No Bake Oatmeal Bars
Posted May 19, 2019, Updated May 10, 2024
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These no bake oatmeal bars with peanut butter are a nutritious dessert or snack! They’re easy to make in 5 minutes with a handful of simple ingredients.
These no bake oatmeal bars with peanut butter are one of our favorite healthy treats. They are easy to make with 7 ingredients in 10 minutes and are so delicious your kids will think they’re eating dessert when they’re really eating a wholesome snack!
These no bake oatmeal bars are a delicious combination of all my favorite things: Peanut butter, chocolate, coconut, and honey. The longest (and most challenging) part of this no-bake oatmeal bars recipe is letting the bars cool enough to eat without making a mess.
No-Bake Oatmeal Bars: Ingredients & Substitutions
As always, I recommend making this recipe exactly as it’s written, but here are a few possible substitutions!
- Old-fashioned oats. Quick-cooking oats are a good substitute, just decrease the amount by 2 Tablespoons.
- Almond flour. If you have a tree-nut allergy in your family, increase the amount of oats by ¼ cup and omit the almond flour. You can also substitute all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Peanut Butter. Any nut or seed butter works well in this recipe, however depending on the consistency you may need to adjust the amount used.
- Honey. maple syrup is a great substitute.
How to Make No Bake Oatmeal Bars
Let’s discuss how to make no bake oatmeal bars, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by combining the honey, peanut butter and vanilla and stir to combine. I use natural peanut butter so it’s liquid at room temperature and easy to stir.
If you are using a firmer peanut butter (one that is solid at room temperature), I recommend gently melting it with the honey either in the microwave or on the stovetop until it’s easy to stir. Then add the vanilla once the honey and peanut butter are combined.
Next, add the dry ingredients and stir until everything is combined and the mixture is uniform throughout. As you can see below, the mixture should be firm but not soupy.
- If the mixture is too wet add more oats 1 Tablespoon at a time until it reaches the correct consistency.
- If the mixture is too dry add more honey or peanut butter until it reaches the correct consistency.
Hopefully you won’t run into either one of these issues. But in case you do there are some solutions for you.
Using a spatula or your greased hands, press the mixture into the bottom of an 8×8″ baking dish and set aside but do not chill.
Make the Chocolate Peanut Butter Topping
Once the oatmeal layer is pressed into the pan, make the chocolate layer by melting the chocolate and peanut butter together in the microwave or on a stovetop over low heat until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
Assemble & Set
Next, pour the chocolate/peanut butter mixture on top of the bars in the baking dish and use a spatula to spread it out evenly.
Place the bars in the refrigerator to harden, or let them sit at room temperature until the chocolate is set (this takes significantly longer).
Cut & Serve
Remove the no bake oatmeal bars from the refrigerator before the chocolate is completely set, otherwise they will be difficult to cut.
Cut into 16 squares and serve slightly cold or room temperature.
Store/Freeze
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw slowly at room temperature – do not microwave.
No Bake Oatmeal Bars Recipe FAQs
Yes, double the ingredients and use a 9×13″ baking dish.
Yes, halve the ingredients and use a 9×5″ loaf pan.
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No-Bake Oatmeal Bars with Peanut Butter
Ingredients
For the bars:
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut (shredded)
- ¼ cup almond meal
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Topping*
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
- 1 Tablespoon peanut butter
Instructions
Make the Oatmeal Layer
- In a small bowl mix together oats, coconut and almond meal. Set aside
- In a large, microwave safe bowl or in a pot on the stove, gently melt the peanut butter and honey together until smooth. (If your peanut butter is liquid at room temperature, simply mix the honey and peanut butter together without warming).
- Add vanilla and salt (to taste…I love sweet/salty so I use ½ tsp) and stir until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Spread into an 8×8” pan and set aside.
Make the Topping
- Melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter together on the stovetop or in the microwave (start by heating for 60 seconds. Stir then heat in 30 second increments until smooth).
