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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
I made these tonight. Blended really well and they weren’t flaky at all! Used Hu chocolate. So good!
Wow thank you so much Christine! Love to hear that! Hu chocolate is definitely a favorite of mine for sure! 🙂 xT
Tried these bars, really not great. The oatmeal bar part is dry, falls apart when taken out of the pan. The chocolate layer is thick and hard. They don’t really taste that great either, pretty lackluster. My kids who love all treats didn’t even finish one bar.
Hey Piper! Oh no I am so sorry you didn’t enjoy these! Thanks for letting me know! xT
I forgot my star. I give it one because I love cashews, but it’d be easier just to eat them plain.
Way too much chocolate. Completely overpowered the bar. Also, turned into more of a crumble. Quite messy. Dominant flavor outside of the thick chocolate is salt.
Hey Dee! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe, I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out for you! I appreciate the feedback! xT
These were a disappointment. I nearly broke my Vitamix blending the ingredients as the mixture was so thick and lacks a binding agent. The bars turned out dry and crumble into bits the minute they are lifted from the pan.
Hey Kaylie! I’m so sorry about that! Maybe try adding a splash of water to the mixture to get the mixture a little more moist and bind together! Thanks for the input! 🙂 xT
Can I use hazelnuts instead, or is their flavor too strong?
Hi Daniella! Yes, hazelnuts would be so yummy in this recipe! Hope you enjoy! xT
I made this and the nut mixture is super powdery. It won’t hold together. What do I do to make it meld and stick together?
Hi Liz! If it’s too powdery and won’t stick, I would add a bit more honey or maple syrup (1–2 tbsp) or a spoonful of nut butter. Press it down firmly and chill it well to help it hold together! Enjoy! xT
Yummy! You are awesome!
Aw thank you so so much! So kind of you! I really hope you enjoy this recipe! Have a great day! 🙂 xT
Do you have a substitute for the cashews if there is a cashew-allergy in the house?
Hi Amy! Just use any nut you’d like! Pecans, almonds, or pumpkin seeds would be super yummy! Let me know how these turn out for you! 🙂 xT
How do you melt your chocolate on the stovetop without it burning/splitting?
Hey Anna! Oh don’t worry, I’ve burnt lots of chocolate before haha it happens to the best of us! If you have troubles with the chocolate, I would recommend using a double boiler method to melt it! xT
Without the chocolate I bet these would be great for hiking or other summer activities 🙂 I appreciate the more Whole Foods recipes
Thank you so much Deb! Yes, if you omit the chocolate this would definitely be a great summer snack to take on the go! Hope you love it! 🙂 xT
Which seed butter do you recommend if not using PB? Almond, cashew, sunflower? Thanks!
Hi! Any of those seed butters would work great in this recipe! Hope you enjoy! 🙂 xT
What do you mean by more wholesome? Sugar and molasses are not bad. Could you explain what you’re meaning?
Great question! These bars are a bit more wholesome because they use natural ingredients like oats, peanut butter, and honey instead of processed sugars or flours. They’re sweetened more naturally and give you some protein and fiber, so they’re a treat you can feel a little better about! Hope you enjoy! 🙂 xT
I guess I’m a little confused because you use other processed ingredients, so it seems to be inconsistent in what is “good” verses bad. I’d like to look into this more, would you mind pointing me in the direction of the info you’re obtaining? Thank you!
Hey Rita! Do you listen to podcast often? I get a lit of info from them! The Skinny Confidential is great! Or I love Dr. Mark Hymans podcast too! Oh and Dr. Will Cole as well! Does this help? Hope you love the cookie bars! xT
These sound delicious! Is it possible to substitute a different nut or leave it out altogether? My son is allergic to cashews. Thanks for your help!
Hi Lauren! You could definitely use pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds! Hope you love this recipe! 🙂 xT
OMG, how many versions of this pb and choc can you make?
Hey Teresa! You can never have too much chocolate and peanut butter! Let me know what other types of recipes you’d like to see 🙂 xT
Amen to that, Tieghan! Send as many versions of chocolate peanut butter as you can come up with!
Thank you so much Amy! Have a wonderful week! 🙂 xT
i love all the PB and chocolate recipes…. keep them coming, never stop!
Thank you SO much Bee! Sooo glad you’re loving the PB recipes! xT
Never enough pb and chocolate- great recipe- thank you! 😊 my kids love these and the other recipes too 🥰
Thank you Amanda! Hope you and your family love these cookie bars! 🙂 xT