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Healthier Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars

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Everything you need for breakfast: oats, peanut butter and a little bit of chocolate! These Healthier Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars are low in sugar and so filling!

Everything you need for breakfast: oats, peanut butter and a little bit of chocolate! These Healthier Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars are low in sugar and so filling!

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Let’s keep the breakfast theme going for another week here on A Savory Feast, shall we? Last week I shared some new muffin recipes for Muffin Week 2018. Did you see my No Sugar Added Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins and my Maple Bacon Corn Muffins?

This week I’m sharing one of my latest favorite breakfast items: breakfast bars!

Healthier Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars

These Healthier Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars are sweetened without refined sugar. Instead, they are sweetened with maple syrup!

Maple syrup is a great way to naturally add sweetness without using refined sugar. We go through so much of it in my house! My toddler requests pancakes pretty much every morning, plus I use the syrup to sweeten muffins and oatmeal. Be sure that you are using real maple syrup, not anything that says “maple flavored syrup” such as Aunt Jemima. Those are corn syrup with other added ingredients that are not good for you. 

These bars do contain a small amount of sugar from the chocolate chips, unless you get chocolate chips without sugar. I think it’s worth it for that tiny bit of sweetness! You could also try switching out the chocolate chips for something naturally sweet like dried fruit.

My current favorite chocolate chips are the Simply Balanced Organic Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips at Target. I’ve been looking for chocolate chips without soy so I was super excited to find these. They are around $3 too so much cheaper than most other organic chocolate chips. 

Easy, make-ahead breakfast that is great for when you are on the go! Healthier Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars

Packed with oats and peanut butter, these bars are nice and filling! They are great for a make-ahead breakfast that you can grab on your way out the door to school or work.

What Can I Serve With These Breakfast Bars?

All you need to go with these bars is a cup of coffee! Here’s my recipe for the best iced coffee! Or you can check out this list of iced coffee recipes I put together.

What Tools Do I Need to Make These Breakfast Bars?

8×8 Baking Pan
Parchment Paper
Measuring Cups and Spoons

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Everything you need for breakfast: oats, peanut butter and a little bit of chocolate! These Healthier Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars are low in sugar and so filling!
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Did you make these Healthier Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars? I’d love to know what you think or if you used any substitutions. Leave a comment below or share a picture on Instagram and tag @asavoryfeast! 

Healthier Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars

Healthier Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars

Yield: 9 Bars
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Everything you need for breakfast: oats, peanut butter and a little bit of chocolate! These Healthier Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars are low in sugar and so filling!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rolled oats (uncooked)
  • 1/4 cup flour (can use wheat flour or sub with almond, coconut or GF blend flour)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chip

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line a 8x8 pan with parchment paper. 
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the coconut oil by putting it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. Beat in the eggs. Add in the maple syrup, peanut butter and vanilla. Mix until combined. 
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate chips. Spread the mixture into the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before cutting into bars. Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3-5 days.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 187Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 165mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 10gProtein: 5g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let us know what you thought! You can also share a photo on Instagram and tag us @asavoryfeast and hashtag #asavoryfeast.

© Jenna Owens
Cuisine: American / Category: Breakfast
These Breakfast Bars are simple to make with items you probably have in the pantry. Everything you need for breakfast: oats, peanut butter and a little bit of chocolate! These Healthier Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars are low in sugar and so filling!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Betty says

    I enjoyed these! I made with honey instead of maple syrup since that’s what I had on hand. They taste similar to another oatmeal chocolate chip bar I normally make but with a whole lot less sugar!

    Reply

    • A Savory Feast says

      You can definitely use a flour alternative such as almond flour, coconut flour or oat flour. I’ve never tried it with protein powder but I am sure that would work too, just use the same amount (1/4 cup).

      Reply

    • Emily says

      If you use a protein powder specifically designed for baking, such as Quest Multipurpose mix, you should be fine. Whey isolate protein powder doesn’t work well for baking, but a combo powder with casein should work alright. A vegetarian protein powder should also work alright, but those can sometimes have a funny taste. I’ve had the best baking results with the Quest Multipurpose mix as long as I’m not baking for my vegan friends.

