Southern In Law: Recipe: No Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Bars (Grain & Refined Sugar Free!)

Healthy No Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Bars Recipe – healthy, grain free, raw, gluten free, vegan, refined sugar free, clean eating recipe, homemade candy bars

Chocolate and peanut butter are kinda sorta my two favourite things in the world.

It's the ultimate combination of salty and sweet and they are totally a match made in heaven - butttttttttttttt, I don't love chocolate and peanut butter candy bars.

Reese's cups? Yeah, nope... well, not unless I'm desperate.

You see, when we were in New Zealand last year, Jesse and I were at this teeny tiny grocery and we were both craving chocolate after a day of travelling and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were the only chocolate bars we found that I knew were gluten free.

At first, we were super dooper excited but then we took one bite and looked at each other with a really confused expression.

Holy cow

Jesse said.

When in the world did these get SO ridiculous sweet?!

He looked at me with this face of betrayal and confusion because, perhaps for the first time ever, he didn't even want to finish his food.

Thus, we returned home with a mission. We had to come up with the ultimate homemade chocolate and peanut butter treat that was just perfectly sweet.... and oh my word, sweet friends, did we succeed with that mission.

This No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars Recipe is insanely ridiculously delicious.

With a cookie like base, creamy peanut butter filling and decadent chocolate topping, it's a recipe that we have made over and over and over again - but one that usually disappears so fast I always forget to snap a photo. But nevertheless, photos have been snapped and here we are!

So let me share the recipe with you! >>

No Bake Healthy Chocolate and Peanut Butter Slice

makes 16 small rectangles or 8 bars

gluten free, grain free, refined sugar free, clean eating recipe,

vegan, soy free, healthy, kid friendly, peanut free option

For the Base:

1/2 cup (75g) roasted and salted peanuts

2 tbsp (15g) unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp coconut oil

For the Filling:

1/2 cup (120g) smooth peanut butter (if unsalted add a pinch of salt)

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp coconut oil

For the Topping:

1/4 cup (20g) cocoa powder

1/4 cup (45g) coconut oil

2 tbsp maple syrup

Line a loaf tin with baking paper and set aside (we use a deep loaf tin like this one that's not as wide as a regular loaf tin - thus making the pieces thicker - I've shared some others below)
In a food processor, add your peanuts and process until finely chopped.
Add in your cocoa powder, maple syrup and coconut oil, pulsing until combined.
Pour your base mixture into your prepared tin, pressing the base down with your fingertips or a spoon or spatula, ensuring the base is evenly spread and firmly packed.
Add your peanut butter, maple syrup and coconut to your food processor bowl (I don't wash it in between - just scrape all the base mix out and do the next layer) and process until smooth and combined.
Pour your filling mixture over the top of your base, spreading the mixture out evenly with a spoon or spatula.
Add your topping ingredients to your food processor (as before, I don't wash it inbetween) and process until smooth, scraping down the edges to ensure everything is incorporated.
Pour your chocolate topping over the top of your filling mixture, carefully spreading with a spoon or spatula to make an even layer.
Chill your mxiture in the fridge until set (it will only take an hour or so) and then slice into bars or squares/rectangles with a sharp knife.
These bars will need to be kept in an airtight container in the fridge (the coconut oil will start to melt after it's been sitting out for a little while) and they will keep for 1-2 weeks (but let's be real - we've never kept them longer than a few days).

To make these bars peanut free: Replace the peanuts with roasted almonds or sunflower seeds (for a nut free version) and replace the peanut butter with almond butter or sunflower seed butter.

The best loaf tins to use in this recipe - click to see more

I always use a deep loaf tin when baking or cooking to get thicker, taller slices!