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Chewy No-Bake Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Bars—simple to make, no-fuss, and made with real, whole food ingredients! These bars start with old-fashioned oats (the kind grandma used!), salted cashews, chewy Medjool dates, creamy peanut butter, vanilla, and a thick layer of salted dark chocolate. Somehow, they taste just like a soft, chewy oatmeal cookie bar – no baking required. They’re delicious and honestly kind of magical.
It’s hard to beat my mom’s classic Oatmeal Cookie Bars. She used to make them with a cup of sugar and canola oil, always throwing in extra chocolate chips. They were rich, sweet, and totally irresistible.
She made them all year long, but just like her Special K-Bars, these cookie bars were a summer party staple. Everyone loved them—and they were so easy to whip up, which was probably her secret.
I still can’t quite replicate the cookie bars my mom made when we lived in Cleveland—there’s just something about the original! But I do love creating my own twists using simple, real-food ingredients that feel a little more wholesome without sacrificing flavor.
It’s funny—I tend to go one of two ways with sweet recipes. Either I go all in with dark brown sugar and zero regrets, or I lean into a more natural approach for something you can feel just a little better about enjoying—which is what I did here.
These bars have been in my rotation for a while now. I brought a batch to a family dinner (yes, they even made it on a plane!) and they were devoured in minutes—so I knew I had to share them with you.
They’re the perfect summer treat: no-bake, no-fuss, and so scrumptious.
These are the details
Ingredients
- old-fashioned rolled oats – I like the organic, gluten-free
- salted and roasted cashews
- Medjool dates – make sure these are fresh and plump
- peanut butter – you could use a seed butter too
- vanilla extract
- ground flax or hemp seeds – optional, but they add protein, fiber, healthy fats, and vitamins. Their nutty flavor also pairs nicely with vanilla.
- dark chocolate – use your favorite, any percentage works
- flaky sea salt
Special Tools
You will need a food processor or a high-powered blender. I prefer a food processor because of the bowl size, but a good blender is great too!
Steps
Step 1: Blend everything
Add all ingredients—except the melted chocolate—to the bowl of your food processor or blender.
Blend until the mixture comes together and is sticky, about 3 to 5 minutes. It should hold together easily when pressed.
Step 2: Add the chocolate
Press the cookie dough into a square pan. I use the Caraway 9″ square pan.
Pour the melted chocolate over the top and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Chill the bars until the chocolate is fully set—I prefer the fridge, as it gives the chocolate a nicer finish.
In a hurry? The freezer works too!
Storing
I like to keep these bars in the fridge or in a cool spot at room temperature. Just make sure it’s not too warm—otherwise, the chocolate topping can melt.
They stay chewy, creamy, sweet, and salty—literally perfect every time. And don’t skip the sea salt—I think it makes them all the more deliciously addicting.
Looking for easy party desserts? Here are a few ideas:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Blondies
Homemade Vegan Peanut Butter Twix Bars
Caramel Butter Cake with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting
Retro-Style Chocolate Sheet Cake
Lastly, if you make these No-Bake Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Bars, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
No-Bake Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Bars
Servings: 16 cookie bars
Calories Per Serving: 367 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashion oats
- 1 cup roasted cashews
- 1 cup plump Medjool dates, split and pitted
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, warmed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup ground flax/and or shelled hemp seeds (optional)
- 20 ounces semi-sweet/dark chocolate melted
- flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment paper.2. In a food processor/blender, blend together all ingredients except the chocolate until the dough comes together. Press the dough into the prepared pan.3. Freeze for 10 minutes just to start the chilling. Pour over the chocolate. Sprinkle with sea salt (if desired).4. Chill in the fridge until firm, at least 1-2 hours. Cut into bars. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on July 15, 2025
Molto energetici. Perfetti per i ragazzi di oggi.
I have never had an issue with Half Baked Harvests recipes before: I’ve made and loved dozens but this one definitely needs some adjusting! I found my ‘chewy oat base’ was ways too dry and crumbly (And I even added extra peanut butter). Definitely worth readjusting the measurements to make it more moist!
Hi Pascalle,
Thanks so much for trying so many recipes! I am so very sorry to hear this one did not turn out for you. Thanks for sharing your feedback!
The mixture didn’t blend evenly – some parts became mush and some still had whole cashews and pieces of dates! I’m wondering if using cashew butter would’ve been a smarter choice? That would perhaps help the problem [and the moisture issue] and keep the flavour.
Hi Chaya,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback. It sounds like you needed to blend for much longer, everything should blend into a dough. I hope this helps for next time!
Thanks to the previous reviews of this recipe, I made a few tweaks:
Added 2 tablespoons of maple syrup to the mixture which helped it hold together great.
Used 14 ounces of dark chocolate melted and then added 1/2 cup of peanut butter to the chocolate then microwaved 30 sec before topping the packed mixture. Turned out well and love the additional peanut butter flavor. Yummm!
Hey Arlene,
Fantastic! I’m so glad to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for making it!🍁
I should have read the review before making. My bars also did not stick together and crumbled. Dates were super fresh too. Sad, had high hopes.
Hi there! I am so sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe! Thank you so much for this input, I really appreciate it! Have a good weekend! 🙂 xT
I was hesitant to make this after reading reviews. But hopefully this will help others be successful, I made some adjustments and my bars turned out great! The biggest change I made was soaking the cashews in hot water for 20ish minutes prior to adding them to the food processor. I also made them in a casserole dish so they were a bit thinner and only used half the amount of chocolate. I let them freeze for four hours prior to cutting and they held up and tasted great 🙂
Hey Brittni! I am so glad you loved this recipe! Thanks so much for trying it out, I appreciate all of these tips for others who might need them! 🙂 xT
These didn’t come out quite the way I hoped. They didn’t stick together so we ate crumbles covered in chocolate. Oh, and 20oz of chocolate is A Lot! I cut it down to 10 and it was still pretty thick.
Don’t get me wrong, they were fantastic!
Hey Cathy! Thanks so much for the input, I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookie bars and I always appreciate the feedback! xT
Just making these and the mixture is not sticking together at all. I checked my ingredients. Thought I’d see what others said. Any suggestions??
Hey Dale! I am so sorry this didn’t work out for you! How much peanut butter did you use? Let me know how I can help! xT
Just making these and the mixture is not sticking together at all. I checked my ingredients. Thought I’d see what others said. Any suggestions??