These whole grain Peanut Butter Oat Bars make a great snack or after school treat! Made with healthy ingredients, low in sugar, and vegan friendly, these are sure to hit the spot.
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Do you love peanut butter? Do you love chocolate? Well then you're in luck because these low-ish sugar vegan-friendly Peanut Butter Oat Bars have both, in just the right amount.
Made with wholegrain flour, rolled oats, and just a touch of brown sugar, this is kind of like a healthy peanut butter cookie meets granola bar situation that's perfect for an afternoon snack. I love 'em for on-the-go treats too, and they're freezer friendly to boot.
Feeling snackish? Be sure to check out our list of 15 Healthy After School Snack Ideas. And we've also got 10 Low FODMAP Snacks for those of you with tummy troubles.
Are you ready to make some healthy Peanut Butter Oat Bars? Let's do it!
What's in this recipe?
- Oats! We're going with large-flake rolled oats here.
- Whole wheat flour. I used white whole wheat flour, which is a little more mellow than regular whole wheat flour.
- Peanut butter! Smooth and chunky are both fine. I used chunky.
- Brown sugar. It's not very much, so just go with it.
- Milk. You can use almond, oat, soy, or regular old cow's milk. You choose!
- Vanilla extract. Try home made vanilla extract!
- Dark chocolate chunks. These are optional but highly recommended.
- A lil' bit of baking soda and salt. As we do.
Do I need any special equipment?
I strongly recommend you use either a hand-held electric mixer or a stand mixer (this is the one I have) to pull these together. If you don't have either of those, you *can* mix the dough by hand, but it requires far more elbow grease than I'm in the mood for these days.
How do I make peanut butter oat bars?
Step 1: In a large bowl you'll use your mixer to cream together the peanut butter and brown sugar, then add in the vanilla extract.
Step 2: Next, add the oats, whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt, and use the mixer to combine with the peanut butter. It's going to look crazy crumbly (upper right photo above) but have faith that it'll come together.
Step 3: Add the milk and mix it together. See? The mixture should be coming together. It's not super wet, but if you squeeze a chunk of dough you it should hold together. You can also taste-test the hell out of the dough at this stage since it doesn't contain any scary raw egg.
Step 4: Lastly, fold in the chocolate chunks, trying your best not to eat them all up as you mix them in.
Step 5: This mixture gets pressed into a 9x9 baking pan that you've lined with parchment paper (I love this unbleached parchment). I like to butter the two sides of the pan where the parchment doesn't touch, but that's just me.
Step 6: Now, the peanut butter oat bars go into a pre-heated oven for a quick bake. It'll totally depend on your oven, but somewhere in the 15-20 minute bake time is what we're after.
Pro tip! We don't want to over-bake these bad boys and dry 'em out, so err on the side of underdone and they'll come out perfect.
Once the oat bars are baked, you can let them cool in the pan. Then I like to slice them up, and drizzle them with dark chocolate. This is totally optional, but it makes me feel fancy and I enjoy feeling fancy a lot.
That's it! Your peanut butter oat bars are done, and you can sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy a healthy-ish afternoon snack.
Can I use an alternate sweetener?
I've made these using an equal amount of coconut sugar and they turned out just fine, if only a smidge more crumbly.
Are these oat bars vegan?
If you use a plant-based milk and vegan chocolate, they're totes vegan.
Can this recipe be made gluten-free?
I personally haven't tried this as I always use whole wheat flour, but I'm willing to bet they can be made with a gluten-free flour blend instead. Also be sure to seek out gluten-free oats if it's important for you.
How should I store these oat bars?
They'll last about a week in an airtight container at room temperature or about 3 months in the freezer. I love to freeze them in these reusable silicon freezer bags as a sustainable option.
Can I use something else in place of the chocolate?
You crazy. But ok. I've made these with half chocolate half raisins before and they're super tasty.
Hey Nutrition Lady, what's the deal with oats?
Oats are rich in indigestible carbohydrates called beta-glutens which help to lower blood cholesterol levels. Oats are also host to a number of phenolic compounds which have antioxidant properties. Due to the high levels of those beta-glucans, oats are also helpful in stabilizing blood sugar.
In fact, eating oats in the morning may help keep your blood sugar stable throughout the entire day. Oats are also a good source of dietary fiber and protein. Look for gluten-free oats if you're celiac or have another gluten sensitivity.
Peanut butter, consumed in moderation, is a good source of energy and protein. It's also a good source of vitamin E, and is rich in several B vitamin complexes.
Please choose good-quality natural peanut butter that contains only peanuts and perhaps a bit of salt. We want to avoid added sugars, cheap filler oils, and other junk if possible.
Other baked treats you might enjoy:
Apple Crumble Bars
Matcha Shortbread Cookies
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread with Quinoa
Healthy Cherry Muffins with Dark Chocolate Chunks
Fudgy Adzuki Bean Brownies
Wholegrain Cast Iron Skillet Cookie
Chickpea Blondies
Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
Peanut Butter Oat Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup light brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 cup natural peanut butter creamy and chunky are both fine
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk whole, almond, soy, whatever you like
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks about 5oz / 150g chopped dark chocoalte
- extra dark chocolate for drizzling totally optional, but pretty!
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F.
- Line a 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper.
- With an stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or a hand-held electric mixer, mix the brown sugar and peanut butter on medium speed until until well combined, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla.
- Add in the flour, oats, salt, and baking soda. The dough will be very thick and clumpy, but it should hold together if you squeeze a handful of it.
- Slowly add the milk in a steady stream, mixing until a clumpy dough forms.
- Fold in chocolate chunks, using your hands to knead everything together.
- Press the dough into the prepared baking dish - wet hands are helpful here
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes until the bars are lightly golden on top and set.