      Reply

    • Sandy Smith says

      Dry !!!!! I found this recipe on Google. I sure wish that I would have read the Pinterest reviews prior to making these. They ‘look’ beautiful, but are disappointingly dry. Bummer, waste of time, ingredients and clean up. Boo.

      Reply

        • Mike says

          Mine wasn’t too dry. It was delicious. I did use instant oats though, so maybe that helped.
          Also, we put ours in a bowl and added milk for breakfast.

          Reply

      • Diana says

        Unfortunately, I would have to agree. I baked mine at 25 minutes at the directed temperature and the rolled oats did not bake through well enough. Chewing on raw, uncooked oats, while the rest of the ingredients baked through.

        Reply

        • patti says

          i baked mine for 20, but will do 18 next time. wondering if you used quick oats if you’d be happier with the texture? i kind of like the crunch of the oatmeal myself. but i do think i might like a bit more moisture. i used almond flour and maybe that affected the dryness…might add a tbsp or two of milk. i will make again and play with it a bit. i also would love some nuts in this. sometimes you feel like a nut…

          Reply

      • Ellie says

        First time l made this it was dry!!! I added a dash of milk and the texture was a lot better so moist!!! 👍🏾

        Reply

      • Cara Milam says

        Hello! I just made these last night and I thought they turned out absolutely amazing!!!! Not dry at all, very delicious! Now I calculated my own nutrition just to see cause I wasn’t sure what kind of flour you ended up using, even though everything else I used appears to be the same as you. I used 100% whole wheat flour. But when I calculated the nutrition it came out to be about 181 cals for 1 bar or 1/9 of the recipe since I cut them into 9 bars. Just thought you should know, and I added up the nutrition facts for every ingredient and then totaled them and divided by 9, and got about half the amount of calories that you have listed!

        Reply

  9. Heather says

    I subbed honey for the maple syrup since that’s what I had on hand, also added about 2 Tbsp of chia seeds and a mashed banana. They smell so good baking, can’t wait to try them! Thanks for a greAt healthy breakfast bar recipe!

    Reply

    • Penny says

      Thanks for the idea! I used 2T chia seeds and ~1/2 c apple butter (homemade so not nearly as sweet as some). I slightly reduced the maple syrup too. I’ve made these 3 times now and have subbed one egg for a flax egg because i was out and tried raisins instead of choc chips. All batches have been delicious!

      Reply

  10. Moriah says

    Hi! Looking forward to trying these. Did you use natural peanut butter, or sweetened? I only have natural, so I’m wondering if I need to adjust the maple syrup.

    Reply

  12. Anna says

    Thanks for the tip about the soy-free chocolate chips! I’ve been trying to find those and didn’t know they existed.

    Reply

    • A Savory Feast says

      I’ve never tried this with steel cut oats. I would definitely recommend using old fashioned rolled oats, but if you try it with steel cut oats let me know how it turns out!

      Reply

      • Anne says

        I have rolled oats so I used those. Followed the recipe exactly and they taste great but only rose to about 1/4” thick. I checked my baking powder and it’s well within the “best by” date so not sure why they are so thin. Any ideas?

        Reply

        • A Savory Feast says

          I’m sorry that they didn’t rise as much! I’m guessing either the baking powder or baking soda would be the issue. They do lose their potency over time especially when opened, so maybe either your baking powder or baking soda had been opened for awhile?

          Reply

  14. Kate says

    My 3-y.o. wants to make muffins (or simply use the muffin pan). I don’t have the energy to insist to use the rectangular pan, he’s more persistent. And I got lazy to search for other recipes using the ingredients we have. So we baked them into 12 “muffins”. Still turned out great. Baked at 175°C for 18min. Thanks! 🙂

    Reply

  15. Laurie says

    These are wonderful! I started making them every week for breakfast. I’m a teacher and out early every morning. I need something quick and filling! These are great! I used dark chocolate chips for an even healthier kick. Thanks for this recipe!

