These peanut butter and chocolate breakfast bars are so delicious, you won’t know you’re eating a nutritious treat!
Breakfast is easily my favorite meal of the day. When I have house guests, I love to get up early and cook an elaborate meal with bacon, quiche, toast, fruit preserves, pancakes, and whatever else I come up with. I never know everyone’s preferences, so I just take the opportunity to cook everything! If you spend three hours making a giant breakfast, it sometimes removes the need for lunch, which I personally find very efficient.
If I had a say in the matter, I would cook at least a quiche and a side of bacon for breakfast, every single day. But alas, I am a real person with things to do in the morning sometimes, and I can’t always make time to cook breakfast before I have to dash out the door. When the ravenous morning hunger kicks in on busy weekdays, I’m grateful for on-the-go breakfasts, like my trusty peanut butter-oatmeal breakfast bars.
These breakfast bars are packed with decadent peanut butter and chocolate, and the protein powder mixed into the batter truly makes one of these babies all you need in the morning. It knocks out any morning hunger, and if you’re someone with a morning sweet tooth, this hearty bar is designed for you. Try baking these for your next weekly breakfast prep, and you’ll see what I mean!
Are These Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Healthy?
These breakfast bars are full of nutrition, thanks to all the healthy ingredients. Rolled oats and oat flour are both naturally low in fat, while packing in lots of fiber and some protein. The peanuts and natural peanut butter are great sources of protein and healthy unsaturated fats, and of course the protein powder adds a big dose of protein as well. Basically, this breakfast has a ton of protein and a good amount of fiber per serving, which is great for the first meal of the day!
The chocolate, coconut sugar, and honey definitely add some sugar, though I’d argue it’s less than many store-bought breakfast bars and pastries have. If you’re sensitive to sugar, you might consider swapping out the coconut sugar for erythritol or stevia. You can also use chocolate chips made with alternative sweeteners.
Overall, this recipe is vegetarian-friendly and gluten-free. You can make it dairy-free by using nondairy chocolate and chocolate chips and making sure the protein powder you use doesn’t have dairy in it.
Fun Breakfast Bar Variations
These breakfast bars have a lot of room for customization. If there’s anything you don’t care for in this recipe, feel free to swap it out for something you like more! Here are some tips to get you started.
- Chocolate Protein Powder: If you tend to double down on chocolate, try using chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla.
- Other Nut Options: Not big on peanuts? Simply use natural cashew butter instead of the natural peanut butter, and use roasted cashews in place of the peanuts. If you can find cashew powder, use it instead of the peanut butter powder, but you can also omit the powder entirely, and the bars should turn out fine. You can also swap out all the peanut products with other nuts, like almonds and almond butter.
- Dried Fruit: I think these breakfast bars benefit from a bit of tart, dried fruit to cut through the sweetness. Try adding a quarter-cup of dried tart cherries to the batter!
Can I Prep This Ahead?
These are meant to prep ahead! Follow the recipe through the end, and store the bars in easy-to-grab baggies in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also freeze them in portions in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight. These bars definitely aren’t at their best when served cold, so let them come to room temperature before eating them. Alternatively, you could pop them in the microwave in 10-second intervals to speed up the process.
Serving Suggestions
These breakfast bars are designed to be a stand-alone breakfast. That said, I think they would be a great addition to a breakfast spread for a group of people, especially if you cut them in smaller portions. On a table with classic breakfast favorites, like Baked Maple Bacon, Scrambled Eggs, and Hash Browns, these breakfast bars would provide a healthy option for those with a sweet tooth.
If you want to eat one for dessert, I suggest warming it up and serving it with a scoop of this delicious Cookie Dough Banana Ice Cream.
Ingredients
- 1 cup natural peanut butter stirred, if necessary
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons oat flour
- ¼ cup powdered peanut butter
- ¼ cup vanilla protein powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- ¾ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
For the topping (optional):
- 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 tablespoon vanilla protein powder
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously spray an 8×8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, microwave the peanut butter and the honey until the mixture is smooth and fluid, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the coconut sugar on top and let it stand for 5 minutes. Do not mix in the coconut sugar.
- While the sugar stands, combine the rolled oats, oat flour, powdered peanut butter, ¼ cup protein powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and roasted peanuts in a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Set aside.
- Once the coconut sugar has been standing for 5 minutes, beat it into the peanut butter and honey mixture with an electric mixer until well combined.
- Add in the vanilla extract and egg yolk, and beat again until well combined. The egg yolk will thicken the peanut butter mixture up quite a bit.
- Pour the peanut butter mixture, along with the almond milk and mini chocolate chips, into the rolled oats mixture. Mix until well combined. Your dough will be very thick.
- Press into the prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes, until just set. and the edges begin to turn golden brown. Let the bars cool completely.
- Once the bars have cooled, melt the semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave in 20-second intervals on 50% power, stirring between each interval until the chocolate is smooth and melted. Stir in 1 tablespoon of vanilla protein powder. Drizzle the mixture on top of the bars. Slice into 12 bars.
Tips & Notes:
- Coconut sugar is somewhat coarse, and letting it sit for 5 minutes helps it dissolve. If you use brown sugar, skip this step.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
Delicious & easy to make. I made a few substitutions as I didn’t have peanut butter powder or roasted peanuts. I used 1/4 c peanut butter & all good. The texture was soft & moist. Next time I may add coconut flakes, in & on top. Love them!
That’s great to read Laura, glad you liked them!
So delicious!! My kids loved them! I did half almond butter and half Jif since that’s what I had on hand. Will for sure be buying natural peanut butter and making again!! Grateful for a low sugar yummy breakfast option.
So glad your kids loved it & that it worked with your ingredients! Thanks a lot for sharing 🙌
This recipe was delicious with the perfect amount of sweetness and soft-baked texture! I subbed a flax egg instead of yolk and water in place of milk and it turned out well. I would make these bars again! Thanks for creating this recipe!
Thanks for your comment! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.