Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars with Chocolate Chips want you to embrace The Blob Phase.
Are you acquainted with The Blob Phase? It’s the moment right after you’ve realized that you wasted no fewer than five hours watching back-to-back Friends reruns and eating Cheez-Its, but before you’ve mustered the energy to scoot the empty box off of your abdomen.
When The Blob Phase hits, the only thing that’s less appealing than spending one additional second covered in cracker crumbs is the thought of getting up to do anything else. Thank goodness for Instagram. Blob Phase, recommence.
About the Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
These ooey gooey peanut butter oatmeal bars were designed for The Blob Phase. In fact, they beg you to embrace it. An ultimate lazy dessert—only one bowl and limited measuring is required—these soft and chewy bars are at their best when at their blobbiest.
I suggest you make two: one to bake into peanut butter oatmeal bars and the other to devour immediately. I don’t consider myself a big cookie dough eater (I usually prefer the final baked version), but I couldn’t keep away from the mixing bowl. I am still stunned that a flourless, butter-free cookie dough can taste this incredible.
Yes, you read that properly—butter free. In addition to being flourless, these miraculous bars contain no butter and still taste amazing, a feat made possible by our good friend, peanut butter. My Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies use the same no-butter strategy. A super generous quantity (shall I call it a blob?) of creamy PB provides all of the moisture these bars need to be perfectly soft and chewy, without the addition of butter. Old fashioned oats add a little texture, and a handful of chocolate chips keeps things sweet and right.
Full disclosure: we are on our third batch of oatmeal bars in 10 days. When a dessert is this easy, this tasty, and (compared to other blondie bar recipes) this much better for us, it’s a little hard to control the urge not to bake just one more pan.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars Storage Tips
- To Store. Leftover bars can be stored in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze. Place oatmeal bars in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw and enjoy as desired.
More Bars to Love
- Banana Blueberry Crumb Bars
- Best Ever Mint Brownies
- Healthy Cranberry Apricot Bars
- Cinnamon Churro Crispy Bars
It’s the weekend. Embrace the blob with peanut butter oatmeal bars!
Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars with Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (crunchy will work too, though I prefer the texture of the creamy)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats
Instructions
- Place rack in the center of your oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and lightly coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the peanut butter, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt on medium speed until well combined.
- Add the egg and vanilla, then mix on medium low, just until incorporated. By hand, stir in the chocolate chips and oats.
- Press the dough into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 22 minutes, until golden and the top is set. Let cool completely in the pan. Remove, slice and serve.
Notes
Join today and start saving your favorite recipes
Create an account to easily save your favorite projects and tutorials.
Register
No wonder you have made a few batches of these already, I could see getting pretty addicted!
Peanut butter is amazing isn’t it? I would gobble up every last one of these bars.
I LOVE how easily this comes together!! Oh my gosh, PB is my jam (ha!) and I need a pan (or five) of these in my life. I mayyyy have to make these this weekend!! Have a good one, lady! xx
I have a ridiculously huge jar of peanut butter that needs to be finished–now I know exactly what to do with it! Can’t wait to taste :)
Who could ever resist a peanut butter bar? These could totally pass as breakfast, right?
Pinned.
Have a happy Friday!
I am very familiar with this phase. Sometimes I get down about it, but sometimes I embrace it. If I had these bars with me during Blob Phase, I’d definitely embrace it maybe even be happy about it :)
I’m ready to embrace my inner blob. These look highly addicting!
I’d love to embrace this blob phase right there with you lol! And these bars? Yeah, they’re on the docket for this weekend, that’s for sure!
You had me at flourless peanut butter. Pinned this one immediately. Though I am suspicious of the lack of butter, as it’s one of my basic food groups. I wonder if there is a way to add it back in? ;-) (Serious though.)
Patricia, I was honestly really skeptical too, and I’m not afraid to use butter when it’s needed. Here though? Honestly, the bars are great with out it. Sure, they might be a little gooier if you put in a few tablespoons, but I encourage you to give them a try without, because they are delightfully chewy. Even my husband (the least butter-shy person ever) gobbled these up and had zero clue they were butter free.
