Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars Like No Other

This post shares a recipe for peanut butter chocolate chip bars made like no other recipe you’ve ever seen!

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Most Americans LOVE peanut butter chocolate chip bars. They’re moist, sweet, and great for on-the-go treats. Yay, peanut butter chocolate chip bars!!

For many of us, however, as we get older, dietary issues come up. That makes treats like peanut butter chocolate chip bars off limits. From the most simple decreasing appeal of overly sweet goodies to gluten and carbohydrate concerns. That doesn’t even get into the voluntary restrictions many of us place on ourselves in an attempt to eat healthier.

Our house is no different. That’s why energy bars are such a favorite. Hence the decision to make a gluten-free, low carb, and low sugar grab-n-go snack that still satisfies our craving for a little indulgence. All without really going too far off of our healthy meal plan. After almost six weeks of trial and error, the result is awesome!

What most surprising is that these “energy bars” taste very similar to Toll House chocolate chip cookie bars. Just a less sweet variety. Not sure how that happened but let’s go with it! We’re still calling them Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars but in reality they’re more like a less sweet traditional chocolate chip cookie bars.

The recipe substitutes out gluten products, nasty sugars, and eggs. There has also been attention paid to decrease the carb load. The result tastes great!

Quick note of caution … this is not a spur of the moment recipe. It is simple to make but does involve preparations. Don’t be afraid. It’s worth the minor inconvenience and patience.

Here’s the equipment you’ll need

Making these peanut butter chocolate chip bars makes use of the good ol‘ standby’s that come in handy regularly. Mixer, food processor, measuring tools, storage containers, etc… Here are links to the ones you can use.

You probably have most of these tools in your kitchen or pantry. If not, set up a budget to get your hands on them. They’ll make your time in the kitchen much more fun! Now let’s get right to making peanut butter chocolate chip bars!

Night before date bath (not the kinky kind)

A lot of people have a problem with sugar as we all get older. It’s often not simply a preference but a need to reduce the nasty sweeteners we find in almost everything. Yes, read labels people!!

Instead of honey (which can reportedly cause bloating), this recipe for peanut butter chocolate chip bars opts for date paste. It’s super easy to make but does help to have the pitted dates sit in the fridge taking a bath overnight.

All you need to do is pit about 20 Medjool Dates and submerge them in water. Then put them in the fridge.

The morning after (date bath)

In the morning, it will take a matter of minutes to make the date paste.

You can use some of the remaining date paste later to make Greek yogurt icing for an optional topping.

Still the morning after … combine wet ingredients

Of course you can plan your own timing, but if you get your wet mixture prepared in the morning, then you can make the bars later in the day. It needs time to set in the fridge.

You’ll then need to put the hot wet mixture into a storage container and put in the refrigerator for several hours, at least 4. The hot temperature going into the storage container is why glass storage containers were included in the equipment list above!

After the wait, time to get toasty!

You’ve allowed the wet mixture to sit in the refrigerator for the day. Now you’re ready to prep the seeds. Yes, seeds! This is a grown-up peanut butter chocolate chip bar recipe, people (but I bet kids will like it too!).

Once they’re done, allow them to cool while you prepare the rest of the batter.

Chia egg is no laughing matter

Unlike the chia pet that has been a Christmas humor for as long as eating a peanut butter chocolate chip bars have been loved, this chia is no joke. As an egg substitute, we’re creating a chia egg.

It’s beyond simple.

Combine chia seeds and HOT water and let sit. It will get all slimy while you’re toasting the seeds and working on the batter.

If it doesn’t get slimy enough over the next 10 minutes, or so, then put it in the microwave for 30 seconds. That will do the trick!

Time to batter up

When creating this peanut butter chocolate chip bar recipe, the order of the steps to make Toll House cookies was referenced. Maybe there’s a little channeling going on since the original goal was more of an energy bar. When all was said and done, they are so much like grown-up peanut butter chocolate chip bars that the energy bar idea was dropped. They really are an energy bar though!

In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. This will include the oat flour, almond flour, rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

Also measure out your chocolate chips in a separate side dish.

Your vanilla needs to be on hand as well.

In parts, add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl. Take time to mix each small addition well before adding more.

Once the dry mixture is blended in well it’s time to add the toasted seeds (cooled) and chocolate chips.

That’s it! Not so bad, right.

batter Up!

These peanut butter chocolate chip bars can be done in muffin pans or in a 9″x13″ brownie pan. Cooking times will vary but they come out great either way. Here we’ll show the brownie pan version.

Line the pan with parchment paper big enough so it comes up beyond the edges of the pan. Don’t trim it! We need the “wings” later.

The batter will be VERY heavy and thick. Dump it in the middle of the pan. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper and spread out to the pan edges.

Using the parchment “wings”, roll back down the edges.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until firm with edges golden brown.

More waiting so relax and chill

Before cutting the bars, they need to totally chill. Since I’m sure you’ve already cleaned the kitchen mess while the peanut butter chocolate chip bar were baking (best of intentions) you can now just relax!

Time to cut and wrap these babies

Once the giant peanut butter chocolate chip bar is completely cooled and firm it’s time to gather all of your supplies to wrap and cut the squares. We suggest getting them out of the pan so nobody is cutting on the non-stick cookware.

If you like the idea of having personalized labels for your goodies but don’t know how … just contact me. I can’t help or make some and send them out!

Now that you have all of your supplies, it’s time to cut your giant peanut butter chocolate chip bar into 2″x2″ squares.

Healthy on-the-go snack that tastes like a treat

After all that preparation, the result is a good for you snack that is a great grab when time is short. Or, if you want to have a little dessert but can’t break the dietary rules you self-torture yourself with then you can have one of these peanut butter chocolate chip bars.

Some of our sample group didn’t care for the salt flakes on top BUT love them topped with Greek yogurt and date paste icing mentioned earlier. This will add a little tangy sweet to the bars. Yummy!