No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Decadent tasting No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars make the perfect healthy snack or treat! Made with only five ingredients.

Chocolate smushed with peanut butter...is there anything more magical? Topped with flaky salt, mind you. We're so extra today!

In 2018 we mastered Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites and just over a year ago we went to town on these Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars. Who remembers?

Today's recipe is like a close cousin, but by far the most simple of them all.

Because it's august, it's hot, and we've just gotta bang out a few more handy dandy snack recipes before pumpkin takes over the world.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't *just* Google "2020 PSL Starbucks launch." And I don't even like Starbucks. But PUMPKIN!!

The best part about these bars (beyond only having five ingredients) is that they're kept in the freezer to preserve that wonderful texture. Who in their right mind would say no to a chilly treat right about now?

And they're healthy!

A lot of no bake chocolate peanut butter bar recipes call for boatloads of powdered sugar and butter. That's all fine and dandy, but I wanted to create a more snackable version that's not a total sugar bomb after that 2pm work call.

With over five grams of plant protein, three grams of filling fiber and oodles of satiating fats, we're blessed with total brain food right here.

I swear they still remind me of Reese's cups! Ugh, so good. Halloween nostalgia is totally happening right now.

Tips and tricks

1. Use natural, salted peanut butter for the best flavor and texture. It should be drippy, not hard. I love Costco's Kirkland organic peanut butter or 365 brand from Whole Foods. If your peanut butter isn't salted, I'd add ½ tsp fine sea salt.
2. Top with salt! I'm a fan of these flakes but even plain old kosher salt will do. It adds a wonderfully delicate little crunch and brings out the chocolate flavor even more.
3. Freeze until solid. You don't want the chocolate coating to fall apart! The peanut butter + chocolate combo in the topping helps create that perfect, sliceable texture but this baby needs time to set.

Recipe substitutions and modifications

These are divine as is, but I like to anticipate any and all substitution questions so you can get your [no] baking on straight away.

• Go nut free: Swap out the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter.
• Go grain free: Swap out the oats for almond flour.
• Up the chocolate factor: Want a thicker chocolate layer? Increase the chocolate chips to 1 cup or more!
• No ground flax: Sub almond flour, more oat flour, or simply omit. They will be a bit more moist and extra peanut buttery, which isn't a problem in my book.
• Boost flavor: Go wild with a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract or half a teaspoon of cinnamon.

Craving more snacks? I gotchu!

• Cookie Dough Protein Bars
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars
• Salted Chocolate Covered Oatmeal Bites
• No-Bake Matcha Protein Bars

Three cheers for the flawless union that is chocolate and peanut butter!

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

★★★★★ 5 from 25 reviews

• Author: Alexis Joseph | Hummusapien
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 16 bars 1x
• Category: Muffins, Bites and Bars
• Method: No-Bake
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Decadent tasting No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars make the perfect healthy snack or treat! Made with only five ingredients. (Prep time does not include freezing time.)

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the bars:

• 1 cup natural salted peanut butter*
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• ½ cup old-fashioned oats, ground into flour (I use my Nutribullet, can sub almond flour)
• ¼ cup ground flax (or sub more oat flour)

For the topping:

• ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp natural salted peanut butter

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Instructions

1. Line an 8x8 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Combine all bar ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Press mixture evenly into the lined pan.
2. Make topping by placing chocolate chips and peanut butter in small bowl. Microwave for a minute in 30 second increments, stirring each time until smooth. Pour chocolate on top of bar mixture and use a rubber spatula to smooth. Top with flaky salt.
3. Freeze for four hours or overnight. Once solid, slice into 16 bars. Store in a freezer baggie or air-tight container in the freezer.

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Notes

*This recipe was tested with drippy natural peanut butter. If your peanut butter is hard/refrigerated/needs to be scooped out, you won't need as much flour for these to come together. I have not tested this recipe with conventional peanut butter spreads like Skippy or Jiff and cannot verify the results. Add ½ tsp fine sea salt if your peanut butter is not salted.

Readers have tried this recipe with almond flour instead of oats and reported that it worked great!

Inspired by these bars.