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Just 6 ingredients for these thick, dense bars that are an easy version of healthy no bake cookies!
Here we are at Friday, but I’m a little less excited than usual.
We’re potty training this weekend. (If that sounds familiar, yes, we attempted this several months ago. J wasn’t ready.)
But he’s almost 3 now and it’s time. So bye-bye diapers, hello big boy underwear.
I have a feeling there will be lots and lots of dirty laundry in my future. 😩
But on to happier thoughts. Like dessert!
I have to admit, I felt a little duped the first time I made no bake cookies years ago.
I thought from the title it meant I would have a cookie ready to eat in 5 minutes. But you have to boil everything, let it cool and then let it set up for what felt like eternity. (No patience here.)
Luckily, after having waited, not so patiently and perhaps with a few grumbles, I was rewarded. Oooey, gooey, soft, chocolatey, peanut buttery goodness. Heavenly.
So I cleaned up the recipe a bit to make some slightly more healthy no bake cookies – and then I dumped them in a glass pan to get a really thick bar. Cause it’s so satisfying to hold these thick slices and sink your teeth into them!
(It’s kinda like my peanut butter chocolate chip snack bars that are like a giant, chewy cookie!)
But given my earlier disillusionment, let me be clear: These are not ready immediately.
Yes, you can eat the mixture while it’s warm and yes, it’s delicious. (Please give it just a second to cool or you might burn your tongue.) But the serious goodness comes if you wait and let them set up in the refrigerator.
It’s about an hour. 45 minutes if you must. Distract yourself so you’re not opening the fridge door every 15 minutes to check on them. Or maybe every 10 minutes… 😉
You also may be able to stick these in the freezer and have them be ready in about 20 minutes. I haven’t tried that method yet but would love to hear if you do!
Notes on these healthy no bake cookies (er, bars):
- You can use cow’s milk (skim, 2%, whole) or soy milk or another alternative milk. Whatever ya got.
- I almost always use old-fashioned oats in my recipes, but I found they have too much of a raw oat taste here so I prefer quick-cook oats. If all you have is old fashioned oats, just pulse them briefly in a food processor or blender to break them up a bit before using them in the recipe.
- You can get 9 very large bars or 16 smaller bars out of this recipe.
- These are addictive! If you don’t want the temptation, you can make a half-batch in an 8×4 bread pan. Just line it with plastic wrap and spray with cooking spray so you can easily lift them out once chilled.
I hope you give these a try for an easy summer treat, or even an after-school snack since we’re headed into back-to-school time.
And I hope you’ll send me some happy vibes this weekend as we potty train.
(Oh, and just for fun, I put together a silly potty training essentials post for anyone attempting this same miracle.)
Have a wonderful weekend!
XO,
Kathryn
Healthier no-bake cookie bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup milk (any kind)
- 3 cups quick-cook oats (see notes)
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Grease an 8x8 glass pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Combine peanut butter, honey and milk in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir until well combined.
- Add remaining ingredients, turn off heat and stir until the chocolate is melted.
- Pour mixture into prepared pan and let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for an hour.
- Cut into bars and serve!
Notes
You can use cow’s milk (skim, 2%, whole) or soy milk or another alternative milk.
I almost always use old-fashioned oats but I found they have too much of a raw oat taste here so I prefer quick-cook oats. If all you have is old fashioned oats, just pulse them briefly in a food processor or blender to break them up a bit before using them in the recipe.
Store extras, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can cut these into 9 large squares or 16 smaller squares.
You can make a half-batch in an 8x4 bread pan. Just line it with plastic wrap and spray with cooking spray so you can easily lift the bars out once they are chilled.
Vivian | stayaliveandcooking says
July 29, 2016 at 7:06 AMOhhhh yumm! I attempted these a while ago but didn’t add any milk and then they were quite dry. But I’ll definitely have to try your recipe, they look so good! And we love snacks like these here – so easy to grab & go.
Have a great weekend!
Kathryn says
July 29, 2016 at 10:47 AMAgree — grab and go is so helpful for those busy afternoons! Hope you do try these – they are far from dry and super delicious!
Alanna says
July 29, 2016 at 7:19 AMThe fact that these are no-bake AND six ingredients make me so happy!!! Perfect summertime treat – must try 🙂
Kathryn says
July 29, 2016 at 10:47 AMThanks Alanna! I love the easy recipes, too!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
July 29, 2016 at 7:35 AMI think you could potty train anyone if the reward is THESE 😉
Kathryn says
July 29, 2016 at 10:48 AMHaha, a little bribery never hurt, right?!
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food says
July 29, 2016 at 8:05 AMNo bake and so few ingredients? What kind of trick is this, lol ? Seriously, though, they look reallllly good! Giving this one a shot and Pinned, of course! I bet the 20 minutes freezer method may just work….no patience on waiting either 😀
Good luck with another attempt at potty training! I feel you may have luck with it this time. Good vibes sent your way 😉
Have a great weekend, girl! xoxo
Kathryn says
July 29, 2016 at 10:49 AMThese bars seriously call to me from the fridge 😉 Thanks for the well wishes. I think he’s gonna get it. Fingers still crossed though. Happy weekend, to you my friend! XO
Sarah Grace Spann says
July 29, 2016 at 8:41 AMI love msking no bake cookies..mostly because I love cookie dough MUCH better than the baked cookie itself! Not sure if I’ll be able to wait that 40 minutes though 😉
xo,
Sarah Grace
Kathryn says
July 29, 2016 at 10:51 AMI’m so with you on that! And you don’t have to wait… It’s great by the spoon when it’s still warm 😉 Happy weekend!
