Peanut Butter Raisin Bars
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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~
Peanut Butter Raisin Bars are made with a thoughtfully crafted blend of energy-dense ingredients that will give you the natural energy we need to get out and play, work, hike, run, quilt, or shoot, even make recipes in the kitchen. (that one is my favorite hehe)
Peanuts are Not Nuts
Did you know that peanuts are not actually nuts, but instead, they are a member of a family of legumes related to peas, lentils, chickpeas, and other beans? They start growing as a ground flower, but due to its heavyweight, it bends towards the ground and eventually burrows underground where the peanut matures. They are an excellent source of monounsaturated fats. Also, peanuts are a good source of niacin, folate, copper, manganese, and protein.
If you are allergic to peanuts, you could substitute it with Inchi Seed butter, which tastes pretty darn close to peanut butter. It does seem to be a little thinner than peanut butter, so a few ingredients might need to be adjusted but do-able.
Peanut butter doesn’t ever need help in making it taste better, but it does like to mingle in the presence of good company, so I added some chocolate chips. If you make the raw chips, the exterior ones will melt some while the bars are dehydrating. But if you don’t have the means or time to make your own, they make some pretty darn good ones these days. They may not be raw, but now they make them gluten-free, vegan, and even sugar-free (using stevia).
One last food for thought… you could get away with not dehydrating these bars if you don’t mind storing them in the freezer and then eating them right away once you take them out of the icebox. They taste amazing either way. It’s just nice to have options. I do hope you enjoy this recipe. Many blessings, and please keep in touch. amie sue
Ingredients:
yields 18 bars
Dry Ingredients:
- 3 cups gluten-free rolled oats, soaked
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup flax seeds
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup sliced raw almonds
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Wet Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup Medjool dates (5 large)
- 1/4 cup raw coconut butter, softened
- 1/4 cup raw honey or raw coconut nectar for vegan
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt
Preparation:
- Once the soaking process is complete, drain, and rinse the oats thoroughly until the water runs clear.
- Combine the oats and remaining dry ingredients into a large bowl. Set aside.
- In the food processor, combine the wet ingredients and process until well incorporated.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients until the oat mixture is evenly coated.
- The batter is very thick, so you may want to use your hands, I did! Invest in some disposable gloves; it will make your life easier.
- Spread the batter in the desired sized/style pan. I used a 9 1/2 x 7 pan that I lined with parchment paper.
- Press mixture into the pan, packing it nice and firm. If you don’t wear gloves, occasionally wet your hands as you are pressing the batter into place, to prevent it from sticking to you.
- Place in the freezer for a minimum of 1 hour to help with cutting the bars into their shapes.
- Remove from the freezer and cut into desired shapes and sizes.
- Place on the mesh dehydrator sheets that come with your machine and dry at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 degrees (F) for 16-24 hrs.
- Store in an airtight container on the counter for 1 week, fridge for 2 weeks, and freezer 3-4 weeks.
The Institute of Culinary Ingredients™
- Raw honey isn’t vegan, but I still use it now and again. Read (here) why I like to.
- Learn about the beautiful characteristics of Raw Coconut Nectar (here).
- What is Himalayan pink salt, and does it matter? Click (here) to read more about it.
- Are oats gluten-free? Yes, read more about that (here).
- Are oats raw? Yep! Click (here) to learn more.
- Do I need to soak and dehydrate oats? It isn’t required but recommended. Click (here) to see why.
Culinary Explanations:
- Why do I start the dehydrator at 145 degrees (F)? Click (here) to learn the reason behind this.
- When working with fresh ingredients, it is essential to taste test as you build a recipe. Learn why (here).
- Don’t own a dehydrator? Learn how to use your oven (here). I do, however honestly believe that it is a worthwhile investment.
© AmieSue.com
Tags: Dairy Free, Dehydrated, Gluten Free, No Dehydration Required, Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan
These look wonderful – can’t wait to try them over the weekend! ☺
Angela, please keep me posted if you. I know you won’t be disappointed! Blessings, amie sue
how long does these keep for, anyone have an idea?
