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Walnut Oat Cookie Bars

  • Author: Mia Zarlengo
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 11 minutes
  • Total Time: 21 minutes
  • Yield: 12 squares 1x
  • Category: Dessert, Snacks

Description

Soft, gooey, nutty walnut oat cookie bars. The best gluten free and vegan treat!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup gluten free old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup raw walnuts 
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil 
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt 
  • 1/41/3 cup mini chocolate chips (or for a melty chocolate topping seen in the photos- use 1/3 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 tsp coconut oil melted in the microwave or stovetop)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Add oats, walnuts, and sea salt to a food processor. Pulse for 15-20 seconds, until a meal forms. 
  2. While processor is still on, pour in maple syrup and avocado oil. Process until a dough forms. This should take 1 minute or less. 
  3. Spread dough onto an 8×8 square baking dish lined with parchment paper. Be patient- it will take a minute to spread the dough evenly. Tip: make sure to keep an inch or 2 of the baking dish unfilled on all 4 sides so that the bars are not spread too thin. I use a small spatula to shape the dough into a square about 1/2 inch thick.
  4. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top (or if you want the melty chocolate topping, save that for after the bars are baked and cooled) . Bake for 11-12 minutes, then immediately lift parchment  paper up to remove bars from the baking dish. Allow to completely cool, then slice into 12 squares. Note: if you don’t allow the bars to cool before slicing, they will be very fragile!

Notes

I do not reccommend substituting a different nut here, or using aluminum foil in place of parchment paper!