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This Heavenly Hunks oatmeal dark chocolate recipe is the best snack ever! Soft, sweet, and perfectly portioned, these wholesome oatmeal cookie bars are a hit with kids and adults alike. Try this dietitian-formulated copycat recipe to reduce the sugar, increase the fiber, and make the perfect kid-friendly treat!
Heavenly Hunks Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Recipe
If you’ve ever had Heavenly Hunks before, you know just how amazingly soft these little bites are! They’re so tender and sweet with a chewy oat texture and crunchy chocolate bits. My kids can’t get enough of them!
Fortunately, they’re already a decent alternative to regular grocery store snacks because compared to other bars, they’re relatively low in sugar, and have some fiber from the oats. This Heavenly Hunks copycat recipe takes them a step further, though!
They’re completely naturally sweetened with honey and maple syrup, and have almond butter to help reduce the amount of oil and add in some extra healthy fats and protein. They’re just as good as the real deal…maybe even better!
Heavenly hunks
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Why We Love This DIY Heavenly Hunks Recipe
- Minimal processed ingredients: Although the original recipe isn’t terribly unhealthy, it does use organic cane sugar, palm oil, sunflower lecithin, and natural flavors. This version is completely naturally sweetened, unlike the original, and they are also totally free from any preservatives, flavorings, or overly processed ingredients!
- Great for kids: The small size and soft oat texture of these bites are perfect for kids! This recipe is specifically formulated to offer extra healthy fats and fiber from the oats, coconut and almond butter to fill them up and support their growing brains.
- Easy make ahead snack: These hunks use simple, real ingredients and are ready with just a few minutes of active effort. Even better, they can last up to 2 weeks in the fridge or even longer in the freezer. Make the recipe once and serve it for weeks. They’re a great snack to take on the go!
Ingredient Notes
- Rolled oats: Use regular rolled or old-fashioned oats. They’ll be blended into oat flour and also added whole for two different textures in this sweet treat.
- Coconut flakes: Unsweetened regular or organic coconut shreds or flakes are a great way to add extra texture, fiber, and healthy fats.
- Tapioca flour: This will absorb excess moisture and give your oatmeal bars a tender texture.
- Sea salt: Just use a small amount to bring out the flavors.
- Honey: I like to use two sweeteners to balance the flavor and texture. Honey is only safe for kids over the age of one. You can use organic brown rice syrup as an alternative.
- Maple syrup: Pure maple syrup adds such a rich flavor to this wholesome snack. Use 100% pure maple syrup.
- Coconut oil: The original Heavenly Hunks recipe calls for organic cocoa butter and palm oil, but melted coconut oil does a great job binding the oatmeal bites together.
- Almond butter: Natural peanut butter is a good alternative, or you can try cashew butter.
- Mini chocolate chips: Look for regular or organic dark chocolate chips.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- In a small blender, coffee grinder or food processor, grind 1/3 cup of your oats into a flour-like consistency.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the ground oats, remaining oats, coconut flakes, tapioca flour, and salt. Use the whisk attachment to mix the ingredients together until combined.
- Next, mix in the melted coconut oil, almond butter and the honey (or brown rice syrup) and maple syrup until fully combined.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the chocolate chips using a wooden spoon.
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Press the oat mixture into the pan with your fingers or a spatula and freeze it for 1-2 hours. Once solidified, remove from the freezer and cut the cookie bar mixture into small rectangles. Once they’ve been cut, store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
RECIPE TIPS
- Having a hard time mixing in the chocolate chips? Add some as you’re pressing the mixture into the loaf pan.
- If the heavenly hunks mixture is sticky, wet the back of a spatula to make it easier to press the oat mixture into the loaf pan.
- To avoid grinding the oats, use about 3 tablespoons of oat flour and reduce the whole oats to 2 cups.