    Reply

  16. Deb says

    These look great and I am definitely going to try. But I just thought I would share that using maple syrup does not in fact make things have noticably less sugar. Certainly use it if you are avoiding refined sugar for some reason, but nutritionally they are basically the same. I ran recipe through recipe analysis and put it in as 12 servings. Made with maple syrup each serving would have 140 calories and 7 grams of sugar, while made with white sugar they would have 138 calories and 7.2 grams of sugar each. I am not knocking the recipe at all – like I said, it looks awesome and still a relatively healthy choice for breakfast. But I just think it is misleading when recipes are called sugar-free or low sugar when they use honey or maple syrup, which add just as much sugar as sugar. Cheers!

    Reply

    • A Savory Feast says

      Thanks for your input! Yes, I totally agree that maple sugar is still a type of sugar. But it’s much better for you than refined sugar and that’s why I call this recipe “healthier” instead of “sugar free.” Some people may choose to avoid maple syrup as well when trying to cut out sugar, but I like to use it as a better-for-me alternative.

      Reply

  18. Julie K. says

    Thank you, for this recipe. My 15 year old daughter and I are currently addicted to these for a healthier snack during the day at school and work. I double the recipe and use 2/3 chocolate chips and 1/3 peanut butter chips. I also add about 2/3 cup of freshly chopped walnuts, for a little crunch. So good!

    Reply

  19. rj says

    I made this recipe for my peanut butter/sweets loving kids. I did double the recipe and used a 9×13. This is an excellent recipe. I really like the substitution of syrup for sugar. I will definitely make these again.

    Reply

  22. Amna says

    These turned out sooo good! I followed recipe exactly, using ground up almonds instead of flour. The only thing I did different was use 85% dark chocolate for the chocolate chips and I think it was a bit too bitter lol. Next time will try a notch less dark. But still they were so delicious and hearty. Thanks for taking the time to share the recipe!

    Reply

  23. Kristen says

    These breakfast bars are amazing. Made them two weeks in a row I like them so much. Second batch I added 1 ripe mashed banana and it was equally delicious! Definitely keeping this recipe in my regular repertoire. Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply

  24. jennifer says

    Hi, I have a hard time boiling and egg and making toast. I was quite intimidated to try this receipe. However, I did and it is delicious. Complete with Canadian Maple Syrup.

    My only concern was, it was quite try. Any suggestions?

    Reply

  25. Ann says

    This looks really yummy! Do you think Pb2 (with added water) would turn out okay in place of the natural peanut butter?

    Reply

  26. Foodie101 says

    These are so delicious!! I modified this a little bit – sugar free maple syrup, few Tbsp raw honey, all natural peanut butter, and quick cooking steel cut oats instead of regular oats. Only cooked for about 20 min and they came out perfect! I was a little concerned they would be dry using whole wheat flour, but they are not the least bit dry. The steel cut oats soaked up the wet ingredients just right. The oats aren’t fully cooked but add a different texture and make these bars that much better.

    Reply

  27. G L says

    These also turn out very well with ‘flax eggs’ set aside to rehydrate before adding. They are almost too moist to put in an airtight container! So yummy!

    Reply

  28. Jennifer says

    Would it be possible to use dates somehow instead of maple syrup or honey? Just to get it lower on the glycemic index.

    Reply

    • A Savory Feast says

      You could try making a date syrup instead of using honey or maple syrup. I’ve never tried it with this recipe, but I’ve used date syrup as a sweetener in many recipes. To do this, soak dates in warm water for 30 minutes, then remove the dates from the water (but don’t discard the water). Place the dates in a blender or food processor and add a tablespoon of the water. Blend and add water if needed until you get a thin syrup consistency. Use the same amount (1/4 cup) in this recipe instead of the maple syrup.

      Reply

  29. Abby says

    I just made these with unsweetened applesauce instead of maple syrup, and almond flour…. delish!! I did use milk chocolate chips and those add just the right sweetness! Thank you!!

    Reply

  30. Tahnee says

    I just made these because I have put on the Candida diet by my doctor and can’t eat eggs every morning. I used coconut flour, and subbed almond butter, took out the maple syrup and added a teaspoon of stevia and water to give it a thinner consistency, and used super dark chocolate chips for less sugar. They turned out pretty good for very little sugar! Thanks for giving me a great breakfast on the go!

    Reply

  31. Janessa says

    This recipe looks so delicious! I’m looking for freezer friendly breakfast cookies/bars for baby prep – do you have any idea how these would hold up if frozen? I would use a GF flour blend and keep the rest of the ingredients the same. Thanks!

