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No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars (V + GF)

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Clearly I’m still on a chocolate + peanut butter kick. I. Can’t. Get. Enough. I’d like to blame the baby in my belly, but let’s be honest, who doesn’t jump at the opportunity to enjoy a chocolate PB treat?! And these No-Bake Chocolate PB Oat Bars? They’re the perfect mix of chocolate and peanut butter, and they’ve got a delicious texture thanks to the uncooked oats. They’re fairly low in sugar (compared to other similar bars) and packed with a bit of protein to boot.

This recipe comes together a bit like a no-bake cookie, but you won’t need to boil the chocolate mixture. Once you have all of your ingredients on hand, everything comes together pretty quickly – and easily – and the hardest part is waiting for them to set up in the fridge! I like to use natural peanut butter for these bars as it’s got no added sugar or oils, and it’s just so tasty!

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Coconut sugar is a low GI, unrefined sugar (that doesn’t taste like coconut!). It sweetens up these bars while also acting as a binder for the chocolate oat layer.

Natural peanut butter is nothing but ground up peanuts (and sometimes a little salt). No added oils or sugars.

Dutch process cocoa powder lends a deeper chocolate flavor and darker color to these bars.

Arrowroot starch helps thicken the chocolate mixture so it will set up in the refrigerator.

Yield: 16 bars

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars (V + GF)

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars (V + GF)

An easy, no-bake bar made with lots of natural peanut butter, chocolate, and oats. Vegan and gluten-free, these delicious bars are perfect for many special diets.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

Bars

  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil or vegan butter
  • 1 cup natural peanut butter
  • 1/8-1/4 tsp salt*
  • 1/4 cup dutch process cocoa powder
  • 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch
  • 2 cups old fashioned oats

Chocolate + PB Topping

  • 3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
  • 2 tsp coconut oil
  • 2-3 Tbsp natural peanut butter (to drizzle)

Instructions

  1. Prepare an 8x8" baking dish by spraying with non-stick spray (like olive oil) and lining with parchment paper, leaving excess paper hanging over two of the sides.
  2. In a medium saucepan, add the coconut sugar, coconut oil or vegan butter, peanut butter, and salt. Heat over medium heat until melted. Whisk in the cocoa powder and arrowroot starch. Continue heating until mixture is hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and stir in the oats. Firmly press mixture into the prepared baking dish. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, melt your chocolate chips and coconut oil until smooth. Remove bars from the refrigerator (they'll still be warm) and pour melted chocolate over the bars. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate evenly over the bars. Gently shake/tap your baking dish to smooth out the chocolate layer. Refrigerate bars until firm.
  4. Melt the 2-3 Tbsp of peanut butter. Use a spoon to drizzle over bars. Return bars to the refrigerator (optional) to allow peanut butter to set a bit.
  5. Allow bars to thaw at room temperature for 10-20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges without parchment paper, and then use the excess parchment paper to lift the bars up and out of your baking dish. Carefully slice into 16 squares, wiping your knife clean between each cut.
  6. Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let them thaw at room temp for a few minutes before enjoying!

Notes

*1/8 tsp if your PB is salted; 1/4 tsp if it's unsalted

You can use regular cocoa powder in place of the dutch process cocoa powder; the bars just won't be as deep in flavor/color

Corn starch or tapioca starch can be used in place of the arrowroot starch since you only need it to thicken the chocolate mixture

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 296 Total Fat: 21g Saturated Fat: 8g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 10g Cholesterol: 2mg Sodium: 143mg Carbohydrates: 24g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 4g Sugar: 12g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 8g
calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: Dessert / Category: Bars

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Sesame Coconut Nut & Seed Bars (with CBD oils!)

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I didn’t try my first KIND bar until a few weeks ago during an outing at Costco. You know, half the fun (okay, all of the fun) of going to Costco is the free product samples they pass out all over the store! Anyways, the KIND bar I tried was good. And dairy-free! But we’re on a budget, and if it’s a snack we don’t really need then I’m hesitant to shell out the cash for it. So I went home and started researching how to make my own KIND bars. I came across this wonderfully helpful and informative recipe page from The Yummy Life. I applied her technique for the perfect homemade KIND bar, and let’s just say these Sesame Coconut Bars made in collaboration with Santa Cruz Medicinals are killing it.

The best part about these bars is how easily customizable they are! You can basically add in your favorite nuts, seeds, and dried fruit in place of what I’ve used. Not a fan of coconut? Use whatever you like instead! Cooking the syrup and honey mixture to the right temperature really allows these bars to set perfectly. I don’t recommend attempting this recipe without a candy thermometer (Nathan picked one up for me for around $3 at our local grocery store!). The CBD infused oils are totally optional, and these bars are good either way! Have fun with this recipe and happy making!