Recipe FAQs
Although the storebought Heavenly Hunks are shelf stable, these homemade Heavenly Hunks do benefit from being stored in the fridge. This keeps them nice and firm and will prevent crumbling. I like to set them out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before to soften them up for the kids. They like them straight from the fridge, too! They’re just firmer from the solidified coconut oil.
If you’ve ever taken a look at the Heavenly Hunks nutrition facts, you’ve probably noticed that they do have better-for-you ingredients like gluten-free oats, brown rice syrup, and more. These can offer your kids long-lasting energy and a little fiber to tide them over.
But if you look at them more closely, you’ll see that just one bite of the almond butter chocolate hunks has 6 grams of fat, 16 grams of carbs, just 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of protein, and 6 grams of added sugar. Plus, the original recipe does have natural flavors and a preservative (vitamin E) to keep them fresh.Â
On the other hand, this copycat heavenly hunks recipe is totally naturally sweetened, and contains no preservatives, emulsifiers, or added flavors. It also has some great healthy fats from the coconut, coconut oil, and almond butter, and some extra fiber from the nut butter, too. They’re a great, slightly healthier version that’s perfect for kids!
Although I don’t have the exact recipe for Heavenly Hunks by any means, you can easily make your own soft oatmeal bars at home with a mixture of rolled oats, melted coconut oil, almond butter, chocolate chips, and a few other ingredients.
They come together very similarly to granola bars, so you really just stir everything together then press the mixture into a pan! They’re very easy and completely free from added preservatives, flavors, etc.
Storage Guidelines
- Store this Costco heavenly hunks recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze the oatmeal bars for longer storage. Just be sure to let them thaw in the fridge before serving them to your child.
Serving Suggestions
These chocolate oatmeal bars are intended to be served as an afternoon snack or in addition to a balanced meal. They’re a nice way to satisfy a sweet tooth or to give your kids a little extra energy before sports practice.
Consider offering them with fresh fruits for additional fiber or some high-protein mini egg bites or zucchini egg frittata muffins.
Recipe Variations
- To make nut-free: Use sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter.
- Peanut butter chocolate Heavenly Hunks: Use peanut butter instead of almond butter. They’re also nice with dark chocolate chunks for a little extra crunch. Love this combination!
- Cranberry Almond: Add a teaspoon of almond extract and some dried cranberries for a fun twist. Look for fruit juice-sweetened cranberries to use less sugar.
- Add some extracts: For a little extra flavor, feel free to add some organic vanilla extract or almond extract.
More Similar Recipes
- Nut Free Breakfast Bars
- 3-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Healthy Banana Pumpkin Bars
- Baked Chocolate Chip Oatmeal
- 3-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Bars
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Copycat Heavenly Hunks Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/3 cups rolled oats, divided
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/3 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup honey or brown rice syrup
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup almond butter (or natural peanut butter)
- 1/3-1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a small blender, coffee grinder or food processor, grind 1/3 cup of the oats into a flour-like consistency.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the ground up oats, remaining oats, coconut flakes, tapioca flour, and salt. Use the whisk attachment to mix the ingredients together until combined.
- Next, mix in the melted coconut oil, almond butter, honey (or brown rice syrup) and maple syrup until fully combined.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the chocolate chips using a wooden spoon until evenly distributed.
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Press the oat mixture into the pan with your fingers or a spatula and freeze it for 1-2 hours. Once solidified, remove from the freezer and cut the cookie bar mixture into 21-24 small rectangles. Once they’ve been cut, store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Having a hard time mixing in the chocolate chips? Add some as you’re pressing the mixture into the loaf pan.
- If the heavenly hunks mixture is sticky, wet the back of a spatula to make it easier to press the oat mixture into the loaf pan.
- To avoid grinding the oats, use about 3 tablespoons of oat flour and reduce the whole oats to 2 cups.
These are so yummy!! And so much better than store-bought granola bars and so much healthier! My kids and I love them! Thanks for the great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed them! They were a hit in our house too 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a rating and review!