I’ve got a new recipe for you today that’s technically part of my baking series. But no one will mind if you don’t actually have to bake them in the oven, will they? I’m personally a big fan of skipping steps (i.e., saving time) in the kitchen, so I’m excited to share these new No-Bake Peanut Butter Oat Bars with you today that my girls absolutely LOVE. I’m talking dance around the kitchen love when they see me making them. :)
And I love it when I have a batch of these bars on hand because then I am prepared with yummy, filling snacks when I hear the inevitable, “I’m hungry…” These bars would also be a great way to supplement a lunch or even have as a quick breakfast with a side of fruit. I think the moral of the story is that it’s hard to go wrong with this recipe, so I hope you and your family enjoy them just as much as we do!
No-Bake Peanut Butter Oat Bars
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups peanut butter, could sub sunflower seed or almond butter for those with allergies
- 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup, can sub honey
- 1 cup oats, purchase "gluten-free" oats for those with allergies
- 1 cup puffed rice cereal, Arrowhead Mills is a good option or you can sub more oats
Instructions
-
Line an 8 x 8 inch square baking dish with wax or parchment paper.
-
In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter and maple syrup until it's mixed together thoroughly.
-
Pour in the oats and cereal and stir with a rubber spatula until well combined.
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Spread the bar mixture into one even layer in the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Cut and serve or store in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
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Muriah
October 2, 2015 at 9:09 amDoes it matter what kind of oats you use? Quick, rolled, etc?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 7, 2015 at 8:46 amI’ve used both for no-bakes but prefer the texture that results from rolled oats.
Nicole
October 2, 2015 at 10:46 amCan you buy this cereal in stores, or is it only sold on their website?
Taryn
October 7, 2015 at 6:08 pmIf you go to the company’s website they have a store locator for their products. You choose the product and they give you a list of stores close by. Many stores around me carry them!
Lisa
October 28, 2015 at 5:02 pmWe’ve seen it at Target too!
Rachel F.
October 2, 2015 at 11:20 amI can’t wait to try these. Thank you for posting a recipe that caters to people with allergies.
Emma {Emma's Little Kitchen}
October 2, 2015 at 11:37 amI really do adore your recipes Lisa- simple, to the point, and damn tasty!! Do you think puffed brown rice might work with these? I have a bag languishing in my pantry…
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 17, 2015 at 6:40 amHi Emma. Yep, it should work well.
Angela
October 2, 2015 at 12:47 pmLove this! Where do you buy this cereal locally (Charlotte?)
Stephanie
October 8, 2015 at 8:52 amThere is a store locator on the product website – looks like Whole Foods, HT and Bilo’s all carry this cereal :-)
Lindsay
October 2, 2015 at 4:31 pmWould love to try to make these with PB2! Thanks for posting.
Sue
October 2, 2015 at 11:34 pmI have all of these ingredients on hand (we are GFCF) What a good way to use up the 3 boxes of this cereal I bought my boys don’t care for it. Do you think you could add chocolate chips to it somehow? My kids probably won’t eat them otherwise!
Joani
October 4, 2015 at 12:03 pmI added chocolate chips to mine! All I did was press some on top after I had placed them into the pan :)
Sue
October 15, 2015 at 11:51 amYes, the chocolate chips are definitely needed, otherwise too peanuty buttery for us. Mine crumbled when I cut them, is this normal? I followed the directions exactly. Almost like they are too dry.
Joani
October 15, 2015 at 4:05 pmReally? Mine were almost too wet!
Sue
October 15, 2015 at 4:11 pmHmmm what am I doing wrong. I used Skippy peanut butter. I measured everything to, whereas I usually “eye” it in these types of recipes. Maybe add more syrup?
Aileen
October 3, 2015 at 12:27 amI love a good no bake bar – you have to save time where you can when sticking to a real good lifestyle!
Linda
October 3, 2015 at 11:22 amOutstanding! And a good “base” recipe. I didn’t have the cereal on hand so I used chopped pecans. Oh my it was good. Now I’m thinking of other combinations. Thank you!
Joani
October 4, 2015 at 12:05 pmGreat recipe! My local grocery outlet actually had this exact cereal for just 1.49 a box!! I didn’t have maple syrup, so I substituted honey and actually cut that in half bc I don’t like too much sweetness. Whipped them up this morning and added a few mini chocolate chips pressed into the top. My boyfriend actually moaned with happiness when he tried them! Great recipe!
Bethany @ Athletic Avocado
October 4, 2015 at 8:22 pmMmmm these look like the perfect afternoon pick-me-up snack! Peanut butter and crunch is what I need at 4 pm!
Melissa Brown
October 5, 2015 at 9:47 amYum! I love peanut butter and these look great. It is nice to give the kids a wholesome snack with so little ingredients.
Thanks for sharing!