Hi Myranda,
These will keep for a week on the counter, about 2 weeks in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. These are approx. times based on how long you dehydrated your cookie, the temp of your house, etc. The more moisture in the cookie, the shorter the shelf life.
Did you use three or four cups of oats? The ingredients call for three, while the instructions say to soak four cups. Also, I assume you mean rolled oats when you refer to GF oats? Are those raw? If so, where do you get them? Online? What brand? And where do you get raw PB? I know raw peanuts taste vastly different (more like a green vegetable) than roasted. This looks like a great recipe.
Hello Kim,
Oodles of questions! hehe Love it. Let’s see if I can narrow it all down for you.
Q. Did you use three or four cups of oats?
A. 3 cups….that was an error on my behalf. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I corrected it.
Q. I assume you mean rolled oats when you refer to GF oats? Are those raw? If so, where do you get them? Online? What brand?
A. I made a link above to a post that I did on raw oats and a few resources as to where you can order them from. I haven’t ever found them locally.
Q. And where do you get raw PB?
A. For true raw peanut butter, you would most likely have to make your own by blending raw peanuts in the food processor or high speed blender. Here in Tucson, WholeFoods has a peanut grinder but they use roasted peanuts. At another store they say on their grinder that they use raw peanuts. I have used both due to availability. I went ahead and posted above on how to make your own peanut butter from raw peanuts.
Does this help you? Thank you for asking….it helps for me to clarify things for others too! Blessings, amie sue
I want to make these soon!! Drooling
Supports your act of drooling and wipes your chin. haha
Have you ever used raw jungle peanuts to make p-nut butter? Do they taste like regular peanuts?
Joey, No I haven’t used “jungle” peanuts in making peanut butter. Raw peanuts do taste different from the standard peanuts that most are use to eating. They typical peanut is usually always roasted which lends a very different flavor. So when you make actual raw peanut butter you need to doctor it up with some added salt and some add a little sweetener, all depends on your taste buds. Nuts in general are difficult to find “Raw” there is a lot of controversy out there as to whether or not they are really raw due to the way they process them.
This recipe looks delicious, but I don’t have a food dehydrator. Can they be baked in the oven on a low heat like I do with my granola bars?
Give it a try Kristina, I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t say for sure the outcome. Keep me posted if you try it please. Have a great evening, amie sue
Hallo again,
These are favourite of my darling, he says the taste reminds him of chestnut puree which is speciality in Europe, especially central and served with whipped cream. Only, this version is far healthier! Thanks Amy!
Oh awesome Alex… thank you for sharing that. Happy Holidays and many blessings! amie sue
Hello Amie Sue,
These bars look excellent.
I would like to include them as a lunch item in the families portable lunches or have available as a midday or evening snack.
However, I would like to replace the dates and raisins in this recipe. I am not sure if the dates are acting as a binder or mild sweetener. What might I replace the dates with and could I possibly leave out the raisins all together?
I have had great success with your recipes.Your recipes are so lovely and I do not want to seem inconsiderate of all the hard work that you put in perfecting each one. As I have shared with you before, my family’s health has improved dramatically overcoming various imbalances with the help of recommended food combining practices. If at all possible would you please suggest substitutes or simply share your thoughts regarding the matter.
This seems like the perfect non-refrigerated needed bar to pack in lunches during the day or keep on the counter top for snacking.
As always thank you for your work.
Good afternoon Rhondy,
You can omit the raisins from the first part of the recipe. The dates are used as a binder and sweetener in the recipe. Forgive me if you have shared with me before, but do you use any dried fruits in the recipes? I get the feeling that you are wanting to keep any type of fruit out of the recipe. You could give it a try, maybe up the peanut butter by 1/4 cup in place of them. When forming the bar, press them nice and tight. Have a great weekend, amie sue
Hi again Amie Sue,
OMG….these are sooooo good, I can hardly believe “we” did a great job. You provide the recipe work and I do the mixing work. Great combo! Every time I make one of your recipes and it turns out so tasty, it always brings a smile to my face. Honestly this one is easy to make and a real treat. Thank you!!!
You do know how to make a girls day Joanne. :) Thank you for sharing your success with these bars. They are one of our favorites too! Have a blessed day, amie sue