Chewy Choc Chip Oat Protein Bars

These gluten-free Chewy Choc Chip Oat Protein Bars are no bake, studded with chocolate chips and super easy to make. You can swap out the chocolate chips for your favourite chocolate bar, chopped into chunks. Adding some nuts into the mix is also delicious!

Since this is a no bake recipe, you can set the bars in any container you like. I used a 10 x 20cm loaf tin here, which gives thinner bars. You could press the mixture into a smaller tupperware container if you want to get thicker bars.

After chilling the mixture in its container to firm up, I cut the slab into 6 bars. But you can cut them as large or small as you want. If you want to make the mixture into protein balls, you can roll the mixture into balls instead of pressing it into a container.

Feel free to change up the chocolate chips. I like to use dark chocolate chips around 60-70% cocoa. But if you want to reduce the sugar content, you could chop up some 85% cocoa chocolate or a sugar-free chocolate bar instead.

Ingredients for Chewy Choc Chip Oat Protein Bars

Rolled oats: I use old fashioned rolled oats, which we process into a flour before adding to the mixture. Quick oats would also work if that’s all you have. Oats naturally don’t contain gluten, but they are often processed on the same equipment as wheat. If you’re strictly gluten-free, you can buy gluten-free oats.

Whey protein isolate: I use unflavoured whey protein isolate to boost the bars with protein, then sweeten the bars with the maple syrup. However, if you want to use a flavoured whey protein that contains sweetener, you could reduce the maple syrup and increase the milk slightly to replace the lost liquid.

Coconut flour: Combined with the oats, the coconut flour gives the bars a chewy texture. It also gives the bars structure and helps to hold them together.

Cashew butter: Stops the bars from drying out and provides some healthy fats. You could use another nut butter, like almond butter or peanut butter, if you prefer.

Maple syrup: Used to sweeten the bars, since I use unflavoured protein powder. You could also use honey or rice malt syrup. If you use a flavoured protein powder that is sweetened, you could reduce the maple syrup as mentioned above.

Unsweetened almond milk: Just a small amount is used to bring the mixture to a dough consistency. You can use any milk you like, or water if you don’t have any milk.

Dark chocolate chips: Feel free to use any chocolate chips you like. Or chop up your favourite chocolate bar and use that instead.

Sea salt: Enhances the flavour of the bars. You can leave it out, but I highly recommend including it.

I haven’t tested the recipe with a plant-based protein powder, but I image it would work since there’s not a large amount of protein powder used. You may just need to add a little extra milk to get the mixture to form a dough, since plant-based protein powders are usually drier than whey.

More protein bar recipes

For another oat-based bar recipe, you might like my No Bake Chocolate Oat Bars. They are nut-free and sweetened with a combination of Medjool dates and maple syrup.

These Nut Free Cookie Dough Protein Bars are deliciously chewy made with egg white protein powder and oats. But you can make them with a range of protein powders.

These Cookie Dough Protein Bars with Collagen Powder are gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and the closest I have come to a cleaner version of Quest cookie dough protein bars.

You can find all of my protein bars and balls on the Protein Bar and Protein Ball Recipes page.

Chewy Choc Chip Oat Protein Bars Recipe