✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos
These copycat Heavenly Hunks are chunky oatmeal dark chocolate bites with crisp golden edges, a chewy middle and little pockets of melty chocolate. One bowl, no eggs, no mixer, and they taste just like the bag I can never stop raiding.
How Do You Make Heavenly Hunks at Home? (Quick Answer)
Blitz some rolled oats into flour, then stir them with whole oats, coconut, brown sugar, a little potato starch and salt. Mix in brown rice syrup, melted coconut oil and vanilla, fold in dark chocolate chunks and rest the dough 10 minutes. Pack heaping tablespoons into thick rounds and bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes. Cool on the sheet before moving.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Squeeze each scoop hard in your palm before pressing it flat. Loose dough bakes into crumbly granola; packed dough bakes into proper hunks.
Why You'll Love These Hunks
- Crisp edges, chewy middles with deep golden oat edges and soft centers full of dark chocolate.
- Built like the bag oats, coconut, cane and brown sugar, brown rice syrup and dark chocolate, the same building blocks listed on the store-bought kind.
- One bowl, no mixer just stir, scoop, press and bake.
- Egg-free and dairy-free and gluten-free too when you use certified gluten-free oats and dairy-free chocolate.
- Lunchbox friendly they keep their shape for days and freeze beautifully.
What Are Heavenly Hunks?
Heavenly Hunks are those chunky oatmeal dark chocolate cookie bites sold by the bag, with crisp edges, a chewy middle and big pieces of dark chocolate. The bag lists whole grain oats, cane sugar, coconut, brown rice syrup and dark chocolate among its ingredients, and that list shaped this recipe.
The amounts are mine, since the maker doesn't publish a recipe. My test for any copycat: does it taste like the original, and can a home cook make it reliably? These pass, and a fresh batch costs a lot less than a bag.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Rolled oats: old-fashioned oats give the chunky texture. A little gets blended into flour to bind the dough.
- Unsweetened coconut: adds chew and a toasty flavor without making them taste like macaroons.
- Potato starch: a small amount helps hold the hunks together without eggs. Cornstarch works too.
- Brown rice syrup: the sticky binder that gives crisp edges and chewy centers. Find it near the honey.
- Coconut oil: melted and slightly cooled. Refined tastes neutral; virgin adds more coconut flavor.
- Dark chocolate: 60 to 70% cacao, chopped from a bar for the biggest melty pockets.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Pack it, then press it. This dough has no egg, so the syrup and coconut oil do all the binding. Squeeze each scoop hard before you press it flat. My first batch I just plopped the dough on the sheet and baked a tray of very tasty granola.
- Let the dough rest 10 minutes. The oats soak up the syrup and the dough goes from crumbly to clingy. It's the easiest shaping trick there is.
- Bake until truly golden. Pale hunks stay soft and fall apart. You want deep golden edges and dry-looking tops. The middles firm up as they cool.
- Hands off while they cool. Warm hunks are fragile. Give them 15 full minutes on the sheet. Max calls this the longest 15 minutes of the week, and I usually let him have the broken one.
- Chunks beat chips. A chopped dark chocolate bar melts into those big puddles you see in the bag. Chips hold their shape more, which is fine too.
- Swap the syrup if you need to. Brown rice syrup gives the crispest, chewiest texture, but honey or maple syrup work. Honey browns faster, so check them a minute early.
- Want them extra crunchy? Press them a little thinner, about 3/8 inch, and add 2 minutes to the bake.
Copycat Heavenly Hunks
24
bites15
minutes14
minutes135
kcal50
minutesHomemade oatmeal dark chocolate cookie hunks inspired by the Heavenly Hunks bags: whole oats plus a little oat flour, unsweetened coconut, brown sugar and brown rice syrup, coconut oil and dark chocolate chunks, pressed into thick rounds and baked until the edges are crisp and the middles stay chewy. Dairy-free and egg-free. Makes 24.
