These vegan chocolate orange oat bars are quick and easy, but full of flavour. The decadent chocolate pairs beautifully with the citrusy orange.
Vegan Chocolate Orange Oat Bars
Chocolate and orange are two flavors that are meant for each other. Here, they’re combined into oat bars, which are then topped with a layer of rich chocolate, then decorated with orange zest. They’re full of great taste and are super easy to make.
These oat bars are flavoured with citrus and chocolate – a winning combination. Like in The Hedgecomber’s chocolate and orange muffins or Jamie Oliver’s chocolate clafoutis with orange. In fact I’d add a little orange to these gluten free brownies from Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary or forego the chocolate completely in her Tunisian orange cake! Note that none of these are vegan.
You’ll also love my chocolate quinoa bars and carrot peanut butter rice krispie squares. For a super healthy treat, try these avocado carrot oat cookies.
This recipe was created by Izzie, aka Coriander Queen, a blogger who left us too soon. Here’s what Isabella had to say about her recipe:
My mama used to make chocolate orange oat bars for our school tuck break, they are delicious and filling and now I make up batches for me and my boyfriend to take to work as a snack item! It is much cheaper than buying cereal bars, and contains much less salt as well as no additives or palm oil. Chocolate orange oat bars are great because, like flapjacks, the oats provide slow release energy which in turn help to slow down the sugar release as well – so you have enough energy to get through your morning! (I sound like a cereal advert!)
A Tribute
This recipe is a tribute to Isabella King from the blog Coriander Queen. After a battle with cancer, she sadly passed away recently at the young age of 29. Our UK food blogging community was completely shaken by the sad news that one of our friends and colleagues was now gone.
Dotted all round the UK, we may not all have known her in person, but we all knew her. She was a smiling avatar, a friendly note. She was a positive comment on a blog post and friendly chatter in a facebook group.
As our community found out the terrible news, we suddenly felt close yet so far. So we all did what we do best. We retreated to our kitchens and each cooked a recipe from her blog to share with you all.
Today, we are all posting Isabella’s recipes. For no other reason than to give ourselves a few moments to focus on her, and to show the world that we cared about her and that we miss her. That you don’t have to stand beside someone for them to impact your life in a positive way. To show that from behind her keyboard she had a world of friends who cared about her and will miss her.
Goodbye Izzie.
Get the recipe for Vegan Chocolate Orange Oat Bars
If you make this vegan chocolate orange oat bars recipe, please tag it with #veggiedesserts on Instagram or other social media. I LOVE seeing your recreations of my recipes!
Also, pop down to the comment and let me know how you got on with the recipe. It’s always great to hear from my readers. Your support allows me write this food blog and bring you vegetable cake recipes as well as vegan desserts, plus savoury vegetarian and vegan recipes and breakfasts and drinks.
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Vegan Chocolate Orange Oat Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (115g) dairy-free butter
- 1 cup (85g) oats
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- ½ tsp orange zest
- Pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup (100g) plain (all purpose) flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
For the icing:
- 125 g powdered icing sugar (confectioner's)
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Lightly grease a loaf pan.
- In a large saucepan over a low heat, melt the butter/spread.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the oats, sugar, cocoa, orange juice, zest and salt, mixing until completely combined.
- Stir in the baking powder and the flour, a little bit at a time.
- Pour into the prepared pan and gently press down. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool.
For the icing:
- Once the bars are cooled, combine the icing sugar, orange juice and cocoa, mixing until smooth and a thick glossy consistency.
- Pour over cooled oats, and smooth with a spatula.
- Leave to cool completely.
- Once the icing has set, cut into bars and store in an airtight container.
Kok an huis
This was amazing! Thank you for sharing you’re creativity!
carole clack
hi made the vegan chocolate cake .and its the best . but the calories is that the hole cake or per portion
Kate Hackworthy
Hi, the calories are per portion. So 1/10th size bar will have 218 calories.
Janice
I love the look of these bars. Oats are such a great base for so many flavours and chocolate and orange is a classic combination.
Jessi
It looks so delicious in those pictures!!!! I really like reading your nice tribute, Kate. Thanks for sharing.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
That is so sad!! A beautiful tribute.
Cindy Swain
These look delicious! I love the combination of chocolate and orange. Yum!
Manjiri Chitnis
so beautifully written Katherine, I love how you bring forward the point that we don’t really have to stand beside someone to help bring about a positive change.
Elyssa
Never knew Isabella or read her blog before today but now I have to… such a sad story but the reaction from you and others is an amazing tribute to how incredible the food blogging community can be. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Melissa @ Insider The Kitchen
This looks amazing – I’ve been wanting to try a desert with chickpea flour for a while now, I love the stuff. Thanks for the recipe!:D
Catering Den Haag
This looks incredible! Yum!
Andrea @ The Petite Cook
Such lovely words Kate, really proud to be part of our little blogging community. I’m sure Izzie would have loved these chcolatey oat bars as much as I do xx
Camilla Hawkins
These bars look and sound amazing, I am so impressed by all the wonderful recipes I am seeing today. A lovely tribute Kate:-)
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs
Going through each bloggers recipes its so touching, Izzie will be missed. Will think of her when I make a batch of these!
Ceri Jones
Such a beautiful post Kate, I love what you have to say about Izzie, so perfectly put. And now I need to make these bars too 🙂 x
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes
A really beautiful tribute Kate! Even though I never knew Izzie personally, but you instantly felt her warm persona when you interacted with her.
Choclette
Oh, this is such a moving post. Beautifully written Kate. It’s hard, but also sort of uplifting reading all of these posts. The chocolate orange bars look rather good too.
Janice
You said that so well, Kate. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, as they echo with so many of Izzie’s blogging friends x Great recipe and one I am going to make.
Nicky
Whoa they look so good! A really nice tribute to Isabella, I’m sure she’d love your post x
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Lovely post Kate – I teared up writing my own tribute to Isabella, and I’m doing it all over again reading everyone else’s lovely words. She was such a warm person.
Kavey at Kavey Eats
“Today, we are all posting Isabella’s recipes. For no other reason than to give ourselves a few moments to focus on her, and to show the world that we cared about her and that we miss her. That you don’t have to stand beside someone for them to impact your life in a positive way. To show that from behind her keyboard she had a world of friends who cared about her and will miss her.”
This, exactly this. <3
Angela
Such lovely words – she was a lovely blogger. The oat bars look great too.
Nayna Kanabar
These look and sound delicious and perfect for snacking. A fitting tribute to coriander queen.
Dom
Oooh these look so good. Such a wonderful and fitting tribute to a fellow food blogger xx
Tracy knatt
You have summed up the feelings of our community perfectly!
Margot
Delicious looking recipe and a beautiful tribute to Isabella!
Lucy
What lovely words Katherine, you have written perfectly.
Jane
That was beautiful Kate, I’m a soggy mess <3
Sus // roughmeasures.com
Your words are beautiful Kate and have got me blubbing up xx