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These Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars are luscious, easy to make and have walnuts baked right in. The bars have texture while being soft and chewy, gooey delicious.
Table of contents
Why Make This Recipe
These bars are dangerous. They are so luscious and addictively good with a peanut butter center (optional of course). They make a great dessert for the family or friends when entertaining. These bars are very easy to make, practically fool proof and can easily be made gluten free by using all purpose gluten free flour and gluten free oats.
Ingredients Needed
Old Fashioned Oats. This is the base of these bars!
All Purpose Flour. GF all purpose will also work.
Brown Sugar. I use light brown sugar, but dark brown will also work for this. This helps to keep the bars together.
Maple Syrup. This is to sweeten things up a bit and give it a nice depth of maple flavors. It also helps to wet the dough.
Baking Soda. This helps keeps things together and bind.
Salt.
Vanilla Extract. this will add a nice flavor to the bars.
Egg. You will need one egg for this recipe. This helps to bind things together.
Olive Oil or Coconut Oil. Any neutral oil will work. I prefer coconut oil, it’s a nice flavor added to the bars. If you aren’t a big coconut fan, use canola or olive oil.
Peanut Butter. For the gooey center. Almond Butter will also work. Natural Brands with drippy consistency will work best.
Chocolate Chips. Any type you prefer (dark, milk or semi). I like to use milk chocolate the most.
Walnuts. These add a nice crunch to the bars. These are optional.
How To Make This Recipe
Step one. Preheat oven to 350º Mix oats, egg, flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla, brown sugar, oil into a stand alone mixer or large bowl and mix. Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips. The dough will be crumbly.
Step two. In a small bowl mix together peanut butter or almond butter and maple syrup.
Step three. Cut the dough into half. Keep one half to the side in a bowl. Line a bread loaf dish with parchment paper (9×5 or similar). Press one half of the dough down into the dish. Make sure it is even. Bake for about 10 minutes. Pull it out, drizzle the peanut butter/maple mixture over it evenly. Crumble the rest of the dough over the peanut butter, lightly press the dough, not too hard just enough to help it stick. Bake for another 15 – 18 minutes.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, you can use almond or cashew butter for this recipe.
You do not need to use peanut butter, no, you can skip the peanut butter and the maple syrup to make these more calorie friendly, but they are great with it!
To store these, you can keep them on the counter in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Refrigerate for up 6 days or freeze for up to 2 months in a ziplock style bag.
I have used both light brown and dark brown sugar for this recipe and it works wonderfully.
Other Dessert Recipes To Try
- Vegan Almond Blueberry Breakfast Cookies
- Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
- Soft Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
If you loved this recipe let me know! Also, follow me on Instagram & Pinterest for even more fun recipes to make you feel good from the inside out. Thanks for being here.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Equipment
- 1 9×5 bread loaf baking dish *or similar size
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour, *see notes
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup olive oil , or melted coconut oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup crushed walnuts
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Mix oats, egg, flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla, brown sugar, and oil of choice into a stand alone mixer or large bowl and mix well. Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips. The dough will be crumbly.
- Cut the dough into half. Keep one half to the side. Line a bread loaf dish with parchment paper (9×5 or similar). Press half of the dough down into the dish. Make sure it is even. Bake for about 10 minutes. Pull it out, drizzle the peanut butter over it evenly. Then drizzle the maple syrup over evenly.*If the nut butter you are using isn't spreadable, you can "dollop" it evenly over the base layer.
- Crumble the rest of the dough over the peanut butter, lightly press the dough, not too hard just enough to help it stick. Bake for another 15 – 18 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
- Let the bars cool completely before removing from bread loaf tin and slicing into small bars. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great! Must try!
Family favorite
Hi! Thanks so much for making them! Thrilled you loved them. Please let me know wasn’t very clear so I can rewrite it to make it more clear for others! Thanks again. Xoxox