Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Who doesn’t love all things chocolate? And just because you need or choose to eschew dairy doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to all things chocolate!

Today, I wanted to share a brand new recipe that I am so proud of, a vegan chocolate peanut butter bar, akin to one of my old favorites, Peanut Butter Oh Henry Bars. And what better timing than just in time for Halloween! A low cost, easy vegan treat.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Makes 8 bars or 12 squares

Ingredients

2 cups non-dairy chocolate chips, divided*
2 tablespoons water, divided
3/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons vegan margarine
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup dry roasted peanuts, (salted or unsalted, your choice)

*I find that Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips do not melt properly and I generally use a semi-sweet brand of chocolate chips that do not contain dairy in recipes that require melted chocolate. These can be found in any grocery store, just read labels.

Directions

1. Grease an 8 x 8 baking pan with margarine.

2. Line the baking pan with parchment paper (the margarine helps it to stick).

3. In a double boiler, melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips with 1 tbsp of water, stirring continuously.

4. Pour the melted chocolate into the parchment-lined baking pan and spread out evenly with a spatula.

5. Place the baking pan into the freezer to chill while you prepare the peanut butter layer.

6. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the peanut butter and margarine, stirring continuously.

7. Add the maple syrup and stir until combined and smooth.

8. Add the peanuts and stir to combine.

9. Remove the chilled chocolate from the freezer and add the peanut butter mixture to the pan, spreading evenly over top of the chocolate layer.

10. Place back into the freezer while you prepare the last chocolate layer.

11. Again, in a double boiler, melt the remaining 1 cup of chocolate with 1 tbsp of water. Stir continuously until smooth and melted.

12. Once again, take the baking pan out of the freezer and pour the melted chocolate on top, spreading evenly. Return to the freezer to chill.

13. Once these have chilled and are firm, remove the parchment paper from the pan and cut into 8 or 12 bars. Keep them stored in a container in the fridge for best results.