Hungry Healthy Happy

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Us
  • Recipe Index
  • Meal Plans
  • Recipes To Your Inbox
  • Shop
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Us
  • Recipe Index
  • Meal Plans
  • Recipes To Your Inbox
  • Shop
×
Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Dessert

No-Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oat Squares

May 10, 2021 · Written by Dannii Martin · This post may contain affiliate links which earn us commissions if purchases are made · 38 Comments

3737 shares
  • 3388
  • 1
Diet: Gluten Free / Vegan
Jump to Recipe
No bake chocolate oat squares with a text title overlay.

Just 4 ingredients go into making these No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares. Smooth homemade peanut butter and chunks of dark chocolate combined with sticky and sweet oats for a little treats that kids, and adults, are going to love! These peanut butter bars take just 10 minutes to put together.

A stack of four Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Squares.

These oat squares are so simple to make, that even kids can get involved. You can mix it all together with a spoon, but where is the fun in that? I prefer to get my hands in and get all messy, which kids would love to do too.

The perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter, these bars make a great snack or dessert. Minimal ingredients and very little prep time, these are our go-to for something sweet, filling and delicious.

If you are looking for more recipes that use peanut butter, why not try our quick Peanut Butter Dip, delicious Peanut Butter Banana Muffins, simple Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Bowl or our Healthy Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich?

Jump to:
  • Why You Will Love Them
  • Ingredients and Substitutions
  • Variations
  • How To Make No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars - Step By Step
  • Are They Healthy?
  • Dannii's Top Tips
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More Chocolate Recipes
  • Recipe
  • Feedback

Why You Will Love Them

  • Only 4 ingredients - These no bake peanut butter bars are SO easy to make, and you probably already have the ingredients for them.
  • Easy to store and freeze - These are great for batch cooking, as you can freeze them and just get one out when you need to.
  • Simple recipe for kids to help with - If you are looking to get your kids more involved in the kitchen, then this is an easy recipe to start with.
  • Easy to adapt with different flavours - We have given lots of different ways to adapt these chocolate peanut butter bars so you can make them a different way every time.
  • Vegan - If you use maple syrup and a vegan chocolate, then these are vegan too.

Ingredients and Substitutions

A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

  • Oats - We used jumbo oats as we find they have the best texture.
  • Chocolate - We love the intense flavour of dark chocolate, so that is what we use. But you could add some extra flavour by using a flavoured chocolate like orange or mint.
  • Peanut Butter - Try to use the best quality peanut butter you can, as it will make a difference. You can also swap it for cashew or almond butter.
  • Maple Syrup - This is where the sweetness comes from. You can use honey instead if you prefer.

Variations

If you have a peanut allergy but can eat other nuts, then you can easily make this with other nut butters, or even seed butters to make it totally nut free. We often make a cashew butter version that is really creamy.

If you are going to use peanut butter, why not make our own Homemade Peanut Butter? It's so simple to make and works out a lot cheaper.

You can add chunks of nuts and seeds into these, as well as some dried fruit which would make them more like a granola bar.

How To Make No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars - Step By Step

A saucepan with nut butter melting in it.
  1. Step 1: In a pan, gently heat the peanut butter until it isn't so stiff and then take off the heat.
A mixing bowl containing oats, chocolate chunks, maple syrup and melted nut butter.
  1. Step 2: Put the oats into a large bowl with the chunks of chocolate and pour in the peanut butter and maple syrup.
A mixing bowl with a sticky chocolate and oat mix.
  1. Step 3: Mix well.
A lined baking dish with an oat and chocolate mix pressed into it.
  1. Step 4: Line a rectangular dish with baking paper and put the mixture in the pan, pressing it down to fill the dish.
A slab of chocolate and peanut butter oats cut into squares.
  1. Step 5: Put the dish in the fridge for 2 hours, then cut into squares and serve.

Are They Healthy?

Whilst they aren't super low in calories, there are no crazy ingredients and additives and you can freeze them for portion control.

I am a firm believer that most things that you make from home are going to be that little bit healthier, because you can control the ingredients.

Chocolate oat squares cut into sections.

Dannii's Top Tips

  • Add different flavours to the mixture like mint extract, orange or vanilla essence for a flavoured oat square.
  • Why not add some crushed nuts for an extra nutty boost?
  • These are quite sweet so add a pinch of sea salt to the mixture to compliment the sweetness.
  • Dried fruit makes a nice addition, and we love dried cherries as they go really well with the chocolate.
Four Oat Squares on a wooden surface.

Frequently Asked Questions

What oats are best?

For this recipe we used organic jumbo oats as they add a nice texture to the recipe. Steel cut oats will also work well. 
Quick cook oats are much more processed than rolled oats, so don't work as well. They are processed to cook fast (as the name implies!) so they can become mushy when they come into contact with any liquid.

How to store them

These can be kept in the fridge for up to a week. They are easy to freeze too. Once you have cut them into squares, you can individually wrap them and put them in the freezer. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just get them out one at a time when you need them - perfect for lunch boxes.

How to make vegan peanut butter bars

The only non-vegan part of these is the chocolate. Simply swap that out for one of the many great non-dairy chocolates available and you have yourself a vegan chocolate nut butter treat!

More Chocolate Recipes

  • A square of chocolate raspberry brownie.
    Healthy Chocolate Raspberry Brownies
  • Mint Chocolate Dessert in a glass topped with chocolate chips and mint leaves.
    Mint Chocolate Dessert
  • A bowl of chocolate popcorn.
    Easy Chocolate Popcorn
  • A plate of cubes of chocolate fudge.
    Slow Cooker Chocolate Fudge

If you’ve tried this no-bake oat squares recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

Recipe

Four Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Squares surrounded by crumbs on a wooden surface.

