Chocolatey Oatmeal PB Bars

These bars are really quite innocent, even though they look like a one way ticket to diet hell.

Other than the chocolate, which isn’t exactly purely evil (antioxidants- hello?), the bars are made with healthy things like oats (keeping More Sweets, Please readers regular), peanut butter (protein-packed), peanuts (protein again, but with a crunch), honey (natural sweetener), dried cranberries (good in the bladder department), and coconut oil (vegan friendly!).

The bones of this recipe was forwarded to me from one of the healthiest friends I have, and I’m uber-thankful given that it’s one of the easiest and fastest treats I have ever made. This whole “easy and fast” thing is important to me for three reasons right now:

1. I’m often spectacularly lazy in the kitchen (that’s why you don’t see as many pies coming our of my kitchen as you do bars)
2. I wanted to make this recipe while The Husband was showering so I wouldn’t get in trouble for starting a baking project that would push out our plans to go to Whole Foods, yet again
3. I just packed the stand mixer in anticipation of our pending move. I am skittish about not having access to it, like how heroin addicts must feel when their dealer gets sent to prison or is found dead in a dumpster. Where will the next drug hit come from? (Can you refer to a “hit” when doing heroin?) I need recipes that allow me to use a saucepan on the stove right now. I need recipes that I can sneak in between packing cookbooks and packing cake pans. This recipe fits that bill perfectly. I still get my baking fix, without the tools or time.

I edited the recipe a bit by adding peanuts (salted, of course), salt and vanilla… otherwise, it’s the original from my friend’s friend (Teresa B). Enjoy, healthy bakers!

1 cup peanut butter (natural if possible)

2/3 cup honey

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 cups oats (not instant)

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips (mini ones melt better)

3/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped

3/4 cup peanuts, roasted & salted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of sea salt
1. Grease a foil-lined 9 x 13″ baking pan, and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt PB, honey and coconut oil.
3. Remove from heat and stir in oats, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, peanuts, vanilla and salt.
4. Spread in prepared pan and chill until hardened (about an hour). Keep refrigerated.
Tips:
- Pan size is up to you. I used my trusty 9 x 9″ guy because I like thick bars, but if you’re up for a normal size of bar, use the 9 x 13″ that’s in the recipe.
- The coconut oil is essential. If you switch it up and use vegetable oil you will want to vomit, so unless you want to vomit, don’t do it. Coconut oil is special- it’s a vegan’s best friend because it lends a good texture to baked goods without the drama of the meat or dairy (you know who you are, yellow sticks of glorious butter).
- Mini chocolate chips are cool in this recipe because they melt- but if you want a swirly chocolate mess of a bar with chips still intact, use full size chips and stir in after the PB mixture has cooled a bit. I will try that next time…
- Dried cranberries- really? It works, what can I say? If you’re not a cranberry fan, skip, or add raisins. (Reminds me of the time I made the World’s Greatest Fudge Brownies using chocolate covered raisins once, and The Husband insisted that I throw them out. I should have captured that moment of rejection in a Disasters post, but maybe I was too devastated to collect myself. So you might want to skip the raisins.)
- Not a salt addict? Fine. Rub it in my face. Omit the pinch of salt at the end- but do yourself a favor- use salted peanuts, at least.
- These bars will seem goopy when you’re stirring the mixture, but they do harden in the fridge. Don’t take them out for a picnic on a hot day, unless the idea of chocolatey-oat-PB goo melted all over your egg salad sandwiches tempts you.
- Enjoy!
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July 18th, 2013 | More Sweets Please | 2 Comments | Tags: Brownies & Bars, Chocolate, Nuts, Peanut Butter

2 Responses and Counting...

Dottie 07.18.2013

These bars were amazing! They contain so many healthy fats, including coconut oil, so they are practically healthy. This is one of my favorite MSP recipes!
The Dolly Half-Dozen | Bunny and Dolly

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