Looking for a quick dessert you can bake in just 15 minutes and then toss into the fridge? These chocolate peanut butter oat bars are incredibly simple and super tasty!
These chocolate peanut butter oat bars are a delicious treat for the entire family.
For the longest time, I was not eating any grains whatsoever. After I healed my Lyme, mold and my gut issues, I slowly started to reintroduce small amounts of grains with success.
I don’t make them a huge part of my diet, because I do seem to have some gut issues with larger amounts of grains, but I can get away with a little occasionally.
These chocolate peanut butter oat bars are something I had thought about making for a really long time, since it’s sometimes nice to have a quick snack you call pull out of the fridge or freezer and take on a hike or just eat around the house.
They are something that everyone in the family can enjoy together, and kids especially love them! They’re quick, easy and super tasty. What isn’t there to love?
Easy to make and even easier to chow down on.
To make these scrumptious chocolate peanut butter oat bars, you will need the following ingredients. For the bar:
- Quick oats
- Salted butter (melted)
- Vanilla extract
- Brown Sugar
For the topping:
- Peanut butter (I like the natural peanut butter without sugar added, but any kind will do)
- Chocolate chips, semi-sweet or dark works great for extra richness
- Honey or brown sugar. If the peanut butter and chocolate chips are both already sweet, this may not be necessary, or you can use less
To make the bar, mix the ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. To an 7×11 pan lined with parchment paper, add the mixture and press it down with a spatula, making sure to get it into the corners.
Bake uncovered in a preheated oven at 350F for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, you can prepare the topping.
For the topping, you will need peanut butter, chocolate chips and honey or brown sugar (optional). Using a double boiler or the microwave, melt the chocolate chips until softened. If using the microwave, heat in spurts of 20 seconds, making sure to stir after each spurt. Do not overheat, or the chocolate will begin to burn.
Mix in the peanut butter and honey/brown sugar and stir to combine. Make sure there are no lumps left, and that the mixture is smooth. A mixer may help with this, especially if the peanut butter is clumpy.
Spread the mixture across the room temperature bars. If you are impatient like me, and try to spread it over still-warm bars, then it will pull up some of the oats and there will not be a clear separation between the bar and topping. It will still taste just as delicious, but it won’t look as pretty.
Store in the fridge for 2-3 hours, or until the topping has fully hardened. Cut into squares and store in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. If storing in the freezer, I recommend putting a piece of parchment paper between each slice, so they do not stick to each other.
Can I leave out the peanut butter?
Yes, this would work just as well with just chocolate. You could also substitute the peanut butter for almond or another nut butter of your choice. Another option is to double the amount of chocolate, and do half white chocolate for a cool chocolate swirl. So many options!
How do I make these vegan?
Rather than using butter, you can use coconut oil. You want to use something that will harden when it cools, so that it gives structure to the bars. If you still want the buttery taste which makes these extra special, you can use a butter flavored coconut oil. And then of course, use brown sugar instead of honey.
If you give these chocolate peanut butter oat bars a try, please let me know what you think in the comments below. Also be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest so you don’t miss a recipe!
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars
Ingredients
For Brown Sugar Oat Bar
- 3-1/2 cups quick oats
- 12 tablespoons salted butter 1-1/2 sticks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
For Peanut Butter Chocolate Topping
- 1 cup Peanut butter natural without sugar recommended
- 2 cups Chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons Honey or brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C).
- For the bar, mix together quick oats, salted butter, vanilla extract and brown sugar in a bowl, until well incorporated.
- To a 7×11 pan lined with parchment paper, add the mixture and press it down with a spatula, making sure to get it in all of the corners.
- Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.
- To prepare the topping, you will need peanut butter, chocolate chips and honey or peanut butter. Using a double boiler or microwave, melt the chocolate chips, stirring consistently. If using the microwave, heat in bursts of 20 seconds, mixing between bursts. Do not overheat once melted, or the chocolate will begin to burn. Remove from heat and mix in the peanut butter and honey or brown sugar, until smooth. A mixer may help, if there are clumps of peanut butter.
- Spread the mixture over the bars once they are fully cooled. If you don't wait until they are entirely cooled, spreading the topping on will cause the oat mixture to mix with the topping.
- Store in the fridge for 2-3 hours, or until the topping has fully hardened. Cut into squares and store in the fridge for up to a week in an air tight container. Can be frozen for up to a month. It is recommended to put pieces of parchment paper between each bar, so they do not stick together.
