Hi, nice to meet you, I’m Chelsea, do you have any chocolate or peanut butter on you? Pass it this way; see you later, thanks, bye.
End of story. Here’s the recipe.
Juuuuust kidding, I’m not letting you out of here without talking typing your ear off. Today we’re talking chocolate and peanut butter, so I’m obviously interested. See above.
These tender little cookie bars start out with some of my favorite ingredients: peanut butter, maple syrup, oats, flax, and chocolate. They are naturally vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free. Read: healthy enough to feed to everyone you cross paths with anytime of day. In a momentary lapse of judgement I brought these in to work, meaning I only got to eat one in the car at 7am and crumbs leftover at 3pm. I’ve been pretty bummed about it ever since, so my advice to you is this: make these and hoard them all to yourself. Go ahead, tuck a few into your bag for a coffee date with your BFF, or share ONE with someone you really really like. Otherwise, you’re going to experience peanut butter cookie bar withdrawals like me, and they’re not pretty. Not at all. 
I took a little inspiration from one of my favorite food bloggers, Ashley, who is pretty much a gluten-free baking superstar. If you haven’t stumbled across her blog yet, I can’t say enough good things about her. Her photography is gorgeous, her recipes always inspire and excite me, and I have never been disappointed by a single recipe she posts. She also has an entire cookbook dedicated to baked donuts, so, yeah, amazing. 
These cookie bars are made in one bowl with only 9 simple ingredients. I used a whisk and a wooden spoon, though you could get away with just the spoon. So, including the pan you bake them in, we’re talking about 3 dishes to wash after making this. Okay, maybe 4 or 5 because you’re going to get peanut butter all over your measuring cups. But still, this is simple stuff. Weeknight stuff. Busy living your life and dying a little inside when the sink is full of dishes every day stuff. If you have kids or a baking-impaired partner, I bet they can make this recipe, too. 
I really hope you’ll give this recipe a try. These cookie bars come out of the oven soft, chewy, and subtly sweet from the maple syrup. I used dark chocolate, but if you’re a milk or white chocolate lover you can definitely use either instead. These can be made in just 20 minutes with pantry staples, so if you insist on sharing them, they can be out of the oven cooling by the time your friends or family walk through the door. If you make a batch of these cookie bars, let me know! Leave a comment below or tag me #bakedgreens on Instagram so I can see your beautiful cookie bars!
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 Tablespoons flaxseed meal
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup oat flour*
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate*
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8x8" metal pan with parchment, or grease with nonstick spray.
- 2. Add the first five ingredients to a large mixing bowl, and whisk/stir to fully combine. Add all remaining ingredients, and stir to combine.
- 3. Scoop batter into prepared pan and use your hands or the back of a rubber spatula to spread and flatten it into the corners. Bake for 15 minutes, or until slightly golden brown and set.
- 4. Allow cookie bars to cool slightly before cutting. Enjoy warm or room temperature. Bars last for several days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
*I sprinkled an extra handful of chocolate on top to make these pretty for the pictures, but no one complained about the extra chocolate. Feel free to use more than 1/4 cup, based on your preferences. Adapted from Edible Perspective
I’ll take this one. Goodbye.