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Squares

By: Dannii Martin
Just 4 ingredients go into making these No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares. They are a little treat that kids, and adults, are going to love!
A circular logo saying GF.
Gluten Free
An illustration of a v-shaped plant in a pot.
Vegan
5 from 31 votes
Pin Print Save recipe Saved!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Chilling time: 2 hours hrs
Total: 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Servings: 15 people
Calories: 238kcal
Allergens:
An illustration of a carton of milk.
Dairy
An illustration of four different nuts.
Nuts

Ingredients

  • 320 g (4 cups) Organic jumbo oats
  • 170 g (1 cups) Chocolate - 70% Dark; cut into small chunks
  • 170 g (0.66 cups) Peanut butter
  • 170 ml (0.5 cups) Maple syrup

Instructions

  • In a pan, gently heat 170 g Peanut butter until it isn't so stiff and then take off the heat.
  • Put 320 g Organic jumbo oats into a large bowl with the chunks of 170 g Chocolate and pour in the peanut butter and 170 ml Maple syrup.
  • Mix well.
  • Line a rectangular dish with baking paper and put the mixture in the pan, pressing it down to fill the dish.
  • Put the pan in the fridge for 2 hours, then cut into squares and serve.

Recipe Tips

  • Add different flavours to the mixture like mint extract, orange or vanilla essence for a flavoured oat square.
  • Why not add some crushed nuts for an extra nutty boost?
  • These are quite sweet so add a pinch of sea salt to the mixture to compliment the sweetness.
  • Dried fruit makes a nice addition, and we love dried cherries as they go really well with the chocolate.
  • To ensure this recipe is definitely gluten free, use oats that are certified gluten free.

Nutritional Information

Serving: 1square | Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 259mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2.5mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.

You'll love these too...

  • Chocolate dipped fruit skewers on a wooden surface.
    Chocolate Dipped Fruit
  • Ninja Creami strawberry ice cream topped with small strawberry pieces and a whole strawberry.
    Ninja Creami Strawberry Ice Cream
  • Chocolate Yogurt Strawberry Bark cut into squares on a sheet of parchment paper.
    Chocolate Frozen Yogurt Strawberry Bark
  • Two slices of chocolate dipped watermelon on a wooden board.
    Chocolate Dipped Watermelon

Comments

  1. Amy says

    July 11, 2017 at 2:25 pm

    This looks lovely! It reminds me of my Auntie as she used to make me these squares using Mars Bars.

    Reply
  2. Our Love Challenges says

    July 11, 2017 at 11:09 am

    5 stars
    Well this is just great. Looks delicious. I'll try it tonight, although I think I might need help from my girlfriend! Haha!

    Reply
  3. Natalia says

    July 11, 2017 at 11:00 am

    5 stars
    Love no bake treats especially in this weather! Will give it a go and surely my family willl love it!

    Reply
  4. Stephanie Merry says

    July 10, 2017 at 11:48 am

    Chocolate and peanut better is one of my favourite combinations x

    Reply
  5. Christine says

    July 10, 2017 at 10:42 am

    5 stars
    Love all the flavors in here - Especially using maple syrup as a sweetener. Delicious!

    Reply
  6. Michelle | The Last Food Blog says

    July 10, 2017 at 9:25 am

    Yes to no bake treats! These will be perfect for the Summer holidays and I love the idea of freezing them for portion control!

    Reply
  7. Melanie says

    July 10, 2017 at 7:32 am

    5 stars
    As they have oats in them, they are basically breakfast, right?! ;)

    Reply
  8. Alice Fairman says

    July 10, 2017 at 7:31 am

    5 stars
    It's a running joke in my family about how bad I am at making desserts, but this looks really simple. I might add some orange essence too, as I love chocolate orange.

    Reply
« Older Comments
5 from 31 votes (7 ratings without comment)

Made this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Dannii with a sunset behind her.

Welcome

My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.

Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

About me...

Salad Recipes

  • Roasted Vegetable Winter Salad in a white dish surrounded by crumbled feta.
    Roasted Vegetable Winter Salad
  • A plate of kale, watermelon and feta salad surrounded by watermelon slices.
    Kale, Watermelon and Feta Salad
  • A large bowl of chickpea tuna salad with a serving spoon in it.
    Chickpea Tuna Salad
  • Chopped Blue Cheese Salad in a large white bowl.
    Chopped Blue Cheese Salad
  • A bowl of watercress salad with a wooden fork and spoon in it.
    Watercress Salad
  • Little Gem Salad in a round white bowl.
    Little Gem Salad

Recipe Books

The Hungry Healthy Happy book cover.
The healthy slow cooker book cover.
the front cover of The Picky Plate eBook.

Popular Recipes

  • Leftover chicken pasta on a black plate.
    Leftover Chicken Pasta
  • Mediterranean Rice Salad in a large round serving dish.
    Mediterranean Rice Salad
  • Fourteen healthy flapjacks on a sheet of parchment paper.
    Healthy Flapjacks
  • A tortilla chip being dipped into some nacho cheese sauce.
    2 Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce
  • Sticky Ginger Beef in a bowl with rice and broccoli.
    10 Minute Sticky Ginger Beef Mince
  • Baked Egg Tortilla in a round baking dish.
    Baked Egg Tortilla (Tortilla Quiche)

Footer

Help & Information

  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Advertising
  • Blog

About us

  • About us
  • Newsletter Sign Up!
  • Press enquiries
  • FAQ

Follow us


Featured in

A selection of publications that Hungry Healthy Happy has been featured in

As an Amazon Associate we earn certain commissions from qualifying purchases. By using our site, you agree that we can collect and use your data. Our privacy statement has more details.

Copyright © 2011-2024 Hungry Healthy Happy • All Rights Reserved

  • 3388
  • 1

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.