4 Ingredient Healthy No Bake Peanut Butter Cup Oat Bars – Vegan, Gluten Free
4 Ingredient Healthy No Bake Peanut Butter Cup Oat Bars: this vegan peanut butter oatmeal bars recipe is so easy to make & tastes like peanut butter cups! Chewy peanut butter oatmeal bars with a thick, chocolate topping. Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Healthy.
What are your favorite snacks to bring with you on-the-go? Erik and I love walking all over the place, so we’re always searching/looking for ways to make healthy vegan treats that stay yummy without a fridge and are super portable.
I mean… unless you’ve got a teeny-tiny, like nearly microscopic mini-fridge/purse you can recommend? 😉 J/K!
I’ve noticed over many, many meal preps/snack preps for our excursions that no bake snacks truly fit the bill. They’re so easy to make, easy to customize with gluten free ingredients, and are seriously yummy.
Healthy No Bake Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal Bars (Vegan)
One of our favorites? These vegan + gluten free chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars! They’re made with just 4 ingredients, come together without an oven (wahooo!!) and are dairy-free, protein-rich, vegan and gluten free!
These healthy no bake peanut butter oat bars taste like peanut butter cups. Layer 1: a chewy, sweet peanut butter oat bar layer made with just 3 healthy ingredients. Layer 2: a thick ‘n rich vegan chocolate peanut butter topping. Result: the best chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars that taste like Reese’s peanut butter cups!
Healthy Peanut Butter Oat Bars with just 4 Ingredients!
Peanut Butter
I love using unsalted, natural creamy peanut butter to make these healthy peanut butter oat bars! Since I make many of these recipes with my mom in mind, I’m vigilant to leave out any unnecessary sources of sodium, like salted peanut butter. You can try that if you like, just keep in mind that it’ll affect the flavor of these gluten free peanut butter oat bars. It’s the same PB that I use in my 3 Ingredient Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Fat Bombs.
Gluten Free Oats
Make sure to use gluten free rolled oats aka old-fashioned oats to make these vegan peanut butter oatmeal bars. Quick oats, or 1-minute oats are much thinner and will yield a different result. For more tasty PB oatmeal recipe try my Healthy Peanut Butter Overnight Oats Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free) and my 3 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Cups.
Pure Maple Syrup
Pure maple syrup is one of my favorite ingredients to use in vegan gluten free baking. The flavor & sweetness of maple syrup is incredible! Plus, it makes these healthy peanut butter oat bars refined sugar-free (just make sure to use a vegan chocolate that’s refined sugar-free).
Vegan Chocolate Chips
There are a variety of dairy-free/vegan chocolate chips available. These vegan chocolate chips are allergy-friendly and melt very smoothly. Here’s another popular brand of allergy-friendly vegan chocolate chips. You might also try chopping up this paleo chocolate bar to ensure that these healthy peanut butter oat bars are not only gluten-free & healthy, but also refined sugar-free.
Can I Freeze these Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars?
Yes! I actually have a batch of these vegan peanut butter oatmeal bars in my freezer as we speak. To Freeze: after chilling and slicing, carefully place chocolate peanut butter oat bars in a freezer-friendly container or bag. Freeze oat bars for up to 2 months. Remember to thaw the oatmeal bars before enjoying!
Recipes Like Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Here are my favorite recipes that are similar to these chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars (all vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free):
- 4 Ingredient Easy Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars: these no bake peanut butter bars are easy to make & are the dessert version of this healthy no bake peanut butter oatmeal bars recipe!
- 4 Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Energy Bites Recipe: these healthy energy bites are protein-rich, also taste like peanut butter cups & are super easy to make.
- 3 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies: sometimes, Erik and I like to shake things up and make no bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies instead of oatmeal bars!
- 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter No Bake Energy Bites Recipe: if you’re looking for healthy peanut butter oatmeal bars minus the oatmeal (and in bite form), try my super popular no bake peanut butter energy bites recipe.
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Bars: a baked peanut butter oatmeal treat that still qualifies as breakfast!
- Peanut Butter Coconut Oatmeal Cookies: one of my favorite gluten free combos: peanut butter + coconut!
- 4 Ingredient No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies: for no bake fans: a chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookie that’s similar to my healthy no bake peanut butter oat bars recipe. 🙂
- 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls (No Bake): one of the easiest, tastiest no bake treats around. Perfect for saving snack time! 😉
- Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies + Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls + Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars + Small Batch No Bake Cookies
Best Tools for Gluten Free No Bake Peanut Butter Oat Bars
Click on the links below to see the tools & ingredients I used to make these healthy no bake chocolate peanut butter oat bars!
- 8-inch Baking Pan – I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve used this pan for gluten free baking. It’s awesome!
