For a fudgy treat with a creamy peanut butter layer, Half Baked Harvest’s peanut butter bars are hard to resist! Now, with less sugar, but all of the sweet flavor!
Rich chocolate + creamy peanut butter…need I say more?!?
For these peanut butter bars a creamy layer of peanut butter, oat flour, and almond flour is baked and then topped with velvety-smooth chocolate. SO good! They taste like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. And those babies have been around for almost 100 years, so you know they have to be good! Plus, these bars are so simple to make- there’s really no excuse not to!
I began with Half Baked Harvest’s recipe for Old School Peanut Butter Bars. (Cookbook Dinner Club strikes again.) It was already gluten free, which was awesome! (Thanks, Tieghan!) Plus, she uses coconut oil…which is heart healthy and doesn’t use any trans fats! Really, the only change I made was to substitute half of the honey for a sugar-free sweetener. I could have replaced all of the honey, but I decided to go for half and half. Also, I added all of the peanut butter to the flour mixture, instead of spreading a peanut butter layer over the baked bars. That’s it- everything else about the recipe was great!
These chocolate peanut butter bars make the perfect sweet bite! For ease of cutting, I recommend freezing for at least 30 minutes.
Tips & Tricks
- Use an 8×8 or 9×9 square baking dish to create thick bars.
- Line with parchment paper, so they can easily be removed before cutting.
- Use the microwave or stovetop to melt the chocolate.
- Freeze the bars for at least 30 minutes for easier cutting. Otherwise, the chocolate may break off.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the bars.
Ingredients in Peanut Butter Bars
Peanut Butter
Chocolate Chips
Coconut Oil
Oat Flour
Almond Flour
Baking Powder
Salt
Vanilla
Egg
Honey (I also used a sugar free sweetener)
How to Make Old School Peanut Butter Bars
These peanut butter bars are easy to make and only require a few simple ingredients!
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the coconut oil, peanut butter, honey/sweetener, egg, vanilla, oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Spread into an 8×8 or 9×9, parchment-lined baking dish. Then, bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool.
- In a microwave-safe dish, heat the chocolate chips and 2 Tbsp. of coconut oil at 25-second increments until melted. Stir well with a spoon. Then, spread chocolate with an offset spatula, knife, or small spoon. Finally, refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
How to Store Bars
Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. These will keep for up to 1 week in the fridge and at least 2 weeks in the freezer!
Who is Tieghan of Half Baked Harvest?
Teaghan Gerard’s love for cooking began by simply helping to feed her large family. Her cooking blog- Half Baked Harvest- officially began in 2012. Three cookbooks later, she is known for “wholesome decadence” with a “nonfussy approach.” Her recipes include Apple Butter Cinnamon French Toast Sticks, Peach Burrata Parmesan Crostini, Skillet Caprese Prosciutto Chicken, and Chewy Maple Brown Sugar Blondies.
25 minutes + Refrigerate 1 hour
Remake: Half-Baked Harvest's Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 1/4 c. coconut oil, melted
- 1 c. creamy peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 2 Tbsp. sugar free syrup or sweetener
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 c. oat flour
- 1/2 c. almond flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Chocolate Layer
- 1 1/2 c. chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the coconut oil, peanut butter, honey/sweetener, egg, vanilla, oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Then, spread into an 8x8 or 9x9 parchment-lined baking dish. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Then, allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
- In a microwave-safe dish, microwave the chocolate chips and coconut oil for 25-second increments until melted. Stir well. Next, spread with an offset spatula, knife, or small spoon. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. You can also freeze.
- Remove the bars from the baking dish and slice into squares.