No Bake Chocolate Energy Bars

4.86

28

Save to FavoritesPrintJump to Recipe

This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

These healthy no bake chocolate energy bars are easy to make with only 8 simple ingredients. They’re low-sugar, vegan, gluten-free and perfect for meal prep.

If you love my healthy no bake cookies you’re going to love these no bake chocolate energy bars! They’re very similar – just with maple syrup instead of coconut sugar and the addition of unsweetened coconut added for a hint of coconut flavor. You can’t go wrong with the combo of chocolate + coconut.

These chocolate coconut bars also great if you’re in a time crunch because you don’t have to worry about forming them into a cookie shape. Just press the batter into a pan, sprinkle with coconut, let sit in the fridge to firm up then cut and enjoy! Easy peasy.

No-bake chocolate coconut bars on a wire rack.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • The combo of chocolate + coconut = pure perfection!
  • They’re no bake, which means no need to turn on your oven! Just mix, chill and enjoy!
  • They’re vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free and lightly sweetened.
  • These no bake chocolate energy bars are perfect for meal prep and freezer-friendly.
  • They’re the perfect healthy snack or treat for kids and adults!
Ingredients measured out to make Healthy No Bake Chocolate Coconut Bars: almond milk, rolled oats, maple syrup, peanut butter, sea salt, vanilla, cocoa powder and shredded coconut.

Ingredients Needed

  • rolled oats – the base of these bars, giving them structure and a hearty, chewy texture. My favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free old fashioned rolled oats.
  • peanut butter – adds a creaminess and rich, nutty flavor. Make sure to use creamy peanut butter for the best texture.
  • almond milk – I like using unsweetened vanilla almond milk, which adds a subtle vanilla flavor. You can use store-bought almond milk or make homemade almond milk.
  • maple syrup – the perfect natural sweetener that pairs well with the flavors of chocolate and coconut.
  • cocoa powder – what gives the bars a deep, rich chocolate flavor. Make sure you’re using unsweetened cocoa powder. Cacao powder works as well. My favorite brand is Navitas organic cacao powder.
  • vanilla extract – enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
  • sea salt – to bring all the flavors together.
  • shredded coconut – make sure to grab unsweetened shredded coconut. My favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill unsweetened shredded coconut.
Collage of five photos showing how to make Healthy No Bake Chocolate Coconut Bars: making the mixture and then setting in a pan and topping with coconut.

How to Make

Mix dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine old fashioned rolled oats and unsweetened shredded coconut. Set aside.

Combine wet ingredients: In a small saucepan, combine creamy peanut butter, almond milk, maple syrup and cocoa powder. Cook on medium heat, making sure to stir continuously until well combined and the mixture has thickened, which should take about 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla and sea salt.

Combine: Pour the wet mixture over the oats and shredded coconut. Mix until well combined. Then, pour the mixture into your prepared 8-inch baking dish, pressing it down until it is evenly distributed across the dish. Sprinkle the top with extra shredded coconut and press down once more to ensure the coconut sticks.

Chill: Place the dish in the fridge and let it chill until the bars are set, about 2 hours. After this, remove from the fridge, cut them into bars and enjoy! Any leftovers should be stored in the fridge or freezer.

Five no-bake chocolate coconut bars stacked on one another.

Substitutions & Notes

Rolled oats – If you don’t have rolled oats on hand quick oats will work as a substitute. Just don’t use steel cut oats as those are unprocessed oats that are harder in texture.

Peanut butter – If you have a peanut allergy, any kind of nut butter, such as almond butter or cashew butter would work well as a substitute. For a nut-free option, you could use sunflower seed butter or tahini.

Maple syrup – This could be substituted with honey or agave syrup, but keep in mind this would alter the flavor slightly.

Almond milk – Any non-dairy milk like oat milk, cashew milk, coconut milk or soy milk would work. If you don’t have a dairy restriction, regular milk can also be used.

Coconut – If you’re not a fan of coconut, you can simply omit it or substitute it with chopped nuts or seeds for a crunchy texture. You could also use dried fruit like cranberries or raisins.

