Strawberry dark chocolate oat bars are a wholesome, kid-friendly baked good or lunchbox snack. Freeze-dried strawberries add a beautiful pop of bright red color and the flavor pairs perfectly with rich, slightly bitter dark chocolate.

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I am so excited to share a homemade snack recipe with you! Both of my boys love these and they’ve been such a nice addition to our rotation. We enjoy them as a breakfast side for eggs, a coffee pairing, or packed in lunches and they’re always a hit.
Something I’ve been working hard on is to level up the snacks in our house. Packaged snacks get expensive when you have littles! My goodness. It’s also hard to find things that check all my nutritional boxes. I’m getting back to the basics with things like fresh and dried fruit, veggies (trying at least 😂), cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, nuts and nut butters, homemade breads, crackers and oatmeal balls.
Of course this does take extra time, and we’re in a unique stage where we can make it work and my 4-year old loves to be my little sous chef. It’s been fun and I want to keep it going as long as we both enjoy it! He’s learning and the whole house benefits so win/win.
On to the recipe… here’s what you need to make these strawberry dark chocolate oat bars. Make your own baked goods and you get to control how much and what type of ingredients go in. These are just lightly sweetened and have a good bit of fiber from the oats and flax.
Ingredients
- rolled oats & oat flour (certified gluten-free if needed)
- ground flax
- baking powder
- salt
- egg
- milk (any kind should work!)
- avocado oil or other neutral oil
- pure maple syrup
- vanilla extract
- freeze-dried strawberries
- dark chocolate chips (I love 63% dark chocolate, not too sweet and not too bitter)
Step-by-Step Instructions
- The first step is to mix the dry ingredients: oats, oat flour, ground flax, baking powder and salt until everything is well-incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients: egg, milk, avocado oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. I like to use a whisk when there’s an egg involved.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until no flour streaks remain (as always, don’t over mix!)
- Next comes the add-ins: freeze-dried strawberries and dark chocolate chips. Fold them into the batter. Look at that color! My helper loves this step because he gets to “sample” – you know, for quality control.
- Pour into a prepared pan (I love this baking pan!) and bake. Lining with parchment makes lifting the bars out of the pan super clean. I use mini close pins to hold the paper in place while pouring the batter, but I always remove them before the pan goes in the oven.
Substitutions & FAQs
Yes, as long as you buy certified gluten-free oats and oat flour!
I haven’t tested these with a flax egg but I’m confident it would work here. Mix 1 tablespoon of flax with 2.5 tablespoons water and let stand until thickened. Add it in as you would the egg.
At room temperature in an airtight container if you plan to eat within three days. You can also freeze them in a glass food storage container or zip top freezer bag for up to three months! Leave them out at room temp over night and they should be thawed and ready to eat.
Try white chocolate or different freeze-dried fruits like raspberries or blueberries. You can also leave out the chocolate completely and add in chopped nuts instead.
Note on Serving Size
These are pictured in full squares so you can see the texture and ingredients a bit clearer, but I typically cut each square in half to make 18 triangles. Nutrition information in the recipe card below is calculated to reflect 18 servings.
I hope you love these too! Be sure to leave a star rating and review if you give them a try.
More Healthyish Snack Recipes
- Peanut Butter Coconut Energy Bites
- Almond Flour Banana Muffins (double chocolate!)
- Coconut Chia Pudding (with ginger & cacao)
Strawberry Dark Chocolate Oat Bars
Strawberry dark chocolate oat bars are a wholesome, kid-friendly baked good or lunchbox snack. Freeze-dried strawberries add a beautiful pop of bright red color and the flavor pairs perfectly with rich, slightly bitter dark chocolate.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 18 bars 1x
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1.25 cups (100 grams) rolled oats
- 1.25 cups (150 grams) oat flour
- 1/4 cup (30 grams) ground flax
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk (or milk of choice)
- 1/3 cup (100 grams) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ounce bag freeze-dried strawberries, lightly crushed
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a square metal pan with parchment.
- Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl (oats through salt). Whisk wet ingredients in a separate bowl (egg through vanilla). Add wet to dry and mix with a spatula until no flour streaks remain.
- Fold in strawberries and chocolate. Transfer batter to the pan and bake for 15-20 minutes until top is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 5 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack by lifting parchment paper.
- Cut into 9 squares, then cut each in half to make 18 triangles. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
- The equipment section above provides affiliate links to things I use often in my kitchen and love.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 131 calories
- Fat: 6 grams
- Carbohydrates: 16 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Protein: 3 grams
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