    Reply

    • A Savory Feast says

      I’ve never tried it myself but I think it would hold up well to being frozen! I would probably take them directly from the freezer and warm up in the oven or toaster oven before eating.

      Reply

  32. Keren says

    Love this recipe! These are a staple in my home since a few months back. I’ve made a few tweeks to the recipe that might be of interest to someone else:
    -egg=chiaegg (1 tbsp chia+3-4 tbsp water)
    -bakingsoda=baking powder (which means i only use baking powder, also have doubled the amount)
    -doubled the peanut butter
    -halved the maple syrup
    Also I make a double batch every time and after a few trials ended up using dark chocolate squares instead of chocolate chips. I still make my double batch in an 8×8″ pan. Heres what i do: Divide the batch in 2 halves, put on half in the pan and flatten out. Using 16 dark chocolate squares (mine are about 0,5×1″) i place them evenly on the batter and then press them a little into it. Taking the other half of batter and covering the entire thing with this, making sure it is covering all the chocolate and evenl laid out. Then it goes in the oven for about 1 hour at F 300/C 150. Letting it cool down slightly before cutting into 16 squares. When cold you can easily pack into containers and freeze (i use sandwich paper for easier access while frozen). A couple of hours before intended consumtion just take one, or more, out of the freezer to defrost. Tastes lovely with matcha or dirty chai!

    Reply

  35. Heidi Young says

    I made these today and they were SO GOOD!! One of my kids has some food allergies so I ended up subbing in sunbutter (turns green with baking soda for those who haven’t baked with sunflower seed butter), flax egg, and gluten free flour and as I said, it was delicious! I’m glad I made a double batch.

    Reply

  38. Michelle Lewandowski says

    Thank you for this delicious recipe. Due to personal dietary restrictions I used Arrowhead Mills Protein Flour, Olive Oil in place of coconut oil, Almond Butter in place of P.B, and Birch Benders Monk Fruit Maple Syrup (Sugar Free) for the Maple Syrup. For any WW members the points on Blue Plan are 4 per serving.

    These will be a regular feature in our house!

    Reply

  39. Rebecca says

    I’ve made these as cookies twice, and this is my favorite “healthier” cookie recipe I’ve tried thus far! I used quick oats, whole wheat flour, 1/8 cup honey + 1/8 cup applesauce instead of the maple syrup, and 1/2+ cup of chocolate chips because who doesn’t want more chocolate? 🙂 Baked at 350 for 8.5 minutes and let them cool on the cookie sheet. One recipe made 12-13 soft, chewy, delicious good-sized cookies.

    Reply

  42. HK Anderson says

    I doubled the recipe and made these in a sheet pan 15cm x 12cm and they turned out great! I used honey instead of syrup and olive oil instead of coconut oil, and all worked out well.

    I’m wondering how I could up the protein an/or fiber in this. Any thoughts? I was considering adding in Greek yogurt, but not sure which liquid to reduce to make sure the balance is right. Could I sub it for some of the oil?

    Also for those of you using banana, is that to replace some of the maple syrup or honey?

    Thanks!

    Reply

  43. Victoria says

    Those look amazingly delicious. I printed out the recipe so I can make these next week after I add the ingredients we don’t already have on hand to my grocery pick.

    Reply

  44. Rebecca says

    I recently experimented with a coconut double chocolate cookie version of these bars! In addition to the substitutions noted in my comment from April 18, I omitted the cinnamon and added 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1/4 cup shredded coconut, and a splash of coconut milk. Baked at 350 degrees for 8.5-9 minutes. It made about 18 smaller and delicious cookies. 🙂

    Reply

  47. Mina Cheek Fraser says

    These are absolutely delicious, not dry at all! The only change I made was canola oil instead of coconut oil. I used almond flour, one of your suggestions. Also, I used organic peanut butter that was very thin (Kirkland organic peanut butter) and wonder if the consistency of the peanut butter used caused the dryness some people complained of? My batter was very thin. The bars were quite moist. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!

    Reply

  48. Kara says

    I’m so happy to have found these bars as a replacement for the packaged chocolate peanut butter granola bars that my family loves. They’re very easy to make with young kids, and we all love how they taste.

