These chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars are about to be your new favorite treat! Chewy and chocolatey, the no-bake healthy snack comes together with just 7 simple ingredients and 20 minutes of hands-on time.
No oven, no fuss, just an easy, homemade snack that tastes like a dessert! That’s chocolate peanut butter bars. The crunchy oatmeal? Good. Gooey peanut butter? Great. The nutty almonds? Even better.
But it’s the thick layer of rich, velvety chocolate that makes each bite of these healthy peanut butter bars absolutely irresistible. Pair one with a warm oatmeal latte for the ultimate cozy snack!
If you love oat-based treats, you might also enjoy my soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies, creamy Snickers overnight oats, and this fabulous carrot cake baked oatmeal!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe?
Super easy to make and a fun way to cook with kids.
Refined-sugar-free, wholesome with a spike of decadence.
Perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up, a post-workout snack, or even a quick breakfast when you’re craving something sweet.
Stores well in the fridge, so you can always have a batch ready to go.
No-Bake Oatmeal Bar Ingredients
Oats: I used rolled oats, which I ground coarsely in my food processor. This is a completely optional step. You can leave them whole. Use certified gluten-free oats to make gluten-free chocolate peanut butter bars. If you love oats for breakfast, try my banana-baked oatmeal for another hearty option!
Peanut butter: You can use any peanut butter - creamy or chunky. I like to use unsweetened all-natural variety.
Almond flour: I like the fine texture of almond flour here. But you can also use almond meal. Store-bought or homemade, either will work. You can just grind almonds in a coffee grinder till they look like breadcrumbs and add them to the recipe.
Coconut: Desiccated coconut adds another layer of chewy, crunchy texture to these no-bake bars! Unsweetened shredded coconut flakes will also work very well.
Sweetener: I used maple syrup. You can switch to honey, date syrup, or agave syrup.
Chocolate: I love dark chocolate, so I used 70%. Feel free to use whatever kind you like. If you love indulgent dark chocolate treats, you have to try my Bailey’s chocolate truffles. They're rich and decadent!
Milk: Any type of milk you prefer works in this no-bake recipe. I used homemade almond milk.
Oil: This helps to bind the dough. I used coconut oil, but feel free to use butter instead.
Please see the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Step 1: Line an 8" square pan with parchment paper. and coarsely grind the rolled oats in your food processor.
Step 2: Heat the peanut butter and coconut oil over gentle heat in a saucepan. When the butter melts, take it off the heat. Stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Mix well.
Step 3: Mix in the oats, almond flour, and desiccated coconut. Stir well to get a sticky mixture.
Step 4: Spread evenly on the prepared pan. Set it in the refrigerator.
Step 5: In the meantime, combine the chocolate and almond milk in a small bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted, smooth, and glossy.
Step 6: Pour over the oatmeal bars. Sprinkle over some chopped peanuts and sea salt.
Step 7: Let this set in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours. Cut into squares and serve. Enjoy!
Pro Tips
- To check if the consistency of the oatmeal mixture is perfect, try making a ball with your palms. If it sticks and holds shapes, you’ve got it right.
- In case the mixture feels dry-ish, stir in a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup or peanut butter to make it moist.
- In case the "dough" feels too wet, add some more oats to absorb the excess liquid.
- Do line your pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Allow the bars to set properly, at least 3 hours, before cutting into them.
- You can also melt the chocolate with the almond milk in the microwave in spurts of 30 seconds.
- You can use almond meal instead of almond flour. Simply grind whole almonds in your coffee grinder until they look like coarse breadcrumbs.
How To Store
The refrigerator is the best place to store these healthy peanut butter bars because they have chocolate. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Want to make a big batch? These chocolate peanut butter bars freeze beautifully. Transfer them to a freezer-safe bag, and they’ll stay good for up to 1 month. Thaw to room temperature before eating.
Recipe FAQs
Honey, date syrup, or agave syrup are great alternatives to maple syrup for these bars.
A little tweak here and there should fix the crumbliness. Peanut butter, maple syrup, and coconut oil are the glue that holds the bars together. Try adding an extra tablespoon of peanut butter or a little more honey to help bind it.
You might also give them more time in the fridge. Chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars rely on chilling to firm up. Let them chill a little longer before slicing.
Chopped peanuts and sea salt were my choice. Shredded coconut or any other nut will be fantastic too. Just remember to sprinkle the topping before the chocolate layer completely sets.
More No-Bake Recipes
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rolled oats
- 1 cup Desiccated coconut
- 1/4 cup Almond flour You can also use almond meal.
- 1 cup Peanut butter
- 2 tsp Coconut oil
- 1/2 cup Maple syrup You can also use honey, date syrup, or agave
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
Chocolate Topping
- 1/3 cup Dark 70% chocolate
- 1/4 cup Almond milk You can use any milk you prefer
- Roasted peanuts, chopped and sea salt
Instructions
- Line an 8" square pan with parchment paper.
- Coarsely grind the oats in your food processor.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut, and almond flour.
- Heat the peanut butter and coconut oil over gentle heat in a saucepan. When the butter melts, take it off the heat.
- Stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Mix well.
- Pour over the dry ingredients. Stir well to get a sticky mixture.
- Spread evenly on the prepared pan. Set in the refrigerator.
Chocolate Topping
- Combine the chocolate and almond milk in a small bowl over a pan of simmering water.
- Stir until the chocolate is melted, smooth, and glossy.
- Pour over the oatmeal bars.
- Sprinkle over some chopped peanuts and sea salt.
- Let this set in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.
- Cut into squares and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe has been adapted from Joyfoodsunshine.
- To check if the consistency of the oatmeal mixture is perfect, try making a ball with your palms. If it sticks and holds shapes, you’ve got it right.
- In case the "dough" feels too wet, add some more oats to absorb the excess liquid.
- In case the mixture feels dry-ish, stir in a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup or peanut butter to make it moist.
- You can use almond meal instead of almond flour. Simply grind whole almonds in your coffee grinder until they look like coarse breadcrumbs.
- You can also melt the chocolate with the almond milk in the microwave in spurts of 30 seconds.
- Allow the bars to set properly, at least 3 hours, before cutting into them.
- Do line your pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Mehr Nihalani says
Hi i have recebtly started following you i wanyed to ask you wh8ch choclate can i buy as i buy choclate compound morde but i dont personally like it for my little kids i have two of them and as usual choclates are their best friends what is a better version to buy sorry i may ask weird questions but its just as i dont have knowledge of a bettet and helthier choclate i can ise for cooking thanks
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Mehr, please don't apologize. This is a perfectly valid question. You can get good quality chocolates quite easily now. I like to use Callebaut 55% and 70%. You can also get Regal, CocoaCraft, Mason & Co chocolate bars from gourmet food stores or online. Amul Dark chocolate is also pretty good for baking. Hope this helps. 🙂
Easyfoodsmith says
I do make energy balls in a similar fashion but I am loving the idea of bars way more!
Natasha Minocha says
Its a fun change from the balls, though I love making those too!