Stacey's Stir

My original plan was to post an Arugula & Farro salad recipe this week, but last minute I decided we needed something sweet. I’m turning 28 today. And since it’s not every day that a girl turns 28, I’ve deemed it necessary to write about something a little more exciting than a super healthy salad – that can absolutely wait for another week!

My sister, Allison, and I have been working tirelessly on this recipe for about three weeks. Okay.. “tirelessly” may be a bit of a stretch considering the whole thing takes about ten minutes to prepare and we were rewarded with taste testing each batch. But, we have made many a peanut butter bars in the past few weeks in an attempt to create the perfect recipe for you. I am so grateful to have a sweet, baking-queen sister who is willing to help me in my areas of weakness. Slowly I’m learning to appreciate the science and steadiness of baking, but it definitely does not come naturally.

The idea for this recipe was born out of an attempt to provide my husband, Patrick, with something a bit more wholesome to snack on after dinner than his beloved snack size Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cups. Even though I have still found a couple of Reese’s® wrappers in his pockets, he agrees that the peanut butter bars are an especially delicious replacement for his long-time favorite candy. Or he’s just being a really sweet and supportive husband. Either way, I’ll take it!

If attainable, I recommend using local honey and all natural peanut butter. It truly makes a huge difference in the flavor and texture. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a firm believer in using all natural peanut butter. You avoid all of the added sugar and unnecessary ingredients that are used in the big name brands.

Enjoy Life’s chocolate chips are my favorite brand to use when baking. If your local grocery store doesn’t carry these, you can always buy them online. I love this brand for quite a few reasons – they’re dairy, nut, soy and gluten free which makes them perfect to use when entertaining (anyone with allergies can indulge). But, mostly I just like them because they taste so dang good! In this recipe, I use the dark chocolate morsels but their mini-chips would be a great option as well.

After using a multitude of pans, varying temperatures, and trying to get the perfect ratio of baking soda vs. baking powder, Allison and I are proud to present you with the most perfect, brownie-like, yet perfectly healthy peanut butter bars on the planet (or at least in our homes). I hope they make your heart happy, conscience clear, and sweet tooth satisfied. Enjoy!

 

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Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup all natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup Enjoy Life’s dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. In a medium size bowl, mix all of the ingredients together using a rubber spatula.
3. Pour mixture into a greased 8 x 8 baking dish.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes. (35 minutes will be more on the ooey-gooey side, which I prefer).
5. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.
6. Leave at room temperature or refrigerate.

*Patrick and I like ours refrigerated, but Allison keeps theirs at room temperature. They’re good either way, but will stay fresh longer in the refrigerator.  

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Happy baking!

xoxo, Stacey