I have a sweet tooth that can’t be contained right now. If life continues this way, the baby’s favorite food will definitely be donuts. Because I was craving something sweet but wanted to watch the calories (that means you can eat more!) I made these Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars with Chocolate Frosting using Stevia Blend Baking Blend, which has less sugar and calories than traditional sugar per serving. In the recipe, I will give you both options, Whole Earth Sweetener Baking Blend and sugar, but I wanted to share with you how great this raw sugar & organic stevia blend has been for me and my baking adventures. These bars are delicious. A few weeks ago my husband went on a Bachelor’s Party weekend to Vermont skiing. Because I knew the boys would need fuel in between skiing down the slopes and playing Magic the Gathering (it was a wild weekend), I sent Matthew on the trip with a whole pan of these bars. The bars were quickly gone, and the boys were happy. Lots of times when you do a chocolate frosting you worry that they will be messy to handle, but if these can take on a road trip – then you can imagine how great they’d be for your own road trip, school/work lunches, birthday parties, sleepovers, or just having some always on the kitchen counter ready to be enjoyed.
Can I use whole rolled oats instead of quick oats? I recommend using quick oats because they cook faster. If you can’t get quick oats, then throw your whole rolled oats in a food processor first to break them up as the texture will be different if you just use them whole. Do I have to add chocolate frosting to the top? No, you don’t have to, but chocolate makes everything better. You could also spread on a peanut butter frosting instead. Can I use sugar instead of Baking Blend? Yes, use 1 cup of sugar. Do I have to put them in refrigerator to chill? No, you don’t, but it helps set the chocolate and the bars. How many servings does this make? I like to cut mine up into small squares. By doing this, I can get about 30 bars. Mix your peanut butter, butter and sugar until creamy. Then add in vanilla and eggs. I like to use a hand mixer for this part.
Then add in your flour and quick oats. I’ll mix this by hand. You are going to end up with a mixture like this. I know you are going to wonder how you’re supposed to spread this in a 9×13 pan, but trust me, it’s going to work out. Spread the mixture out in a 9×13 pan. Keep spreading and patting down with a spatula so the full pan is covered. Here’s a before and after baking. Now prepare your chocolate frosting, which is just melted chocolate chips. Are you swooning yet? Now add the frosting to your pan of bars and spread around evenly.
Lastly, I like to sprinkle a little sea salt on top. I love the combo of salty + sweet!
After a quick toss in the refrigerator your Peanut Butter Oatmeal bars will be ready to be cut and eaten! I really love that the bars don’t crumble at all after cutting and hold up their shape well. I hope you guys love these bars as much as I do! Enjoy!
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