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My healthy peanut butter bars are chewy, gooey, and fudgy all in one. They’re my family’s favorite no-bake dessert bar, and they’re even healthy enough for breakfast!
If you are always looking for no-bake dessert bars, try my no-bake carrot cake bars, pumpkin bars, or banana blondies next!
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With my busy schedule and relentless sweet tooth, having healthy snack bars on hand is what keeps me going. If there’s peanut butter involved, that’s even better.
For this no bake peanut butter bar recipe, I combine oats’ staying power with peanut butter’s richness to make a sweet and wholesome treat. The chocolate frosting? That’s just for fun!
Why I love this recipe
- Actually healthy. These peanut butter oatmeal bars are gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. They’re basically a healthy Reese’s peanut butter cup.
- No baking. I love peanut butter blondies, but sometimes, I don’t have the willpower to wait for the oven.
- Simple ingredients. I made sure to use only pantry staples, so you hopefully don’t have to run to the store.
- Perfect texture and flavor. The oatmeal base is chewy and soft, the peanut butter filling is creamy and salty, and the chocolate frosting adds an extra bit of indulgence.
Key ingredients
- Oats. I highly suggest using old fashioned oats (AKA rolled oats) for the chewy and sturdy base. Quick oats will work, but I find they tend to crumble when you cut into them.
- Peanut butter. Use smooth and creamy peanut butter, preferably all-natural and with no added sugar. This will go in the base and the filling.
- Maple syrup. I love the flavor of maple syrup in these bars, though you could also use honey or agave nectar.
- Oat flour. To thicken the peanut butter layer. If you have extra oats, you can make your own oat flour.
- Chocolate frosting. I used my dairy-free frosting, but any frosting will work. Alternatively, you can melt chocolate chips with peanut butter to make a ganache.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to make healthy peanut butter bars
Step 1- Prep. Line a square baking dish with parchment paper.
Step 2- Make the base. Combine the oats, peanut butter, and maple syrup in a large mixing bowl, then press into the baking dish and chill.
Step 3- Make the peanut butter filling. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the peanut butter and maple syrup until smooth. Stir in the oat flour until a fudgy texture remains. Pour over the oat base and chill.
Step 4- Add the chocolate layer. Once the peanut butter layer is firm, top the bars with the frosting and chill until the frosting is firm. Then, slice into bars and enjoy!
Arman’s recipe tips
- Swap baking dishes. I used a square 8 inch baking dish for this recipe, but really, any size pan will do. Just remember the thicker the pan, the longer the layers will need to chill.
- Leave parchment paper sticking out. I find this helps make the bars easier to remove from the baking pan.
- Use a sharp, warm knife. To guarantee perfect slices without making a mess, I run my knife under hot water, dry it, and then slice the bars.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you could also use blanched almond flour or coconut flour instead of oat flour. Keep in mind the absorbency will be different, so add the flour in batches and mix until you have a firm but chewy texture.
While you could store these bars at room temperature, you’ll notice they soften significantly. That’s why I prefer to keep them chilled.
More peanut butter chocolate desserts
- Peanut butter brownies
- Chocolate peanut butter balls
- Chocolate peanut butter cake
- No-bake chocolate peanut butter cookies
Healthy Peanut Butter Bars
Video
Ingredients
Base
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup peanut butter can sub for any nut or seed butter of choice
- 3/4-1 cup maple syrup
Fudge center
- 2 cups peanut butter can sub for any nut or seed butter of choice
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 1/2 cups oat flour
For the healthy chocolate frosting
- 1 serving chocolate frosting *
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8 or larger baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the rolled oats, peanut butter, and maple syrup. Mix until fully combined. Transfer to the lined baking dish and refrigerate.
- While the base is forming up, prep your fudge center. In a microwave-safe bowl or stovetop, combine the peanut butter with maple syrup and melt. Add the ground oats and mix very well until a thick fudge batter remains. Pour over the base and refrigerate.
- While the bars are firming up, add frosting to the top and refrigerate again for 30 minutes or until the frosting has firmed up.
- Cut into bars and enjoy!
Notes
- Nut-free. Use sunflower seed butter or tahini.
- Sea salt. Sprinkle the bars with coarse sea salt before slicing.
- Mix-ins. Add dried fruit (I like raisins or cranberries), chopped nuts, or shredded coconut for added texture.
- Nut butters. I love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, but you could substitute any nut butter. I also had luck with almond butter and cashew butter.
Can I substitute oat flour instead of rolled oats? What would you say?
I must try this recipe. Peanut butter is my favourite ingredient these days as I want to gain weight.
Wow! That’s a lot of peanut butter and honey. I also left out the chocolate layer on top because they were so tall. But they were delicious and not overly sweet! I think I’ll cut the ingredients in half so they aren’t as tall. Definitely will try again! Thanks.
Love that- Glad you enjoyed them Maureen 🙂
Wow, my only dream in life is to eat a giant bowl of peanut butter cups, Teddy Grahams, Kit-Kats, cookie dough bites, Swedish fish, and Twix bars. I have yet to see you create a healthy Twix bar recipe! I would definitely love to get my hands on these peanut butter cup breakfast bars!
peanut butter cups are by far my favorite candy bar! Thanks for making it ok for me to eat for breakfast! You made my morning
What’s the carb breakdown for these?
For sure- If you add in the ingredients to myfitnesspal, it will provide it all for you 🙂