"It's funny how in life it's the simple things in life that means the most." Never has this old adage been more true than in the past few weeks. Since shortly after the new year I was without my oven. Up until that moment, I had been taking my oven for granted. And in what felt like the three longest weeks of my life, all of my best laid plans for working on new recipes, baking cookies, and making comfort food meals went astray. If I wasn't someone who used the oven with a high degree of frequency, this wouldn't have been a big deal, just a minor inconvenience. For me, it felt like a first world order crisis. Fortunately, the part needed to fix the oven was in stock and it's cost didn't cause me to gasp. If the repairman wasn't on such a tight schedule, I would have baked him some of my favorite chocolate cookies (there are always balls of dough in the freezer) as a small token of my appreciation. Needless to say, the lesson in all of this was a reminder to better appreciate the simple things.
In keeping with the theme of simple things, these Peanut Butter Oat Chocolate Bars aka Energy Bars definitely qualify. They are perfect for breakfast, as a mid-day snack, as a post run recovery treat, on a hike, or whenever you get a craving for something crunchy, chocolatey, nutty, oaty, and peanut buttery with a hint of flaky sea salt. I might even go out on a limb and say they are healthy-ish!
Along with being delicious and little bit addictive, these Peanut Butter Oat Chocolate Bars aka Energy Bars are destined to become wildly popular with your family and friends.
With everyone being concerned about the price and availability of eggs these days, these bars are eggless worry free! These were made with both dark/semi-sweet and milk chocolate, but you could easily make them with either one. Regardless of which chocolate or chocolates you decide to use, I would highly recommend using oversized chips or chopping the chocolate (see notes). The oats used in the bars are the quick, one-minute oats, NOT old-fashioned oats. Toasting the pecans beforehand is always a good idea as it not only deepens their flavor, it helps to keep them crunchy during the baking process. The hint of cinnamon and a finishing sprinkle of flaky sea salt only adds to their scrumptiousness.
The assembly process couldn't be simpler as the bar's base and top come together in a bowl! Even the two-step baking process still makes them unfussy.
Half of the flour, oat, brown sugar, melted butter, baking soda, Kosher salt, and cinnamon mixture gets pressed into a parchment paper lined metal (not glass) 9" x 9" baking pan. This layer bakes for about 10-12 minutes in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven. After letting it cool for a few minutes, some of the chocolates get sprinkled on top. Followed by teaspoonfuls of the creamy peanut butter and coarsely chopped toasted pecans. To recreate that textured finish, pinch teaspoonfuls of the remaining mixture and spread evenly over the top. Lightly press the top layer down, then finish with the remaining chocolates and a light sprinkle of the flaky sea salt. The pan goes back in the oven for another 18-22 minutes or until they are golden in color.
Once they cool completely, cut them into 10 generously sized bars or 20 good sized bites.
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For the prettiest presentation, wrap them in some parchment paper and baker's string. Store them covered in the refrigerator or keep covered at room temperature. Personally, I like them even better on the slightly chilled side.
These bars are crunchy, a little bit crumbly, Between their texture, their heartiness, and the layers of flavor, the Peanut Butter Oat Chocolate Bars aka Energy Bars are everything a really great bar should be. Simple never tasted so good!
Recipe
Peanut Butter Oat Chocolate Bars aka Energy Bars
Make 10 good sized bars or 20 nice sized bites
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (90g) quick cooking-1 minute oats (NOT old-fashioned oats)
3/4 cup (165g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup + 1 T (183g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (about 5 minutes)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 slightly heaped teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
2/3 cup (75g) pecan halves, toasted and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup (128g) dark or semisweet chocolate (chips or chopped chocolate), divided - See Notes
3/4 cup (128g) milk chocolate (chips or chopped chocolate), divided - See Notes
3/4 cup (224g) creamy peanut butter (e.g., JIF)
Flaky sea salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 9" x 9" metal baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, add in the flour, oats, brown sugar, melted unsalted butter, baking soda, Kosher salt, and cinnamon. Mix to completely combine.
3. Divide the mixture in half. Press half firmly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly (about 5 minutes).
4. Sprinkle 1/2 cup (85g) of the dark or semi-sweet chocolate and 1/2 cup (85g) of the milk chocolate over the crust.
5. Evenly drop spoonfuls of the peanut butter next, leaving about 1/2" border along the edges.
6. Sprinkle the coarsely chopped pecans.
7. Squeeze the remaining dough into small clumps and evenly distribute. Press down slightly.
8. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup (43g) of the dark or semi-sweet chocolate and 1/4 cup (43g) of the milk chocolate over the top crust layer. Press the pieces of chocolate in slightly.
9. Lightly sprinkle with flaky sea salt (e.g., Maldon Sea Salt)
10. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden. Let cool completely in the pan.
11. Remove from the pan and cut into 10 bars. Wrap in paper or place in glassine bags. Or cut into 20 pieces and place into cupcake cups.
12. Enjoy or store covered in the refrigerator. Note: I think they are even more delicious slightly chilled.
Notes: (1) For the milk chocolate I used Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Bars. But you could also use good sized milk chocolate chips. (2) For the semisweet chocolate I used Guittard's Super Cookie Chips (48% cocoa). Or you could chop up some chocolate. (3) To toast the pecans, place the halves on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 8-9 minutes or until fragrant. Let cool slightly before coarsely chopping. (4) Inspiration for this recipe came from the Chocolate Dulce De Leche Bars from the Bake Feed. Several adaptations were made to the both ingredients and baking times.
