Monday, January 23, 2012

No-bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

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In my Christmas Pinwheel Cookies post, I promised that I would share a few recipes, and quite a few people seemed to be interested in these no-bake bars.
In December, I had the wonderful opportunity to conduct a small 2 hour workshop on desserts. It was my first time teaching cooking/baking, and I was really nervous! But by God's grace, it went very well, and the ladies who attended said they had a great time. They were a great group and had a lot of questions and were very interactive and encouraging!

I made two recipes that morning - first, my favorite carrot cupcakes with a coconut milk frosting. Somehow, after fruit cake, I tend to associate carrot cake with Christmas because of the wonderful aroma of nutmeg and cinnamon that fills the house when the cakes are baking. At the workshop, all of us had a lot of fun making and frosting the cupcakes, and then of course, eating the cupcakes. They were yummy!

Next, I thought we would do a no-bake recipe in case there were participants who didn't have ovens at home. So, after scouring the internet and looking at a LOT of recipes, I settled on this one I found on Allrecipes. It was quite a hit - I mean with chocolate and peanut butter, how bad can it be! That being said - I think nothing can beat a baked bar or cookie! I would make these only if I didn't have access to an oven. In that situation, these would be a treat!

As I mentioned in my other post, I don't have very good pictures for these posts. I was so busy with planning, packing and preparing for the workshop that I just didn't have the time to make an effort to get good pictures!
No-bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
Ingredients
1 scant cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups oatmeal
3/4 cup chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)
1/3 cup peanut butter
A large pinch of salt

Method

1. Grease a 9x9 inch square pan.
2. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.
3. Stir in the sugar, golden syrup and vanilla. Mix in the oats & cinnamon.
4. Cook over low heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until ingredients are well blended.
5. Press half of mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Reserve the other half for topping.
6. Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Add in the pinch of salt and stir well to combine.
7. Pour the chocolate mixture over the crust in the pan, and spread evenly with a knife or the back of a spoon.
8. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate layer, pressing in gently.
9. Cover, and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
10. Bring to room temperature before cutting into bars.

The only 'tip' I would have in terms of this recipe is, don't add a tightly packed cup of butter. This can make the oatmeal layers really greasy. It happened to one of the batches I made, and it is not pleasant. The next time around, I used one scant cup of cubed butter, and it turned out great.
On a different note -  thanks to all those who wrote to me welcoming me back to the blogosphere! :) My wonderful food blogger friends and community sure know how to make me feel good! :) Thanks, all!

I am so glad to be back and blogging again! I've missed it so much, and I have SO loved catching up on all my favorite blogs over these last few days. If I still haven't gotten around to visiting you and dropping you a note, I promise I will soon! Have a wonderful week! :)
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42 comments:

Jenny said...

Ooo this recipe sounds super easy, I love baking things but sometimes it takes so long to do that I love motivation and concentration...no bake cookies sounds perfect for lazy days :P

Mary Bergfeld said...

These really sound delicious and super easy to make. That is a hard combination to beat. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary.

Lisa said...

Welcome back, Marsha!  It was great to see you pop up in my comment section again!!  What a way to return with these amazing no bake oatmeal bars and gorgeous rocky road cupcakes!  So glad you're back..can't wait to try both recipes!

sharizat said...

mmm, i must try these--my family loves oatmeal…and chocolate :) it would make a nice lunchbox item :)

Galexicupcakes said...

Anything no-bake has my attention! These look great Marsha!! Yum-o!

Maggie @ Vittles and Bits said...

Your pics still came out great, these look incredible!! Yummy :)

elisabeth@foodandthrift said...

Marsha dear, you have no idea how happy I am to see you blogging again! Such a yummy treat...and no bake? wow, I like that idea. It's actually healthy, and at the same time can be a dessert treat, which I like to reward myself with!
Thanks for sharing...a keeper for sure!
xoxo

Nami | Just One Cookbook said...

Hi Marsha!  No bake?!  This must be for me!  I love oatmeal and chocolate bars and I've been snacking on store bought ones sometimes.  I need to go find oatmeal as I don't have it at home.  Looks so delicious!

Lizzy Do said...

Mmmmmm....I love bars with oats and chocolate! The peanut butter must make them even better!

Patty said...

No bake + chocolate + oatmeal = too good to be true! And PB?! This recipe must be made and in my belly without passing GO and without collecting $200. Get directly in my belly. 

Nami | Just One Cookbook said...

