No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars

Chocolate, peanut butter...I pretty much should have you sold already. The appeal of this recipe could certainly lie solely within in its flavor combinations (admit it, you just thought about how you can locate a Reese's right now), but this recipe's hidden X factor is something that you cannot detect with your taste buds. It's the fact that it requires no baking whatsoever.

No-Bake recipes should really be a part of every cook's recipe arsenal. It's important to be able to know how to make something when you are in a situation sans all of your regular cooking resources, and a lack of an oven is a big one. There's that, and then when it's just too hot out to deal with oven temperatures but you still crave a baked-like sweet, you wont have to leave yourself and your friends unsatisfied. Plus, these bars have oats in them, so they're heart healthy.

I snagged this recipe from Martha Stewart in my research for good go-to no-bake bars. I played around with the recipe a bit and was pretty satisfied. I replaced the wafers with chocolate graham crackers and upped the butter and PB just a wee bit. My experimentation left the bars a bit crumbly, but no less delicious. I have the original recipe below, and play around with yourself if you see fit. Just think, there's no way you can burn them!

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Bars

• · Vegetable oil cooking spray
• · 9 ounces chocolate wafers (about 40 wafers), finely ground (2 cups)
• · 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
• · 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• · 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• · 5 ounces (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• · 1 cup chunky peanut butter
• · 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
• · 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
• · 1 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, melted

Directions

1. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 long sides.

2. Combine wafers, oats, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add chunky peanut butter and 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter, whisking until well combined. Add peanut butter mixture to wafer mixture, stirring until combined. Transfer to baking dish, and use the bottom of a measuring cup or an offset spatula to firmly press mixture into an even layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Pour melted semisweet chocolate over chilled mixture and, using an offset spatula, spread into a thin layer that covers the entire surface. Refrigerate until hardened, at least 15 minutes.

4. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter in a small saucepan until runny. Drizzle peanut butter over chilled chocolate. Drizzle melted milk chocolate over peanut butter. Refrigerate until hardened, about 15 minutes.

Use parchment to lift out chilled block of bars. Run a sharp knife under hot water, dry well, and cut into 24 squares, wiping knife between cuts. Let bars stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. (Sliced bars can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.)

Read more at Marthastewart.com: No-Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars - Martha Stewart Recipes