Courtney
October 5, 2015 at 3:33 pmWhat type of peanut butter are you using? When I try to bake with natural peanut butter it never sets up.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 20, 2015 at 5:22 pmHi there. We use organic peanut butter with no added ingredients; just nuts and a little salt. These are not baked.
Emily f
October 5, 2015 at 7:16 pmJust made these taste great! Thanks for the recipe. Love that cereal too
rakhi
October 6, 2015 at 5:59 am@Admin
I have another formula for you today that is in fact a piece of my preparing arrangement. Be that as it may, nobody will mind on the off chance that you don’t really need to prepare them in the stove, will they?
regards
rakhi
Naomi
October 6, 2015 at 12:23 pmDid you use quick oats in this recipe?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 20, 2015 at 5:15 pmHi Naomi. You could but I use regular rolled oats.
Ally @OmNomAlly
October 7, 2015 at 5:50 amI definitely don’t mind that these aren’t baked – it means there is significantly less time between prep and eating! The crunchy flax cereal looks delicious too :) do you think I could use buckwheat kernels as a substitute?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 20, 2015 at 5:20 pmHi. That’s not something we’ve tried.
Sasha
October 7, 2015 at 10:22 amThese sound amazing and so simple. Could they be frozen? I like to make big batches to use later. My kids always beg to eat a whole batch if they are just in our fridge :)
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 20, 2015 at 5:19 pmSure, you can freeze them!
Jamie
October 7, 2015 at 10:28 amHow long do you think these will last in the fridge?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 21, 2015 at 10:02 amThey should be good for up to a week.
Cindy
October 7, 2015 at 10:30 amDo you think that grape nuts would be a good cereal to try in this recipe?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 20, 2015 at 5:18 pmHi there. I’m sure they would work.
Elaine @Flavour and Savour
October 7, 2015 at 10:46 amSo easy! These sound fabulous. I know my “littles” would love these. Thanks!
MIchelle
October 7, 2015 at 11:46 amWhat brand and kind (old fashioned, quick cooking, etc) of oats did you use? Thank you.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 12, 2015 at 2:58 pmYou can use any brand. I like Bob’s Red Mill or Trader Joe’s.
Gill
October 7, 2015 at 11:57 amWe can I substitute for oats?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 12, 2015 at 2:57 pmWhile I don’t no exactly how to sub in this recipe. If you do a google search for no-bake gluten free cookies, you might find a recipe that you like. I know some use puffed-rice cereal.
Leslie
October 7, 2015 at 12:31 pmThank you for using Enjoy Life products in your recipe! My son has multiple food allergies and there company makes a lot of great products that are safe for people with food allergies. I will be whipping up a batch of these.
Vane
October 7, 2015 at 12:41 pmDo the oats need to be cooked? I’m I missing a step?
Thanks!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 12, 2015 at 3:04 pmNope, these are no bake. :) Give it a try!
Dixie
October 7, 2015 at 10:04 pmhow many calories. what is the nutritional value?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 12, 2015 at 2:54 pmHi there. Sorry but we do not provide nutrition details. This post will help you understand why: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/.
Jessie
October 9, 2015 at 4:08 pmWhat kind of peanut butter do you like to have on hand? I’m just starting out the cleaning eating and trying to find a good peanut butter, as I love peanut butter but know that JIF is a no no for this lifestyle change.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 12, 2015 at 3:13 pmWe look for organic peanut butter that has peanuts as the only ingredient (maybe salt).
Sheila Blair
October 11, 2015 at 4:02 amThank you so much for introducing new whole foods but keeping it real!
So many people are cooking with highly specialized food now and it’s discouraging for eating healthy to mean I must have high priced ingredients shipped in for every day cooking. I keep coming back to your site and cookbook because I can find what I need for your recipes at my local grocery. And, your recipes are healthy and delicious!
Danielle
October 11, 2015 at 11:22 amThis looks delicious! You mention in the blog post honey and raisin juice concentrate. I don’t see those in the recipe.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 13, 2015 at 3:40 pmHi. Those are ingredients in the cereal.
Elizabeth B
October 11, 2015 at 2:32 pmThis sounds so good. How sweet would you say they are? We don’t really do much sugar here. Also, what do you think adding mashed banana to this? I don’t know why but I love bananas in almost everything and would like to know what you think.
Thank you!
Elizabeth B
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 13, 2015 at 3:39 pmHi. The maple syrup makes them sweet and the banana would make them sweeter. :)
Laura
October 13, 2015 at 2:39 pmI have regular flax seeds. Would that be just as good? I didn’t see the cereal when I was shopping last.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 15, 2015 at 7:48 amHi Laura. Since flax seeds are so tiny, there would be a pretty big difference in volume. You could try nuts or a different whole grain cereal.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
December 6, 2017 at 9:47 amHello. Lisa just updated this recipe. See above and here is the link to the new cereal: http://amzn.to/2ims1kW.