So that is what I have been doing all this week?! In a blob phase?! I guess if my phases ended in sweet flourless bars I would embrace them more often ;)
Erin, haha, back-to-back Friends reruns and eating Cheez-Its, dude. . been there, done that. :P I love these bars!!! they are gorgeous!!! TGIF!
I’ve been having a serious chocolate and peanut butter craving, and these bars look like the perfect way to satisfy it! I can’t believe they have no flour or butter. I love that they have oats! Pinning to try soon!
Oh I’m familiar with the blob phase. Except my recent one involved back-to-back episodes of Revenge on Netflix and handfuls of chex mix. It would have been infinitely better with these oatmeal bars, as I can only imagine how rich and gooey they are.
I’m definitely familiar with the “blob phase” except mine is with trashy TV shoes.
My kids are going to make these this afternoon and we will have an enjoyable dinner and blob-filled evening!
Sounds like the best night ever Jenni! I hope you and the kiddos love them :)
Luckily I’m planning to blob around all weekend watching Mad Men. These will accompany my plans perfectly!
I could eat an insane amount of these bars! They look crazy good!
Aw man, this looks like the type of dessert in the presence of which I will have absolutely NO will-power (and I mean that in the best way possible!). I must make these immediately.
The blob & I are BFF’s. I’m pretty sure we’ll allow these bars into our lil club too. Cheers to a blobby weekend!
These look like they’d be good snacks for a plane ride..and if you just happened to have some left over when you arrive, I could certainly help lighten your bags for you! :) Looks delicious! Can’t wait to see you!
Does it matter whether I use whole or quick oats
Hi Marilyn! It will change the texture of the bars, since old-fashioned oats are thicker and chewier. I’ve only tested the bars with rolled (old fashioned), but I think quick oats would still be okay, even if your texture is a bit different. I suggest putting in slightly less than 1/3 cup, since more quick oats fit into a measuring cup then rolled oats, and you don’t want to end up with too much extra. I hope that helps, and if you try the bars, I would love to know what you think!
Ok, yes! These look awesome. And no flour or butter? I’m intrigued. Can’t wait to try them (and a little blobbing) this weekend.
Hahaha, we’ve totally been binge watching Friends on Netflix too! Still so funny! :) These bars look incredible, and I just may need to make them ASAP. Love peanut butter, and if they’re even a bit healthier than the usual suspects then I need to have them!
I’ve been watching Friends last couple of days too. Haha
These bars look so good, gotta make them asap.
Long live the blog phase! And the I’m on fire with yoga and veggies phase! And the I had yogurt and blueberries for breakfast, but ‘sure I’ll take fries with that’ phase. It’s all good. And these bars look ahhhmazing!
This look sooo good!
I love having yummy bars to grab when I’m on the go, and since my partner is always hungry it’s perfect to have as a snack so he can easily grab one!
Might try and do an almond butter version, since I’ve got loads of it at home!
{Teffy’s Perks} X
I’m very much acquainted with The Blog Phase. It happens often, and usually with a bag of plain UTZ potato chips. These bars need to make it to the rotation. They’d be quite tasty to munch on while I’m perusing Pinterest. Pinned.
Yesssss! BLOB TIME!!! These and watching Gilmore Girls in my pjs on the couch are calling my name today ;)
These flourless peanut butter & chocolate chip bars are fantastic. I made them this morning, cooled them stating that they were not to be touched until completely cooled to the eager munchers around the house and when I served them everyone could not stop saying YUM. Thank you Erin for the recipe and your warning about completely cooling them. I have a small oven and 22 minutes was perfect. Have a wonderful day everyone.
Linda, I am so excited to hear that you and your family loved these (and cheers to you for having the patience to wait until they cool—it really makes a difference, as I learned the hard way!). Thanks so much for trying the recipe and for taking time to leave your review. It really means a lot!
haha oh friends on netflix – it is such a time suck! I don’t even realize how long I’ve been watching it half of the time!
And these bars look awesome – perfect to have on hand for my next binge-watching session!
Aaaah the blob phase. There are those of us who need to go into that mode more often—–without the guilt.
In regard to these bars. I LOVE THEM. I have a gluten intolerant person as a dear friend and she is going to LOVE these too. Thank you for the recipe.
