Baking is something I was never that good at. I often find myself putting something in the oven, so excited to see the result, and then 25 minutes later I open the oven to find out that my creation in fact does not look like the picture in the recipe I (tried to) follow.
Then I discovered something called “no-bake” desserts. You don’t have to bake it! That way you know if you screwed up right away and don’t have to waste 25 minutes of your life pacing around your kitchen wondering if your oven is going to birth the worlds ugliest baby.
These no-bake chocolate & peanut butter bars are so tasty, so moist, and so frickin’ easy to make, and only have 5 ingredients. They are snack, dessert, or even a great treat to bring on hikes or runs. Make them, eat them, love yourself.
No-bake Chocolate & Peanut Butter Bars (Gluten-free & Oil-free)
Ingredients
- Base Layer
1 1/4 cups oat flour
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
- Chocolate Layer
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp soy milk
1 tbsp peanut butter
- Garnish
1 tbsp cacao nibs or crushed peanuts (optional)
Directions
- In a mixing bowl, add the base layer ingredients. Mix together with a spatula. When it gets too stick, use your hands to knead the ingredients together until you get a smooth and consistent dough-like ball.
- Line a 4×8 baking tin or pyrex dish with parchment paper, leaving the sides overflow so you can lift the bar out of the dish later. Add the cookie dough mixture and with your hands work the mixture down evenly across the bottom of the dish.
- In a double boiler, melt down the chocolate chips, soy milk and peanut butter. Mix frequently to ensure the chocolate gets evenly melted. When everything is evenly melted, pour the chocolate across the base layer. Tilt the dish to ensure the chocolate is evenly spread across the dish.
- Optionally garnish the top with cacao nibs or crushed peanuts, or anything you can think of.
- Place in the refrigerator to set. At least 1 hour. Remove the bar from the dish, and cut into 12 pieces.