No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Ten minutes is all you need to make a batch of these No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars! They’re the perfect chocolate/peanut butter combo!
A SIMPLE DESSERT BAR RECIPE
These No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars are sweet and full of so much chocolate and peanut butter. The cinnamon, coconut flakes, and oats are the perfect complement to the chocolate and peanut butter. If you need a dessert for your next potluck, bake sale, or just for a a sweet snack, this is the dessert everyone will love! No oven needed!
Love these so much. Absolutely delicious and everyone gobbled them up! Making them again soon!
– Patricia
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Not a problem! If you don’t care for coconut or coconut flakes, simply omit the ingredient. The recipe will still be good, but I think you’ll lose some of the great texture this homemade bar recipe has to offer.
Nope. It needs to be the quick cooking oats. Sometimes these may be called one minute oats. You can’t use old-fashioned oats because they’ll end up too chewy for these bars.
If you want even more texture in every bite, you can add dried cranberries or peanuts to the oatmeal mixture.
Sure can! Make more Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Snack Bars by doubling the recipe and using a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Yes, in fact, I think these oatmeal chocolate bars are best served directly out of the fridge. So, making them earlier in the day and then chilling them is recommended.
You can keep the oatmeal chocolate chip bars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The bars will lose their shape at room temperature.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- unsalted butter– salted butter can be used. Just be sure to skip the added kosher salt.
- light brown sugar
- vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon
- kosher salt
- quick cooking oats – you may know these as 1 minute oats.
- unsweetened coconut flakes – see my Frequently Asked Questions above if you don’t want to use this.
- mini semisweet chocolate chips – you can use regular but we like the look of the mini chocolate chips on top.
- peanut butter– I used creamy peanut butter, but I think crunchy peanut butter could be used. I haven’t tried this with natural peanut butter, but, I think it could work as long as it is properly incorporated and the oil doesn’t separate.
HOW TO MAKE NO BAKE PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE OATMEAL BARS
Wet a piece of parchment paper and place it in an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch baking dish (wetting it helps it to stick in the pan and not pop up, you can also do this with nonstick cooking spray). Set aside. To a large pot over medium heat add the butter, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until combined. Add the oats and coconut flakes to the saucepan. Mix until combined. Set aside.
In a small pot add the chocolate chips and peanut butter. Over medium heat mix until combined. Set aside.
Transfer ½ of the oat mixture to the baking dish. Firmly press the mixture into the baking dish. Pour the chocolate mixture into the baking dish.
Sprinkle the remainder of the oat mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle ¼ cup of chocolate chips on top. Gently press the chocolate chips and oatmeal mixture into the chocolate.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Cut into 9 or 16 bars.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups quick cooking oats
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup mini sweetened chocolate chips (for topping, optional)
Instructions
- Wet a piece of parchment paper and place it in an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch baking dish (wetting it helps it to stick in the pan and not pop up, you can also do this with nonstick cooking spray). Set aside.
- To a large pot over medium heat add 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, ½ cup light brown sugar (packed), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Mix until butter is melted.
- Add 3 cups quick cooking oats and ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes. Mix until combined. Set aside.
- In a separate small pot add 1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips and 1 cup creamy peanut butter. Over medium heat mix until melted and combined. Set aside.
- Transfer ½ of the oat mixture to the baking dish. Firmly press the mixture into the baking dish.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the baking dish (on top of the oat layer).
- Sprinkle the remainder of the oat mixture into the baking dish.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup mini sweetened chocolate chips on top.
- Gently press the chocolate chips and oatmeal mixture into the chocolate.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Cut into 9 or 16 bars.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- This can make 16 small bars or 8 large bars.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
These are delicious! They shouldn’t taste this good and be so easy! I make them for my gluten-free friends with gluten-free oats. I have made them several times, and they are a hit!
Yay, love hearing that Nina!! Thanks so very much and I really appreciate you taking the time too come back to comment!
These were so yummy! My husband loves any type of oatmeal dessert and these were a hit – thank you!
These are my fave just a question-can they be frozen at all? They don’t usually last the 5 days but some are left
Hi Paula – so happy you enjoy these! They can technically be frozen but I don’t think the oatmeal always defrosts well, it can sometimes change the texture but that is definitely a matter of taste preference 🙂
Absolutely delicious! Thanks!
These were very good
Thanks so much Alena! I appreciate you taking the time to come back and comment!
I don’t recommend it
Love these so much. Absolutely delicious and everyone gobbled them up! Making them again soon!