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Chocolate peanut butter oat bars

Servings 16 bars

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
  • 2 tbsp oil I use canola, coconut or a different neutral oil would work
  • 1 tbsp flax seed, ground
  • 2 cups rolled oats Use gluten free and you'll have gluten free bars
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Note: I often make these right after I've made a batch of fresh peanut butter in my Vitamix. I simply grind unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts (from the bulk section of my grocery store) in my Vitamix. Start slow, with about a cup of peanuts and very slowly - using the tamper the whole time - crank up the speed until it is on high. Then add more peanuts. I grind about 2.5 cups of peanuts at a time, which makes more than enough peanut butter for this recipe plus a jar leftover. 

  2. Heat your oven to 350°F. I use our toaster oven. Line an 8"x8" oven-proof pan with parchment paper and set aside.

  3. Combine the peanut butter (either what you've made or a natural peanut butter you've bought), brown rice syrup, and oil in a small sauce pan and heat over low heat. You want it to warm enough that it easily combines.

  4. In a spice grinder, grind the flax seed, or use ground flaxseed if you can't be bothered!

  5. In a large bowl, combing the oats, ground flax seed, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine.

  6. While it is warming on the stovetop, occasionally stir the peanut butter mixture until it is uniform, very smooth, and pourable. 

  7. Pour the peanut butter mixture into the large bowl with the oats, and stir thoroughly to combine. Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine. It is helpful if you let this sit for a few minutes, as the oats soften and hold together better after baking. 

  8. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan. Use the back of a spatula to firmly and levelly press the mixture into the pan.

  9. Bake for 25 minutes.

  10. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool for a minute or two, and then compress the bars again, carefully, with the back of a spatula. Let cool for about 5 minutes more, then remove the parchment and bars carefully from the pan and place on a cutting board. Cut into 16 bars with a sharp knife; it's important to do this before they cool too much or they will crumble more than you might like.

  11. Return the sliced bars to the cooling rack and allow to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container and gobbling them all up.