Chocolate Covered Oatmeal Walnut Cookie Bars

These little gluten-free, vegan friendly rectangles of joy taste like a cross between a buttery shortbread and an oatmeal granola bar, and require just a handful of simple pantry ingredients, a food processor, and about 15 minutes of baking time.

Did I mention they’re slathered with dark chocolate and sprinkled with flaky sea salt for that perfect salty-sweet situation in every bite? Well, they are.

And, they really couldn’t be easier to make.

Oats, walnuts, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt get pulsed in a food processor until combined, and then the whole thing gets pressed into a pan and baked for 15ish minutes.

Then, rather than make our lives more complicated by actually melting the chocolate to go on top, we’re just going to sprinkle a generous handful of chocolate chips over the bars come once they come out of the oven, wait a few minutes for them to liquify, then spread them out to coat the bars.

It seriously doesn’t get much simpler than this, and no joke- every single person I’ve fed them to has come back for seconds, then asked for the recipe.

Despite being made primarily from oats and walnuts, these bars taste like a special treat- one that you should feel comfortable making for everyday snackage around the house, bringing in to work to share with your office pals, packing up and taking to a friend’s house for a party, and beyond!

If you try them, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, or take a picture of your chocolate covered oatmeal cookie bars and share it with me on Instagram so I can see! Happy baking, friends!

Chocolate Covered Oatmeal Walnut Cookie Bars

Time: 35 minutes
Yields: 12 bars

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oats
• 2 cups walnuts
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or roughly chopped dark chocolate

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
2. Place oats and walnuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse 6-8 times, to break down into small pieces. Add maple syrup, oil, vanilla, salt, and vanilla, and pulse another 5-6 times, or until a sticky dough is formed. Some small flecks of oats and/or walnuts remaining is fine.
3. Dump mixture into the prepared pan, using your hands to press it out into a thin, even layer, ensuring it gets all the way to the corners of the pan.
4. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until puffed and lightly golden. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let sit 2-3 minutes, or until chocolate is softened, then, use a spoon to spread it out in an even layer over the bars.
5. Let bars cool completely, then cut into 12 bars and serve. If desired, sprinkle bars with a few pinches of flaky sea salt before serving. Leftovers keep well at room temperature for 3-4 days.

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