These gluten-free no-bake peanut butter bars are a healthy way to stay fueled for your day's events, whether it's hiking or for snacks for the kids. Packed with peanut butter and oatmeal, these bars make a quick breakfast-on-the-go, as well.
Why these no-bake peanut bars are so great
+ Great for kids, and can be made with any nut or seed butter! No bake cookies and peanut butter squares are a staple item in our home, and if you like nut butters you will love these healthy no bake peanut butter oatmeal bars as much as we do! Well, that is if a peanut allergy is not an issue. If it is, the recipe can be altered by supplementing any nut butter spread or seed butter for the peanut butter.
+ Easy to make and no-baking required! These no-bake peanut butter bars are so easy to make and are ready in as little as 30 minutes or less.
+ Made with wholesome ingredients! When it comes to healthy snacks for my family, we focus on wholesome healthy ingredients. These peanut butter bars contain no gluten, dairy, or processed sugars.
What goes into this recipe: ingredients
No-bake peanut butter bars can be enjoyed any time of the day and are perfect for a quick breakfast, snack, or dessert! The ingredients in these bars are gluten-free quick cook oats, peanut butter (creamy or crunchy), chia seeds, vanilla, crispy whole grain rice puffs, and honey (which contains the addition of B vitamins).
How to make peanut butter no-bake bars
The honey and peanut butter needs to be room temperature and slightly warm for easy mixing. Directions include to heat it on the stove or in the microwave.
STEP 1: In a small saucepan, heat the peanut butter and honey on low heat for about 2-3 minutes. Or heat the honey and peanut butter in a microwave dish in the microwave for 30 seconds. Once the peanut butter is melted and warmed slightly, remove it from the heat and transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the honey and peanut butter and add the quick cook oats, rice cereal, vanilla and chia seed, then gently mix until it is combined.
STEP 2: Spray an 8-inch square dish with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. Gently press the prepared mixture into a pan and cover it with plastic wrap. Set it in the refrigerator to cool and harden. Once it has hardened (about 30 minutes) slice into 10 bars or 9-12 squares. Then serve and enjoy these easy-peasy no bake peanut butter bars!
FAQs
For the crispy rice puffs I suggest using rice puffs like Nature's Path or Rice Krispies.
All oats are not gluten-free so make sure to look for certified gluten-free quick cook oats for these peanut butter bars.
If that happens, let the batter set in the pan in the refrigerator for a few minutes to harden and become less sticky. They try again and press the top down. Let the peanut butter and oatmeal bars set in the fridge for another 20-30 minutes before slicing.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also individually wrap each bar in a zip tight bag and store in the fridge for a quick grab-and-go meal.
Peanuts are a legume best consumed in small amounts as they are higher in fat. They are an excellent source of protein, and minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron.
Tips on using peanut butter
Organic Valencia peanuts are best to consume. Peanuts are prone to mold due to being grown in moist climates. Valencia peanuts, however, are the choice for peanut butter because they are typically grown in New Mexico, a dryer climate. Our government allows a certain level of aflatoxin on peanuts. This means that a certain level of mold (yes, mold) may be present on the peanuts that are sold to consumers. Mold on peanuts can be mostly attributed to the humid climates of Georgia and Virginia, where many peanuts are grown. 90% of the world’s Valencia peanuts are grown in New Mexico, where it is very dry. “You can almost be guaranteed that there won’t be any mold on those peanuts.” - Source
Related recipes
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📖 Recipe
No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup honey
- 1 cup organic no stir peanut butter make sure its not runny and can use creamy or crunchy
- 2 cups gluten-free quick cook oats
- 2 cups crispy rice cereal (can use Rice Krispies)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds optional for added omega's and fiber
Instructions
- Spray an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.
- In a small saucepan heat the peanut butter and honey on low for about 2-3 minutes (or just until warmed and able to mix together). Whisk together until slightly melted. Remove from heat. Or heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds and whisk to blend.
- Gently add the cereal, oats, vanilla and chia seeds. Mix until well blended.
- Press the mixture firmly into the pan. If it is sticky and hard to do, set it in the refrigerator to harden slightly then press the top again. Make sure the top is evenly flattened. Let stand for 30 minutes in the refrigerator or freeze for 10-15 minutes until hardened. Cut into 10 rectangles.
Notes
- Do not use a peanut butter that you have to mix where the oil is separated. Use one that doesn't have extra oil. Regular creamy peanut butter can be used, but organic Valencia peanut butter is healthiest as it is not grown in dry climates less prone to mold.
- Storage: Store these peanut butter bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Serve within 7 days.
Devon says
Thanks for the great recipe; I used it as a springboard, mixing it up a bit. The honey made it too sweet for me, so I doubled the recipe and used maple syrup instead for the sweetener, adding in about 1/2 cup more. I used more syrup because I used a ratio of about 1/3 peanut butter to about 2/3 organic tahini and the tahini has a slightly bitter taste to it, but it's super good for you. The extra sweetener cut that out completely.
Then I added in about 1 cup of PB2 brand of peanut butter "flour" after softening up the previous ingredients in the microwave. Then 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla, 4 Tablespoons chia seeds, 2 cups of the oats and about 3 cups of the puffed rice. Mixed it all together, pressed into a 9 x 13" glass pan and chilled. Super yum!
Danielle at Delightful Mom Food says
Devon, Awesome! So glad you could work with the recipe and change it up using pb flour. I love that stuff!
Lizza says
Hi Danielle, the recipe looks delish. How long can the bars be made ahead? Do they keep well in the fridge or freezer? Thank you.
Danielle at Delightful Mom Food says
Lizza, you can make them ahead and eat them stored in the fridge in an airtight container for about 5 days. I also make a big batch and freeze some which again, seal well, wrapped in wax paper then a freezer zip lock bag (removing any extra air. I have stored it in the freezer for up to 1 month before thawing and eating.
Ian Magowan says
Thanks Danielle - I made these bars today for the family and they were great, everyone loved them. They were a lot lighter than I expected and not greasy, I suppose because of no dairy butter or sugar in the recipe. I used good quality peanut butter (Whole Earth brand in UK) with no added sugar. I'll be trying more of your recipes now! Ian
Danielle at Delightful Mom Food says
Ian, I am so happy to hear you all loved these no bake peanut butter bars! Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment- it's appreciated:-) We just went on a flight across country and I made them for my boys as their travel "treats"! Another great use to make them for!
jim Jaggard says
These healthy bars look and sound great being a diabetic they should go well I"ll be making some in the next couple of days thanks for sharing cheers Jim
Danielle at Delightful Mom Food says
Jim, I am so glad to hear! These bars are super amazing, enjoy!