Copycat Heavenly Hunks

I might be the last person on earth to have tasted Heavenly Hunks, and I’m certainly the last person on our team here at The Real Food Dietitians who tasted them. They really weren’t on my radar until I became an official “soccer mom” last year and I noticed all the other moms pulling packages of Heavenly Hunks out of their bags for sideline snacks. All the kids loved them, including my own. 

I had to see what the buzz was about, so I picked up a bag of the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Heavenly Hunks on a Costco run one day. After one hunk, I could see why they’re so appealing, with all that coconut and chocolate goodness in a chewy compact brownie shape. And, at the same time, I also knew I could probably make them at home, which is just what I did. So if you’re a fan of these tasty oat-based sweet treats, but you want to save some bucks and cut back on all the forms of added sugar, then you’ll be glad you found my version.

Ingredients Notes About Heavenly Hunks

Here are a few helpful points about some of the ingredients in this recipe: 

• agave syrup – also called agave nectar, this is the only sweetener in my recipe. I really like it for this recipe because it’s a great neutral flavor base, provides plenty of sweetness, and has more stickiness than brown rice syrup, maple syrup, or honey, though any of those would be an OK substitute to use (though maple syrup and honey have unique distinctive flavor, so just be aware of that if you make the sub). I like this agave syrup from Target and, in addition to using it to make these snack hunks, I also like to use it as a simple syrup in mocktails, since it dissolves well 
• coconut flour – I chose coconut flour because it’s higher fat content helps the hunks hold together really well and I think it makes them taste really good. You can also use almond flour or tapioca flour
• coconut oil – melted coconut oil helps these bars stick together, and I like it because it’s an allergen-friendly fat source that has subtle flavor, making these bars dairy and lactose free. If you don’t need the bars to be dairy-free, however, you could use the same amount of melted butter, but they will taste a little different. 

Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.

Equipment Needed

This is a no-bake treat recipe, so you don’t need a lot of equipment or time to make it, but these things are helpful: 

• Food processor – this is used to grind a small portion of the oats into a flour; you can also use a mini food chopper. Or, you could just start with 2 cups of old-fashioned oats plus ½ cup of oat flour, and then skip this step  
• Mixer – since the dough is thick, I prefer to use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. If you don’t have one of those, you can use a handheld mixer or just mix by hand with a wooden spoon 
• Loaf pan – to make the cube shape of these hunks, the mixture gets pressed into a 9×5-inch loaf pan (this is my favorite loaf pan ever)
• Parchment paper – it’s helpful to line the loaf pan with parchment paper so you can easily lift the frozen bars out of the pan 

How To Make

I tested this recipe four times myself, and Stacie tested it a few times, too, in order to make sure that all the variations work well and that this recipe is super solid. I’m proud to say it is!  Here’s an overview of the steps, but you’ll want to refer to the recipe card below for the full set of instructions. 

1. Grind some of the oats. In order to get the right texture, you’ll need the majority (2 cups) of the oats to remain whole, but the other ½ cup gets ground into a flour-like consistency. This helps everything stick together. 
2. Mix the thick dough. The dough is very thick, which is why I like to use a heavy-duty stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Combine the dry ingredient first: the oats, oat flour, coconut flour, shredded coconut, and salt. 
3. Add the fat and sweetener. I prefer to melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan on the stovetop before adding it to the dough in the mixing bowl. But you can also melt it in the microwave. At the same time that you add the coconut oil, add the agave syrup. Mix everything together until a sticky, thick dough forms. 
4. Stir in the chocolate chips. Stir in the ½ cup chocolate chips by hand, using a wooden spoon, so they don’t get too melted and so they distribute evenly. 
5. Press the dough. Press the dough into the parchment-lined loaf pan, pressing it down firmly with your fingers to make a thick even layer. Be sure to press it evenly into the corners. 
6. Freeze, then cut. Place the loaf pan in the freezer for 2 hours or up to overnight (any longer and they may get too hard to cut). Lift up on the parchment to remove the full loaf and place it on a cutting board. Then, use a heavy knife, like a chef’s knife, to cut the bars into 18 hunks. Do this by cutting the loaf into 3 strips, lengthwise, then cut each strip into 6 pieces. 

For serving size and the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition analysis, listing calories (kcals), protein, carbohydrates/carb, fiber, sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and more per serving.

How To Serve

I tend to think of these homemade Heavenly Hunks as a dessert, since they are plenty sweet enough to be. So I like to serve them as an after-dinner treat with a cup of tea. 

But I’ve also served them as a snack at my son’s birthday party and often take them as a sports snack. In fact, they were a hit at a recent soccer practice where all the other moms couldn’t believe I had cracked the code to make the real deal: a better-than-the-original copycat Heavenly Hunks recipe. Needless to say, it was a proud moment for this dietitian mom!  

How To Store

Store the hunks in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months. I like to snack on them right out of the fridge, no thawing necessary. But they’re also fine if they’ve been sitting at room temperature for a few hours. 

---

The photos in this post were taken by Megan McKeehan.

For ultimate success, we highly recommend reading the tips in the full blog post above. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words. Link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!