Hi Marsha!  No bake?!  This must be for me!  I love oatmeal and chocolate bars and I've been snacking on store bought ones sometimes.  I need to go find oatmeal as I don't have it at home.  Looks so delicious!

Nami | Just One Cookbook said...

Hi Marsha!  No bake?!  This must be for me!  I love oatmeal and chocolate bars and I've been snacking on store bought ones sometimes.  I need to go find oatmeal as I don't have it at home.  Looks so delicious!

Kimby said...

Congratulations on teaching a cooking class -- that is a gift, being able to show others "how to."  Your results look delish!

Memoriesinthebaking said...

I was about to suggest these luscious  no-bake bars would be a joy to make during the hot summer months. And then, common sense knocked me upside the head, as if to say, why wait?

Kitchen Belleicious said...

they look insane! Insanely delicious that is! I want to dig into them right now and i know they would be the perfect afternoon snack for my son. Might just make them today!

Kitchen Belleicious said...

they look insane! Insanely delicious that is! I want to dig into them right now and i know they would be the perfect afternoon snack for my son. Might just make them today!

Jill Colonna said...

Marsha, I love that these are no bake. Handy recipe to have up your sleeve. Congrats on your workshop - it sounded fabulous!

Kristen said...

Those definitely sound like a great treat to make in the hot summer months when it's just too hot to turn on the oven.  Peanut butter and chocolate, especially with a little spiced oatmeal is a delicious combination!!

Christina said...

This sounds really great. I especially like how cookie bar-like it is without needing to be baked. Perfect for summer baking!

theharriedcook said...

Marsha, I love that these are no bake. Handy recipe to have up your sleeve. Congrats on your workshop - it sounded fabulous!

Jill said...

Marsha, I love that these are no bake. Handy recipe to have up your sleeve. Congrats on your workshop - it sounded fabulous!

Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts said...

These look thick and amazing! I love the layer of chocolate, and no bake? Always love a no bake recipe!

Erin said...

These look thick and amazing! I love the layer of chocolate, and no bake? Always love a no bake recipe! 

Unknown said...

These song WONDERFUL and the peanut butter makes them a bit healthy - good justification, right? Thanks for this yummy recipe!

The Café Sucré Farine said...

These song WONDERFUL and the peanut butter makes them a bit healthy - good justification, right? Thanks for this yummy recipe!

Biren @ Roti n Rice said...

It is good to have a quick and easy no-bake recipe on hand. These chocolate oatmeal bars sound delightful! Glad to hear your first cooking class went well :)

Sandra's Easy cooking said...

What a lovely post..Glad that you post something with no bake..I love this recipe, and your photos make this sweet treat really tempting!!! Thank you for sharing and a wonderful day!!!!

Hester @ Alchemy in the Kitchen said...

Seriously? No bake? Then these are happening at my house, this weekend. What a clever idea for your cookery demo!

roses said...

Lovely....
rosesandgifts.com

Carolyn Jung said...

Congrats on teaching your first class. That's awesome. I'm sure it was a hit. How could it not be with great sweets like this? ;)

Jill | Dulce Dough said...

Congrats on teaching the workshop!  These bars sound wonderful, and I love that they are no-bake!

Hester@Alchemy in the Kitchen said...

Seriously? No bake? Then these are happening at my house, this weekend. What a clever idea for your cookery demo! 

roses said...

Lovely...  
rosesandgifts.com/

Magic of Spice said...

Sounds like a great class and that it went very well, congratulations :) These do look scrumptious! 

Bou Shin said...

These look so delicious and simple! ^^

Erin @ Making Memories said...

These sound wonderful!!!

Kim Bee said...

These are the bomb and we're so pleased to have you back. xx

Monetm1218 said...

 So glad to see you...and these bars, so good! And I think your pictures look fabulous. I always forget to shoot when I'm teaching a class! Thank you for sharing with me. I always smile when I visit your blog or when I read your comments. I hope you have a fabulous Sunday!

Catherine said...

These look delicious and the fact that you don't have to bake them makes it that much easier. Blessings, Catherine xo

Three Cookies said...

I love no bake oat bars, had them this afternoon. Your version with peanut butter and choc looks great

Roxana Greengirl said...

Congrats on your first cooking classes as a teacher! You're a pro Marsha! Way to go!
These bars sound delicious, although I'd have a hard time waiting for them to chill before doing some test-testing :)

Anonymous said...

Karina Bruce no thank you so much❤️ have a great day��

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