Yum! Those look amazing! I was just looking for something ot bake this weekend and they flew to the top of my list!
Bahaha… I never had a word to describe that feeling post TV series marathon. Blob Phase! Brilliant. Reckon I could fit a solid amount of these bad boys in my belly, I am only an hour or so away from the blob phase today. Heading to the kitchen to see if I can make these a reality in my world. Happy weekend lovely lady! :)
These look so delicious, it’s hard to believe how easy they are! Unfortunately, I am more than familiar with the Blob Phase…in fact I may be having one right now…
They were made by my 20 yr old and baked for 20 minutes in a glass pan. Recipe ingredients followed exactly. They came out too crumbly and could not be cut into bars. Erin, your thoughts? Mine are that I will go back too regular peanut butter bars and leave the gluten free behind…
Hi Karen! I’m so sorry to hear the bars were crumbly. I think the issue here has less to do with the fact that they are gluten-free, and more to do with the glass pan. Most baking recipes like this one are designed to be made in metal pans. Glass conducts heat better than metal, therefore your pan would have retained more heat in the oven, as well as stayed hotter as the bars cooled. Often with glass pans, you can adjust by lowering the baking temperature by about 25° . My other thought is the baking pan size. Are you sure it was 8 x 8 and not a 9 x 9? That will make a big difference too. Again, I’m sorry these didn’t turn out, but I think if you try the recipe with the metal 8 x 8″ pan, you will love the results!
I had the exact same problem. They tasted divine, but were crumbly and I could not cut them in squares. I used a ceramic square baking pan. Is that the problem?
Lisa, a ceramic pan would affect how the bars came out and would cause them to be dry, because they conduct and retain heat differently than metal. (The same thing happens with glass pans). If you want to try again with the ceramic pan, I’d recommend lowering the oven temperature by at least 25 degrees and checking the bars early.
Mine are crumb kg too. I’m so bummed. You cannot cut them into anything.. Used a metal pan
Hi Lauri, it could be that the bars were overbaked or possibly your brand of peanut butter, as they sometimes have different amounts of oil content. If there was less oil in the peanut butter, it’d lead to a more crumbly bar. If you do make them again and the batter seem too dry, you can try stirring in an additional tablespoon or two of milk.
I made these yesterday, they’re so good! Perfect for eating while binge watching ‘Sons of Anarchy’!
Ann, I’m so so excited to hear that! Sounds like the perfect combo :) Thanks for letting me know how they turned out!
If you haven’t made these yet, what are you waiting for??? This recipe is divine in its simplicity. We scarfed the lot down in seconds flat, husband and daughter oohing and ahhing with sincere appreciation and respect. If you make these for your family, you too can be a treat wielding rock star!!! Thank you Erin, for the status boost!
HEATHER, THANK YOU! I’m so, so excited to hear that you and your family loved them (and this has to be one of my favorite comments to date). I appreciate your taking time to leave your review, and I hope the next batch is as good as the first :)
I noticed a big typo. You state that this recipe yields 16 bars, but your hand must have slipped when typing. This is obviously a single serving- it’s one serving, right? How else can you explain why I ate the whole pan? These are amazing and so easy you can put them together while holding a “helpful” 5 month old!
Best comment ever! I am cracking up over here Korbey. And yes, it’s definitely a single serving ;-) I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for taking time to let me know!
Do you happen to know the calorie count. Made them and they are delish!!!
Jen, I’m so excited to hear that you liked these bars! They are one of our favorites. I don’t calculate calories for any of the recipes on my website (you can read the reasons why on my FAQ page: https://www.wellplated.com/faqs/), but I do know that there are many free calculators available online. A quick Google search should give you some options. Thanks and again, so happy the bars were a success!
I made these tonight and LOVE them!!! I can see myself becoming totally addicted! They’re super fudgy and peanut buttery!
Kristine, this makes me so happy to hear! And warning: they ARE addictive! Thank you for trying the recipe and letting me know. I really appreciate it!
Theses are A.MAZ.ING!!! I really want to eat the whole pan in one sitting. Thanks for the fabulous recipe!!
