Five-ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Bars are an easy, no-bake recipe for healthy snacking! These bars are vegan and naturally sweetened.
Well, I should have seen this one coming. Since giving dates an inaugural whirl in these no-bake coconut almond bars, I've been brainstorming different flavor combinations to mix up next.
These bars are made with five ingredients (dates, PB, peanuts, unsweetened cocoa powder, and ch-ch-ch-chia seeds) and are made in just a few minutes all thanks to your food processor.
Ultra quick snack-making for the week just so happens to allow you more time on a Saturday afternoon to watch Forensic Files and Google how to become a forensic pathologist.
Is it typical for weird obsessions to blossom in your mid-twenties?
Say yes, please.
One obsession (beyond that one) for me has become podcasts. Do you listen? I have a few different kinds on my Stitcher list depending on my mood. Blog ones get me excited about blog things, inspirational entrepreneurial ones to calm my anxieties when I stress out that I haven't gotten my career all figured out by now (see: my forensic pathology search history), and I geek out with the ladies of Stuff I Missed in History Class multiple times a week.
My favorites though are true crime ones, which despite my propensity for getting agita about lesser things, don't bother me one bit. Funny how the mind works.
I do my best podcast listening in the afternoons at work, which happens to be the time I start thinking about my afternoon snack. Lately I've been digging low-sodium roasted almonds (which I use in this crunchy dark chocolate almond bark), but these chocolate peanut butter chia bars have cut the line and become my #1.
As is the case with a lot of no-bake bars, these do better when they've been stored in the refrigerator, but can hold up several hours outside of the fridge for a few hours. They'll just be a little softer.
And for the taste? The cocoa powder and peanut butter shines through big time. Any time I can get my chocolate + PB fix in a healthier way than plowing into a Reese's or four is a snack time win!
Recipe Note
- I suggest using a no-stir peanut butter variety in these bars. Even with a lot of stirring, I'm afraid the "natural" varieties would add too much oil.
Ways to Use Up Chia Seeds
Have a big bag of chia seeds and are looking for more recipes to use them up? Here are some of my personal favorites:
- Chia seeds are a really important part of my extra filling green smoothie. This smoothie will totally fill you up like a meal (and I don't take saying stuff like that lightly!).
- They thicken blended chocolate chia pudding beautifully. Soaking them before blending ensures they become nice and smooth.
- Add them to protein overnight oats.
More Chia Bars
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating in the recipe card and/or a comment review below!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted whole dates (about 12-13)
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon peanut butter, I used creamy [see note]
- ¼ cup peanuts
- 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tablespoon chia seeds
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to food processor and process until the ingredients break down and become a mostly cohesive mixture. You will still have little pieces of peanuts remaining, and the consistency of the mixture should hold together when you press it together.
- Line a rimmed dish with parchment paper and press mixture into it, leaving your desired thickness. I used only about half of an 8" x 8" baking dish as I didn't have a smaller dish available.
- Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before slicing. Store bars in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
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Val says
Good stuff
Alyssa says
Glad you liked them, Val!