Peanut Butter S'mores Bars (Gluten-Free)

🧂 Ingredients

• 1 cup medjool dates, pitted

  (1 cup packed)
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 ½ cup rice crisp cereal
• ½ cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped
• ⅓ cup peanut butter, no sugar added
• 3 tablespoon agave or maple syrup
• 1½ cup vegan marshmallows
• ½ cup vegan chocolate chips or chunks
• ½ teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions

• 1 This step is optional. Spread the oats out onto a sheet pan and toast them at
  350 degree fahrenheit for about 10 minutes just until slightly brown. This will
  produce a toasty flavor, but isn't necessary for the recipe. You can use raw
  oats.
• 2 Pulse the dates in a food processor until they resemble a dough. The dates need
  to be good and gooey. If your dates are dry then soak them in very hot water for
  about 10-15 minutes before doing this step.
• 3 If your peanut butter is nice and creamy you can skip warming it up. But if your
  peanut butter is not soft then combine it with the agave and warm on low heat in
  a small saucepan or the microwave. Just remember to do this at a low heat. Then
  set aside.
• 4 Put the oats, rice cereal, and chopped peanuts into a large bowl. Mix together.
• 5 Add the peanut butter and agave mixture along with the date dough mixture to the
  bowl with the oats, rice, and chopped peanuts. Now mix it all together with your
  hands or a spoon to incorporate well. Now add the vegan marshmallows and work
  them in.
• 6 Once the mixture is good and combined, place it in an 8x8 square pan lined with
  parchment paper. Press the mixture down into the pan to level it out. Try to get
  it as flat and packed in as you can. If you aren’t using a nonstick pan you will
  definitely want to line it with parchment paper. Now place the pan in the
  freezer so that the mixture gets cold and firms up.
• 7 Melt the chocolate by combining it with the ½ teaspoon of coconut oil in a
  double boiler. Then heat it at a low temperature until fully melted.
  
  You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl. Heat
  in the microwave at the very lowest setting for 30 seconds. If the chocolate is
  still not melted heat again for another 10 seconds at the very lowest setting
  and so forth until the chocolate is fully melted.
  
  You want to make sure not to heat the chocolate too quickly or it will burn.
• 8 Once the mixture is good and cold turn the pan over onto a cutting board to pop
  out the 8x8 square of yummy goodness. Now, cut into 10 bars.
• 9 To coat the bars with chocolate, place them on a cooling rack. Now place that
  cooling rack with them on it over a sheet pan lined with wax or parchment paper.
  Pour 1-2 teaspoon of melted chocolate over each bar to fully coat. Place the
  bars in the fridge for the chocolate to set.
• 10 Store the bars in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3
  months. I remove the bars from the fridge about 15 minutes before eating. They
  can also be stored at room temperature for a few days, but I find that they keep
  much better when kept cold.

Nutrition Info