Assemble
- Drizzle or spread melted chocolate/peanut butter over bars.
- Let the bars set up at room temperature or in the refrigerator until the chocolate is hardened.
Serve
- Cut and serve at room temperature or cold.
Video
Notes
- Old-fashioned oats. Quick-cooking oats are a good substitute, just decrease the amount by 2 Tablespoons.
- Almond flour. If you have a tree-nut allergy in your family, increase the amount of oats by ¼ cup and omit the almond flour. You can also substitute all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Peanut Butter. Any nut or seed butter works well in this recipe, however depending on the consistency you may need to adjust the amount used.
- Honey. maple syrup is a great substitute.
- ¼ unsweetened chocolate
- 1 Tablespoon creamy peanut butter
- 1 to 2 tablespoons honey
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe is so delicious that my daughter (age 8) ate one and said, “MOM, next year on my birthday I want these instead of cake.”
That girl lives for dessert, especially, birthday cake. She starts brainstorming ideas for her cake in July…and her birthday is in January. (Priorities) So needless to say, when she says “I want these instead of a birthday cake,” it means that we have a seriously delicious recipe on our hands.
This may have been asked in the comments already but can we replace the almond meal with something like coconut flour? This sounds strange but my husband is allergic to nuts but can have peanut butter. He is especially allergic to almonds so I would have to use a substitute for the meal. Thank you for your help!
Hey Heather! You can simply increase the amount of oats by 1/4 cup or you can substitute ground flaxseed! Please do not use coconut flour! It absorbs significantly more liquid than other dry flours and will cause the bars to be crumbly and not turn out right!
You have this listed as dairy free…….. Chocolate is not dairy free!!!!
Hello Bianca! There are many varieties of chocolate bars/chips that actually are dairy free (YAY)! Pure, unsweetened chocolate bars do not contain dairy (which is what should be used when making the refined-sugar free topping)! Enjoy Life Foods makes a whole line of dairy-free, nut-free and soy-free chocolate baking products! I use many of the dairy-free chocolate options listed in this article as well! 🙂 I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any more questions!
I would love to make these for the ladies in my church who are gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free. They look fabulous. I have one question, though, about the use of chocolate chips, since this recipe is supposed to be refined sugar free. Isn’t there refined sugar in chocolate chips?
Hey Ginny! You are right! That is an oversight on my part! I always use enjoy life chocolate chips which use cane sugar and I feel so great about that brand that I didn’t think twice about it! 🙂 I have updated the recipe with a refined-sugar free topping option!
Are their any substitutions for the almond meal?
You can try ground flaxseed (although I haven’t tried it personally)! Or you could increase the total amount of dry ingredients by 1/4 cup. For example, you could add 1/4 cup more oatmeal (so a total of 1 1/4 cups) or 1/4 cup more coconut! Or you could increase each ingredient by 2 TBS! Let me know if you try one of those substitutions and how it turns out for you!
Okay – That cake looks amazing.. And so do these bars!
I just wanted to drop you a note and say thanks so much for linking up over at Sunday’s Simple Homemaker on Prairie Gal Cookin! Please feel free to drop in and leave a different link or two on this week’s link-up, we’d love to have you! http://www.prairiegalcookin.com/sundays-simple-homemaker-3rd-weekly-link-up/
Thank you! 🙂
I agree that these are a perfect after school snack! If I can manage to save any before the kids come home…
LOL Julia! I have a crazy hard time sharing these with my family…. 😉
These are delicious bars! Looking forward to seeing you again at Full Plate Thursday tonight!
Hope you are having a great day!
Miz Helen
These look great! They will be the perfect after-school snack for my kiddo. Thanks so much for sharing at Inspiration Thursday! Have a great week.
These look great.I could see these without the chocolate topping as an on the go snack for toddlers.Thanks for sharing.
You definitely could do that! You could even roll them into balls for an easy on-the-go snack! 🙂
You had me at Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Coconut! It doesn’t get better than that! Pinning!
Agree 1,000%! 🙂