If you’re looking for a completely customizable healthy protein or no bake bar that’s easy to make, flavorful, and tastes like a chewy peanut butter granola bar (plus a Reese’s cup), look no further because your favorite food blogger has you covered.
Meet my delicious no bake peanut butter oatmeal bars that are naturally sweetened with dates, filled with crunchy chia seeds, nutty flaxseed and finished with a layer of dark chocolate on top. It’s a combination of a peanut butter cup, peanut butter granola bar, and a chewy peanut butter protein bar packed into one. CAN I GET A HELL YES?!
#HELLYES
Ingredients in no bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars
These healthy no bake peanut butter oatmeal bars use super simple ingredients that you might even have on hand right now. They’re packed with nearly 8g protein per serving, almost 5g fiber and only 7 nourishing ingredients making them the perfect snack. You’ll need:
- Peanut butter: we’re using a natural, creamy peanut butter (just peanuts + salt) to add protein to the bars and help them stick together well.
- Medjool dates: I love using a base of medjool dates: for natural sweetness, fiber and chewiness. They will also help the bars stay together. You’ll want to make sure your dates are nice and soft! If you’d rather use maple syrup or honey, I have instructions for that in the note section of the recipe.
- Vanilla extract: don’t forget the flavor boost from vanilla extract. Learn how to make your own here!
- Chia seeds: get a boost of fiber, omega-3s and protein with chia seeds!
- Flaxseed meal: another wonderful addition of omega-3s? Flaxseed meal! It’s also a great ingredient for nursing mamas to boost milk production.
- Rolled oats: we’re adding old fashioned rolled oats (do NOT use steel cut oats) for additional fiber and iron. Be sure to use a certified gluten free kind if need be.
- Chocolate: feel free to use a dark chocolate bar or dark chocolate chips because chocolate = love! Feel free to use a vegan or dairy free chocolate bar.
These easy ingredients make the vegan chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars dairy and gluten free for the perfect snack or healthy dessert.
Easy ingredient swaps
There are a couple simple swaps I can recommend that will work well in these bars!
- For the peanut butter: feel free to use natural creamy almond butter or sunflower seed butter in place of the peanut butter. If your nut butter is on the drier side, I recommend adding in a tablespoon of coconut oil.
- For the dates: I’ve successfully made these with 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (honey will also work as a non vegan option) and they were delicious, but I liked the date version just a little bit more.
Why are omega-3s good for you?
These vegan no bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars are packed with omega-3s thanks to the chia seeds and flaxseed meal. Omega-3s are a wonderful fatty acid that’s essential for your brain, your heart and the immune system. Most people don’t get enough omega-3s in their diet as we tend to not eat enough fish or veggies with the type of fatty acid. You can read more about 0mega-3s here.
Don’t forget to soften your dates
For this recipe, you’ll want to make sure your dates are nice and soft so they blend and break down well. If your dates feel a little hard, I suggest softening them up by soaking them in water. Simply add dates and warm water to a bowl and let them sit for 5-10 minutes, then drain the water and use dates in the recipe as directed.
How to make no bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars
- Blend the base. Add all of the ingredients besides the oats and the chocolate topping to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well combined. Process until the dates are somewhat smooth; there can be a few chunky pieces but not too many! Add in oats and pulse a few times until oats are somewhat combined into the dough.
- Shape the bars. Press the mixture into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
- Add the chocolate. Melt your chocolate bar in a saucepan on low until it’s smooth and completely melted. Pour the chocolate over your peanut butter layer so that it covers the layer completely.
- Chill, cut & devour. Place the loaf pan in the fridge for at least 1 hour to let the bars set before cutting into 10 squares. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and enjoy!
Storing & freezing tips
- In the fridge: once you’ve cut your no bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars into 10 squares, be sure to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat them. They’ll stay good in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- In the freezer: these delicious bars can be frozen for up to 2 months! Simply store them in a freezer-friendly, airtight container. When you’re ready to enjoy, transfer the bars to the refrigerator to thaw it a bit before enjoying.
More no bake snacks you’ll love
- PB&J Energy Bites
- No Bake High Protein Peanut Butter Cereal Bars
- No Bake Chewy Peanut Butter Granola Bars
- Monster Cookie Energy Bites
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Energy Bites
Get all of my no bake snacks here!
