Happy National Peanut Butter Day! How could I NOT celebrate this day? I love, love LOVE peanut butter…this is no secret. And when you combine it with chocolate, there is no turning back.
It’s a rare day when I make a no bake cookie/bar. Alex claims they’re not his thing. But, I’ve seen him enjoy no bake cookies before so I decided to try my luck. And yep, he had NO problem sampling quite a few of these. And, I’ll admit, I had my share as well The chocolate/pb combo complements the oatmeal base just so, so it all melds together smoothly. Oh, and after plating these treats, there was enough leftover buttery oatmeal residue in the dish for me to scoop up and “snack” on. Make sure you do chill them for at least the few hours listed, otherwise they’ll be too crumbly to slice. So, so, so simple and delicious.
Now, back to Peanut Butter Day for a moment….if you want some more peanut butter love, check out The Peanut Butter Boy and The Chocolate PB Gallery. Or, if you need even an easier treat for the day, mix up a box of brownie batter. Scoop out a cup or so of peanut butter, microwave it for 25ish seconds, then spread it on top of the batter right before baking the brownies. YUMS.
No Bake Chocolate PB Bars, adapted slightly from Buns in My Oven
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter (I used Jif chunky)
Melt butter in a large sauce pan over low heat. Stir in brown sugar, vanilla, and oats. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Press half of mixture in to the bottom of a buttered 8 x 8 baking dish. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the chocolate and peanut butter, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and blended. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the crust, reserving a couple of spoonfuls to drizzle over the top. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate and peanut butter, pressing gently to form a crust. Drizzle the remaining chocolate and peanut butter over the top of the bars.
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before cutting and serving.