Friends, have I got a treat for you!
Today I am sharing a favorite recipe of my family. I've been making some variation of this recipe for several years, but just a couple weeks ago, I decided to see if I could make a few changes to this to better suit my people. The results were even better than the original, if I may say so.
Combinations of oats, dried cranberries (my fave!), peanut butter and chocolate make this a real winner. And the little crunch from the nuts is an added bonus...delicious! I hope you'll give this recipe a try in your own home.
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil
3 cups oats
1 1/4 cup shredded coconut
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup chopped nuts (I use a mixture of pecans and almonds.)
10 oz. chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla
Melt peanut butter, honey and coconut oil in a medium sized saucepan over low heat. Once everything is melted and mixed together well, add in the chocolate chips and vanilla, and continue to cook on low heat until all melted.
Remove the pan from the heat and add in the remaining ingredients. Stir together until everything is mixed thoroughly.
Pour in a 9x13 inch pan that has been greased with coconut oil. Chill in the fridge for several hours or in the freezer for 30 minutes, or until set.
Cut into bars and store in the fridge.
(You could also roll these into balls and place them on a baking sheet and chill. Or, you could simply make drop cookies by dropping the mixture by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet and then chill.)
Enjoy!
(To make this recipe vegan, simply use agave nectar or maple syrup in place of the honey and vegan (dairy-free) chocolate chips in place of the regular ones.)