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I have this secret that I’ve been carrying around with me my whole life. I’ve always been too scared to tell anyone for fear of what they would say. I want to tell you, but if I do will you promise not to call me names and leave me?
I’ve never eaten oatmeal before.
No, really. I’ve never eaten oatmeal. I mean, sure, yes, I’ve had it in cookies, but I’ve never just sat down with a bowl of oatmeal and ate it. I’ve never even tasted it in that form before. It just looks so icky and, if we’re being honest, a little bit creepy. Like maybe the oatmeal actually wants to eat me, instead of me eating the oatmeal.
You aren’t calling me names, are you?
I hope not, because I think I’ve finally decided to try oatmeal. I made these delicious no bake oatmeal bars yesterday and I actually tasted the plain oatmeal crust and, man, it was good. I doubt regular breakfast oatmeal tastes like this crust does (people don’t generally put 3/4 of a cup of butter in their morning oatmeal, do they?), but I’m willing to give it a go.
For now, let me show you these delicious no bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars. And, yes, they are fairly similar to the chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies I just made, but these don’t require baking, are in bar form, and, well, they’re just different, okay?
This recipe is super simple. You melt 3/4 of a cup of butter on the stove, add in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 3 cups of quick cooking oats. Cook them over low heat for 3 or 4 minutes and then be brave and take a bite. It’s oatmeal and it’s yummy! The mixture is fairly thick and gloppy (mm, appetizing, no?), but that’s how we want it. Just use a spoon and scoop half of the oatmeal into a buttered 8×8 dish and press it down.
Add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of peanut butter (smooth or chunky, your choice) to a microwave safe bowl and microwave until it’s all melted together. You’ll have to stop the microwave and stir every 30 seconds or so to avoid burning the chocolate.
Pour the chocolate and peanut butter over the top of the oatmeal crust, reserving a couple spoonfuls to drizzle over the top of the bars.
Gently press the reserved oatmeal on top of the chocolate and peanut butter, drizzle with the remaining chocolate and peanut butter and then refrigerate for a few hours.
Go ahead, try ’em. Just be sure to eat them all as fast as you can before the oatmeal decides to eat you first.
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups quick cooking oats
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup peanut butter smooth or chunky
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large sauce pan over low heat. Stir in brown sugar, vanilla, and oats. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Press half of mixture in to the bottom of a buttered 8 x 8 dish.
- In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the chocolate and peanut butter, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and blended. Pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over the crust, reserving a couple of spoonfuls to drizzle over the top.
- Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate and peanut butter, pressing gently to form a crust. Drizzle the remaining chocolate and peanut butter over the top of the bars.
- Refrigerate for 3 hours before cutting and serving.
Nutrition Information:
Adapted from allrecipes.com
Jessi says
I just stumbled upon this recipe, and normally I bookmark a recipe and move on, but I’ve never had oatmeal either outside of a cookie, and now I love you and you’re a total stranger, which is probably just as weird as never having eaten oatmeal, and I’m totally going to find the follow button now.
Suzanne says
Awesome recipe! I made these with my 3 year old this morning. They were super easy to make and taste awesome. I doubled the chocolate because I’m a freak about chocolate and wanted to taste it more than the peanut butter. So yummy! I love them cold right out of the fridge. Thanks!
Cindy says
OMG! These are wonderful. These were quick and easy to make. They are delicious and I will surely make them again. My husband took one to work and his boss kept looking at it. My husband offered him half and he was amazed. Not only are they appealing to the eye, but appealing to your taste-buds too.
Cindy says
I have been putting off making these because I am afraid that I will eat the entire pan. Well, I just made them and they were really easy to make. The oats don’t seem to cook down too much so I hope that is how they are supposed to be. They look delicious and now I am just waiting out the three hours. Will post a comment again after I get a chance to try them. By the way, your pics are great!
?? ???? says
i know this recipe will be the end of me but it looks so delicious that i have to make it.
Liz says
I made these on Friday and they were delicious. My only question is, after I took it out of the refrigerator the oats did not stick very well together, it was falling apart. What can I do to make sure the oats are stuck together???
K says
can I use regular oats instead of quick cooking? I can’t wait to make these and I don’t want to go to store
fajas colombianas says
Yummy breakfast in a bar? what more could you ask. These look very delicious and mouth watering. Thanks for the share.
Creative says
Look very delicious, thanks so mach
Ben says
I love the recipe, but when I made it, I decided to make some alterations you might enjoy:
I had (left over from a pie I made) a caramel sauce. So I decided to double the PB & chocolate inside. Then I took the sauce and heated it up with some oatmeal and a little cream. As the cream evaporated the oatmeal set a little bit, but let’s be real….it was about the caramel sauce. So basically it was your same amazing recipe, with a creamy caramel oatmeal layer in the middle.
Thought you might enjoy that.
Thank you!
Jessica says
Just made them! They are delicious, everyone loved them! So simple and quick! Will definitely make them again.
Debbie T. says
I just have to say that this looks like a great recipe and I’m a gonna be making them tomorrow.
As for oatmeal…it’s a miracle food as far as I’m concerned. Quick oats are fine, but I much prefer old fashioned oats. The kind you have to cook for a few minutes before you eat them. The texture is wonderful. It’s also the type of oatmeal I like to use in baking unless otherwise called for. I also eat mueseli. I get a wonderful one at the store that has whole hazelnuts in it along with shaved coconut, banana chips, dried papaya and pineapple, brazil nuts pieces. I eat it cold with milk or you can put it in the microwave and heat the milk and cereal in the winter. I add cinnamon and either raw sugar or honey. But just a touch because it’s so good you don’t need much sweetner. Plus the health benefits of oatmeal should far outweigh the fear of it eating you..LOL.
Thanks for the recipe 🙂
sir jorge says
that looks so easy
Beverly says
Wow, so good looking! Why not make them instead of buying breakfast bars!
Jess says
I made these bars tonight for a tasty desert for dinner with my sister! So Delish! They were quick and easy to make and were the perfect little treat after a yummy meal! Thanks for posting this!