No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

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No bake chocolate peanut butter bars

These no-bake bars are easy and oh-so-good! But be warned, they are pretty irresistible and hard to have lying around. I swore off of sugar and desserts a few months ago, but these bars broke me down!  Am I complaining – no, not really, however, I now make them when I know I’ll have company.

 

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Yields 2 dozen

Ingredients

  • 9 oz. of vegan chocolate wafers or cookies (about 40 wafers or whatever equals 2 cups), finely ground
  • 1 -1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 1-1/4 cups confectioner sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 5 oz. (1 stick plus 2 Tablespoons) of Earth Balance or Butter cut into small pieces.
  • 1 -3/4 cups peanut butter, chunky or smooth
  • 12 oz. of semisweet chocolate, melted
  • 2 ounces chocolate
  • 1 tablespoon coconut milk
  • 3 Tablespoons peanut butter

Directions

  1. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish or pan. Line the pan with parchment baking paper, pressing the paper into the pan so that it conforms, leaving two inches of parchment on the sides.
  2. Combine together the wafers or cookies, rolled oats, sugar and salt in a large bowl
  3. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan. Add the peanut butter stirring with a rubber spatula until melted and well combined. Stir into the cookie oat mixture.
  4. Pour into the baking dish and press to make an even layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  5. To melt the chocolate: Create a double boiler by using a small pot filled ¾ with water. Place a bowl that will completely cover the opening and sits securely on top. Place the chocolate in the bowl, turn the heat to medium low. When the chocolate starts to melt, whisk with a rubber spatula turning the heat to low until completely melted.
  6. Remove baking dish from refrigerator. Pour the chocolate over the chilled bars and evenly spread out. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
  7. Rinse out the double-boiler bowl to use for the topping: Add the chocolate and coconut milk to the bowl and melt. Drizzle over the bars in a zig zag pattern.
  8. Rinse the bowl again, and melt the peanut butter then drizzle over bars. Chill bars for 15 minutes.
  9. Lift the bars out of the pan with the parchment and slice.
  10. Option: Lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar or Vegan Powdered Sugar (recipe below)

Note: To make vegan powdered sugar, blend 1 cup of vegan sugar with 1 teaspoon of arrowroot until very blended. You will have to remove and shake the container a few times. When done, leave the lid on for a few minutes until the sugar settles.