Chocolate peanut butter bars

 

If you follow me on instagram, you may have got the picture that I’m a bit of a peanut butter addict. So when I was flicking through my cookbook Whole and saw a recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars I knew I had to make them for a bit of a treat.    I modified the recipe slightly and added an extra layer of peanut butter, because I just love it.

The base is made with oats, dates, coconut and peanut butter and the top is covered in a home made chocolate.

These are still very much a treat food, so enjoy in moderation!

This is my slightly modified version

Ingredients

Base:
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup of peanut butters
7 pitted dates, soaked in boiling water for 5 mins, drained well
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Peanut butter layer
2-3 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter

Chocolate topping
1/2 cup cocoa butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

If you don’t have cocoa butter for the topping, you could try coconut oil or otherwise I’d suggest just buying some good quality dark chocolate and melting this on top

Place all the base ingredients in a food processor until well combined.  The mixture should hold together well when you pinch it together.

Place into a lined tin. I used a loaf tin, with baking paper so it comes over the top of the tin. Press the mixture into the tin and place in the freezer to firm up.  When firm spread over the peanut butter

While the base is chilling, melt the cocoa butter in a pot.  Add the sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla and whisk well.  Pour into the food processor and blend to help make it nice and smooth.

Pour on top of the base and return to the freezer for an hour or two until set.

Cut into 12 bars.

Store in the fridge, or freeze for up to 6 months.

For more yummy wholefood recipes, both every day and treats, check out the Whole recipe book. It contains recipes from some of NZ’s best wholefood bloggers including Monday Wholefoods and Be Good Organics.