Laura says
July 29, 2016 at 9:22 AMahhh may the force be with you this weekend! 😉 We potty trained my son when he was three! Since it’s the summer you could just let him run around your back yard naked and tell him to pee on a specific rock when he has to go…I know it sounds silly but less laundry and less pee all over the floor! LOL! Then he’ll be able to recognize when he has to go and you can move him back inside….. 😉
Kathryn says
July 29, 2016 at 8:42 PMDon’t think it hasn’t crossed my mind Laura! My nephew, 4, still routinely goes outside to pee of the deck of their house. That’s probably the only thing giving me pause about this tactic 😉 But maybe if it’s just for the weekend… ?! Thanks for the support!
Jessica @ Nutritioulicious says
July 29, 2016 at 7:55 PMThese look awesome! Can’t go wrong with PB and chocolate! Can’t wait to try them!
Kathryn says
July 29, 2016 at 8:42 PM100% agree – such a fabulous combo! Thanks Jessica!
Kate @ Framed Cooks says
August 1, 2016 at 7:19 AMOh gosh, potty training – Mama is definitely going to need (and deserve) some extra cookies, and these look just plain perfect! Hang in there…
Kathryn says
August 2, 2016 at 1:55 PMCookies and booze, just pass me more cookies and booze 😉
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
August 1, 2016 at 10:21 AMOhhhh, good luck potty training!! I am not jealous of that task! Totally not same same at all, but I’ve wanted to get a puppy and I haven’t because the idea of potty training a dog again is a huge turn off. I know, totally not the same, but it’s the first thing I thought of since I don’t have children that walk on 2 legs. 😉 LOVE these cookie bars, Kathryn! Love love love that you skinny-ed them up and made them into thick bars! I could eat a dangerous amount of these, but since they are healthier that’s allowed, right? 😉 Cheers, dear!
Kathryn says
August 2, 2016 at 1:57 PMPuppy potty training is no joke either! I remember well… and have also teased with the idea of getting another dog and that’s a definite hold-back! And you’re absolutely right that these cookie bars are dangerous – in the best of ways 😉 Cheers friend! XO
Jenny says
September 12, 2016 at 2:48 PMUm, delicious! (If the “batter” is any indication of the final product). Not sure how I will manage to wait for my first grader to get home to try this! Regarding the juxtaposition of “healthier” and 1.5 cups of chocolate chips, I wonder if there is anything one could substitute for some of the chocolate without sacrificing texture or sweetness. Mashed bananas or puréed prunes/figs/dates maybe? I wonder how they would hold up. May have to experiment next time. For today, I think this will be an awesome after school treat. Thanks for the great recipe idea!
Kathryn says
September 12, 2016 at 4:15 PMHaha, they really are irresistible Jenny!! And while these are much cleaner and lightened up than the original, I hear you that it’s a lot of chocolate chips. I think you could try cutting back to 1 cup without a huge flavor sacrifice or other substitutions. More than that might affect the flavor and texture. You could experiment with pureed dates though – would love to hear if you try it!
Jenny says
September 24, 2016 at 6:20 PMI did try it with the dates! I puréed a heaping 1/2 cup of dates with some of the milk and cut the chocolate back to about 3/4 cups. It came out a little softer and fudgier, but also slightly less rich and just as delicious. my taste tester proclaims they are every bit as good as the first time. Ironically, the dates probably add to the sugar content, but… at least it’s a natural sugar?? I was pleased with the change, and both versions are delightful.
Kathryn says
September 24, 2016 at 7:34 PMSo glad it worked out – thanks so much for letting us know about those change-ups! I might have to try it that way next time 😉 I love using honey, maple syrup and dates as sweeteners – sugar still, but all are natural so I feel good about that!
Jules says
January 21, 2019 at 4:18 PMHi! I am going to make these tonight, but was wondering how many calories is in one bar? It said 6 KCAL?? What does that convert to in regular calories? Thanks!
Aray says
January 21, 2019 at 9:48 PMI was wondering the same thing.
Kathryn says
January 22, 2019 at 9:34 AMHi there! The nutrition info wasn’t calculating correctly so I’ve updated my recipe card (to use my updated nutrition calculator) and it should be displaying correctly now. One bar has just under 250 calories. I hope that helps!
Holly says
May 2, 2019 at 11:20 AMThese are delicious! I think I’ll try them with bitter sweet chocolate next time instead of the semi-sweet chocolate chips I used this time to cut down on sugar a bit. They’re already much more healthy than my normal oatmeal fudge recipe, and I think I like them more! Definitely try these, people!
Kathryn says
May 5, 2019 at 11:21 AMOh I’m so happy to hear you loved them Holly! Thanks so much for sharing!