GF Peanut Butter Bars & Bites
GF Peanut Butter Bars & Bites are so good it’s hard to believe they are gluten, dairy, and egg-free! I should mention that they are healthier than most dessert bars too.
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I’ll be honest, I love the “lunch lady” peanut butter bars, but I don’t love the calories, and they don’t work with my food sensitivities.
When I discovered this recipe, I was ecstatic. The same peanut butter taste with a dreamy moist center makes it like the real deal. Add some chocolate, and now I am completely satisfied!
To Make GF Peanut Butter Bars & Bites, You Will Need:
- unsweetened applesauce
- peanut butter ~ or a substitute nut or seed butter
- vanilla
- baking soda
- oat flour ~ gluten-free if needed
- sugar ~ Monk Fruit Sweetener for a low-sugar bar
- semi-sweet mini chocolate chips ~ allergy-friendly if needed
- milk or a non-dairy substitute
- optional mini M&Ms or an allergy-friendly option
Allergy-Friendly Options You Should Know:
- Even though these are peanut butter bars, feel free to substitute SunButter or any nut butter that works for your lifestyle and diet.
- Use any dry sweetener you prefer. So far, I have tried raw organic cane sugar, beet sugar, and Monk Fruit Sweetener. Coconut sugar is also an option.
- I used Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips because they are gluten, dairy, egg, nut, and soy-free but not corn-free.
- HunnyBon Chocolate Chips are soy, corn, gluten, dairy, and cane sugar-free, sweetened only with coconut sugar.
- Lilly’s Chocolate Chips are sugar-free, sweetened with stevia and gluten, egg, and some (not all) are dairy-free, but not corn-free.
- For a dairy-free option instead of Mini M&Ms, try Choco No No’s; they are dairy, peanut, soy, gluten-free, and vegan.
**Please note: Â Ingredients can change, so please check labels or with the company if needed.
This peanut butter bar recipe can be made in the traditional bar shape or a mini cupcake pan.
Here is an option for the baked peanut butter bites:
- Add some mini peanut butter cups, Rolos, chocolate kisses, allergy-friendly chocolate chips, or a spoonful of peanut butter in the middle. A crowd favorite is the peanut butter-filled cups. There is never too much peanut butter for my taste!!
A Few Fun Facts About These GF Peanut Butter Bars & Bites:
- There are 6 grams of protein in each serving.
- Weight watcher points plus count 4 points per serving made without M&Ms.
- Try some frozen they are fantastic!
- Twice as much fiber and over 30mg less cholesterol than traditional cookie bars.
Indulge in another decadent dessert bar; try these Super Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies.
GF Peanut Butter Bars & Bites
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter ~ crunchy is ok too
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt omit if needed
- 5 tbsp oat flour
- 2/3 cup sugar or Monk Fruit Sweetener for sugar-free
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ~ Lilly's for stevia-sweetened; Enjoy Life for allergy-friendly
- 1 tbsp milk or non-dairy substitute
- 3 tbsp mini M&Ms optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine applesauce, vanilla extract, and room temperature peanut butter. Mix these ingredients together very well.
- Add sugar and mix well.
- Stir in remaining ingredients until the mixture is smooth; it will look like thick, gooey cookie dough.
- Press mixture into the prepared pan or into the mini cupcake pan.
- Bake 15-20 minutes, (10-15 for bites) remove from the oven, and let them sit for about 20-30 minutes. They will continue to firm up...unless they disappear within the first hour or so.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was inspired by www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com