Amanda, I’m so happy to hear this!! Thanks so much for letting me know and enjoy every bite :)
bring on the blob!! I don’t see the pan lasting more than a day in my house
A friend requested gluten free goodies for her birthday this week and I came across this recipe. I threw in some chopped pecans, as she loves them and I had some in my pantry. I can’t believe how easily this recipe comes together! They’re in the oven right now and smell delicious. She’s going to love them!
Jenna, I’m so happy to hear this! I hope they were a hit, and the addition of pecans sounds D-LISH!
Do you use regular peanut butter or natural? I have both on hand, but wanted to get your expert opinion first!
Hi Stephanie! Use any kind that doesn’t have to be in the refrigerator (so a “natural no-stir” like those made by Jif or Skippy is fine, as long as it doesn’t separate, as is regular peanut butter.) As much as I love the 100% natural kind that you keep in the refrigerator, it doesn’t bake well because the oil separates. I hope you love the bars!
And this is why I bought an extra large jar of PB at the store the other day.
I just put my third batch of these in the oven. My 9 month pregnant, chocolate peanut butter craving self cannot get enough! My husband also loves them as fuel before a big bike ride (he usually goes 50 – 100 miles at a time). Thank you for a healthier version of my pregnancy craving!!! I could devour the entire pan in one sitting if I let myself!
Katherine, this comment made my night! I’m so happy that this recipe has been great for you, your husband, and your baby-to-be too. Enjoy :-)
I was wondering why quick oats will not work, I have several containers of them I want to use up…
Hi Charles! I recommend rolled oats for this recipe because they have a heartier texture and give the bars more structure, which I prefer. I imagine quick oats will work fine, but they may make the bars a bit softer.
These are so good! I made a few adjustments to try and cut back my processed sugar and increase protein and iron (I have a kid with low iron these days). Not in the spirit of The Blob but still delicious. I filled up my 3/4 measuring cup with half honey and half brown sugar. And I added about 1/4 c ground hemp seeds. I was worried that It would mess up the texture but they were still moist and chewy. I also used a glass pan but lowered temp to 325 as recommend in another comment. Not crumbly :)
Jenna, I am so excited to hear how much you enjoyed this, and that your tweaks were successful too! I especially love the hemp seed addition and want to try that myself next time. Thanks for sharing!
I used the natural peanut butter that’s stored in the fridge. I substituted 1/2 cup of organic maple syrup for the brown sugar. I added 1/4 cup of oat fiber in addition to the other oats. They are delicious! They don’t look as dense as yours do in the photo but they taste great! My family loved them! Thanks!
Hi Jill! I’m so excited to hear that you and your family enjoyed these bars so much. Thanks so much for trying the recipe and sharing your kind review.
Erin thank you so much for an amazing gluten free recipe! It is absolutely wonderful!!!
I have 3 friends in our weekly Bible Group that are all legit Gluten Free as well as 1 is Dairy Free and 1 is Peanut Free (can’t even be in the room with peanut products – so sad!) That being said…have you ever tried this with another nut butter?
By-the-way, am so impressed that you take the time to respond to all comments! You are super woman!
Hi Karen Lee! I am so excited to hear that this recipe is a hit! I’ve never tried it with almond butter, but I think that it is worth a shot. The consistency might be a little oilier, because I usually use the kind of peanut butter that doesn’t need to be refrigerated. Sunbutter might work too. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to hear how it goes. Also, I LOVE reader comments and enjoy responding :) It means a lot to know that it is appreciated!
Trying to make healthier snack s, what could be used instead of brown sugar
Hi Jane, you could try using coconut sugar instead, but you may want to add a bit of liquid since coconut sugar tends to be drier. I hope you enjoy them!
This recipe is absolutely wonderful, thank you so much for it. I have made it several times, always a hit and easy too!
Eri, thank YOU for taking the time to leave this awesome review! I’m so glad to hear you enjoy the bars.
Excellent bars ……..such an easy recipe…I even added more peanut butter….and some flax seed ….perfect…thanks so much
Rosalyn, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this awesome review!
