fats.
Add veggies: Try adding shredded zucchini into the oatmeal bar mixture.
Replace the banana: You can sub in unsweetened applesauce or pumpkin puree for the banana to switch up the flavor.

Healthy oatmeal bars stacked on a kitchen surface next to a knife and jar of oats.

“This is a great breakfast, snack or dessert! My whole family loved it!” – Jo

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Course Breakfast, Snack