    Reply

  49. Nancy Whelan says

    Made these lastnight – they were fantastic!! I used almond flour, 70% dark chocolate mini chips from Nuts.com, and added four drops of doTERRA Peppermint Essential Oil!! Will definitely make these again!!

    Reply

  50. Carin says

    These are a COVID staple now in our house! On our 4th batch, kids and adults both enjoy them. Great with coffee! I accidentally made them with AP flour, so I added some wheat germ and that worked great too…very forgiving recipe!

    Reply

  51. Michelle Busch says

    I made them and substituted honey for the maple syrup and used gluten free flour. The oats did not cook all they way and they were really chewy. I used old-fashioned oats and cooked them for 25 mins so I don’t understand why the oats didn’t cook completely.

    Reply

      • michelle L busch says

        Yes, and I let them set for 15 mins in the bowl to absorb more liquid. I tried them again and used applesauce instead of the maple syrup and they turned out the same. I’m not sure if it should try a different brand of oatmeal, but I’ve had to throw out 2 batches because I can’t digest oatmeal that isn’t fully cooked.

        Reply

  53. Laura says

    Thank you for this fabulous recipe! I will be making this on a regular basis now with a few substitutions: 1) Instead of maple syrup I’m using brown rice syrup, as it doesn’t contain any fructose. 2) I used peanut oil, as I didn’t have any coconut oil on hand. 3) I have to (sadly) omit the chocolate chips until I can find some fructose-free chocolate. They’re still yummy, though! Thanks again!!

    Reply

    • A Savory Feast says

      I’m so glad to hear you are enjoying this recipe! Thank you for sharing the substitutions you tried. Have you ever tried cacao nibs? You could use them instead of the chocolate chips.

      Reply

  54. Beth says

    Very dry day 2:) Great first day. I used a well known gluten free flour blend. Should I try a different gluten-free flour? I followed the recipe for everything else.

    Reply

    • A Savory Feast says

      I typically use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free blend when I make these, and they are still good the second day. You could try using just almond flour or coconut flour. Also make sure that they are stored in an airtight container once they cool to keep them from drying out.

      Reply

  55. Melva says

    These are so good. Used 2 tbs of melted unsalted butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar as I didn’t have any coconut oil or maple ayrup/honey. Baked 25 mins and came out perfect. These are not dry at all. Next time I’ll be better prepared and make as the recipe. I cannot wait to have one in the morning with my iced coffee. Thanks for a great recipe.

    Reply

  56. Katie says

    I thought these turned out perfectly, exactly as written. The oats do stay a tiny bit crunchy but I thought they were good that way. I thought the texture was just right, not too moist and not dry. Love that they don’t have any refined sugar too! I used canola oil as I’m trying to avoid foods high in saturated fat for my cholesterol. I live at high altitude, but didn’t need to make any adjustments. My whole family loved them! Thank you so much!

    Reply

  57. Elise says

    Made these tonight as a healthy dessert for me and my kids. My very picky 4 year old LOVED them. I used quick oats and added in 2 tbsp of chia seeds and they came out awesome. Thanks!

    Reply

  58. Jill says

    One batch I substituted almond butter for peanut butter and raisins for chocolate chips. Pretty good! The best though is subbing mashed banana for peanut butter and applesauce for oil. Absolutely yummy and moister!

    Reply

  59. Candice says

    These are delicious ! I used almond butter instead of peanut butter due to a food allergy , but they still taste wonderful ! I will have to double the recipe next time since it doesn’t make very much , but it’s so easy to throw together I love it !

    Reply

  61. Kathy says

    Thanks for the recipe! I used natural creamy peanut butter, 1/8 cup maple syrup, a dash of date syrup, almond flour and coconut oil and quick oats that I blended into flour. The bars came out delicious, perfectly cooked after 23 minutes, but crumbly. I will try adding a bit of almond milk next time to add some moisture.

    Reply

  62. Helen says

    Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I just made them. I added 2 tbsp of almond milk and 1/3 cup of walnuts. I only baked for 17 minutes. All depends on the oven . They are perfect! Already shared your recipe with friends. They taste decadent

    Reply

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