Peanut Butter & Jelly Honey Oat Bars

Hi, I'm Lydia, and I'm addicted to Starbucks Oat Bars... I ate one every day for two weeks straight and I still couldn't get enough, so I decided to make my own -- with a Twiss(t), of course!  I chose to add dried fruit to my oat bars, because I had some on hand and I thought the pop of color would look good.  I did not expect these to taste exactly like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich; but they do, and they are divine! These bars are much healthier than ones you could ever buy at the store, which makes it easier to ignore the guilt when you mow down an entire batch by yourself.

This recipe is ridiculously easy, it doesn't even require baking at all.  I've said other recipes in this blog are easy, but this one takes the least amount of effort and time than any other recipe I've shared here -- you literally mix everything together in a giant bowl and pop them in the fridge to cool, that's it!  This recipe is also easy to tweak and switch up a bit, depending on your preference for taste.  I used dried cranberries, currants, and raisins for this recipe, but you could use any dried fruit -- try dry tropical fruit, like papaya, mango, or pineapple; or do a mixed nut version instead for extra crunch!  These can easily be made Vegan as well, simply substitute the honey for agave syrup and you are good to go!  If you're allergic to peanuts, try substituting the peanut butter for sunflower butter.  The flavor will be different, but these are easy to customize, so have some fun and play with it!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Honey Oat Bars

Yields:  15 bars

Ingredients: 

2 C rolled oats

1 C shredded coconut (*optional, if you choose to omit, increase oats by 1 C)

2 C dry fruit (I used 1 C dried cranberries, 1/2 C dried currants, and 1/2 C dried sultana raisins)

1/2 C natural peanut butter (or almond, sunflower, or cashew butter)

1/2 C honey (use agave for a Vegan-friendly option)

1/4 C coconut oil, melted; plus more for greasing

Directions:

Grease a 11 x 9" baking pan, or 8 x 8" square pan with coconut oil.  Set aside for later.

In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together and blend well until all ingredients are well incorporated and mixture is thick and sticky (I suggest using a stand mixer if you have one, if not, melt the peanut butter and honey in the microwave for a few minutes to soften it before mixing).

Turn mixture out into the prepared baking pan.  Press down in an even layer until mixture reaches all edges of the pan.  Place parchment paper over top and cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate 30 minutes or longer.  Cut into squares, and enjoy!

*Tips*

These bars freeze really well.  I suggest wrapping bars in plastic wrap individually, and then putting all of them into one large freezer bag.

Try adding cinnamon, cardamom, or any other type of spice you think would go well with the flavors in these bars.  The best part of cooking and baking is making something your own and trying new things!