Chewy No-bake Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Oat Bars

You betchya! Another one-bowl creation right here.
Even though I love making food, I'm still human which means I'll take an opportunity to cut corners if granted. One-bowl recipes mean quick prep and quick clean-up time.
I can get down with that.
Okay it's not actually a one-bowl creation. More like a one-food-processor creation... you'll see what I mean when you get to the recipe below :P



I'm someone who reaches for fresh fruit or a handful of nuts when I need a snack, but Robin has a sweet-tooth that isn't always satisfied with these options. To minimize the number of processed sweetened snacks in the house, I decided to make some homemade bars that are more wholesome than store-bought varieties. Plus the bits of chocolate satisfy the ol' sweet-tooth, while the oats and peanut butter fill the belly sufficiently to last until it's meal time.
Dietitian's Recommendation: individually wrap each bar in cling wrap and store in the freezer for an easy grab-and-go snack.




Here's to some wholesome snacking.
Yumm-o!
Chewy No-bake Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Oat Bars
Recipe PDF
▸ ▹ Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free
Yield: 12 bars Prep Time: 10 min Total Time: 1 hr 10 min
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp (15g) ground flax seeds
6 Tbsp (90mL) water
2 cups (180g) old-fashioned rolled oats (GF if desired), divided
3/4 (130g) cup pitted dates*
1/2 cup (125g) peanut butter
1/2 tsp (3mL) pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup (40g) dark chocolate, chopped
directions
Add flax seeds and water to the food processor and stir by hand, allowing it to sit for 5 minutes for the flax to gel.
Add 1 cup oats, dates, peanut butter, vanilla and salt to the food processor and blend on high until all are well combined.
By hand, stir in the remaining 1 cup of oats and chocolate until well combined.
Press firmly into a 13x9” (33x23cm) baking pan. Place in the fridge for 1 hour to firm. Remove from the fridge, cut, and wrap individually to freeze for an easy grab-and-go snack.
Notes
*If dates are dry, soak in warm water for about 15 minutes to soften, then drain.
Variations: add up to 1/4 cup of any dried fruit, nuts or seeds of your liking. Substitute peanut butter for another nut or seed butter if desired.
Storage: store in the freezer, individually wrapped, for up to two months.

Did You Try This Recipe?
Let me know how it went! Comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #pickuplimes
❤ Sadia