No Bake Chocolate Oat Bars
I baked about 100 dozen cookies for the holidays and these were everyones favorite These bars can be frozen, just thaw 10 minutes before serving
I baked about 100 dozen cookies for the holidays and these were everyones favorite These bars can be frozen, just thaw 10 minutes before serving
- Carbohydrate 332.389600075749 g
- Cholesterol 488.050000621869 mg
- Fat 241.41659528742 g
- Fiber 31.4340010158605 g
- Protein 45.6380450172641 g
- Saturated Fat 137.602555171895 g
- Serving Size 1 1 - 9x9 inch pan (700g)
- Sodium 1510.54550186642 mg
- Sugar 300.955599059888 g
- Trans Fat 17.2283095184515 g
- Calories 3571 calories
Step-by-step
- Grease a 9x9 inch square pan.
- Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and vanilla. Mix in the oats. Cook over low heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until ingredients are well blended. Press half of mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Reserve the other half for topping.
- Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture over the crust in the pan, and spread evenly with a knife or the back of a spoon.
- Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate layer, pressing in gently. Cover, and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature before cutting into bars.
Many home cooks press raw oats directly into pans without toasting, resulting in a dense, floury chew that lacks structural integrity. Achieving the correct mouthfeel requires careful thermal management during the initial stovetop phase.
- Melt the one cup of butter over medium heat before adding the brown sugar and vanilla extract to ensure complete sugar dissolution.
- Cook the three cups of quick-cooking oats over low heat for precisely two to three minutes to drive off excess moisture and soften the grain without scorching.
- Maintain low heat when combining the one cup of semisweet chocolate chips and half cup of peanut butter to prevent the cocoa butter from seizing.
- Chill the assembled pan for two to three hours or overnight in the refrigerator to allow the dairy fats to fully solidify.
- Thaw frozen portions for ten minutes before slicing to prevent the chocolate layer from cracking under the knife.
Proper refrigeration hardens the saturated fats in the butter and chocolate, creating a stable matrix that holds square shapes cleanly. Storing these squares properly ensures the oats retain their slight resistance against the smooth peanut butter center.