Multiple no-bake chocolate coconut bars scattered on parchment paper.

How to Store

These no bake chocolate energy bars are perfect for meal prep!

After the bars have set, cut and store them in an airtight container (like a Stasher bag or glass container) in the refrigerator for 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

I like to store them after being cut so they’re ready to grab and go! If you do freeze them, just thaw them in the fridge or at room temperature before eating.

More Bar Recipes to Try

Be sure to check out all of the healthy snack recipes here at EBF!

Want to save this recipe? Enter your email below and we’ll send the recipe to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes every week!
4.86 from 7 votes

No Bake Chocolate Energy Bars

These healthy no bake chocolate energy bars are easy to make with only 8 simple ingredients. They're low-sugar, vegan, gluten-free and perfect for meal prep.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Grease an 8×8 square glass baking dish with coconut oil or line with parchment paper.
  • Combine oats and shredded coconut in a mixing bowl and set aside.
    A large white mixing bowl with oats and coconut shreds.
  • Combine peanut butter, almond milk, maple syrup and cocoa powder in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat while stirring the mixture until well combined. Heat until mixture is fragrant and thickened, about 5 minutes or so. Turn off stove top and stir vanilla and sea salt.
    A white saucepan with a metal whisk and a chocolate mixture.
  • Pour mixture over the oats and shredded coconut and mix until well combined.
    A large white mixing bowl, no-bake chocolate coconut bar mix, and a silicone spatula.
  • Pour batter into the prepared baking dish and press down until the batter is evenly distributed across the dish. Sprinkle with extra coconut, press down once more so the coconut sticks.
    A woman's hand using a silicone spatula to spread the no-bake chocolate coconut bar mixture in a square baking pan.
  • Place dish into the fridge and let sit until the bars are set up (about 2 hours). Remove from fridge, cut into bars and enjoy. Store any leftovers in the fridge.
    A square baking dish containing the no-bake chocolate coconut bars before being cut.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 bar | Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: No Bake Chocolate Energy Bars
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
Chicken fajita filling on a sheet pan with a wooden spoon. Tortillas are resting on the bottom of the sheet pan.
Get Your FREE High-Protein Meal Plan
Struggling to eat enough protein? Subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you a 3-Day High-Protein Meal Plan with a Shopping List!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




28 Comments

  1. If I’m using regular milk for these, would you recommend tweaking anything else? I’ve never cooked with almond milk. Thanks!

  2. Stumbled across this recipe and was wondering, when you use maple syrup is it the fat free kind or the “grade a” kind with fat?

    1. Good question Nicole. I keep it natural and stick with the Grade A or Grade B pure maple syrup.

  3. Just made these and they are delicious! They kind of taste like a homemade clif bar and I’m super excited to have a new snack for work! Do you know if these would freeze well?

    1. Amazing! Thank you so much for letting me know how they turned out. In terms of freezing, I haven’t tried freezing these but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Let me know if you try it. Also, quick favor! Would you mind leaving another comment with a star rating of the recipe? The ratings are super helpful for SEO! 🙂

  4. Do you have the recipe for coconut chocolate peanut butter protein bars i can’t find the recipe any where.

  5. These are so, so good! Definitely a keeper.I used honey instead of maple syrup and chunky peanut butter instead of creamy and they were awsome!

    1. I am not sure what a good replacement would be for the nut butter/seed butter as I’ve never tried a replacement for this recipe. I do have these no-bake granola bars that don’t require nut or seed butter that you might want to try instead.

  6. Hi Mrs. Brittany, what do you recommend I could replace for the peanut butter and the oats? Thank you! I love your blog and I am excited to try this recipe.

    The Baker-

  7. 5 stars
    Super easy to prepare and delicious! I used coconut milk, almond slices, and dried cherries in lieu of shredded coconut.

    1. Ah this sounds amazing, Carolyn. I am so glad you are loving this recipe and it turned out great for you. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, I truly appreciate it!

See More Comments