A healthy dessert that combines all the best salty and sweet flavors.
These thick and chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars are packed with protein and fiber, and best yet, full of chocolatey goodness. You can never go wrong with a peanut butter and chocolate combo, and that’s why these bars make for the perfect health-ified dessert (or breakfast treat)! Not to mention, they are low in sugar, gluten-free and dairy-free – the ultimate triple threat.
Hi there! I hope this recipe brightens your day. ☀️ If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been in the kitchen a bit more during these COVID-19 times. Despite all the downsides, I will say this extra time at home has allowed me to do things I’ve been wanting to for a while, but just haven’t “had” time (or should I say, haven’t made the time).
One of those things for me is recipe testing. And somehow it seems like it’s been a lot of desserts 🤔. Coincidence? I’m not so sure!
Luckily for you, this Peanut butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bar recipe (now that’s a mouthful) has been perfected because of it. So let’s dive in!
Warning: these oatmeal bars are addicting. Since Nick and I are both working from home, I now see how much snacking he does throughout the day. I swear every time I saw him in the kitchen, he’d be picking at these bars. (And honestly, that’s better for me, so I don’t end up eating them all myself!)
Here’s what you’ll need.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars Ingredients
- peanut butter
- coconut oil
- pure maple syrup
- coconut sugar
- egg
- gluten free rolled oats
- chocolate chips
- pecans
- baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pure vanilla extract
A lot of these ingredients are pantry staples, perfect for the times 😉. Of course, if you don’t have gluten free oats, you can use regular.
If you’re trying to make this recipe dairy-free, make sure to use dairy free chocolate chips. My all-time favorite brand is Enjoy Life – all of their products are allergen-friendly.
Also, if you’re looking to reduce the sugar, make sure to use peanut butter with no added sugar. It’s as simple as checking the label. 🙂
How to Make Oatmeal Bars
If it’s on this blog, you know it’s simple. One bowl and one pan – that’s all you need.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper. I’ll let you in on a little secret. I put parchment paper down one way and then tear a separate sheet and place the other way. For some reason, this just works better for me when I pull out the bars after they’ve been cooked.
- Next grab a medium to large bowl and add in the wet ingredients – ½ cup creamy peanut butter, ¼ cup melted coconut oil, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 3 tablespoons coconut sugar, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extra. Using a hand mixer, blend the ingredients together until smooth.
- Now add the dry ingredients to the same bowl – 1 cup gluten free rolled oats, ½ cup gluten free flour (or oat flour), ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Again, using a hand mixer blend the ingredients until smooth and then add ⅓ cup chocolate chips and ¼ cup pecans. Stir until combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly and then add the additional toppings – 2 tablespoons chocolate chips and 2 tablespoon chopped pecans (more if desired 😉)
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes and then let cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from pan. Eat it plain jane, or with a big scoop of ice cream, either way, enjoy!
2 more things! First, you can make oat flour by simply putting ½ cup of gluten-free oats in a blender and blending on high speed for a few minutes. The second, Nick wanted to make sure you all knew to add in extra chocolate chips 😉
- • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- • ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- • 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- • 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
- • 1 egg
- • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- • 1 cup gluten free rolled oats
- • ½ cup gluten free flour (or oat flour)
- • ½ teaspoon baking soda
- • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- • ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add-ins
- • ⅓ cup chocolate chips + 2 tablespoons
- • ¼ cup pecans + 2 tablespoons
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Grab a medium to large bowl and add in the wet ingredients – ½ cup creamy peanut butter, ¼ cup melted coconut oil, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 3 tablespoons coconut sugar, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extra. Using a hand mixer, blend the ingredients together until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the same bowl – 1 cup gluten free rolled oats, ½ cup gluten free flour (or oat flour), ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Again, using a hand mixer blend the ingredients until smooth and then add ⅓ cup chocolate chips and ¼ cup pecans. Stir until combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly and then add the additional toppings – 2 tablespoons chocolate chips and 2 tablespoon chopped pecans (more if desired)
- Bake for 25 - 30 minutes and then let cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from pan. Cut into squares squares making 9 - 16 bars. Eat them plain jane or with a scoop of ice cream, either way, enjoy!
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