I came up with this recipe when I was going through sugar and gluten withdrawals. Going without dairy didn't phase me much, but the no sweets rule was killing me while my husband went on our strict detox diet.
Sadly, I realized how much I relied on sugar when I was feeling tired. Or when I was bored. Or…. okay, pretty much anything was a good reason to reach for some sugar. And while I'm not slaying baked goods forever, I did need to come up with something tasty that didn't contain any processed or refined sugar, dairy, or gluten. Which meant my favorite cookie recipes were not an option.
In my desperation, I created a great recipe for Fried Apples you can drool over here. Seriously, they took 8 minutes and were just like apple pie but without all the work and the crust.
Now my kids love those Cliff Kids Z bars, but I cringe at the price. They're almost a $1 a bar, and even though they're made with organic ingredients, I knew I had to be able to make them cheaper at home.
It took me three different times to get them how I wanted. Of course, the kids were thrilled when I kept asking them to be my taste testers. Oh, another batch of chocolate chip bars, Mom, sure we'll taste them.
First off, I have to tell you, I'd never baked with parchment paper before. It's a dream. No messy pans, no bars falling apart when I take them from said pan. Yep. Ordering from our affiliate partner for this big old box of parchment paper was one of the best things I've done for my kitchen in awhile. I just pressed the raw dough into an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper to bake.
Do you see that beautiful chocolate drizzle? It's healthy for you. No seriously, I used semi-sweet, GMO, soy and dairy free chocolate chips (bought mine at our local co-op, but Amazon carries the same brand) with a teensy bit of coconut oil for something so good I now know where the term finger licking good came from.
To make these, you're going to need a food processor. I tell you what, since my husband bought me this food processor *affiliate link for Christmas, I have no idea how I lived so long without one. It's how I made the oatmeal flour and the date paste for these pretty little bars. And come jam and jelly season, I can hardly wait to whip up my berries in this bad boy.
To make the date paste (I ordered my dates from Amazon, a first time for food items, but it only took 2 days and I was really happy with the quality) you'll need some dates, water, and food processor. I ordered these Mejdool dates to make the paste as most accounts I read said they have a rich sweet taste with a hint of vanilla.
You have to pit them, but it took less than two minutes to do so. Just slice them down the middle and pop out the pit. Place about 30 dates (about 1 pound) into the food processor and add 6 tablespoons of water. Process until it forms a thick sticky paste. I placed mine in a wide mouth mason jar. It should store in the fridge for at least three weeks. This makes about 2 cups of date paste.
Adding up the cost of the ingredients, I estimate my cost per bar is $.40. Considerably less than the stores and my bars contain less sugar than the store one. Gotta love it!
More Gluten Free Recipes
- Chocolate Beet Cake
- Jam Roly-Poly
- Traditional Christmas Pudding Recipe
- Grandmother's Date Bread
- Homemade Granola Bars
- Easy Sweet Potato Tortilla Recipe (+ Gluten Free Option)
- Historical Recipes: Honey Date Squares
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars
- 13 Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes
- Successful Gluten-Free Baking That Tastes Good
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars Recipe-Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal certified gluten free if you have allergies or issues
- 1/4 cup pecans
- 1 Tablespoon Chia seed organic
- 1/3 cup date paste
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract I make mine at home
- 2 Tablespoon almond butter or nut butter of your choice
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder I use organic aluminum free
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips I bought dairy and GMO free brand Good Life from our local co-op
- Chocolate Drizzle
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Place oatmeal, pecans, and chia seed in food processor. Process into a flour. Pour into a large bowl and mix in date paste, honey, vanilla extract, eggs, almond butter, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add chocolate chips.
- Press into 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper. Use a spatula to press it down into pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Carefully, lift up on parchment paper and remove bars from pan to cool. Use a pizza cutter to cut into bars.
- To make Chocolate Drizzle
- Melt chocolate chips over a double broiler or in the microwave. Melt on low heat just until they start to look shiny. Take off heat and stir. If not completely melted, put back on heat for just a short time. If you get it too hot, chocolate will seize. Stir in coconut oil. The warmth from the chocolate will melt it. Drizzle over bars or eat it with a spoon… both ways tasted great!
This post is Featured on Thrifty Thursday at Living Well Spending Less.
I made these today and they are delicious! One question, could you also use steel cut oats to make them?
Hi Melissa! Have so enjoyed reading your stories and articles – you touch the hearts and inspire us all. Love your recipe but have one you may like better – much fewer ingredients and no baking! I started making these for my husband when he was diagnosed with Type II diabetes – he AND grandkids love them! NO sweetener other than dates.
Power Bars
2 cups Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1- 1 1/2 cups RAW almonds or cashews
3/4 cup organic cocoa powder
dash of sea salt
Pulse together till well blended then add:
1/2 cup shredded UNsweetened organic coconut
2-3 TBSP whey (drained from homemade or store bought Greek yogurt)
2 TBSP organic vanilla
Process till mixture comes together like ball of bread dough. Press into 8X8′ dish lined with parchment or wax paper. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Slice into bars and wrap individually or place in covered container and store in fridge for freshness. ENJOY
Cynthia,
I’ll try this one out, thanks!
At $27.45 for a 10oz. package of chocolate chips!? And this is an article about saving money? Ha!
That’s for a CASE of chocolate chips, not one package. And for people with food allergies, finding a nut, soy, and dairy free chocolate chip that is also Non-GMO can be difficult.
However, feel free to use any chocolate chip you want if you’re not dealing with food allergies. Personally we try to limit our intake of soy and GMO products.
Hi Melissa,
This recipe looks and sounds just what I would like to have in one of my cookie tins. I’m going to place this recipe in a folder so that I can make this when I return home. We were called to our son’s house as his wife, who is stage 4 breast cancer sufferer, took a turn for the worse in developing brain tumors as well as the cancer going into her bones. It’s well advanced in her liver. It’s a stressful time for her family and for us. I love reading your posts. I like the food processor you are using. That’s something I don’t own…yet.
Happy home time,
Heather
Heather,
It would make a great cookie. I’m so sorry about your son’s wife, prayers for peace and comfort for both you, your son, and daughter-in-law, I hope you all feel the Lord’s presence in a special way.
These look so yummy and high in protein without all the yucky stuff in the purchased bars. There is one issue. What about those of us with tree nut allergies? I cannot use pecans or walnuts at all, and sometimes react to almonds (though they are more closely aligned with peaches than nuts). Do you have any good substitutes for the nuts? Or, should I just omit them altogether?
Thanks so much for all you do
God Bless You!
I don’t have any subs for nuts, sorry. 🙁 You could try it without them as I can’t think of anything to sub for them.
[…] and take out when you want to give your kids a nice treat. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars from Melissa K. Norris: Who wouldn’t want this as a snack or even for a special breakfast served with a smoothie […]
[…] We add peaches, blueberries, raisins, and other fruits as they come on in season. I also make a gluten-free homemade chocolate chip oatmeal bar. Store oatmeal in a dry […]
What is the best way to store these and how long will they keep?
I store mine on the counter in a container. We’ve had them about 4 days before they get all eaten.
[…] We add peaches, blueberries, raisins, and other fruits as they come on in season. I also make a gluten-free homemade chocolate chip oatmeal bar. Store oatmeal in a dry […]
These look absolutely delicious!!!
Thanks, Heather. They were pretty tasty if I do say so myself. 🙂 Love to hear what your family thinks of them if you make a batch.