There are a lot of no bake nut butter bar recipes out there. They are an easy gluten-free treat to make, and they are perfect for when you don’t want to turn the oven on during the heat of summer. I struggled, however, to find a recipe with the ingredients and ratios that gave me the texture I wanted. My goal was this: I wanted a bar that was
- Rich in nut butter flavor
- Soft but not too squishy
- Didn’t suck the moisture out of my mouth when I took a bite
- A chocolate layer that would stay soft even refrigerated
- A bit of hearty chew to the texture
- No hard, crumbly bites
- Used natural nut butters and no refined sugars
I have tried several different ingredients – whole rolled oats, coconut flour, almond flour, coconut flour AND almond flour, crisped brown rice, and combinations of the above. I found that the perfect texture was a combination of fine ground oats and rough chopped quick oats. I am so pleased with how these turned out! I will warn you – they are rich and almost fudgy. A small bar goes a long way. But what a treat!
A Few Preparation Tips
- You can buy premade oat flour and premade quick oats, but you can also make both versions of these with regular rolled oats and a food processor. Use the pulse button for a rough chop to get quick oats. For finely chopped oats resembling oat flour, run the food processor full speed for about 90 seconds – 2 minutes. Pulse it a few times after to get any remaining large chunks.
- If you weigh the oats before you put them in the food processor, you will end up with the right amount you need after processing, without ever having to use a measuring cup. Yay for fewer dishes!
- Weighing the peanut butter instead of measuring it with a measuring cup makes WAY less mess.
- Use a high quality, easy to melt chocolate like Guittard’s baking wafers.
- While you can store at room temperature, I think the best texture is found when these are kept refrigerated.
No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Oat Bars
These no bake, peanut butter chocolate bars are gluten-free, and they have the perfect texture! Soft, but not too squishy, with a bit of hearty chew to them, these bars do not have any hard, crumbly bites and don’t suck the moisture out of your mouth when you take a bit. And they are so easy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
- Yield: 16 – 20 bars 1x
- Category: Sweet Treats
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Base
1 cup (270g) salted natural peanut butter (if not salted, add a pinch of salt)
1/3 cup (100g) pure maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract or paste
1/2 cup (58g) oat flour or finely ground rolled oats (ensure you get certified GF if required)
1/2 cup (54g) quick oats or rough chopped rolled oats (ensure you get certified GF if required)
Top Layer
1 1/4 cup (225g) dark chocolate baking wafers or chocolate chips
1/2 cup (130g) salted natural peanut butter
Flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
*NOTE: You can buy premade oat flour and premade quick oats, but you can also make both versions of these with regular rolled oats and a food processor. Use the pulse button for a rough chop to get quick oats. For finely chopped oats resembling oat flour, run the food processor full speed for about 90 seconds – 2 minutes. Pulse it a few times after to get any remaining large chunks.
- Roughly crumple parchment paper then line an 8” x 8” pan with it.
- In a medium microwave safe bowl, prepare the base layer by mixing together peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- When fully mixed, add in oat flour/finely ground oats and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Add in rough chopped oats and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Press the mixture into the prepared pan. You may need to use your hands to get it even. Rinse out and dry the mixing bowl.
- In the clean mixing bowl, add your chocolate and peanut butter for the top layer. Put in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir very well. If the chocolate is not all melted, put back in the microwave for another 30 – 45 seconds. Your chocolate should be all melted by this point. Stir the mixture until there are no more lumps.
- Pour the chocolate mixture over the base layer in the 8 x 8 pan and spread evenly with your mixing spoon/spatula. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired.
- Place pan into the refrigerator and let chill for 90 minutes – 2 hours until the chocolate is firm. Cut into bars and serve.
These bars store best in the refrigerator in a solid storage container, not a Ziploc bag.
Notes
I have made these with either peanut butter or almond butter, and they turned out great. I am sure cashew butter or sunflower butter would work as well, but I have not personally tried them.