- Vegan Chocolate Chips – a fantastic brand of vegan, gluten-free and soy-free chocolate chips.
- Natural Unsalted Creamy Peanut Butter – my favorite brand of natural peanut butter, perfect for making healthy peanut butter oat bars. And yes, I do buy PB in bulk. 😉
- My Favorite Knife – this knife is so sharp! Perfect for getting those super-straight cuts when slicing these vegan chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars.
- GF Rolled Oats – you can’t make gluten free peanut butter oatmeal bars without oats, and this is a great brand to use.
- Maple Syrup – a vegan baking staple, I’ve always got a bottle (or 3) in my kitchen.
If you try my healthy peanut butter cup oat bars recipe, let me know in the comments below! It’s always so much fun sharing in these kitchen adventures with you. I can’t wait to hear what you think. ‘Til then…
Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
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4 Ingredient Healthy No Bake Peanut Butter Cup Oat Bars – Vegan, Gluten Free
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
Description
4 Ingredient Healthy No Bake Peanut Butter Cup Oat Bars: this vegan peanut butter oatmeal bars recipe is so easy to make & tastes like peanut butter cups! Chewy peanut butter oatmeal bars with a thick, chocolate topping. Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free.
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Oat Bars
- 1 cup unsalted, natural creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 1/4 cups gluten free rolled oats
Vegan Chocolate Topping
- 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted, natural creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or wax paper. Set aside.
- Make the Peanut Butter Oat Bars: In a medium, microwave-safe bowl (large enough to add oats later), add peanut butter and maple syrup. Whisk together until well-mixed. Heat in 20-second increments in the microwave until warm, fragrant and thickened. Whisk in between heating increments.
- Add oats. Stir and fold until thoroughly combined. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking pan. Using a rubber spatula, smooth into an even, tightly-packed layer. Set aside.
- Make the Vegan Chocolate Topping: Use the double boiler method or do the following. In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, add Chocolate Topping ingredients. Heat in 20-second increments until softened and melted. Stir until smooth.
- Pour this chocolate mixture over the bars. Using a clean rubber spatula, smooth into an even layer.
- Freeze for 30-40 minutes, or until firm. Remove from freezer and slice into 16 bars. Enjoy! Storing instructions below.
Peanut Butte Recipes We Love
Equipment
Reusable Zip Bags – Sandwich Size
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Unsalted Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
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Buy Now → Notes
- Where to Buy Ingredients: Vegan Chocolate Chips | Unsalted, Natural Creamy Peanut Butter | Gluten Free Rolled Oats | Pure Maple Syrup
- Storing Instructions: Store in an airtight container such as these reusable zip bags in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Note: After the first day in the refrigerator, you may store these in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freezing Instructions: Store in a freezer-friendly, airtight container for 1-2 months. These reusable bags are freezer friendly. Allow to thaw for 10-20 minutes before enjoying.
- Recommended Tools: Unbleached Parchment Paper | Reusable Zip Bags | 8-inch Baking Pan | My Favorite Knife | Heatproof Spatulas
- Nutrition Information: is an estimate based on the best-selling, most common brands per ingredient. Also, it’s estimated based on 16 servings per recipe. 🙂
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Dessert, Snack
- Method: Chill
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 199
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 0mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 7g
© beamingbaker.com. All content and images are protected by copyright. Please do not use my images or recipe without my permission. Please do not republish this recipe, instead, include a link to this post for the recipe.
Hi Selina! While the bars won’t have the same texture/consistency, things should still be fine, so no worries. 🙂
When making this recipe I forgot to heat up the peanut butter. Will this effect how it turns out?
Hi Selina! While the bars won’t have the same texture/consistency, things should still be fine, so no worries. 🙂
It doesn’t get much better than guilt-free goodies, does it, Kelly? 😊 I’m so pleased you and your family enjoyed the cookies—-those are one of my faves! I can’t wait to hear what you try next!
It doesn’t get much better than guilt-free goodies, does it, Kelly? 😊 I’m so pleased you and your family enjoyed the cookies—-those are one of my faves! I can’t wait to hear what you try next!
Oh my! These bars are insanely delicious! And only four ingredients that I don’t feel bad eating. And so easy to make. And they also happen to be vegan, keto, and gluten freen (if those things matter to you). I think you’ve ticked all the boxes here, Demeter!
I found your site at Christmas when I was looking for some gluten free goodies to make for a family member. I made your Gluten Free Trail Mix Cookies (and had to make more because we gobbled them all up), and your Good Morning Breakfast Cookies (also delicious and gluten free).
These are truly the best vegan dessert type recipes I’ve made so far! So glad I discovered your blog and can’t wait to try more recipes!
