Peanut Butter Power Bars (Vegan/Gluten-Free)

As you may know, I am a total sweet tooth and whenever I see my family and friends, I usually want to bring some NBB goodies. This time, I was planning on working out with a friend. A part of me thought - maybe it's not a good idea to bring some "sweets" to a friend who's working out with me which came to the conclusion of making Peanut Butter Power Bars! What I really like about this recipe is that it only contains 4 ingredients: Rolled oats, unsweetened/unsalted peanut butter, honey, and vanilla extract.
The key to this recipe is to use "unsweetened/unsalted" peanut butter. If you look at commercialized peanut butters, they contain added sugar and salt. In general, peanuts are already high in calorie (good ones at least) so adding added sugar and salt is absolutely unnecessary. It's just extra empty calories. That's why our family use unsweetened/unsalted peanut butter! I especially like the ones at Trader Joe's and the Laura Scudder's - although I've been purchasing the Trader Joe's one for years!

Peanut Butter Power Bars (Vegan) 
Servings: 12 bars + 4 corners

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup honey 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened/unsalted peanut butter 
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions: 

• In a large microwavable bowl, mix the honey and unsweetened/unsalted peanut butter for 30 seconds and fold until well mixed. 
• Pour the rolled oats. 
• Place the mixture in a brownie pan (I also put parchment paper on the bottom of the pan)
  **The mixture is very thick - so you will need to spread it using a spatula or your hands to mold it correctly. 
• Refrigerate for at least an hour. 
• Once the bar is hardened, cut them into squares! 

On deck - before going into the fridge!

What I really like about this power bar is that it is very chewy, which means that:
#1 - it allows me to chew slowly
#2 - it allows me to eat slowly
Why is it good for me? Well, it's because it has been said that eating slowly may help you feel full faster, meaning that I won't "binge" eat, or eat "unnecessarily". If you are interested in reading the full article by Harvard Health Publications, check out their article here!

Lastly, it notes that this is "gluten-free" recipe but if do have celiac disease, make sure that the rolled oats you use are "non-contaminated rolled oats"!

Here's a tip: Please refrain from consuming too much of these Peanut Butter Power Bars. Although it does not have preservatives, it is still high in calorie due to the ingredients. I would suggest eating this after your workout so that you have something to consume after using your energy after exercising. It's always good to remember that just because it is "healthier", it does not become "healthy" if you over consume it.

#nobuttermixing (a new hashtag edition to #nbb ! I realized that this recipe is not "baking" but I still wanted to share with everyone!)

From my kitchen to yours, Happy Baking!

Smiles,
Mei