Vegan Peanut Butter Cookie Bars (Healthy, No-Bake)

These vegan peanut butter cookie bars are a healthy snack that tastes like a dessert, and that’s why I almost alwyas have some in the fridge!

These vegan cookie bars are made with 6 all-natural ingredients:

• Rolled Oats
• Dates
• Creamy Peanut Butter (Unsweetened, Unsalted)
• Vanilla Powder (can substitute vanilla extract, but vanilla powder is highly recommended)
• Salt
• Water

Recipe Instructions

Step 1: Add rolled oats, vanilla powder, and salt to a large food processor. Blend completely until you are left with oat flour.

Step 2: Next, add the dates to the food processor. I like to rip the dates into smaller pieces to make it easier on the food processor, but you can add them in whole. Pulse the mixture until the dates are chopped up, and then blend until it is well combined with the oat flour.

Step 3: Add creamy peanut butter to the food processor and blend until everything is combined. Because the consistency is getting thicker at this point, you might have to pulse the mixture and scrape down the sides every once in a while.

Step 4: While continuously pulsing the oat flour mixture, slowly drizzle in the water. If you notice that some of the mixture is getting stuck at the bottom, make sure to scrape it off before adding more water. This will help the water distribute more evenly. You will be left with a crumbly texture.

Step 5: Once you have combined all of the ingredients and everything is evenly distributed, pour the mixture into a glass container of your choice. I like to use a medium-sized, rectangular food storage container. A larger container will result in thinner bars, and a smaller container will result in thicker bars. In whatever container you choose, use the back of a spoon to pack the mixture down. (This is what will hold the bars together, so make sure to pack it down well.)

Step 6: After you pack down the mixture, the bars are done! You can cut them into whatever shape you want and start eating them, as they taste the best at room temperature. But, because they are softer at room temp, they might not hold their shape when trying to remove them from the container. If you are going to plate them and want them to be uniform, cut them and then chill them in the refrigerator before plating! But always let them warm up a little before eating.

Adjustments

Vanilla Powder Substitution: If you don’t have vanilla powder, you can substitute 1 tsp of vanilla extract, or you can just omit the vanilla powder. I strongly recommend using vanilla powder for its health benefits and robust vanilla flavor. This is the vanilla powder that I use.

Cookie Balls: You don’t have to make cookie bars — you can also make vegan peanut butter cookie balls! Instead of packing the mixture into a glass container, roll a small amount of the mixture in your hands to form small balls. This will make many bite-sized sweet treats.

Texture: The amount of water used in this recipe will result in chewy bars that still have a slightly crumbly texture. (This is my favorite way to make these.) But if you want softer bars that have more of a cookie dough-like consistency, simply add an additional 2 tbsp of water to the original recipe.