Allergen-Friendly Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars (Higher Protein)

Ingredients 

Here’s a photo of everything you’ll need, along with selected ingredient notes:

• Chocolate chips – There are several brands of allergen-friendly chocolate chips on the market these days. My personal go-to is Enjoy Life (affiliate link) – it’s easy to find at grocery stores or online, and I find it tastes like high-quality chocolate. You can also search for Nestle Allergen Free Morsels. When looking, be sure to always check product labels as manufacturer formulations can change and some brands have products that look similar that contain allergens.

• Rolled oats – Rolled oats or quick oats will work; skip steel cut oats as they’re too firm for this recipe and won’t work. If you’re following a gluten free diet, make sure your oats are certified gluten free (oats are often grown or processed with wheat, so it’s important to double check that you are purchasing certified gluten free ones if you need ’em).

• Sunflower butter – Sunflower seed butter is a great option for these bars to keep them free of peanuts and tree nuts (aside from coconut, which is used in this recipe but can be omitted as needed). If you don’t have sunflower butter, you can substitute with any nut butter or seed butter that you have on hand, just obviously keep in mind what allergens these might add.

• Plant-based protein powder – Select whatever protein powder you enjoy and fits your dietary needs. For this recipe, I like using NOW’s Organic Plant Protein, which is a blend of pea, pumpkin seed, and hemp protein, making it a good option for those with allergies since it’s free of soy and dairy. (NOW is a client I work with a bit, so you can save 20% off an order with them at nowfoods.com using code CHRISSY through the end of the year).

Instructions

You’ll find the full recipe amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the page, but here’s a helpful overview with photos and tips.

Start by preheating the oven. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper, or grease it with a little cooking spray (either works!).

Add the chickpeas, sunflower butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to either a small food processor bowl. (A blender can also work in a pinch, but the processor works better). Process that for about 60 seconds, until you have a nice creamy mixture, like this:

In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients: the oats, protein powder, salt, chocolate chips, and coconut. Mix that together.

Scoop out the chickpea mixture in there too, and stir everything until it’s combined.

Then spread everything evenly into the 8×8 pan, pressing down gently to form one even layer.

Pop that in the oven and bake it for about 15-20 minutes. You’ll want to remove it when it no longer looks damp on top. Avoid overcooking the bars, or they can dry out.

Allow those to cool fully – you want to be careful cutting too early, or they can crumble. Once cool, cut ‘em up into 9 squares and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. (Or freeze for up to 3 months).

These bars are great cold or warm. If you prefer eating warm, microwave for 10-20 seconds before eating.

Allergens in this Recipe

Disclaimer: Always double check ingredients and labels yourself prior to making a recipe.  While I try to check all ingredients for allergens, there’s always the chance I may miss something, or manufacturer formulations can change.

As written, and using products that are free from these ingredients, this recipe should be dairy free, egg free, wheat/gluten free, soy free, and peanut free. They do contain coconut, but you can easily omit that if you can’t tolerate it. Keep in mind you’ll want to make sure you choose appropriate products for any of these allergens. For example, some dairy-free protein powders contain soy, which you’d obviously want to omit if you are soy free. Be sure to purchase chocolate chips that are free from these allergens, like Enjoy Life’s Dark Chocolate Morsels.