No-bake peanut butter oatmeal bars have a soft, chewy texture and the perfect balance of savory peanut butter and sweet honey. Featuring old-fashioned oats, these bars are made from five simple ingredients that you probably have in your pantry. Only ten minutes to make and thirty minutes to cool means you are closer to a homemade snack than you thought!
Originally appearing on the blog in March 2016, the post was last updated in May 2020. The recipe has been simplified, but no major changes.
When I see the words peanut butter and honey combined, I know I’m in for a tasty treat. It’s a sweet and savory combination that I loved as a kid and haven’t outgrown to this day. It’s also the inspiration behind these super simple, no-bake peanut butter oatmeal bars.
When I set out to make these bars the first time, I was in need of a quick post-hike treat. It had to be something homemade so that I could control the ingredients. It also needed to provide enough energy to hold us until dinner while not being a complete calorie bomb.
My initial thought was a chewy granola bar, but I didn’t have dried fruit, nuts, or chocolate on hand, all the things that make granola, granola. Luckily, simplicity can be delicious. These no-bake oatmeal bars have everything they need, nothing more and nothing less.
Making Homemade Oatmeal Bars
Making these no-bake oatmeal bars requires only five ingredients, and it’s easier than making my Rice Krispies treats. You will need a large mixing bowl, a small saucepan, a heat-proof spoon, a square cake pan, and a sheet of parchment paper.
You simply heat the peanut butter and honey over a medium flame, stirring until it reaches a smooth consistency. Remove from the flame before adding the salt and vanilla. Fold the peanut butter mixture into the oats mixture to combine completely, then press out in the parchment-lined pan. Cool completely, and enjoy.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars FAQs
Yes! The reason for heating the peanut butter and honey is to make it easier to mix. Use a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second burst, stirring in between, until the mixture is smooth and hot, then add the salt and vanilla before combining with the oats.
You could grease the pan with a solid fat like coconut oil or butter, or spray with an oil mister. The bars may crumble a bit as you take them out, but they will still taste good!
Yes! I have not extensively tested other sweeteners, but I do an oatmeal ball version of these with maple syrup. I’m not sure how sugar or simple syrup would do because of the texture, but I could imagine it would work with molasses, corn syrup, or other sweeteners with a similar texture.
Absolutely! As long as it’s thick and creamy like peanut butter it will hold together the oats.
Yes! You can shape the dough (mixture?) into balls the same way you would cookie dough. Be advised: work quickly. As the mixture cools it doesn’t stick together as well.
Yes! Freeze them in a freezer friendly container and they should keep for a couple months. They thaw out well without compromising the texture, but oddly enough, they taste good while frozen too.
Storing them in the fridge is going to give them a firmer shape and a chewier texture. Storing them at room temperature can make them soft if the room is too warm, but it’s perfectly safe for these shelf stable ingredients. It’s totally up to you, but I like them in the fridge.
I would try a 8″ round cake pan or a 9×5 loaf pan. You want it to be thin enough that you can cut it into portion sizes, but not so thin that it will fall apart. Alternatively, you could skip the pan and roll it into balls like you would cookie dough.
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No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars Recipe
No-bake peanut butter oatmeal bars are a little bit sweet and a little bit savory. With honey, peanut butter, and oats, these simple treats won’t last long, but you can make them again and again. A quick and easy homemade treat made from pantry staples.
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Chewy No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Line a 9" x 9" or 8" x 8" square cake pan with parchment paper.
- Measure oats into a medium size mixing bowl.
- Heat peanut butter and honey in a small saucepan. Stir to combine. Once the edges start to bubble stir constantly until the texture is smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds.
- Remove from flame, add vanilla and salt, mix completely.
- Pour peanut butter honey mixture over oats. Fold oats into the mixture until evenly coated.
- Scoop oat mixture into the middle of the parchment paper. Using the back of a silicone spoon or your greased hands, evenly press oats into the bottom of the pan.
- Allow to cool completely prior to cutting.
- Store in an airtight container, refrigerate for firmer bars or store at room temp for softer bars.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is for general information purposes only. For the most accurate information, calculate using your select brands and exact measurements.
For the step-by-step version of this recipe, check out the No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars Story.
Would natural peanut butter work for this?
Yes! I have made it with both commercial/traditional peanut butter and natural peanut butter.
Is this good for diabetics?
Hi Jennie,
I am not a dietician and cannot make any recommendations regarding suitability for medical conditions. My understanding is that diabetics can eat anything in moderation and it would be up to the individual to know if something is or is not able to be included in their diet. The nutritional information provided at the bottom of the recipe card may be helpful.
Renee
So yummy! They taste like Rice Krispie treats to me!
once you heat up the honey to a bubbly boil, it takes away the benefits of it. Have you ever cooked the oatmeal first then add the honey and peanut butter to it?
Joyce,
I am not a health expert and don’t pretend to be one on the internet. That said, there are no definitive studies that prove raw honey is better, but there are some that say it might be better. If eating raw honey for its health benefits is the goal, this may not be the recipe for you.
This recipe works because 1. cooking the peanut butter and honey together thins out the consistency enough that it can be blended with the oats and 2. the peanut butter and honey return to their semi-solid state when they cool back to room temperature and can solidify further when chilled in the fridge to give us solid bars.
If you were to cook the oats first using a liquid, you would end up with soft, mushy, semi-dissolved oats. Once their texture has been altered in this way they will not give you the chewy texture of a bar. Cooked oats blended with peanut butter and honey is delicious, in fact it’s one of my son’s favorite breakfasts, but it’s not an oat bar.
If you were to bake or toast the oats without a liquid, you would end up with the same dry texture as the original recipe, but with a nuttier flavor. It won’t make it any easier to blend the peanut butter and honey with the oats.
I haven’t tested it, but I image that heating the peanut butter on it’s own without the honey MIGHT work, but it also might result in burnt peanut butter. My thought here is that if you can heat the peanut butter then add the honey before adding the oats it might still get you to the end result you want. However, I don’t know how hot honey can get and still be considered “raw”, I also do not know if heating the peanut butter alone would allow it to carry over enough heat to thin the mixture enough to blend it with the oats.
If you do decide to test it out, I would love to hear what you find. In the meantime, you could try this recipe as written with a pure honey that isn’t raw, knowing that what you may lack in benefits you’ll make up in flavor.
Do these squares freeze well? They taste delicious!
Janice,
I haven’t had them stick around long enough to freeze, but I do have them scheduled for an update with new photos in two weeks. I’ll make sure to test and find out for you. If you try it, let me know!
Renee
These bars sounds like the perfect mid-afternoon snack! I love the peanut butter + honey combination…and yes, a cup of coffee is totally required with this one. Thanks for sharing! #client
The coffee just makes it! You’re welcome!
This sounds amazing! I can’t wait to try this maybe tomorrow!! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Let me know how it turns out for you!
I love hearing the stories that surround a recipe! We are hikers too, and this recipe for bars sounds like a great after-hike treat 🙂
It was perfect! They got a little soft in the cooler, but they tasted like peanut butter fudge!
Love, love, LOVE these! As someone who can’t seem to get a bake bar to work, this non-bake is right up my alley!
Haha! Why bake when you don’t have to?!?!
I agree, honey + peanut butter is always a delicious combination. And who doesn’t love an easy “no-bake” treat? Lovely.
Thanks!
I have some raw honey I just bought. I am totally going to make these!
Yes!! Once I realized that the raw honey is cheaper per ounce, I switched. I use raw honey and all-natural peanut butter (just peanuts and salt) when I make these.