Each time I enter Trader Joe’s, I always stick the same 4 things in my shopping basket: bananas (I eat one every day), bagged spinach (ditto), a 3-pack of the red dark chocolate bars (remind me to write the FDA; dark chocolate should really have its own category in the Food Pyramid), and a box of chocolate chip brownie & oat bars.
What? You haven’t tried their chocolate chip brownie & oat bars? Why n…
Oh. Because I bought them all.
I’m sorry!
For a little while last year, I stocked up on those boxes like a grizzly bear about to hibernate for the winter. I added three, four, five of them into my basket every time—each box containing 6 individual brownie bars—and barely survived through a week or two. My guy made multiple “emergency” trips to TJ’s just for my brownie bars, and the cashiers probably memorized both of our faces from those purchases alone.
“Hey, look! It’s the brownie bar girl again!”
“Wanna bet how many she gets?”
Now that I bake for a living, I’m slightly embarrassed to be that dependent on factory-produced snack bars, so I resolved the make a copycat.
Well, maybe more of a copy-ish cat.
Trader Joe’s, Oroweat, Fiber One, and most other companies offering high-fiber baked goods don’t solely depend on oats or wheat flour as a source and often add in extra as a separate ingredient. To bump up the fiber in my bars, I would’ve needed to special order chicory root extract online, pay an arm and a leg, and wait 2-3 weeks for shipping. I didn’t think you’d want to do that either!
To compensate for less fiber, I added extra protein. I used the Gourmet Chocolate Designer Whey stocked at most TJ’s because it contained the largest amount of protein and the fewest number of calories per 1-scoop serving. If you choose a different brand, the calorie and protein content may change. With this Designer Whey, I more than doubled the amount of protein per bar compared to TJ’s version!
Finally, I made my bars fudgier than TJ’s because that’s the way I like my brownies! (See here and here.) The ooey gooey middles melt in your mouth, leaving you licking your fingers and reaching for another well.
That’s my personal experience, anyway.
My Chocolate Chip Brownie & Oat Bars are one of the healthiest snack bars you’ll ever make. They’re clean-eating friendly, low calorie, and packed with 6.5 grams of protein. Plus that taste like ooey gooey rich dark chocolate dessert brownies.
Running to your kitchen yet?
These taste like fudgy brownies, but they’re actually a really healthy snack! Store any leftovers in ziplock baggies for at least 1 week.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F, and coat an 8”-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats and next 6 ingredients (through salt). In a separate bowl, whisk together the honey, applesauce, and egg whites. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 300°F for 13-15 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan before slicing into 10 bars.
Note: If you don’t have quick oats, you can make your own! Measure ½ cup of old-fashioned oats, and pulse 5-8 times in a food processor.
This is amazing and delicious.
Could you do a healthier version of nutri grain bars those were always my favorite but realised they are not as healthy as they advertise it
Thanks love your recipes as always
I’m so glad you loved these snack bars Tahira! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know — that truly means a lot! 🙂 I’ll add copycat Nutri-Grain bars to my list of reader requests. They were one of my childhood favorites too!
Hi, can you make without the protein powder?
We really appreciate your interest in this recipe, Cindy! We haven’t tried making these bars without the protein powder, so I’m not personally sure about the results. If you’re up for experimenting, you could try replacing the protein powder with around 6-8 tablespoons of whole wheat flour. The batter should be pretty thick!
I also thought you might be interested in our chocolate breakfast cookies! They’re also made with cocoa powder, oats, and applesauce — but no protein powder — and they have a pretty similar sweetness level to these snack bars too!
I’d love to hear what you think if you decide to give either recipe a try! 🙂
What can I substitute for the honey? Or can I omit it?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Linda! Pure maple syrup and agave are the two best alternatives. You can also use ¼ cup of coconut sugar or brown sugar AND 2 tablespoons of milk (any type!) to replace the honey instead. You shouldn’t need to make any modifications to the recipe with any of those options! 🙂
I’d love to hear what you think of these bars if you end up making them!