These peanut butter oatmeal bars came out of one of those evenings when I wanted something sweet and crunchy, but did not want to turn on the oven. No baking, just a few minutes of mixing and the fridge does the rest. This is one of my favorite gluten free oat bars to make when I want a homemade oatmeal bar treat without much effort.
The base is soft and a little sticky, the topping has a nice crunch from the amaranth, and the chocolate on top makes the whole thing feel like a real treat. My tip after making these more times than I can count: use a peanut butter with no added sugar or oils, it keeps the bars from getting too sweet once the honey and chocolate go in. Once that chocolate layer sets, you have proper oat chocolate bars.
These bars are one of my go to healthy oatmeal bars when I want something quick that still feels like dessert. They also work as a simple oat snack for the afternoon.
Key Features
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Chill Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Servings: 12 bars
- Difficulty: Easy
- Dietary Labels: Gluten Free
Why You’ll Love These Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
- No oven needed, just mix, press, top, and chill
- Naturally gluten free when you use certified gluten free oats, so these double as easy gluten free oat bars
- A healthy oat bar option made with honey instead of refined sugar, and one of the healthy oatmeal bars you can make at home
- Easy to make as bars in a dish or as bites in a mold
- Great as a homemade oat bar snack, you can keep in the fridge all week
If you like simple no-bake snacks, my energy balls made with dates and peanut butter are another good one to keep on hand.
Ingredients
For the base:
- 150g (1 cup) gluten free oat flour (or 150g (1 1/2 cups) gluten free rolled oats, ground fine)
- 1 heaping tbsp (20g) peanut butter, no added sugar or oils
- 3 tsp (15g) honey
- 50-60ml (3-4 tbsp) milk of choice
- A small splash of vanilla extract
For the topping:
- 3 tsp puffed amaranth (or finely chopped peanuts)
- 150g (5.3 oz) chocolate of choice
- 1 tsp (5ml) coconut oil
- Flaky salt, to sprinkle (optional)
How to Make Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Step 1 -Make the oat flour, if needed
If you are using rolled oats instead of oat flour, grind them into a fine flour first using a food processor.
Pro tip: Always check that your oats or oat flour are labeled gluten free. Regular oats are often cross contaminated with gluten during processing, so this step really matters even though oats are naturally gluten free.
Step 2 – Mix the base
In a bowl, mix the oat flour with the honey, vanilla and peanut butter. This is the base for both the bars and bites version of these peanut butter oat bars, the same dough you would use for any oatmeal peanut bars.
Step 3 – Add the milk
Add the milk a little at a time until you get a thick, compact dough. It will feel sticky, that is normal for these oatmeal peanut bars.
Step 4 – Press into the mold
Press the mixture into a silicone chocolate mold using a spoon, filling about 12 cavities. No mold? Press it into a small container or dish instead, you can slice it into bars later.
Step 5 – Melt the chocolate
Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil over low heat or in the microwave. Let it cool slightly before using.
Step 6 – Add the topping
Sprinkle the amaranth or chopped peanuts over the bars, then pour the melted chocolate on top. Add a pinch of flaky salt if you like the contrast. This step is what turns the base into proper oat chocolate bars.
Step 7 – Chill and set
Chill until set, then pop the bars out of the mold. If you used a dish instead, slice into oatmeal peanut butter squares once fully chilled. Cutting them into neat oatmeal peanut butter squares also makes them easier to portion for the week.
No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- If using rolled oats instead of oat flour, grind them into a fine flour first using a food processor.
- In a bowl, mix the oat flour with the honey, vanilla and peanut butter.
- Add the milk a little at a time until you get a thick, compact dough. It will feel sticky, that is normal.
- Press the mixture into a silicone chocolate mold using a spoon, filling about 12 cavities. No mold? Press it into a small container or dish instead.
- Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil over low heat or in the microwave. Let it cool slightly.
- Sprinkle the amaranth or chopped peanuts over the bars, then pour the melted chocolate on top.
- Add a pinch of flaky salt on top, if you like.
- Chill until set, then pop the bars out of the mold. If you used a dish instead, slice into bars once fully chilled.
Notes
- Make sure your oats and oat flour are labeled gluten free. Regular oats are often cross contaminated with gluten during processing, so this matters even if oats are naturally gluten free.
- No mold? Press the mixture into one container, top with amaranth and chocolate, chill, then slice into bars with a knife.
Substitutions and Variations
This recipe is easy to adjust depending on what you have at home.
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| Milk | Any plant based milk, or lactose free milk |
| Chocolate | Milk, dark, or dairy free chocolate |
| Amaranth | Finely chopped peanuts |
| Mold | A small dish, sliced into bars after chilling |
Storage
These chocolate oatmeal bars keep well in the fridge for up to a week in a sealed container. You can also freeze them for up to a month, just thaw before eating. They make a great oat snack to keep on hand for when you need something quick and a little sweet, and they travel well too if you need an on the go chocolate and oat bars option. Once frozen, these chocolate oatmeal bars still taste great after thawing.
FAQ
Yes, just grind the oats into a fine flour using a food processor before mixing. Make sure they are labeled gluten free.
They are made with honey instead of refined sugar and a peanut butter with no added sugar or oils, so they are a good, healthier option compared to most store bought chocolate and oat bars.
Stored in the fridge, they last about a week. In the freezer, about a month. That makes this homemade oat bar recipe an easy one to batch ahead.
If you try these peanut butter oatmeal bars, let me know in the comments how yours turned out. I would love to hear if you went with bites or bars, since both versions work well for these peanut butter oat bars.
