How to make No-bake Oatmeal bars with peanut butter

These no-bake oatmeal bars with peanut butter are perfect for those times when you’re in need of something healthy to put into lunch boxes or to take on picnics. Easy and quick to make, full of healthy and delicious ingredients. You’ll be so pleased that you tried them!

These oatmeal bars make a fantastic mid-morning energy boost or any other time of the day snack. They contain so many great ingredients you could even eat them for breakfast when time is short. This recipe is super quick to pull together on busy days and can be left in the refrigerator to cool whilst you get on with other things. They’re pretty much like a nutty flapjack. These healthy oaty bars are perfect for preparing for the week ahead as they can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

Why you’ll love these oat bars

• you can prepare them ahead of time, slice them into bars and store in the fridge for a week. Snacks sorted.
• they’re no-bake so you don’t need to use the oven.
• are quick to make (10 minutes) and may be left in the refrigerator whilst you get on with other things.
• they’re refined sugar-free, vegan and gluten-free if you use certified gluten-free oats.
• they contain fibre, protein and healthy fats – the majority of fats in peanut butter are unsaturated fats.

What’s in no-bake oatmeal bars?

• Rolled oats – a healthy grain, full of fibre forms the base for these bars
• Dried cranberries – add a pop of colour and a flavour contrast to the sweetness
• Cacao Nibs – these are made from crushed cocoa beans and offer an impressive collection of minerals.
• Hazelnuts – add loads of vitamins, minerals and healthy fats to these bars. Taste pretty good too!
• Dates – add sweetness and gives the bars structure – helps them to stay intact.
• Maple syrup – a natural sweetener
• Peanut butter – healthy fats, protein and adds flavour
• Salt (a teeny bit) – present as a flavour enhancer.

I think they’ll quickly disappear when your family finds them.

How do I make these no-bake Oatmeal bars with peanut butter?

This is really simple – I like simple. Place all of the dry ingredients (except the dates) into a large mixing bowl.

Next, get a small saucepan and add the peanut butter (smooth or crunchy is fine) into a saucepan with the maple syrup and stir. Turn on the heat and keep stirring until it makes a nutty-syrupy sauce. It doesn’t take very long.

Then, you need to prepare the dates. To do this you will need a food processor to chop the dates really fine so that they form a sticky mixture.

A note on dates

The sticky date mix is an important part of the success of this recipe as this helps to hold the mixture together in a bar.

Create this mix by adding the dates to a food processor and processing them until they get quite sticky. This is a quick process. To test to see if they’re ready, stop the processor, take a very small amount of the whizzed-up dates and squeeze the mixture between your fingers. If it holds together it’s done. If it doesn’t, then process for a little longer and if that doesn’t sort it out add 1 teaspoon of water and process again.

Add the sticky date mixture to the oats with the nutty-syrupy sauce. Fold the oats into the sauce carefully but quickly as it is easier to do this whilst it’s warm. Make sure that you distribute the dates evenly through the mix as you stir in the sauce.

It’s the combination of the dates and the syrup that holds the bars together so it’s important that everything is well combined.

Finishing off the no-bake Oatmeal bars

To complete these oaty bars, all you need to do is is press the mixture into a lined baking tray ( 20cm square tin or 8 inches by 8 inches). Press down really firmly, filling out all the corners. Grab yourself a dessert spoon, (I often use the base of a 1/4 cup, measuring cup) and use it to push the mixture into the corners and firm it down really well. Flattened it now?

Now, put the mixture into the fridge to cool and set. Generally, an hour is long enough then slice them into bars. You should get 8 bars out of this mixture but obviously, it depends on how big you cut them.

What modifications can I make?

• Use almond butter, cashew nut butter or hazelnut butter instead of the peanut butter.
• Add in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. This really enhances the flavour.
• If you can’t get or don’t have medjool dates then use other dried, pitted and chopped dates instead, noting the advice above.
• Use other dried fruits instead of the cranberries, chopped apricots are nice. Chop any larger fruits such as dates or figs into smaller pieces or the bars will be too crumbly.
• Use other nuts instead of the hazelnuts such as chopped peanuts, chopped almonds or chopped walnuts. Be bold and use a mix of different nuts. Chop any large nuts into smaller pieces.
• drizzle melted chocolate over the bars before leaving to cool in the refrigerator.

How to store the bars

These no-bake oatmeal bars with peanut butter store really well for up to a week in an airtight container. Slice them into individual portions and you’ve some delicious snacks for later.

I really hope you enjoy these bars. Please, let me know what you think.

Are these no-bake Oatmeal bars gluten-free?

These oat bars cum no-bake flapjacks are gluten-free if you use gluten-free oats. This should be specified on the label. Oats are naturally gluten-free but sometimes they’re processed in the same places as wheat and other grains which can cause sensitive people problems. So, always check your labels.

These bars are suitable for both vegan and vegetarian diets.

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