Our no-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars are the tastiest way to eat your way to better gut health and are a must-try for chocolate peanut butter lovers. These scrumptious little snack bars are packed with nutrients from top to bottom. Lifeway Kefir is the secret weapon used in this recipe since it packs a punch of natural protein along with billions of live probiotics that support digestion and the health of your microbiome.
Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, magnesium, iron, and fiber while oats are packed with heart-healthy soluble fiber, B vitamins, iron and magnesium. Natural peanut butter offers plant protein, B vitamins, vitamin E, and magnesium. For the healthiest option, we used natural peanut butter without any additives which lets the other ingredients shine.
If you or your loved ones have a peanut allergy, feel free to swap the peanut butter with raw almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower butter. Unsweetened shredded coconut in this recipe adds a generous dose of fiber and an incredible flavor that combines beautifully with the creamy texture, natural protein, and probiotics found in Lifeway Kefir.
Foods high in protein, like Lifeway Kefir (and Farmer Cheese), combined with foods high in natural fiber are great to work into your snacks whenever you can since high-quality protein combined with fiber helps improve satiety and supports your metabolic functions important for good health. Choosing protein foods that are gut-friendly, like Lifeway Kefir and Farmer Cheese, are also helpful ways to give your body just what it needs at snack time and beyond to stay energized and fueled up for the day.
So gather the ingredients for this no-bake recipe, and give our Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars a try. Don’t forget to include a cold glass of Lifeway Kefir on the side!
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for optimal digestion and gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health. Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it contains triggers the release of GLP-1.
Lifeway Kefir is packed with variety of vital nutrients important for overall health, including bone and muscle health; these include vitamin D3, K, calcium, and vitamin B12. Along with our probiotic-rich kefir, Lifeway also offers artisan-made Farmer Cheese, a creamy high-protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support healthy muscles and healthy microbiome. Lifeway Farmer Cheese is easy to spread, free of gums and thickeners, and contains no added salt or sugar for optimal health benefits.
Prep Time: 1 hour Servings: 10-12Ingredients
For the Bars:
- 1 cup rolled oats (use gluten-free if needed)
- 1 scoop chocolate or vanilla protein powder
- 1/2 unsweetened shredded coconut (not flakes)
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup peanut butter (or use almond butter or cashew butter)
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract or flavoring
- 1/3 cup Organic Whole Milk Plain Kefir
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3 tbsp. raw honey or maple syrup
For the Chocolate Topping:
- 1/2 your favorite chocolate bar (or dark chocolate chips)
- 1 tsp. coconut oil
- flaked sea salt
Directions
- Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper and set it aside. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, protein powder, coconut, almond flour, dark chocolate chips, and salt.
- Add in the peanut butter, kefir, applesauce, vanilla, and honey and stir until the dough comes together. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in 15-second increments until smooth. Pour ¾ of the chocolate over the dough.
- Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Drizzle the remaining chocolate over the hardened chocolate layer and top with flaky sea salt.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes before cutting into bars and serving.
- Bars are best if stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
