I write a lot of healthy recipes for a living, like A LOT! So whenever I see a way to make a recipe a little better for you, then I try and do that. It usually involves keeping ingredients as wholesome and as natural as they can be. I generally omit any refined sugar and replace it with maple syrup or honey, then change the recipe to accommodate for the extra liquid, but I’ve become pretty good at it over the years. Of course, sometimes I just want to bake the cake (or cookies) with all its sugar and eat it too, but that’s usually just an occasional treat for me. These bars are an equally delicious sweet with some of my favourite things. It’s super easy to make and so freakin’ good! This doesn’t last long in my house, we all love peanut butter! This will bring a smile to your face, for sure. 😊 Karen x
What you’ll need:
Base
1 ½ cups (180g) plain flour (or gluten-free)
1 ½ cups (120g) rolled oats
½ cup (90g) coconut oil, melted
½ cup maple syrup
1 tbs vanilla extract
½ tsp sea salt
Filling
200g natural smooth peanut butter
⅔ cup maple syrup
½ cup (90g) coconut oil
2 cups (280g) roasted unsalted peanuts
Topping
250g 70% cocoa dark chocolate
2 tbs coconut oil
½ tsp sea salt
What to do:
Preheat oven to 180°C Fan
Line a 20cm square baking tin with baking paper.
For the base, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well until combined. Press evenly into prepared tin and bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden and cooked through.
For the filling, place peanut butter, maple syrup and coconut oil into a medium saucepan over low heat until melted and combined. Stir through the peanuts and pour mixture over base, spreading out evenly to cover. Transfer to the fridge for 1 hour until set.
For the topping, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water until melted and smooth. Cool slightly for 5 minutes. Pour chocolate over the top of the peanut butter layer and smooth. Transfer to the fridge for 2-3 minutes to semi-set the top, then sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate for 2 hours until completely set. Remove from the tin and transfer to a chopping board. Cut down the middle then into 10 even bars. Keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Makes 10 bars, or 20 bites!
