Combining two classic flavors, these peanut butter quinoa bars are healthy + delicious. Topped with a dreamy chocolate sauce, they made the perfect dessert!
You guys…this might just be the most epic quinoa dessert yet.
I'm not kidding. These peanut butter quinoa bars are the real deal. They're packed with peanut butter flavor, sweetened naturally with coconut sugar, have no eggs or dairy or oil, AND they use quinoa flour which is packed with minerals and protein. So basically what I'm saying is…we all need to make them asap!
Peanut butter has made has a major resurgence in my life recently. So much so that I'm going through a jar of it almost every week. It's kind of crazy. (but in a totally delicious way)
I think it has to do with the fact that I started making peanut butter from scratch. I always used to buy natural, organic peanut butter from the store and while it was super delicious, it's also pretty pricey! I mean you can certainly get the organic kind from Whole Foods for less, but there are additives and fillers that I just don't want.
Peanut butter should be made from peanuts. Plain and simple.
Thing is…while nut butters only take one machine to make, they're a little bit of a pain. First, they take a food processor which not everyone has. Second, you need to grind them for like 10 – 15 minutes, which I feel like runs the risk of burning out the motor on you machine.
Well my friends, I found the solution! (and I just figured this out yesterday, so it's super exciting)
It's the Twister Jar from BlendTec. This little contraption snaps onto the base of your blender and makes nut butter in under two minutes. I kid you not. Creamy, dreamy and delicious nut butter. It's incredible!
You can use any kind of nut, but if you're making peanut butter, make sure to get organic roasted. I know that peanut butter gets a bad rap because of the potential for the fungus aflatoxin (which is considered to be carcinogenic) to be present, but the good news is that our agricultural practices have gotten much better and buying organic, roasted peanuts exponentially reduces the risk for toxicity.
So anywho, don't fear the peanuts. Just make sure that you're buying high-quality nuts and if they're raw, roast 'em!
And also if you have a BlendTec and want to make nut butter at home, check out the Twister Jar. Life-changing.
But let's get back to the bars.
I started with a tried and true recipe – my Almond Butter Quinoa Blondies – and made a few switches to make them lower in fat and sugar. Since these babies use a full 3/4 cup of peanut butter, instead of adding the extra coconut oil that my blondies have, I opted for unsweetened applesauce. The applesauce adds a faint hint of sweetness while also reducing the fat content of the bars. And because of that touch of sweet, I was able to remove 1/4 cup of sugar from the original recipe.
Less sugar? Less fat? Less flavor? Absolutely not.
With all of those tweaks, these bars came out every bit as delicious. They're moist, tender and packed with peanut buttery goodness. Of course, since it's hard to imagine a peanut butter dessert without chocolate, I topped these bars with a delicious chocolate sauce made from coconut oil, cacao powder and a hint of maple syrup.
![Peanut Butter Quinoa Bars | simplyquinoa.com | I love the chocolate-peanut butter combo so these bars are PERFECT! [gluten-free + vegan]](https://www.simplyquinoa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/peanut-butter-quinoa-bars-7.jpg)
The sauce is totally optional and does require that you keep these bars in the fridge.
But since I know you're also a fan of the chocolate-PB combo, I wanted to give you the option just in case you wanted to make these bars a bit more indulgent. Either way, you can't go wrong. I'm already looking forward to dessert tonight.
xo Alyssa
(p.s. I was not compensated by BlendTec for this post. It's purely me, sharing a product I love and use on a daily basis.)
If you make this recipe, make sure to snap a pic and share it on Instagram using #SIMPLYQUINOA – I want to see your own quinoa creations!
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More Delicious Quinoa Dessert Bars To Try!
- Gingersnaps with Quinoa Flour
- Chai Spiced Oat & Quinoa Flour Muffins
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Breakfast Bars with Quinoa
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars with Chocolate Chips
Vegan Peanut Butter Quinoa Bars
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 2 flax eggs 2 tbsp flaxseed meal + 5 tbsp water
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup toasted quinoa flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of sea salt
chocoalte sauce (optional):
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with parchment and set aside.
- Beat together applesauce and almond butter until creamy. Add sugar, vanilla, and flax eggs, and beat until combined.
- Add to quinoa flour, baking soda and salt wet, mixing until incorporated.
- Transfer batter to the prepared baking pan. Press it into the corners of the pan using wet hands or a pastry roller. Bake on the center rack for 20 - 24 minutes.
- If you're using the chocolate sauce, quickly whisk the ingredients together and set aside until bars are done baking.