If you make these healthy no bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars, be sure to tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram. We’d also love if you would leave a comment below and rate the recipe. We appreciate you! xo.
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Vegan No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup (256g) creamy natural drippy peanut butter* (just peanuts + salt)
- ½ cup (173g) packed pitted Medjool dates (about 6-7 large pitted Medjool dates)**
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal (or sub hemp seeds or leave out)
- ¾ cup (71g) old fashioned rolled oats, gluten free if desired
- 1 (3 ounce) dark chocolate bar (around 70%), dairy free if desired
- Maldon sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- First soak the dates in warm water for 10 minutes before using in this recipe. This helps them become soft and the perfect consistency for blending with the peanut butter and oats. After 10 minutes, drain dates.
- Add peanut butter, soaked dates, vanilla, chia seeds and flaxseed to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well combined. You want to process until the dates are somewhat smooth; there can be a few chunky pieces but not too many! Add in oats and pulse a few times until oats are somewhat combined into the dough. You may need to scrape the dough down the sides of the bowl.
- Press peanut butter oat mixture into an 8 ½ x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
- Make the chocolate layer by adding 3 ounces of dark chocolate to a small saucepan and melting over low heat until completely smooth. Pour the melted chocolate over the peanut butter layer and tilt the pan so that the chocolate covers the peanut butter layer entirely.
- Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour before slicing into 10 squares. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Store covered in the fridge until ready to eat. Bars will keep for up to two weeks. Bars can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on March 4th 2020, and republished on June 9th, 2024.
Hi…how could I incorporate some brewers yeast and maybe some additional flaxseed meal to make these good for a nursing mom?
Unfortunately, without testing I can’t fully recommend accurate ratios. Sorry! Try my lactation cookies HERE or lactation energy bites HERE!
Oh, I had such high hopes for this recipe! It ended up being like eating a big spoonful of peanut butter that kind of overwhelmed the sweetness of the dates 🙁 Could it be adjusted to increase the dates by half a cup and decrease the PB by half a cup? And maybe a touch more oats to make it more granola-bar-like? I’ll give it another go 🙂
Sorry to hear that! You mentioned being overwhelmed by the sweetness of the dates, but you want to increase them by 1/2 cup? I just want to make sure I’m understanding that correctly. Did you mean decrease the dates?
I’ve only tested this version as is and really enjoy it! If you reduce the peanut butter, I’d be concerned with the final texture! Playing around with ratios can be difficult when it comes to nut butter and dates because of how they hold things together in this recipe.
Absolutely delicious. The dates provide wonderful fiber. I used this stiff organic crunchy peanut butter and it worked fine. I also dumped the oats into the food processor and pulsed in. Again, worked great.
Perfect! So happy to hear that.
Hi! Why can’t I use steel-cut oats in this?
Hi! Steel-cut oats are much grittier, so these will have a tough, really crunchy texture.
Really good. Dangerously addictive even with 90% dark chocolate
The perfect treat!
Delicious! I added a little bit of maple syrup to the mixture because it was still pretty crumbly. Turned out perfect!
Perfect! Happy these are a hit and came out great for you ❤️
This recipe is so easy to throw together! This is the second week in a row I’ve made this recipe! It is great for a quick snack or dessert! So tasty!!
Seriously the best! So excited to hear you are enjoying these oatmeal bars!!
Sooo delicious! The recipe came together easily, and the finished product was beyond my expectations. I personalized the recipe by using half the amount of oats and the other half was roasted, blanched almonds that I zapped in the blender until they were a similar size to everything else that would go into the squares. (Some larger pieces remained, however.) I added some lemon zest too. The other change I brought in was that I used half peanut butter and half tahini. I’m just better able to digest tahini, due to colitis. Finally, when I melted the chocolate I put in a teaspoon of plant based butter. I’m definitely making this again!! I live alone, and this recipe is one that I’m happy to selfishly keep for myself!😄
Would deglet noor dates work instead of medjool?
I think they should be fine!
I make these all the time and with different nut butters (when I run out of peanut butter because peanut butter is the BEST). They are fantastic!!