- Allow to cool completely and cut into squares.
- Once cooled, drizzle with melted dark chocolate if desired.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only.
- Can I use an alternate sweetener in these oat bars? I've made these using an equal amount of coconut sugar and they turned out just fine, if only a smidge more crumbly.
- Are these oat bars vegan? If you use a plant-based milk and vegan chocolate, they're totes vegan.
- Can these oat bars be made gluten-free? I personally haven't tried this as I always use whole wheat flour, but I'm willing to bet they can be made with a gluten-free flour blend instead. Also be sure to seek out gluten-free oats if it's important for you.
- How should I store these oat bars? They'll last about a week in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Can I freeze these oat bars? Please do! They'll last about 3 months in the freezer.
- Can I use something else in place of the chocolate? I've made these with half chocolate half raisins before and they're super tasty.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published February 17, 2017. It was retested, rephotographed, and last updated on March 26, 2020.
Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction
Ella Woodward
Not tried yet - I have a question. Could I use almond butter in replacement of the peanut butter or would I need to adjust the amount? Thanks 😀
Katie Trant
Hey Ella, I've never tried this recipe with almond butter so can't say for sure how it would turn out, but I assume it would be the same amount.
Jo
I don't have any whole wheat flour (white or normal). Can I just use normal all purpose flour. And how much. Still 1 cup or double it?!
Katie Trant
Yes you can use all-purpose flour. The measurement is the same - still 1 cup.
Jane
These are so good! I baked some for a friend with a new baby, and then they smelled so good I baked another batch to keep for myself.
SJA
Made these gluten free - used GF flour and oats and a little extra milk as GF can be a little dry. They are so delicious! Will definitely be making these again. Thanks for the recipe 😊
Ginny
I’ve been on a baking tear lately, and I was glad you posted these. We could use something a little better for us. I had all the ingredients in my pantry and these came together quickly. Yum!
Kim
Delicious! Totally hit the spot ????
Mc
Question from a peanut butter addict:
Why do you mention "Peanut butter, consumed in moderation, is a good source...".
Because of its fat content? Omega balance? And, I'll dare to ask, what is a "moderate" PB consumption?
Please answer "half a jar a day". 😉
Katie Trant
Natural peanut butter (that is, peanut butter that contains peanuts and a bit of salt and nothing else) is a good source of healthy fats, protein, and calories. It's plant-based protein and is very energy dense in a good way. Moderate consumption will vary from person to person, but for me looks like 1-2 Tbsp per serving.
Katerina
These look and sound fabulous - you are right, the combination of peanut butter and chocolate is always a good idea!
Minna
I made these with spelt flour since all of the regular flour in the entire San Francisco Bay Area seems to have been hoarded by people shopping for the coronavirus shelter-in-place. (Wasn't everyone pretending to have gluten sensitivities before now? Now they want to buy EVERY bag of wheat flour?!) They turned out great! I admit that I didn't wait for them to cool down before I cut myself a test bar. 😉
Jo
I don't have any whole wheat flour (white or normal). Can I just use normal all purpose flour. And how much. Still 1 cup or double it?!
EMILY
These were great! I loved that they weren't super sweet. They definitely hit the spot!
Katie Trant
Yay, I'm glad you liked them! I find that these are the perfect balance of just sweet enough and still healthy feeling.
EMily
My go-to snack for days when I've got the toddler, baby and dog and don't have time to eat proper meals.
kimberly
I needed an easy and quick treat for a spur of the moment game night and these Peanut Butter Oat Bars fit the bill perfectly. They were a hit. Not overly sweet, rich and filling.
Katie Trant
Yay! I'm glad that these were a hit and that you enjoyed them as much as I do!
Michelle
Something in place of the chocolate? The horror! Making these in 10, eating them in 30. Love it when everything is already in the kitchen and I can immediately satisfy the 'I need these' craving. I will surprise the kiddos with them after school. Thanks Katie!
Katie Trant
I wholeheartedly endorse the chocolate version! Hope your kids liked this one, Michelle!
Michelle
We ALL loved them Katie! Like magic...poof! They were gone. About to make the strongly requested/demanded 2nd batch after lunch. Yay! Females in our family --yes, me too--struggle with mushy oats but bars (and cookies) are a hit!
Katie Trant
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed these as much as I do, Michelle! I really need to make another batch for the freezer before this baby arrives!
pam
Hi, was wondering if you know the carbs in these peanut butter bars? thanks for such a nice website.
Katie Trant
I haven't done the calculation, but I'd imagine they are quite high due to all of the oats and flour. If you need to know a specific number, there are several great recipe nutrition calculators online.
Rachel
Stand mixer is a good tip. Delicious. My kiddo thinks they are brownies... I'm going with it.
kellie@foodtoglow
I admire your honesty about the realities of breastfeeding. My daughter was very early (31 weeks) and was an extremely poor feeder, so much so that at the 12 week mark my husband looked online for an all night store to buy formula and all the gear.After a momentary pang I was so happy to see her nursing a bit better from a bottle held by her father. Sometimes these things just don't work out. She is pretty healthy now at 21 but I do wonder if in later life if my emergency caesarean and bottle feeding will affect her health. Hard to know I guess. I never ever judge about these things as we all have our own stories, often unspoken. As for the bars, I'm sure they are good for menopausal women too 😉
Heather
I made another batch of these while visiting said new sweet baby and his mum. They are dead easy to make and I had to exercise considerable restraint not to gobble them up myself. I think they may become my post swim snack . I made them with spelt flour because that's what was left in the cupboard. They were delicious.
Anne Titcomb
Katie: these sound really good. I have a friend who is about to have her second and has asked for a batch of "nursing" cookies. I had given her a batch with her first - I will for sure offer up these as well. Thanks?