Deb
October 14, 2015 at 3:22 pmWould you adjust the amount of maple syrup if you were using conventional peanut butter (Skippy or Jiffy)?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 17, 2015 at 8:14 amYes, you would since both already have a lot of added sugar.
Nicci
October 19, 2015 at 3:53 pmI just made these as I found the crunch flax cereal today at big lots! We haven’t tried them yet as they are chilling but it just seemed like way too much peanut butter compared to the 2 cups of cereal/oats. I think next time I would use only 1 cup peanut butter
Jill Page
October 25, 2015 at 6:50 pmHi – I love Lisa’s recipes and usually have good luck. I’ve made these twice exactly as instructed and they do not hold together. As soon as I try to cut them into squares they crumble. Super frustrating as they are not inexpensive to make.
Mary F.
November 30, 2015 at 6:58 amTry using a muffin tin so you don’t have to cut.
Melissa Moss
October 25, 2015 at 9:46 pmMade these today and they did not disappoint. They came out a little bit crumbly, but I’m thinking it’s the peanut butter I used (Teddy’s). So glad I found this recipe and thank you for sharing it! They are so good!
Kristen
October 26, 2015 at 2:48 pmDo you think you could sub the Maple Syrup for Honey? Have a sensitivity to maple so I’m trying to eliminate from my diet. These look soo good, I ordered my flax cereal this weekend can’t wait to make them!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 28, 2015 at 8:50 amHi Kristen. Yes, we often use them interchangeably.
Kelly B
November 4, 2015 at 11:08 amI made these yesterday and they are absolutely delicious. We enjoyed them this morning with our green breakfast smoothies (also a recipe from this website), and we all loved them. I would go so far to say that I prefer them over sugar-laden peanut butter cookies — they could totally pass as dessert. I made them as-is; I found Enjoy Life cereal at our local Whole Foods and for the peanut butter I used Adams crunchy and it worked great. I did not find them to be crumbly as others have reported. I used a spatula to spread out the mixture and made sure it was pressed very firmly into the pan. I chilled for about 4 hours before cutting and stored them in an air-tight container. This will definitely go into our grab-and-go breakfast rotation. Thank you!
Carla
November 11, 2015 at 11:32 amI made these and they were good, but I also thought it was way too much peanut butter. Either add more cereal and/or oats or reduce the peanut butter to a cup. I also found them to be crumbly.
Denise
November 24, 2015 at 11:39 amThese are sooo good! Great crunch! Not too much peanut butter for my family:) They were gone within a few days. Making more now….thank you!
Selena C
December 14, 2015 at 12:25 pmI love this recipe! So simple yet delicious! I substituted the peanut butter for homemade cashew butter (my husband has peanut allergies) and the bars barely lasted the afternoon! Thank you for sharing this with us.
Emily
January 7, 2016 at 6:30 pmWhat kind of oats do you use for this – steel cut, rolled, quick-cooking, etc? Seems like the bars could be too chewy/crunchy if you use the wrong type. Thanks!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
January 21, 2016 at 7:01 pmRolled. ;)
Sue Anna
January 19, 2016 at 11:41 amWhere do you find this cereal?
Carla
January 20, 2016 at 12:57 pmI found it at grocery outlet. .79 per box.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
December 6, 2017 at 9:45 amHello. Lisa just updated this recipe. See above and here is the link to the new cereal: http://amzn.to/2ims1kW.
Trudy
January 19, 2016 at 9:48 pmDo you use rolled oats or quick oats?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
January 21, 2016 at 7:00 pmRolled oats.
Stephanie Uetrecht
February 1, 2016 at 9:03 pmI have been using quick oats but ran out so I’ll try rolled oats next batch. I’ve been making this continuously as a great workout food for my family. This is a great replacement energy source.
Shea
January 23, 2016 at 9:31 pmThese were delicious! I melted semi-sweet chocolate chips and spread on top of the bars before cutting. A yummy desert the kids and I loved.
Kath
January 27, 2016 at 11:54 amWhat should the texture be like before these are chilled? I found it was almost runny so added a little more of the dry ingredients and then it was hard to spread out in the tin. I’m wondering which is closer to the original. Being British I’m not as comfortable measuring with a cup, especially ingredients like peanut butter, as I would usually just weigh it out. I also think my peanut butter is runnier than some other brands.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
February 3, 2016 at 10:48 amHi there. They will be soft and a little sticky but firm up in the fridge.
Tara
February 9, 2016 at 12:01 pmsounds great! Do you use regular or natural pb.? We are a natural pb house but worried the bars would be too runny as its a lot more loose than regular pb
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
February 12, 2016 at 10:40 amHi Tara. Lisa uses organic peanut butter.
