Just because you’re tired of all that holiday cooking and baking doesn’t mean you’re tired of sweet treats! And trying to back away from the sugary sweets doesn’t mean you have to go cold-turkey on dessert, either. The perfect answer to both dilemmas? Our No-Bake Chocolate Oat Bars!
Now, we won’t claim that these bars are some sort of health treat, but you can feel better about eating them than you did all those cookies and trifles from Christmas. The oats give them a delicious crunch, and the chocolate drizzle gives them the perfect amount of sweetness. Even better? All you need to do is mix them up, stick them in the fridge, and enjoy. Let us demonstrate this simple sweet, then read on for the full recipe so you can try them yourself.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
The only thing easier than making these no-bake chocolate oatmeal bars is eating them....
Ingredients
1 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
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Instructions
1. Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. Overhangs the edges of the foil to lift the bars easier from the baking dish. (You can use a 9x13-inch if you want thinner bars.)
2. Melt butter and brown sugar in large saucepan over medium heat, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Stir in vanilla. Mix in the oats.
3. Cook over low heat 3 to 4 minutes, or until ingredients are well blended.
4. Pour half of the oat mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread out the mixture evenly, pressing down. Reserve the other half for second layer.
5. To make the filling, melt the peanut butter and chocolate chips together in a small microwave-safe bowl and stir until it’s smooth.
6. Pour the chocolate mixture over the crust in the pan, reserving about 1/4 cup for drizzling and spread evenly.
7. Pour the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate layer, pressing in gently and drizzle with the remaining chocolate mixture.
8. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature before cutting into bars.
Note:
Like any no-bake cookie, the final texture of these really depends on how long you boil the sugar mixture. If it doesn't boil long enough, the cookie/bars mixture will be too soft, if you boil too long, they could turn out dry and crumbly.