Peanut Butter Cacao Bars

These naturally-sweetened peanut butter cacao bars are the perfect healthy snack for any peanut butter + chocolate lover. Made with dates, salty peanuts, creamy peanut butter, cacao, and coconut, they pack a serious nutrition and flavor punch! 

This is one of those snacks that I don’t think I will ever get tired of. If you, like me, can’t get enough peanut butter with chocolate, you will fall in love with today’s peanut butter cacao bars! They are all the good things one could want in a snack — fudgy, gooey, and satisfying — and best washed down by a cold glass of your favorite milk of choice. 🙂

The Lowdown on Our Key Ingredients

• Dates: We wanted our dates pitted to ease the process! I have the best results using the organic sun-dried dates from Costco (they have the deglet nour variety).
• Salted peanuts: For extra salty peanutty flavor!
• Peanut butter: A creamy version will work best here. I recommend an all-natural, organic version where the ingredients are just peanuts and salt. I love the organic kind from Costco!
• Cacao powder: For our nutrient-dense chocolate flavor — a good source of antioxidants, iron, and magnesium. I typically buy either Navitas Organic or Vita Naturals Organic on Amazon.
• Shredded coconut: Finely shredded and unsweetened here!
• Pinch of Himalayan salt: For flavor and nutrition. All about the Himalayan or Celtic sea salt which are SO good for you!
• Coconut oil: Adding a bit as needed for that extra gooeyness and for binding it all together. Bonus points for the extra healthy fat!

Let’s Get Ready for Snacking

First, you’ll want to pulse your dates and peanuts together until nice and finely chopped. I recommend using a decently large food processor.

Add your remaining ingredients (minus the coconut oil) and blend until smooth. You want a nice and gooey texture (but not overly gooey so that the bars fall apart — they should still be nice and sturdy after you refrigerate them!). Add a bit of coconut oil as needed to get that gooey texture — I usually add about 1 tbsp, but it depends on the exact type and brand of dates and peanut butter you are using.

Press into an 8×4 pan lined with parchment paper if making a single batch of bars, or a 9×13 pan if making a double batch. We eat these so often, I usually make two 9×13 pans at once! (So, recipe below x4). You’ll want to let the bars harden in the fridge for at least several hours before cutting.

How to Store Your Bars 

I recommend storing your bars in the fridge for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to three months.

Peanut Butter Cacao Bars

These naturally-sweetened peanut butter cacao bars are the perfect healthy snack for any peanut butter + chocolate lover. Made with dates, salty peanuts, creamy peanut butter, cacao, and coconut, they pack a serious nutrition and flavor punch! 

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups pitted dates
• 1/2 cup salted peanuts
• 1/2 cup shredded (unsweetened) coconut
• 1/2 cup cacao powder
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 pinch Himalayan salt (or salt of choice)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (as needed)

Instructions

 

• Add dates and peanuts to a large food processor and process until peanuts are finely chopped.
• Add the shredded coconut, cacao powder, peanut butter, and a pinch or two of salt, and then process until well-blended and smooth.
• If your mixture isn't sticking together easily and isn't gooey, add a 1/2 - 1 tbsp coconut oil and blend. Add slightly more coconut oil if necessary. The need for a bit of coconut oil or not mostly has to do with the type of dates and peanut butter you are using.
• Line an 8x4 pan with parchment paper (or a 9x13 pan if doubling). Press the mixture firmly and smoothly down into the pan.
• Let pan sit in the fridge for 3-4 hours (minimum). Cut with a large knife into squares or rectangles of desired size.

Notes

• If doubling the recipe, repeat the process twice (instead of adding twice as many ingredients to a single round of food processing).
• Bars should be stored in the fridge for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to three months.

Enjoy! The perfect snack to satisfy all my fellow chocolate + peanut butter lovers. 🍫

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