These bars might be your new favorite snack.
Peanut butter snack bars!
Salty and sweet, these no-bake bars taste even better than peanut butter pretzel Luna Bars. But they confuse me: How can a recipe with absolutely no chocolate taste so good?
It just doesn’t make sense.
You know what else confuses me?
Moles. And protons and neutrons and electrons. But mostly, moles. I sat through an entire year of AP Chemistry and still don’t understand moles. Not in the slightest.
Until I learned to cook, I thought I disliked science. Only recently did I realize the reason for my animosity towards the subject: I just couldn’t figure out how our school science experiments applied to real life. (Even the more exciting experiments, such as growing plants in 7-up or red food dye… how on earth was I ever going to use the information gleaned from that study?)
But it turns out I do like some branches of natural science, such as the science of nutrition, and the science of cooking. (Edible experiments are the best!) My advice to science teachers: Ditch the moles.
Focus on pretzels and peanut butter!
Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars
(No-bake!)
Category: Healthy Peanut Butter Recipes.
- 1 cup rice crispies (30g) (either brown or white)
- packed 1/2 cup oat flour (70g) (see instructions for substitution)
- 1/4 tsp salt (my pb also has salt)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons agave (Pure maple syrup will probably work)
- 3 tablespoons pb (or other nut butter) (Or you can switch the proportions of peanut butter to agave.)
- optional: handful of broken-up pretzels (I didn’t measure)
- optional: double batch PB Magic Shell
Combine all dry ingredients. In a separate (large) bowl, combine wet and stir to form a thin paste. (If you store your pb in the fridge, you should warm it a little for easier mixing.) Pour dry into wet (not the other way around), and stir until evenly coated. Line a baking dish or tupperware container with a large piece of wax paper and pour the mixture into the dish. Fold the extra paper over the mixture and squish down as hard as you possibly can! Use a heavy object to really press it down. (The mixture will fill a 7×5, or about 2/3 an 8×8.) Stick the mixture in the fridge or freezer to harden before cutting into bars. Makes 6 bars. (If you can’t find oat flour, you can make your own by blending oats in the food processor. Just be sure to measure after blending.)
For authentic Luna Bars, top with: Peanut Butter Magic Shell.
As stated earlier, you should make a double batch to coat the bars. Spread it on evenly. When the bars cool in the fridge/freezer, the tops will magically harden.
Question of the Day:
Did you have a least favorite subject in school?
Growing up, I dreaded science class, whether it was chemistry or biology or physics. People always told me how lucky I was to get good grades on Spanish and English tests without studying… Little did they know I once studied for an AP Chem test and still got a 25 (my worst-ever test grade). But you know what? I’m more proud of the C I earned in Chem than the As in subjects that came more easily. I worked hard for that C; it could have so easily been an F! Link of the Day:
Great post CCK. So easy to make. Maybe I will frost with Nutella. That would be bad though wouldn’t it ! Thanks for everything.
Haha no! I actually made a version where I subbed the pb for homemade nutella… I think I liked it even better :). Chocolate is always better!!
I’m currently a senior in high school (though just barely! 6 more weeks!), and my least favorite subject has to be literature 😛 I’m a total math/science geek (I like them so much I actually compete) but an essay-writing ability has always escaped me.
LOL I remember studying moles when I was 14! Hated chemistry – it’s a miracle I got an A for it. I loooove these bars thought 😀
Hi! I found your blog looking for gluten-free recipes. Overall, your recipes look terrific. The first recipe listed under gluten-free, Peanut butter Pretzel is NOT gluten-free. There are 3 problem ingredients: Rice krispies (barley malt), Oat flour (oats are contaminated in the field because they are grown near wheat – really) and pretzels. There are GF pretzels though.
Will keep looking but wanted you to know in case you want to remove this recipe from the Gluten-Free list.
thanks
Not Katie, but I can answer for her.
CCK’s “gluten free” tag, if I’m correct, is for recipes that CAN be gluten-free. This recipe would fall under that category because you can easily use gluten-free rice crispies and certified gf oat flour. So the category is actually correct :).
Yup :).
They’re the recipes that have gf options.
Another winner, Katie!
I’m munching on my second bar of the day as I type this :). And my little one (5 years old) said “Mommy, these are the BEST! I like them better than the other bars you buy.”
For the record, the other bars are Clif Z bars, and they used to be his favorite up until today!
Oh babay, baby. I’ll whip up a batch of these tomorrow… Except I think I’ll try using Cookie Butter from Trader Joe’s… Have you ever tried it, Katie? I think you’d love it!
I haven’t… there’s actually no TJs in Dallas. But they’re building one!
katie, these are wonderful! i made double recipe for my Bible study group tonight, and they were a huge hit!! 🙂 thanks for sharing!!
I am so excited you already made them! And it always makes me happy when people try my recipes out on others. Thank you!! 🙂
Oh my gosh, those look SO AMAZING! Even though I am chocolate obsessed, too… I do love peanut butter and pretzels. YUM!
These look great…I think with a few modifications they are GF!!
GF Rice Crispies
GF Pretzles
GF Oat Flour
WOW! Easy and yummy!!!
Pinned this recipe!!
As for dreaded school subjects, mine is also chemistry. One of the reasons I hesitated to follow the path to become a dietitian is the organic chem pre-requisite. I am SO not a science person, but I stuck with it, struggled through the course and managed to get by with a C+. Like you, I am darn proud of that C! I worked SO hard for it, and it showed me just how passionate I am about a career in dietetics!