If you love the combination of chocolate and orange, these Chocolate Orange Oat Bars are definitely worth making. They’re made with simple, whole-food ingredients, have a lovely rich chocolate flavour with a hint of orange, and are topped with a layer of 70% dark chocolate.
One of the things I particularly love about this recipe is that you can make them two different ways. Enjoy them straight from the fridge as soft, chewy no-bake chocolate and oat bars, or pop them in the oven for a slightly firmer, more traditional baked oat bar. Both work really well, so it just depends on what you fancy!
They’re also a good source of fibre and protein, thanks to the oats, dates, hemp seeds and tahini. Oh and they’re nut-free too!
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Orange Oat Bars
- Whole-food ingredients: Made with oats, dates, hemp seeds, cacao, orange and tahini, with no extra additives.
- A good source of fibre: Dates, oats and hemp seeds all contribute to your daily fibre intake, making them a great fibre-rich snack.
- The flavour! The combination of cacao, dark chocolate and fresh orange gives these bars that distinct chocolate orange flavour.
- Two ways to make them: Bake them for a firmer texture or leave them raw for a softer, chewier no bake bar.
- Easy to prepare: Everything comes together in a food processor, so there’s very little hands-on preparation involved.
- Vegan, dairy-free and nut-free: perfect for all sort of diets.
Why I Chose These Ingredients
Medjool dates: These provide the natural sweetness and help bind the ingredients together. They’re also a source of fibre and minerals such as potassium.
Hemp seeds: Small but mighty! Hemp seeds are a really useful source of plant-based protein, fibre and healthy fats. They also contain minerals including magnesium and iron.
Rolled oats: Oats provide soluble fibre, including beta-glucan, in these chocolate and oat bars. They are also a nice cheap ingredient compared to the slighlty more expensive seeds and chocolate.
Tahini: Adds healthy fats and helps to create a soft, chewy texture. Tahini is made from sesame seeds so provides vital minerals such as calcium too. It also ensures the bars are nut-free.
Orange juice and zest: I use both the juice and zest to make sure the orange flavour comes through.
Dark chocolate: I use 70% dark chocolate for the topping. You get more cocoa solids and less sugar that way. Together, with the cacao in the base, it gives these homemade chocolate orange bars an amazing chocolate flavour.
Recipe Tips
- Bake or no-bake? If you prefer a softer, chewier bar, you can eat these raw. If you’d rather have a firmer texture, bake them in the oven. Just bear in mind that baking will make the texture a little drier.
- Tahini subs: If you don’t have tahini you can make these ones with peanut or almond butter.
- Getting the right consistency: The mixture should be sticky enough to hold together when pressed between your fingers. If it feels too dry, add a little extra orange juice or water.
- Melting the chocolate: Melt the dark chocolate gently in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring regularly.
- Decorating: I like to finish these with a little extra orange zest and a sprinkling of seeds before the chocolate sets.
Storage and Shelf Life
Store the raw bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I would keep the baked bars out of the fridge in an airtight container – they will last 3-4 days. Both types of bar can be frozen.
They freeze well for up to 3 months. Allow them to soften slightly at room temperature before eating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these chocolate orange oat bars without baking?
Yes! That’s one of the best things about this recipe. Simply press the mixture into your tin, add the melted chocolate topping and leave to set in the fridge. There’s no baking required.
Are these chocolate orange bars healthy?
They’re made with whole-food ingredients, including oats, dates, hemp seeds and cacao. They’re a good source of fibre and contain a combination of carbohydrates, healthy fats and have about 7g of plant-based protein too. They’re also sweetened with dates and date syrup rather than refined sugar.
Are these chocolate orange bars nut-free?
Yes. Using tahini instead of peanut or almond butter makes the recipe nut-free. Just check your chocolate and other ingredients if you’re preparing these for someone with a nut allergy.
More Chocolate Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed these chocolate orange bars, you might also like my other chocolate and oat bars recipes:
5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Bars
Chocolate Orange Oat Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 50 g shelled hemp seeds (hearts) (½ cup)
- 225 g Medjool dates (1½ cups), pitted
- 100 g rolled oats (1 cup)
- 4 tbsp cacao powder
- 3 tbsp orange juice
- Zest of 1 orange
- 120 g tahini (½ cup)
- 3 tbsp date syrup or sub maple syrup
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Toppings:
- 100 g dark chocolate (3.5oz) (70% cocoa solids)
- Extra orange zest
- A few seeds to decorate
Instructions
- Add the hemp seeds, pitted Medjool dates, rolled oats, cacao powder, orange juice, orange zest, tahini, date syrup and sea salt to a food processor.
- Blend until everything is well combined and the mixture starts to stick together. It should be slightly sticky but firm enough to press into the tin. If it seems a little dry, add a tbsp more orange juice and blend again.
- Once the mixture is fully combined, separate into 12 pieces. Press down firmly into a lined mini brownie tin (or a muffin tin).
- For no-bake bars: Place the tin in the fridge while you prepare the chocolate topping.
- For baked bars: Preheat the oven to 190C (170C fan) or 340F. Bake for approximately 15–18 minutes, then leave to cool completely in the tin.
- Melt the dark chocolate gently and pour over the bars, spreading it evenly to cover the surface.
- Finish with extra orange zest and a few seeds. Refrigerate to set the chocolate.
Notes
- Store the raw bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I would keep the baked bars out of the fridge in an airtight container – they will last 3-4 days. Both types of bar can be frozen.
- In case you are wondering which way is better – I prefer the bars raw and hardened in the fridge – but feel free to try both ways and see which one you like!
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