It doesn’t get much better than guilt-free goodies, does it, Kelly? 😊 I’m so pleased you and your family enjoyed the cookies—-those are one of my faves! I can’t wait to hear what you try next!
These are excellent! Thank you for sharing!
Woohoo! You’re so welcome, Elizabeth! 🙂
Terrific recipe that’s terrifically easy. Thanks for sharing it.
Awesome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
I thought these were very good when I first made them, but I need to change my review. They’re INSANELY good and so easy. They’re my new favorite snack. Good thing they’re healthier than many other choices!
Lol! You had me sweating for a second there, Jonny. 😉 I love how you much you love these peanut butter cup oat bars! Secretly healthy desserts are the best, aren’t they? Thanks for stopping by again!
This recipe is a winner. No bake and amazing taste! Thanks so much for creating this recipe and sharing it. I agree with the comment that said this bar can be breakfast!
Yay! So happy to hear it Shirin! 😊 More yummy breakfast treats for us!
These look amazing! Just the treat what I was searching for!
Could you give me the doses in grams?
Thanks!
Hi Roberta, at this time, I don’t have the measurements in grams. I’ll make a note to add grams in the future. 🙂
I made these last night when a craving for something chocolaty hit. They were AWESOME! So simple and so delicious. I’ll definitely be making these again. These would be great to bring to share at work or any other gathering. If I made them to bring somewhere, I’d double the amount of the oats portion (per 8×8 dish) and make a little more of the chocolate part too since mine came out looking short/flat in comparison to the beautiful ones in your pictures. Thanks so much for this recipe!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed the bars Siara! And I am sure yours came out absolutely gorgeous!
My husband is allergic to peanuts. Would sunflower butter work in this recipe? Would I need to make any changes to the measurements of the other ingredients? Thank you!
Hi Vanessa, feel free to use sunflower butter in place of the peanut butter, 1:1. You can use the same amount. 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Great recipe! I found searching for an easy way to use up some rolled oats. I wanted something that was salty and barely sweet, so I used salted peanut butter (I really like salty things more than sweet). I didn’t have enough maple syrup, so I made up the difference with brown rice syrup and added about a quarter tsp vanilla after warming the peanut butter/syrup mixture. I also pulsed the oats in my food processor about a dozen times – not to a powder, just roughly chopped because Im not a fan of big pieces of oat. I also didn’t have chocolate chips, so I just left that off (next time!) I can tell, just from snacking on the crumbs, that these will probably be gone by the end of the day. 😉
Thanks, Kayla! Oooh, so much fun hearing about your adjustments! A salty version of these bars sound so yummy. Enjoy!
WOW! WOW! WOW! These were awesome & so easy. We did add a 1/2 c. of gluten free crisp rice cereal for a little extra crunch and texture – DELICIOUS! Thank you!
WOOHOO!!! I’m so happy to hear that y’all enjoyed my recipe! Great idea to add in GF crisp rice cereal. YUM!
Hi Demeter. Thank you for the great recipes. I made these bars a few weeks ago and they came good. Today I made them and did not have as good of results. My oat mixture really fell apart when I cut them. I am enjoying eating the crumbs , but they should be in the crust. I wonder if there was too much peanut butter. I used a cup, but this time it was in the refrigerator so maybe I packed it too much. The topping does not cover the entire area and was hard to smooth out. It was melted enough, but kept lifting the oats. I ended up melting a little more peanut butter and chocolate chips. Next time I am going to double the topping and bring the peanut butter to room temperature before measuring. The taste was good. Do you have any suggestions? I agree with another person’s post in that they are not as thick as yours look in the picture. Thank you!
Hi Maria. Yes, it definitely seems like the peanut butter might be the issue. If it’s too dry, it will change how it intersects with he other ingredients and cause the final mixture to be too dry. Same for using the PB in the chocolate topping. I’d say to try it again with peanut butter that has the natural oil better incorporated. Hope this helps! 🙂
Thank you! I buy organic vegan peanut butter that is only peanuts. Do you refrigerate your peanut butter after opening? Thank you!
can the syrup be replaced with honey? that’s kind of random but i ran out…
Hi Annabelle! Yep, that would work fine here. Enjoy! 🙂
I am allergic to peanuts. Going to try with almond butter!
Hi Bess! Yep, that should work fine. Hope you enjoy the bars! 🙂
Such a perfect combo! Love these bars!
Agreed! 🙂 Thanks Cathy!
These were the perfect balance of moist and chewy; made them for a bake sale and got excellent reviews!
Oh that’s wonderful Beth! I’m so happy to hear it! .
I can’t wait to try these!! They look SO good!!
Yay! I think you’ll really love them Katerina!
These bars are a dream! Great for a healthy snack that tastes like a treat 🙂
Exactly! Who says your snacks can’t taste amazing? ..