These bars are the bomb! I made them this afternoon and made sure to let them cool completely before cutting. Came out perfect! My picky 4 year old gave them 2 thumbs up and asked for a 2nd square. That is quite the compliment. I am just starting to go gluten free and needed a treat to make that everyone would enjoy. I think we found a winner. Since they only took me 5 minutes to put together, I think these will be made often. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I love all of your recipes and look forward to trying more gluten free options.
YAY Nora, I’m so glad to hear the recipe is a hit! Thanks for giving it a try and for taking the time to come back and leave this awesome rating and review!
I’m trying to cut sugar out of my diet as much as possible… would I be able to make these without adding the brown sugar?
Hi Cyndy! I actually wouldn’t recommend that because the bars won’t hold together without sugar. You might want to check out any of these naturally sweetened desserts, all of which are sweetened with a moderate amount of something more natural like honey or maple syrup. I hope that helps! https://www.wellplated.com/category/recipes-by-diet/naturally-sweetened/
Has anyone tried doubling the oats? I am looking for healthy morning carb recipes for my boys, but need something with more oats.
Hi! I wouldn’t recommend doubling the oats, as I don’t think there’d be enough liquid ingredients to bind them and keep them from being a crumble. If you’re looking to get more oats, I’d suggest these peanut butter oatmeal bars instead! They’ve got 2 cups of oats and are great for breakfast.
I actually tripled the oats, with good results. Also doubled the salt, used 1/2 cup of sugar (I don’t mind some, but always try to use as little as possible in recipes)
Thanks for chiming in, Abram! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you SO much for your recommendation Erin. My boys will LOVE the peanut butter oatmeal bars. I can’t wait to make them.
You’re welcome! Enjoy!
Sooo Goood! I made mine in a glass pan with parchment paper. They only took 20 min in my oven. I waited about 35 minutes to cut them. I used a special pladtic type knife/ mini spatula and they cut very well into bars….not crumbly at all. I’ll definitely be making these again!!
Thanks for giving the bars a try and reporting back, Melanie! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them!
I made these again…I’m addicted, lol. Because I know I’ll be making them a lot, I needed to see if I could reduce the sugar so I tried 1/4 cup Truvia instead of the brown sugar. I added a little extra PB and oats to make up for the missing sugar. They still tasted great!! I’m diabetic, so this is my new treat and really need to constrain myself from eating the whole batch at once.
Melanie, thank you so much for reporting back with your tweaks! I’m so glad you enjoy the bars.
These are wonderful! Perfect and healthy! I made without the chips. I have made other flourless recipes and nothing came close to these. Thank you!
Elizabeth, I’m so glad it was a hit! Thanks so much for taking the time to report back.
Erin, I would like to try making these today and I’m wondering how they would turn out if I left out the chocolate and added some mashed banana. How might I adjust the recipe to do this?
Also, can I add another egg? I drive an hour some mornings to my daughters home to watch my grandson and I would like something to eat in the car that’s filling and low in sugar.
Thank you!
Ruth
Hi Ruth! That’s a lot of substitution, and I haven’t tested the recipe that way, so I’d actually recommend checking out the recipe for these Protein Cookies! They’re made with banana, peanut butter, and have an additional egg like you were looking for. I hope that helps! https://www.wellplated.com/protein-cookies
Unfortunately, my batch turned out burned, dry, and crumbly. I use an oven thermometer all the time, so I know that the temperature of the oven was not the problem, nor was the metal pan I used. Major bummer, especially considering the wasted ingredients.
Hi Mary, I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the recipe. It’s hard to know what may have happened without being in the kitchen with you, but I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not have it come out, so I truly wish you would have enjoyed these!
Thank you so much to share your recipe, i love peanut butter oatmeal bars,
i have make this for follow your recipe.
Thank you for your kind comment! I hope you love them!
I made these two days ago, and they are super yummy. I used Kirklan natural peanut butter from Costco and an 8×8 glass Pyrex dish for baking. I baked them for 22 mins. I did not line the pan, just used a little cooking spray. They taste like chocolate chip peanut butter cookies. Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you for sharing this kind review, Leslie! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
These were absolutely delicious! Soft, tasty, with just the right amount of crisp on the edges!
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the bars, Ellie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!