Servings: 16 squares 1x
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (use verified gluten-free, if needed)
- 3/4 cup natural peanut butter*
- ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup (both work well and taste great but I feel honey helps hold the bars together better)
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
- 2 whole eggs (use flax egg for vegan-friendly**)
- Optional add-ins: pinch of salt (omit if peanut butter is salted), walnuts, pecans, almonds, chia, sunflower, or pumpkin seeds, or dried fruit
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. *If your peanut butter is solid at room temperature, heat it for 10-15 seconds to make it a more drizzly consistency before adding to the mix.
- Line a 9×9 inch baking dish or pan with parchment paper. This makes it much easier to remove the bars from your dish once baked.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish or pan. Very firmly press the mixture into the pan in an even layer — the firmer you press, the better the bars will stick together. If you’re using chocolate chips, sprinkle them on top, then press them down into the bars.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the center is baked through and the edges are just starting to brown. Start checking at 14 minutes, as all ovens are different.
- Remove from the oven and place pan on a cooling rack.
- Let the bars cool completely (this is important) before cutting into 16 squares with a sharp knife***.
Notes
*Use a nut butter with a drizzly consistency to avoid the bar becoming dry; substitute nut or seed butter for a peanut-free version.
**Replacing eggs with flax eggs: To make enough flax egg to replace the 2 eggs in this recipe, mix 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed or flaxseed meal with 5 tablespoons water. Let set for 5-10 minutes before adding to the recipe.
***Use a sharp, non-serrated knife to cut the bars. Don’t drag the knife when cutting; rather, press the knife into the bars.
A few other notes on this recipe:
- We prefer cutting the bars into squares, and that’s what the nutrition facts below are based on. However, you can also divide the pan into 12-14 longer bars if you prefer (just be aware that they’ll each have slightly different nutrition info).
- If you’re having trouble getting your bars to bind using the recipe with maple syrup, give it a try with honey. Honey is a little stickier.
- For a boost of protein, you can add 1/2 cup of your unflavored, vanilla, or chocolate protein powder and reduce oats by 1/2 cup.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 200
- Fat: 9 g
- (Sat Fat: 2 g)
- Sodium: 64 mg
- Carbohydrate: 25 g
- (Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar: 9 g)
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 17 mg