No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Bars.

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Bars. Simple to make, no-fuss, and made with real, wholesome ingredients. These bars start with creamy peanut butter, naturally sweet dates, old-fashioned oats (just like Grandma used), sprouted quinoa, seeds, and vanilla. Mini chocolate chips are mixed in to make every bite extra delicious.

Leaving you all with a Friday treat this week. One that’s delicious, satisfying, and made with ingredients that feel good too. Best of all, there’s no baking required, which means no heating up the kitchen.

I have to say, I finally understand why so many of you request no-cook recipes during the summer. Coming from Colorado, where summer temperatures usually hovered in the 60s and 70s and the nights stayed cool, my kitchen never felt overly hot.

But now that I’m in Miami, where temperatures are pushing 90 degrees and the humidity is no joke, I totally get it. No-cook recipes are essential this time of year.

Lately I’ve been leaning heavily on the grill and making plenty of no-bake bars, homemade ice cream, easy desserts, and smoothies whenever possible. Anything to keep the oven off.

These bars have been on repeat. I’ve been leaving them out for my family to snack on, and I’ve even gotten my youngest brother hooked. He loves helping me make a batch too.

They’re incredibly easy. Just add everything to a food processor, blend until combined, press the mixture into a pan, and slice into bars. That’s it.

And somehow they taste just like a soft, chewy peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bar, but without any baking. They’re the perfect summer treat when it’s simply too hot to turn on the oven, and just as great to have tucked away in the fridge for busy afternoons, road trips, and back-to-school snacks come August.

These are the details

Ingredients

• creamy peanut butter – I love Whole Foods’ 365 peanut butter best
• Medjool dates – these add sweetness and so much fiber
• vanilla extract
• old-fashioned oats
• cooked sprouted quinoa – I love using sprouted quinoa because it’s easy to digest and adds extra texture and nutrition to these bars. If you can’t find sprouted, regular works perfectly too
• ground flaxseed or hemp seed – I like to use half and half
• sprouted pepitas – simply sprouted pumpkin seeds with the shells removed. They add a delicious crunch, but regular pepitas work just as well
• mini chocolate chips – I used dark chocolate
• melted chocolate
• flaky sea salt

From the Kitchen

You do need a high-powered food processor or blender for this recipe, but I highly recommend using a food processor for the best results. The larger bowl gives the ingredients more room to move around, helping everything blend evenly into a smooth, sticky dough.

Beyond that, all you need is a baking sheet or 9×13-inch baking pan and some parchment paper for easy removal and cleanup.

The Steps

Step 1: Blend Everything Together

Line a 9×13-inch baking pan or baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add the peanut butter, dates, vanilla, oats, quinoa, flaxseed, and pepitas to a food processor. Blend until a thick, sticky dough forms and the dates are fully broken down.

Tip: If your dates are on the dry side, soak them in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes before blending. This helps them break down more easily and creates the perfect soft and chewy texture.

Step 2: Add the Chocolate

Transfer the mixture to a bowl, if needed, and stir in the mini chocolate chips.

My little styling tip: Save a handful of chocolate chips to sprinkle over the top before chilling. More chocolate is always a good idea.

Step 3: Press into the Pan

Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. I like to use the back of a measuring cup to really pack everything down and create smooth, even bars, but your hands work great too.

Drizzle generously with the melted dark chocolate, then finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt (optional).

Tip: Don’t skip the sea salt. It makes the peanut butter and chocolate flavors pop. I know I say this a lot, but it’s true!

Step 4: Chill and Slice

Transfer the bars to the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours, or until firm.

Once chilled, use the parchment paper to lift everything out of the pan, then slice into squares or bars.

And that’s it! Soft, chewy peanut butter cookie bars loaded with chocolate, made completely without turning on the oven. These bars store beautifully in the fridge, making them perfect for meal prep, afternoon snacks, or a little sweet treat after dinner.

They freeze well too, and are honestly pretty delicious straight from the freezer. They stay surprisingly soft and chewy.