Sesame Coconut Nut & Seed Bars
Makes 20 bars

Bars
1 1/3 cups whole almonds, toasted
1 cup walnut pieces, chopped and toasted
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut chips/flakes, toasted
1/3 cup puffed millet or puffed rice
1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted (I did a mix of black and white)
2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
1/2 cup honey
6 Tbsp brown rice syrup
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
5 ml Santa Cruz Medicinals 2000mg CBD Infused MCT Oil (optional)
Chocolate Drizzle (optional)
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
2 tsp Santa Cruz Medicinals 1000mg CBD Infused Coconut Oil (or regular coconut oil)

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F if your ingredients need to be toasted. Toast your nuts and sesame seeds by heating them at 350°F for 5-10 minutes. Toast your coconut chips/flakes at 325°F for around 5 minutes.

2.) Prepare a 9×13” pan or baking dish with olive oil spray + parchment paper – spray your pan then line with the parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix together the toasted nuts, coconut chips, puffed millet, toasted sesame seeds, and flaxseed meal.

3.) In a small saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, add the honey, brown rice syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently until liquid reaches 260°F (hard ball candy stage). Immediately remove from heat.

4.) Quickly stir the CBD infused MCT oil into the nuts and seeds mix (if using). Immediately pour the hot syrup mixture over the nuts and seeds and stir until totally combined. Dump into your prepared pan/dish and use a flat measuring cup (I sprayed mine with olive oil) to quickly spread and firmly press the mixture into the pan.

5.) Allow your mixture to cool completely before removing from the pan to cut into 20 bars. Heat the chocolate chips and coconut oil, and drizzle over each bar. Store bars in a single layer in an airtight container at room temp or in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Yummy Life

This recipe was created in partnership with Santa Cruz Medicinals 

Vegan Blueberry Crumble Bars

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The last time I made something this fruit heavy was probably last fall (I’m basically on a permanent chocolate and cookie kick). But we love berries at our house. And blueberries have been on sale, which means we’ve been hoarding an abundance of them in our fridge. This also means that sometimes we don’t get to them in time before one of the little suckers starts growing mold. If I’m going to rush to eat a whole carton of blueberries, I want to put them in these Blueberry Crumble Bars.

These bars are seriously simple and will look like you spent more time on them than you will. You whip up an easy dough that will be the base and topping for these bars. Then you’ll toss your blueberries in a few things, put it all together and throw it in the oven! I promise it really is that simple. And they’re vegan and can easily be made gluten-free! In fact, my first recipe test for these was with an all-purpose GF flour blend. Still totally delicious. The base of these bars is sweet and chewy and the blueberry lime filling is perfectly tart. The crumble adds a bit of texture and really rounds it all out. I love these so much I actually ate three of them the day I baked them (it’s fine. they’re small)! I hope you love them, too – happy baking!

Vegan Blueberry Crumble Bars
Makes 16 bars

Crust + Topping
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend)
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
Pinch of salt
Blueberry Filling
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice*
Zest from 1 lime* (optional)
1 1/2 Tbsp tapioca starch/flour (or 3/4 Tbsp corn starch)

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray an 8×8″ baking dish with olive oil – or other non-stick spray. Line sprayed dish with parchment paper, being sure to leave “handles” hanging over two of the edges.

2.) In a small bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, and salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a large wooden spoon or spatula until just combined (mixture will be crumbly).

3.) Set aside 3/4 cup of the crumbly dough (for your topping). Firmly press the rest of the dough into the bottom of your prepared baking dish; set aside.

4.) Rinse your fresh blueberries and pat dry. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut sugar, lime juice, lime zest, and tapioca starch until no longer lumpy. Add the blueberries and mix until fruit is well coated.

5.) Add the blueberry mixture to your baking dish, spreading the fruit in an even layer. Be sure to scrape any extra liquid into the dish. Sprinkle the 3/4 cup of crumbly dough over the blueberries.

6.) Bake at 350°F for 25-35 minutes or until fruit is bubbling. Allow your bars to cool completely before removing from the dish (using the parchment paper handles) to cut into squares. I cut mine four across and four down, which yields 16 bars. Store the bars in a sealed container at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Bars can be frozen ahead of time and then thawed in the refrigerator – be sure to pop them in the oven for a couple of minutes to re-heat and serve fresh! Enjoy! 

*lemon will work just fine. I personally love the slight lime flavor that the zest adds to these!