These Peanut Butter Oat Bars are the best! They’re no-bake, easy, and healthy; and the taste is out of this world.
Here’s our new favorite healthy treat tip: Peanut Butter Oat Bars! This is everything you want in a treat: irresistible sweet peanut flavor, chewy texture, and a little bit of chocolate on top! These no-bake oatmeal bars are like our famous bite-sized cookies, but simpler and healthier (if that’s possible). And we never get tired! Our son Larson often asks with a grin if he can have an oat bar: and we’re happy to oblige. This sweet treat optimizes whole grain oats while hitting hard in the sweet, salty, and filling departments. Let’s cook! Although really… there is no actual cooking.
Ingredients for Peanut Butter Oat Bars
There are only 5 ingredients you need for these Peanut Butter Oat Bars… and two are in the recipe title! It’s the ultimate easy recipe, right there. We love these no-bake oat bars as treats, but they’re also great for snacking on since they’re mostly just whole grain oats. For breakfast bars, we prefer our simple oatmeal bars, but you can also eat them for breakfast. Here’s what you’ll need for these babies:
- Old-fashioned oatmeal: Use regular old oats here: no steel cut or instant oats!
- Peanut butter: We love natural peanut butter with no added sugar or salt, but use your favorite brand.
- Honey: Honey has the best hot flavor and gooey texture. Below are some vegan options!
- Cinammon: This spice adds just the right amount of nuance.
- Dark chocolate: All you need is an ounce of dark chocolate – that’s just a touch of goodness!
Chocolate drizzle is optional
Dark chocolate is optional here: but it’s a great addition! Just the small amount of chocolate adds a nice punch while still keeping the treats on the healthy side. How?
- Dark chocolate only adds 8 calories per bar! This is for the big bar (more on that below). We’re not used to counting calories, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that the drizzle didn’t take it into decadent territory.
- Also try milk chocolate, peanut butter or white chocolate. A few variations? Melt dark chocolate, peanut butter chips, or white chocolate chips in a drizzle. White chocolate and dark chocolate together would also look great.
Cut them into large or small portions
The portion size comes in handy when you’re looking for healthy treats! These peanut butter oat bars have two size options depending on what you’re looking for:
- Cut them into 20 4 x 5 inch sticks. We love the smaller rectangles compared to the standard large squares that you get when you evenly divide a 9×9 pan into 16 pieces. Call us crazy, but it’s more fun to eat this size!
- Or go smaller: cut them in half to get 40 bars! Do you like to satisfy your cravings for sweets with a small piece? Opt for 40 small bars: they are perfect for small bites.
Vegan no-bake oat bars
Want to make vegan peanut butter oatmeal bars instead? The honey in this recipe is important for creating a warm, nuanced flavor and gooey texture. We usually use maple syrup as a vegan sweetener, but it doesn’t quite have the same texture and sweetness here. We recommend using it Agave Syrup: it’s slightly stickier than maple. But you can use maple syrup if that’s all you have!
How to store peanut butter oat bars
These Peanut Butter Oat Bars are the perfect treat to throw in the fridge and devour anytime! They keep very well in the fridge or freezer; Here’s what you need to know:
- Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. When making the fog, wait for it to dry and then place wax paper between the layers. Or don’t care and stack them like we do!
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. They freeze well too… and to be honest, they taste good straight out of the freezer too.
Healthier bars and balls
We love these healthy bars as a sweet treat that’s not decadent and fills us up with whole grains! Here are some healthier bars that taste amazing:
This Peanut Butter Oatbar Recipe is…
Vegetarian, dairy free and gluten free. For vegan and plant-based see notes above.
The description
These Peanut Butter Oat Bars are the best! They’re no-bake, easy, and healthy; and the taste is out of this world.
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (no added sugar or nut-free sunflower butter)
- ½ cup honey (or ½ cup agave syrup* for vegans)
- 4 cups Old fashioned oatmeal
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon Cinammon
- 1 at 2 ounces of dark chocolate (1/8 at 1/4 cup of chocolate chips)
- Mix the peanut butter, honey, rolled oats, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. (If the mixture seems dry and non-sticky, add a little more peanut butter and/or honey; different brands of peanut butter work differently.)
- Add a sheet of parchment paper to a 9 x 9 pan. Add the ingredients to the pan and press into an even layer. Use a small glass to roll over the top to make it smooth.
- Freeze the bars for 10 minutes. Take the mold out of the freezer and use the parchment paper to lift it out of the mold. Cut into 20 rectangles (4 x 5 rows) or 40 small rectangles.
- Melt the chocolate in short intervals in the microwave or in a water bath, stirring until you get a glossy chocolate. If using the microwave, use short bursts of about 10 seconds, stirring after each one: be careful not to overheat the chocolate or get water into the chocolate, which may cause it to set. Once melted, drizzle over the bars and let cool. You can eat right away or refrigerate for about 1 hour for a firmer texture. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks (or freeze for several months, placing wax paper between layers).
Remarks
*Maple syrup is usually our favorite sweetener, but the honey flavor and texture really make these bars stand out. Since maple syrup isn’t as sticky as honey, we recommend agave syrup as a vegan substitute.
**We typically use about 1 ounce for a very light drizzle, but you can use more if you’d like more chocolate.
- Category: dessert or snack
- Method: no cooking
- Kitchen: vegetarian
- Diet: vegetarian
Keywords: Peanut Butter Oat Bars, No Bake Oat Bars, Healthy Bars
More like peanut butter
Who doesn’t love hazelnut peanut butter? There’s nothing it doesn’t improve on. Here are some other peanut butter recipes to enjoy:
