No-Bake Peanut Butter Oat Bars (From a Dietitian Mom)
These no-bake peanut butter oat bars are chewy, freezer-friendly, and perfect for after-school snacks. Made with oats, peanut butter, quinoa, nuts, and dried fruit.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 2/3 cups quick cooking oats
- 1/4 cup quinoa
- 3 tablespoons chopped peanuts or cashews
- 3 tablespoons chopped dried dates or raisins
Instructions
- In a medium pot over medium-low heat, melt together the peanut butter, syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and salt. When ready, remove from heat and stir in the oats, quinoa, chopped nuts, and fruit. (To use a microwave instead, melt the peanut butter in 45 second increments, stirring between, then transfer it to a mixing bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients.)
- Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan (to make these squares using a loaf pan, see the notes below). Add the mixture to the prepared pan, pressing down very firmly and evenly to help the bars stick together. I like to place a second sheet of parchment over the mixture first so it doesn’t transfer onto my hands. Transfer the pan to the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes until firm but not frozen solid. Slice into squares (or bars if you prefer) and enjoy!
Notes
Storage
Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the freezer. Remove individual bars as needed and enjoy within about 5 minutes, before they thaw and soften too much.Oats
Quick cooking oats hold together best in this recipe. You can use old-fashioned rolled oats, but for the best texture, pulse them in a food processor a few times first.Dried fruit
Chopped dates or raisins both work well.Nuts
Chopped peanuts or cashews both work well in this recipe.Pan size
An 8-inch or 9-inch square pan works well. To use a 4x8-inch or 5x9-inch parchment-lined loaf pan, follow the recipe as written but divide the finished mixture in half. Press half of the mixture into the loaf pan, freeze, slice, wrap, and store in the freezer. Repeat with the second half of the mixture.Nut-free note
This recipe contains peanuts and/or tree nuts and is not suitable for nut-free school environments as written. To make it more school-friendly, try using sunflower seed butter in place of peanut butter and replace the chopped nuts with extra oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, raisins, or chopped dates, depending on your school’s allergy policy. Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!