HELLO. I LIKE YOUR BLOG AND THIS RECIPE TOO. IF I DON’T HAVE ANY DRIED FRUIT BUTTER, WHAT SUBSTITUTES CAN I USE? THANK YOU
Hi! I’m not sure what you mean by dried fruit butter – do you mean you don’t have any peanut butter?
Hi Monique. These bars look wonderful! Do you think I could use chunky natural peanut butter? Or should I try to process it to a smoother consistency?
Hi! I think chunky would be just fine 🙂
These are amazing! And on heavy rotation in my house! When I need the chocolate peanut butter fix, I don’t feel bad eating these and they’re filling!
So happy to hear that! Such a great treat or snack 🙂
These are amazing! Made great snack/dessert throughout the week. Will definitely be making again.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Tastes amazing…I’ve made it multiple times. Super easy and healthy!
Love it! Perfect snack or treat 🙂
These were so easy and delicious! Definitely making again.
So glad you enjoyed!
Absolutely loved these – delish 😋 only thing I substituted was almond butter for the peanut butter, just my personal preference 😊
I didn’t need to check up on how to store …..they didn’t last that long 🤭
Perfect! Glad you loved them 🙂
These were great. Like I had to hide them from my husband and kids because otherwise they would eat them all, great. I might make a double batch next time to ensure the peanut butter layer is extremely smooth (with a large food processor, I didn’t get quite the consistency I hoped for).
Haha love it! Let me know how the double batch goes, too.
These taste amazing!! I made them for my family of very picky eaters and every single person loved them! So good!
I have made these AT LEAST once a month since I came across this recipe while looking for some dairy-free dessert options. I LOVE them! I can NEVER eat just one piece! My dates seemed kind of smaller than the ones in the recipe photos/video so I used an amount between the number of dates listed, and the amount that would go in a 1/2 cup. When needed, I used pure maple syrup and/or honey to get the peanut butter mixture to hold together better and add the right amount of sweetness. I used 70% Lindt Dark Chocolate bars, and have had some issues with the chocolate cracking when cutting, however after reading the comments below, I think I’m just too impatient! haha. However I have had better luck when using a small serrated knife and lightly “sawing” something like perforations into the chocolate down before breaking through. Also, I never ended up having the ground flax meal, so I just used the chia seeds and never felt like I was missing out. These are a GREAT snack and/or a healthier dessert option than a bowl of ice cream, and they leave me (and everyone I’ve shared these with) feeling super satisfied! Thank you!!
Amazing! So glad you love these ones!
I had 8 dates to use up, so I went ahead and used them all and kept the other ingredients the same until I tasted it and thought it could use a touch more sweetness, and because it had this interesting taste of almost like banana could be in there, I realized I was had some bananas that were going to go just beyond plain-edible stage if I didn’t use them up, so I added a large one (after oats were in, so I tried to make it incorporate quick) and it was delish! It does make the batter stickier for sure, but I find I like it. Even freezing the sliced pieces overnight, the base wasn’t rock hard, so that banana keeps it soft (the chocolate still gets snappy of course). I added a tsp of coconut oil to 4oz total chocolate for the top and added the sea salt before the chocolate set. These are a fantastic sweets craving smasher! Great texture (chia seeds hardly noticeable) and flavor from both base and chocolate. Definitely pinned this recipe. Thanks!
Such a great recipe, so easy and delicious! Monique does it again!!! Love it!
Thanks so much! I’m glad you loved these!
OK. Just made these and they are so so good! I don’t have a food processor but used my high speed blender which worked great. I was looking for a way to use up some dates that I had for a while and these were a super easy tasty treat. The real test will be when my boyfriend tries them tonight but I’m sure he will love them too
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed 🙂
OMG, these are soooo good! Perfect afternoon snack. I’ve made these several times now and they are my go to snack to make and keep around at basically all times.
Absolutely! Perfect snack or treat 🙂
These were delicious!! And they’re super filling, I ate just one of the 12 squares I cut up and was already super satisfied! 10/10 would recommend
So happy you loved them! The perfect treat or snack 🙂
I’ve been making these once a week for about a month – they’re a great, filling snack and my boyfriend devours them. I use maple syrup every time and it works like a charm.
