These Chocolate Chip Cookie Oatmeal Bars are vegan, cozy, and made for anyone who wants a real dessert without a long list of mystery ingredients. Think soft and chewy cookie-bar texture, crisp edges, and melty chocolate chips in every bite. They taste like something you’d grab from a bakery case, but they’re made right at home with simple pantry staples like oats, flour, applesauce, and plant butter.
What makes these special is how ingredient-conscious they are. No eggs, no dairy, no preservatives, and no artificial ingredients. You get full control over what goes in, which means you can keep it as clean as you want without sacrificing flavor. You can also make these gluten-free with a 1:1 swap. Instead of the whole wheat flour, use gluten-free flour baking blend. Either way you make them, these bars are perfect for sweet cravings, meal prep snacks, or a “better-for-you” dessert that still feels like a treat.
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Oatmeal Bars
Equipment
- 8×8 glass or metal baking dish
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk or fork
- Rubber Spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour or gluten-free baking flour blend
- 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon optional
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Le Grand Plant Butter melted and cooled 5 minutes (warm, not hot)
- 1/3 cup monkfruit sweetener granulated
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup agave syrup or date syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 0 to 3 tbsp plant milk oat, almond, or soy, only if needed
Mix Ins
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips your approved ones
Instructions
- Prep the pan: Heat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper, letting it hang over two sides so you can lift the bars out.
- Mix the dry: In a large bowl, stir together oats, whole wheat flour, arrowroot, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Mix the wet: In a second bowl, whisk melted plant butter, monkfruit, applesauce, agave, and vanilla until smooth.
- Combine: Pour wet into dry and stir until everything is evenly coated. The dough should look thick and sticky, like oatmeal cookie dough. If it looks dry or crumbly, add plant milk 1 tablespoon at a time, just until it presses together easily. Stop as soon as it holds.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Rest, then press: Let the dough sit on the counter for 10 minutes. This helps the oats and whole wheat soften so the bars bake up chewy, not dry.
- Press the dough firmly into the pan. Pressing matters for that dense, store-bought bar texture.
- Bake 16 to 20 minutes. Start checking at 16. Pull when the edges look set and lightly golden, and the center looks set on top but still soft underneath.
- Cool in the pan at least 45 minutes. For the cleanest slices and best chew, chill 30 minutes after cooling, then lift out and slice.
Notes
- Monkfruit note: If your monkfruit is blended with erythritol, the bars can firm up more as they cool. That’s normal. Do not overbake or they can dry out.
- Want thicker bars: Bake in 8×8 and cut into 8.
- Want smaller snack squares: Cut into 12.
- Want less sweetness: Reduce agave to 3 tbsp and keep everything else the same.
- Pick one add-on, not all:
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut for that classic oatmeal bite-bar feel
- 2 tbsp ground flax for more chew and more fiber
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans for a heartier, more filling bar
- Room temp: 2 days in an airtight container
- Fridge: up to 6 days
- Freezer: wrap bars and freeze up to 2 months