Gwen
February 25, 2016 at 7:16 pmCan I make these bars without the cereal (just the oatmeal)? Or is there another version of it? Thank you!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
March 1, 2016 at 9:13 amHi Gwen. We’ve not tried that.
Kristen h
April 13, 2016 at 2:48 pmWhere is everyone finding this cereal? It’s sold out and discontinued online…. Any tips on where to find it? I’m not near a Whole Foods.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
April 18, 2016 at 10:40 amHi there. I know you could order it online. Here is one source: http://www.iherb.com/p/32781.
Kristen h
April 18, 2016 at 1:28 pmWhen you click on the link it says the item is discontinued and not in stock.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
December 6, 2017 at 9:46 amHello. Lisa just updated this recipe. See above and here is the link to the new cereal: http://amzn.to/2ims1kW.
bgue
May 15, 2016 at 2:12 pmhow many calories does a bar have?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
May 19, 2016 at 7:10 amHi there. We do not provide those details. This post might help you see why: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/.
Cathy
June 13, 2016 at 10:24 pmThese look great! I have a similar recipe that I have found and used. http://cathyscleaneatingchronicles.blogspot.com/2016/06/peanut-butter-oat-bars.html
Kaleigh
September 28, 2016 at 1:59 pmDelicious!! I eat them for breakfast, and when I get that mid-day slump and need a snack. My husband really likes them too.
(I added a little coconut oil and vanilla extract to mine, and I didn’t have this exact cereal so I used Ezekial’s sprouted grain cereal.)
julie
November 8, 2016 at 3:35 pmI don’t see the recipe on this page. Can someone post it, I would love to try these.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
November 14, 2016 at 9:40 amHi Julie. The recipe is there. We might have had a brief website hiccup. :)
Debbie
November 15, 2016 at 3:18 pmI have looked online for the Enjoy Life crunchy flax cereal and I can’t find it. Do they still make it?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
November 21, 2016 at 9:42 amHi. They do. This might help you locate an outlet that sells it near you: http://shop.enjoylifefoods.com/Crunchy-Flax-with-Chia/p/ENJ-00979&[email protected].
Kim
February 10, 2017 at 6:31 pmThey discontinued it. I called them and was so disappointed.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
December 6, 2017 at 9:42 amHello. Lisa just updated this recipe. See above and here is the link to the new cereal: http://amzn.to/2ims1kW.
Suzanne
November 15, 2016 at 7:40 pmI can’t find this cereal either can you please give me a substitute?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
November 21, 2016 at 9:48 amHi. You could use any other whole grain cereal.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
December 6, 2017 at 9:43 amHello. Lisa just updated this recipe. See above and here is the link to the new cereal: http://amzn.to/2ims1kW.
Melissa
January 7, 2017 at 6:46 pmCan all natural peanut butter be used? By all natural I mean just ground peanuts…no added oils, sugars, etc.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
January 15, 2017 at 10:21 amAbsolutely. We only use peanut butter with peanuts and maybe a little salt as the ingredients.
Liz
January 8, 2017 at 1:20 pmDoes it matter what type of oats are used? Quick oats or old-fashioned oats? Looking forward to trying this.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
January 15, 2017 at 10:43 amI use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quick Oats. :)
Randi
January 18, 2017 at 3:53 pmThat cereal has been discontinued. Is there an alternative that you recommend?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
February 6, 2017 at 12:52 pmHi. We’ve not tried this with a different cereal just yet. Another whole grain, low ingredient choice like puffed rice might be a good option.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
December 6, 2017 at 9:44 amHello. Lisa just updated this recipe. See above and here is the link to the new cereal: http://amzn.to/2ims1kW.
Sooz
February 11, 2017 at 5:45 pmAt the top of the recipe it says “cook time 1 hr” but as these are no-bake bars….typo???
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
February 15, 2017 at 1:23 pmThe “cook” time is the fridge time.
Sooz
February 15, 2017 at 4:35 pmDOH!!!
Thanks!
Jamie
February 12, 2017 at 5:47 pmI tried this with Trader Joe’s High Fiber O’s, and i thought it was good!
Dia
February 13, 2017 at 9:25 pmI made these with Fiber One Honey Clusters cereal. Delicious!
Erin
February 15, 2017 at 11:36 amSince this cereal is discontinued, so you suggest any substitute?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
December 6, 2017 at 9:40 amHello. Lisa just updated this recipe. See above and here is the link to the new cereal: http://amzn.to/2ims1kW.
Kerrie
October 4, 2017 at 1:41 pmI’d also love another suggestion for cereal to use since they won’t be making any more of the enjoy life crunchy flax.
Mar
October 15, 2017 at 5:39 pmUncle Sam cereal has flax seeds
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
December 6, 2017 at 9:41 amHello. Lisa just updated this recipe. See above and here is the link to the new cereal: http://amzn.to/2ims1kW.
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