- Let the bars cool in pan completely before topping with chocolate sauce (if using). Transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 30 minutes. Slice into bars and enjoy!
- With chocolate sauce, store the bars in the fridge. If not topping with chocolate, bars can be left at room temperature.
Nutrition
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Hold up, I is confuzzled 🙂 The recipe your posted states 3/4 almond butter…did you mean peanut butter since the recipe name is peanut butter quinoa bars? Just checking to be sure. Thanks!
Yep! oops! It’s updated now. 😉
And I have the Wildside+ Jar too just haven’t tried making nut butters. In the older version it was such a pain, but maybe I’ll give it a whirl and see how it does. The Twister Jar is seriously amazing!
Yeah, I’ve seen videos of owners using it, but I just can’t justify paying for one if the Wildside does the trick….that’s just frugal (see: cheap) me LOL 🙂 Thanks again for this recipe…this might actually work with my diabetes sans chocolate topper haha.
Love, love love my twister jar for nut butters!! I’ve made all my own since I got it. And now… this pure chocolate peanut butter perfection is up next!! Amazing recipe!
Can’t wait to hear what you think of it! What has been your favorite nut butter to try? I need more inspiration 😉
Oh my goodness, these bars look incredible. You had me at peanut butter! 🙂
can i make my own roasted quinoa flour?
I would think so Marianne. I do. I just toast up quinoa in a pan, and then grind it down in my blender. I usually add a couple tablespoons of this to my smoothies or homemade “frappucinos” for some extra protein kick.
I did exactly what you just said. Roasted it and then blended it in an Braun Grinder, worked fine and they were delicious!! I didn’t think of adding it to the smoothies, thanks for the tip.
Can I ask where you ladies are getting your nuts from? Right now I
can’t justify making my own price wise compared to Trader Joe’s organic
peanut butter.
These bars look amazing, and I love that they aren’t loaded with sugar!
Can i use stevia instead of coconut sugar?
You could, but I haven’t tried it so I don’t know what the proportions would be. Since stevia is a lot sweeter than sugar, you use a lot less than the sugar so the volume measurements are going to be different. You’re probably going to have to do some experimenting to get the right proportions. Definitely check back and let me know how it goes! xo
Great recipe!
My son is allergic to coconut. Can I replace the coconut sugar by rice malt syrup/ honey or else?
What will be the proportions?
I think you probably could, but I’m afraid I haven’t tested this with a liquid sweetener. What about date sugar or maple sugar? Those would both be delicious!
Thank you Alyssa for your reply. I will look into date or maple sugar. Not sure where to get it.
Both are rather low in GI, so it would be a good alternative. If I can’t find it, I will try the syrup and will let you know if it works.
Keep me posted on how it goes 🙂
I made it it came out perfect. Yummy!!
Yes!! So happy you enjoyed them!
Hi Alyssa!!! I’m from Argentina, and a huge fan of your blog. I’ve bought organic quinoa flour, can I use it instead of toasted quinoa flour? or is it mandatory to use the toasted one? I’m not vegan, just trying to eat healthier, can I use organic eggs instead of flaxseed meal? Thank you in advance for your response
You could certainly use regular flour, but the toasting is actually super easy. Here’s a link on how to do it: https://www.simplyquinoa.com/how-to-toast-quinoa-flour/
And yes, I think you could definitely use regular eggs instead!
Thanks!!! I’ll try it and let you know 😉
Can you sub almond flour for the quinoa flour?
I don’t think you can 1:1. You might want to try at least 1 cup of almond flour, but may need even more. The way they absorb liquids is very different, so you can almost never substitute almond flour for a “grain” flour equally. Let me know if you do give it a try as I’d love to know! xx
Delish! Made these last night and couldn’t wait to try them this morning. I think I want to add crisp rice cereal next time for texture. These are so good!
So glad you enjoyed them! And I love the idea of adding crispies, that would be amazing 🙂
I loved these so much I’m thinking about making them for Christmas! Do you think the recipe would double well w same baking time etc!? Thanks!
Hi! I want to make this for xmas for a larger crowd. Would this recipe double easy? Would it change the bake time? Also do u think I could sub half quinoa flour w oat flour? Thanks!
I think you can double, yes, but I haven’t tried so I’m not sure about bake time. And also not sure about the flour! I think it would work, but haven’t tested it, sorry!
Thanks!
Do you suppose I could freeze this without the chocolate topping, and just add topping when they come out of the freezer?
Definitely!
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