Ingredients
- For the Oat Dough
2 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, divided (use certified gluten-free oats if needed)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons granulated cane sugar
- For the Wet Mix
1/3 cup brown rice syrup (or honey or maple syrup)
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water
- For the Chocolate
3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips (60 to 70% cacao; dairy-free if needed)
1 pinch flaky sea salt (optional)
Directions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Blend 3/4 cup of the oats in a blender or food processor for about 30 seconds, until it looks like coarse flour.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oat flour, the remaining 1 1/2 cups whole oats, coconut, potato starch, baking soda, salt, brown sugar and cane sugar, breaking up any brown sugar lumps.
- Whisk the brown rice syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla and water in a measuring cup until glossy. Pour it over the dry mix and stir until every oat is coated and the dough holds together when squeezed.
- Fold in the dark chocolate chunks. Let the dough sit for 10 minutes so the oats soak up the syrup; it gets easier to shape.
- Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough, about 1 1/2 tablespoons each, and squeeze each one firmly in your palm. Set them 2 inches apart on the sheets and press into thick rounds about 1/2 inch tall, pushing in any loose oats at the edges.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are deep golden and the tops look dry. The middles will still feel soft. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt, if you like.
- Cool on the sheet for 15 minutes without touching them; they firm up as they cool. Move to a rack to cool completely, then store airtight.
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Variations
Once you've got the base down, these are fun twists.
- Mini bites: scoop 2 teaspoons per hunk and bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Perfect for lunchboxes.
- Peanut butter hunks: swap 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil for creamy peanut butter.
- Salted caramel: add 1/2 teaspoon of extra flaky salt on top and a handful of chopped toffee bits to the dough.
- Fruit and nut: replace 1/4 cup of the chocolate with dried cranberries and chopped toasted pecans.
- Bar version: press the dough into a parchment-lined 8×8 pan and bake 20 to 22 minutes, then cool fully and cut into 16 squares.
Storing and Freezing
Once they're completely cool, keep the hunks in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. A slice of bread in the container keeps them chewy if your kitchen is dry.
To freeze, layer them with parchment in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. They thaw in about 20 minutes on the counter.
More Copycat Cookies
If you love these, my Crumbl chocolate chip cookie copycat is the big, gooey opposite, and you'll find every flavor in my Crumbl copycat cookie recipes. Oat fans should also try my overnight oats for breakfast, and browse all our copycat recipes for more store and restaurant favorites.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Heavenly Hunks?
Heavenly Hunks are bagged oatmeal dark chocolate cookie bites, chunky and chewy with crisp edges. The ingredient list on the bag includes whole grain oats, cane sugar, coconut, brown rice syrup and dark chocolate. This copycat recipe uses those same building blocks so you can bake a fresh batch at home.
Are Heavenly Hunks gluten-free?
This homemade version is gluten-free when you use oats labeled certified gluten-free, since regular oats are often cross-contaminated with wheat. Everything else in the recipe, including the potato starch, is naturally gluten-free. Check your chocolate label too.
Why are my homemade Heavenly Hunks falling apart?
Usually the dough wasn't packed tightly, the hunks were underbaked, or they were moved while warm. Rest the dough 10 minutes, squeeze each scoop firmly, bake until the edges are deep golden, and cool them 15 minutes on the sheet before moving.
Can I use quick oats?
You can, but the hunks will be denser and less chunky. Use 2 cups of quick oats and skip blending any into flour, then add 2 tablespoons of almond flour or extra oat flour to help the dough hold together.
Can I use honey instead of brown rice syrup?
Yes, honey or maple syrup work in the same amount. Brown rice syrup gives the crispest edges and chewiest middles. Honey browns faster, so start checking at 11 minutes, and maple makes a slightly softer hunk.
How do I store Heavenly Hunks?
Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They freeze well for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature for 20 minutes, or eat them straight from the freezer, which is how I like them.
Are these vegan?
They are egg-free and dairy-free as written, as long as your dark chocolate is dairy-free. Use brown rice syrup or maple syrup rather than honey to keep them fully vegan.
