Crumbly Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

I came across this recipe here and was so excited to try it! This is my new go-to dessert recipe.  We love it around here, especially Ryan's brother Darren who loves peanut butter anything.  I have added and changed a few things from the original recipe but either way this is one tasty treat.  I have tried making this with pure maple syrup but unfortunately it just works out better with sucanat, still a slightly refined cane sugar, but the purest form of crystalized cane sugar you can get.  Sucanat contains so many more nutrients than refined white cane sugar.  Anyways, when I use sucanat I run it through my blender for a few seconds so it's not so gritty because the crystals are much bigger than those in refined white sugar and are quite noticeable in baking if you don't blend them a bit and will give whatever you are baking a gritty texture.  This is super easy to whip up and a crowd pleaser every time :)  Enjoy!

Crumbly Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

2/3 cup oats

2/3 cup whole wheat  flour

1/2 cup sucanat

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 Tablespoons vegan butter or grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)

1/3 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, optional 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325*F. Spray an 8 x 8-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a bowl, stir together peanut butter and honey.  In a separate bowl, mix together oats, whole wheat flour, sucanat, salt and baking powder.  Drizzle Earth Balance or oil,vanilla, and milk over oat mixture.  Mix with a fork until evenly moistened and crumbly. Stir in chocolate chips.  Set aside heaping 1/2 cup for topping and press the remaining oat mixture into the prepared pan.  Spread peanut butter mixture over the top – I microwaved it first to make this easier.  Sprinkle reserved oat mixture over peanut butter mixture.  Bake for about 25 minutes.