Perfect! So happy you both love them 🙂
Hi, I have a question. I had bought dark baking chocolate. I’m just a bit confused if I should melt the baking chocolate and use it right away or if I need to melt it along with milk/cream and then use it, since I assume the regular chocolate bars already contain milk and sugar whereas this doesn’t.
No need but feel free to add a little maple syrup to sweeten if you want.
Hi there. I*m a newbie to your wonderful site. Is there anything I can substitute the flax seed meal with? I’m overseas and I can’t seem to find flaxseeds so easily. Thanks!
Hi! Try almond flour if you can find it!
These are yummy! I only had about 3/4 cup peanut butter left so I scaled it down a bit and used 4 large dates (80 grams), 1/2 cup oats, half of an 85% dark chocolate bar and skipped the chia & flaxseed since I used Trader Joe’s chia & flax peanut butter. For those who had a crumbly base, you have to soak the dates and I’d recommend starting with half the oats, pulse, then keep adding just until the mixture sticks together.
Perfect! And great tips 🙂 glad you enjoyed!
I absolutely loved these! Super simple to make, and not super sweet so they make a great snack. The chocolate layer is thin and just enough. I usually always have these ingredients on hand too.
Absolutely! Such a great snack or healthy treat 🙂
Is flaxseed meal ground up flax seeds or is it something else ?
Yes it’s finely ground flax seeds 🙂
These were excellent! I had trouble with a crumbly base, too – I added in some agave syrup (maybe a tablespoon) but I also didn’t soak my dates because I made the mistake of thinking they were soft enough. I measured out 3 oz. of Ghirardelli chocolate chips and added about a tsp of coconut oil and melted those down in the microwave. My chocolate did not crack, so maybe the oil helped! Anyway – LOVE!
Softer dates should help the base stay together a bit better. Glad you loved them!!
The most addictive snack! I’ve made these twice in the last 10 days!
One of my favs! Glad you love them!
These were simple to make and really tasty. I can’t wait to make them again. Mine were a bit crumbly and didn’t stay in neat “bars.” My peanut butter might have been a little drier than what the recipe needed. Next time, if my peanut butter is a bit dry, I’m just going to add some honey for gooeyness. Thanks very much for putting this recipe together. xoxo
I’m so glad you liked them! Peanut butter brands can really vary in consistency – let me know how they go the next time around, too 🙂
These look great! If I wanted to avoid the chia seeds — should I just omit or adjust some of the other ingredients?
You can simply omit! 🙂
These were so easy to throw together and it was hard not to devour the whole batch in one day… How do you get yours to cut so perfectly, though? My chocolate always cracks when cutting into bars with recipes like this.
So glad you loved them! I let them thaw just a bit before cutting so the chocolate isn’t rock hard. I think it also depends what kind of chocolate you end up using too!
I also turned my slab upside down when I cut the bars, so the set chocolate is pressed against the cutting board instead of against the bar base mixture as you press with the knife! Still had some cracks because I did it with such cold chocolate, but it definitely makes for easier cutting.
I’m glad that worked out well! Great tip for cutting them, too 🙂
Allways amazing receipes my mouth just waters..
Thank you for posting these wonderful variety of beautiful treats and meals.. You have such a creative mind and a love for Delicious healthy food just like me.
Its amazing what you can put together and taste sensational without the sugar bad fats and process garage that is out there..
Even my kids eat this way well they have no choice if they want treats.
Have a fab weekend
Thank you again
I’m so glad you’re loving the recipes here! Hope you had a great weekend, too 🙂
I’m not sure where it went wrong but mine didn’t stick together at all. The bottom part just crumbled into a mess and the top (chocolate) shattered into a million pieces when I tried to cut it. I followed the directions exactly. Anyone have some tips?
So sorry you had trouble! Did you soften your dates before using and pack them into 1/2 cup? If your peanut butter was runny and your dates were soft you shouldn’t have an issue. Feel free to let your bars thaw a bit before cutting so the chocolate isn’t rock hard. I think it also depends what kind of chocolate you end up using too — I used a 72% dark chocolate bar.
Dude, these are gorgeous. Bravo!
Thanks Dana! New fav 🙂