Easy Chocolate & Peanut Butter Bars

Do you know a better combo than chocolate and peanut butter? No? That’s right, me neither! Put those two together and you get the most delicious, satisfying and easy treat that you’ll be making over and over again. Because they won’t last too long in your house, I can tell you that.

My obsession with this combination started when I first tried the famous Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. You know which ones I mean. I was hooked after my first bite. Forever. A few years and a hundreds of Reese’s later I realized that they’re actually not that hard to recreate. And what’s even better, without the extra sugar, preservatives and additives. So today I bring you a healthy but just as satisfying version of your Reese’s.

All you need is 6 ingredients

Peanut butter: the smoother and creamier the better IMO but you can also make these bars with the crunchy type of PB if that’s what you prefer/have on hand. Just make sure when you buy your peanut butter that you choose the one that really only has 1 ingredient and that’s peanuts. Steer away from the brands that are packed with unnecessary oils or sugars.

Almond flour: is a perfect choice for any non-baked goods thanks to its lightly sweet and buttery flavour. Almond flour is also high in fat (the unsaturated good kind of fat) which adds depth and richness to your treats. Typically, almond flour is made with blanched almonds (almonds that have been quickly boiled so that their skins can be removed), then they're pulverized and sifted into a fine powder.

Oat flour: you can easily make oat flour at home by grinding your oats until super fine. I actually use a coffee grinder to do that. Adding oat flour to almond flour in this recipe helps to make the peanut butter layer a little bit more dense and stick together nicely. To achieve the same consistency with almond flour only, you would have to add more of it to the recipe (because of the high fat content). It’s perfectly fine if you choose to do that, just something to keep in mind.

Maple syrup: you really only need about a 1/4 cup of maple syrup to make your bars perfectly but not overly sweet. You can also sub it for agave or date syrup if you prefer. Feel free to use honey if you like, just make sure it’s liquidy enough in order to be easily mixed with peanut butter.

Dark chocolate: go for the high quality stuff that doesn’t have sugar as the first ingredient. You can also use chocolate chips instead. You need around 50 grams of chocolate which is about half of your typical chocolate bar.

Coconut oil: coconut oil will help make your chocolate topping even glossier and smoother. Choose the extra virgin coconut oil if you don’t mind the coconuty flavour or opt for the refined type to avoid it.

You’re going to love the Chocolate & Peanut Butter Bars because they’re:

• Delicious

• Easy to make

• Satisfying

• Healthier than Reese’s

• Naturally sweet

• Super rich in flavour

I’m not sure if that’s the best or worst thing that you can make them at home so easily because I’ll be honest, before they’re even chilled properly in the fridge, they’re already gone. But don’t say I didn’t warn you:)

And if you’re willing to take the risk of becoming a Chocolate & Peanut Butter Bars addict, head into your kitchen, grab those 6 simple ingredients and let’s get to it.

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Easy Chocolate & Peanut Butter Bars

Total time: 25 minutes | Servings: 16 small squares

Ingredients:

• 1 heaping full cup smooth peanut butter

• 1/2 cup almond flour

• 1/2 cup oat flour

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• sea salt to sprinkle on top (optional)

For chocolate topping:

• 50 grams good quality dark chocolate

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions:
1. Line a small baking tray (you can even use banana bread form) with parchment paper. (I used 20x20cm tray which is about 8x8inch).

2. Mix peanut butter with maple syrup until smooth. Then add almond and oat flour and mix well. The dough will be quite hard and should stick together. (you might need to use little bit more flour if your PB is extra runny)

3. Evenly press the dough into the baking tray and put the tray into the freezer while you prepare the chocolate topping.

4. Melt the chocolate with coconut oil either in the microwave or on the stove. Pour the melted chocolate on top of the dough and smooth out. (option to sprinkle with salt).

5. Return the tray to the freezer for at least 15 min or until set. Then take out of the freezer and leave outside for a few minutes to soften before cutting. I cut mine into 16 small bars.

6. Once you have your bars cut you can store them in the fridge in an airtight container (line your container with parchment paper so they don’t stick).