Made with rich dark chocolate, crunchy pecans, chewy gluten-free oats and more, you’ll adore these No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Coconut Bars. They use antioxidant-rich honey instead of refined sugar to sweeten them up while keeping them nice and nutritious.
The Best Healthy Dessert Bars
It doesn’t matter how full I am after dinner – as soon as I’m done eating something savory, I’m ready for something sweet. Particularly of the chocolate variety! These dreamy homemade candy bars are made with wholesome ingredients so you can enjoy your favorite flavors guilt-free. And trust me, there’s no shortage of chocolatey goodness.
That chocolatey goodness mingles with creamy peanut butter, tender shredded coconut, chewy rolled oats and crunchy chopped pecans for pure satisfaction in every bite. It only takes 5 minutes to prepare the bars for the fridge! If you want to save time, you can let them set in the freezer instead to speed up the process.
What You’ll Need
These drool-worthy dessert bars begin with a foolproof lineup of kitchen staples. See the recipe card below this post for the full amounts.
- Natural Peanut Butter: I like to use the creamy kind since chopped pecans are included as well.
- Honey: Raw and unfiltered honey is best.
- Unrefined Coconut Oil: This is richer in nutrients and more flavorful than refined coconut oil, so I don’t suggest making the swap. I like using Spectrum Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil specifically.
- Dark Chocolate Chips: Use dairy-free chocolate chips if needed.
- Gluten-Free Rolled Oats: Don’t try to use instant oats or steel-cut oats – they’re not interchangeable when it comes to this no-bake treat.
- Shredded Coconut: Unsweetened.
- Chopped Pecans: Feel free to toast the coconut and pecans for extra flavor if you’d like.
- Vanilla Extract: This enhances the other flavors in the bars.
How to Make No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Coconut Bars
Calling this recipe easy is an understatement. It’s an absolute breeze!
- Line Pan: Line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving some extra paper hanging over the edges on either end.
- Combine Peanut Butter, Honey & Coconut Oil: Add the peanut butter, honey and coconut oil to a large heat-proof bowl and stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Microwave: Microwave the peanut butter mixture on high for 2 minutes
- Add Chocolate: Add in the chocolate chips and stir until they’ve melted and combined with the other ingredients.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Stir in the oats, coconut and pecans until well combined.
- Chill: Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and refrigerate it for 3 hours, or until the chocolate is set.
- Cut & Serve: Use the overhanging parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan, then transfer them to a cutting board. Cut out 16 evenly sized squares and enjoy!
Tips for Success
Because this recipe is so beginner-friendly, I don’t have many extra pieces of advice. However, there are a few things you should take note of:
- Line the Pan Well: I like to lift my bars out of the baking pan before I cut and serve them – it just makes things a little easier. To do this, you’ll have to leave a decent amount of overhanging parchment paper on opposite sides of the pan. Once the bars are set, you can use these bits as handles to lift them out.
- Freeze the Bars for Quicker Results: Don’t want to wait 3 hours to enjoy your bars? Setting them in the freezer instead of the fridge will speed things up quite a bit. Once they’ve solidified, remove them from the freezer about 15 minutes before you cut them so they get a chance to soften up.
- Get Clean Slices: Use a sharp kitchen knife to cut your bars into clean squares without any trouble. If the bars were in the freezer, you may have to run the knife under hot water and dry it off with a towel before making each cut.
Variation Ideas
I could never get tired of these tempting chocolate peanut butter bars. Nevertheless, there are plenty of easy ways to change them up.
- Substitute the Pecans for Another Kind of Nut
- Make Balls Instead of Bars
- Swap Out the Oats for Crispy Rice Cereal
- Use Half Vanilla Extract and Half Coconut Extract
- Substitute the Peanut Butter for Another Nut or Seed Butter
- Opt for Semi-Sweet or Milk Chocolate Chips Instead of Dark
- Use Vanilla Bean Paste in Place of the Extract for a Stronger Flavor
Storage Instructions
Keep extra bars refrigerated in an airtight container. They will stay good for up to 1 week. If you have to store the bars in multiple layers, add a sheet of parchment or wax paper between each one to prevent sticking.
Do These Freeze Well?
Yes – you can freeze your chocolate peanut butter coconut bars for up to 3 months if you’d like. Wrap each bar in clear wrap or foil and freeze them in an airtight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw out the frozen bars in the fridge before you enjoy them.
More Crave-Worthy Coconut Desserts
Want another gluten-free treat that incorporates coconut? I’ve got plenty!
- Double Chocolate Coconut Shortbread Cookies
- Easy Almond Coconut Cake
- Blackberry Banana Coconut Popsicles
- Fudgy Strawberry Coconut Brownies
No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Coconut Bars
Equipment
- Fridge
Ingredients
- 1 cup smooth natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil
- 1 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 cups rolled oats (not instant) I used gluten free
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/4 cup chopped pecan pieces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large glass bowl add peanut butter, honey and unrefined coconut oil.
- Microwave on high for 2 minutes
- Add in chocolate chips stirring until melted
- Add oats, coconut, and pecans
- Pour into a parchment lined 9 x 9" baking pan or glass pan.
- Stick into refrigerator for 3 hours or until chocolate is set. You can speed this up by placing in freezer.
- Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
- To Store: Refrigerate extra bars in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- To Freeze: Wrap each bar in clear wrap or foil and freeze them in an airtight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before enjoying.
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kroger. The opinions and text are all mine.
Hello from Norfolk Island, South Pacific! I stumbled across your website yesterday, made these and they are now a family favourite. Soooo yum and super easy, thank you!
Tag says vegan, but these contain honey.
Instructions never mention when to add the vanilla.
I realized after putting in refrigerator to cool !! Thank goodness all is well.
cannot wait to try.
Thank you for sharing
These look mouth wateringly good! I too love a chocolatey treat after a savoury meal and I can’t seem to break the habit. But when it’s a healthy sweet treat then it’s ok 🙂
Can’t wait to try this! Thanks so much! I used to live in Cincinnati so it was fun to read about Mariemont and Madeira! I live in Austin now. I’ll have no troubles finding the ingredients:)
I love the recipe and will give it a try. I shop at either Mariemont or Madeira Krogers and I sometimes have trouble finding your recommended ingredients. It would be great if Krogers could mark or set up a Kiosk for all your ingredients.
It would be great to get on the tester list.
Hi John, I hope you love the recipe. I will definitely talk with Kroger and pass on your suggestion! 🙂