What to do, what to do . . . you are craving something sweet and moreish, but the temperatures outside are ragingly hot and you just can't face putting on the oven to bake something. Thankfully I am here to save the day with the perfect solution!
The best ever chocolate oatmeal no-bake bars! Say what? No Bake! Count me in!!
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These lovely bars are perfect for those days when you are craving something chocolatey and peanutty but don't want to turn on the oven. Plus they have that moreish nutty factor from the oats.
Using only five simple ingredients, plus vanilla, they won't break the bank either! Quick. Easy. Delicious! Where do I sign up?
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE NO BAKE CHOCOLATE OATMEAL BARS
This is a small batch recipe, making only six scrumptious bars, but you can easily double everything to make more if you wish. Just use a larger pan. I recommend an 8 or a 9 inch square pan in that case.
- 1/2 cup (120g) butter
- 1/4 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (120g) rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (90g) semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup (45g) smooth peanut butter
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I use regular salted butter. I haven't got the budget to keep two kinds of butter in my house. I actually don't find that things are all that salty as most of the time I don't add any salt to the recipe at all, just relying on the salt that is in the butter.
Oh boy do I ever miss Danish butter. I used Lurpak butter the whole time I was in the UK. I guess it has gotten super expensive now, but then again, it never was as cheap as the other brands. But boy oh boy was it every worth the extra pennies.
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Full disclosure here, today I used the large flake oats because I didn't have any medium oats. This gave them a lot of chewy texture. If you don't like a lot of chew, use smaller flakes.
Do NOT use instant oats.
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I used Kraft brand smooth peanut butter. I think you could get away with using a natural peanut butter, but I don't like to say for sure because I never have done.
The chocolate chips I use are the Kirkland brand that you buy at Costco. They are my favorite. I could eat them just like regular chocolate.
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HOW TO MAKE NO BAKE CHOCOLATE OATMEAL BARS
The only thing easier than making these bars is eating these bars!
Butter a medium sized loaf tin and line with baking parchment leaving an overhang on the two long sides for ease of removal.
Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat until the butter is completely melted an the brown sugar no longer feels gritty beneath a spoon. Stir in the vanilla and mix in the oats until well blended.
Cook over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter together in a small microwave safe bowl in the microwave, (on high) giving it a stir every 30 seconds until smooth.
Press half of the oat mixture into the loaf tin. (I find the bottom of a metal measuring cup works well at doing this.)
Remove two tablespoons of the chocolate mixture from the bowl and pour the remainder over top of the oats in the tin, smoothing it out evenly. Sprinkle the remaining oats over top and press down gently. Drizzle with the reserved chocolate mixture.
Chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours before cutting into six bars.
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To cut these into bars, just lift it out by the overhang of the paper onto a cutting board. Make one cut down the middle of the bars lengthwise, and then make three shorter cuts cross wise.
Presto, six perfect and evenly sized bars! If you like you can cut them in half yet again, but I find them to be just the right size as is
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These delicious no bake chocolate oatmeal bars with peanut butter are not suitable for packing into school lunches because of the peanut butter. Most schools these days are peanut free because of allergies.
I have to say I really enjoyed them with the larger flaked oats. I loved the nutty chewiness that they gave to the finished product. I think I will always use the larger flaked oats.
What's your favorite no bake treat to make in the summer months? I really want to know. Lets share!!
Some of my other no-bake treats on here are:
NO BAKE CHEESECAKE - Everyone who likes cheesecake always falls in love with this delicious no bake version! I love it because not only is it scrumptious but it is very easy to make. You can top it with any fruit filling you enjoy!
PEANUT BUTTER CORNFLAKE BARS - These delicious bars are a favorite summertime treat! Not only are they no baked, which keeps you out of the heat of the kitchen, but they are quick and easy to make. They also use only four simple ingredients, excluding the optional topping.
REFRIGERATOR TOFFEE BARS - These are such a simple make. As simple as stirring a few things together in a saucepan and simmering/boiling them on the stove for a short time . . . sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, butter . . . and milk . . . and layering the resulting toffee sauce in a pan with some crisp buttery crackers. Topped with melted chocolate chips, these always go down a real treat!
No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars (small batch)
Yield: 6
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 15 M
These tasty bars are so easy to make and help to keep the heat out of the kitchen. Using only a few store cupboard ingredients they are also very quick and easy to make. Delicious!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120g) butter
- 1/4 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (120g) rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (90g) semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup (45g) smooth peanut butter
Instructions
- Butter a medium sized loaf tin and line with baking parchment leaving an overhang on the two long sides for ease of removal.
- Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat until the butter is completely melted an the brown sugar no longer feels gritty beneath a spoon. Stir in the vanilla and mix in the oats until well blended.
- Cook over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter together in a small microwave safe bowl in the microwave, (on high) giving it a stir every 30 seconds until smooth.
- Press half of the oat mixture into the loaf tin. Remove two tablespoons of the chocolate mixture from the bowl and pour the remainder over top of the oats in the tin, smoothing it out evenly. Sprinkle the remaining oats over top and press down gently. Drizzle with the reserved chocolate mixture.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours before cutting into six bars.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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Cobblers have to be one of my favorite desserts to bake, and there is nothing better than an easy berry cobbler for this time of year when we are right in the middle of berry season.
What I love about cobblers is there is no faffing about with crusts, no rolling, etc. You just pour some sweetened berries and pop them into a casserole dish, top with the cobbler topping and bake away.
They really make for a simple and delicious dessert option.
There is also quite a variance in how you choose to top them. Some people choose to top them with biscuits, some with store bought canned biscuits. There is really no right or wrong when it comes to cobbler.
Today I am topping mine with a lovely buttermilk cake-like batter, which is incredibly moreish and very easy to make. Again, no faffing about with rolling or cutting. Just beat everything together and dollop it on top!
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With this version as well, its up to you what berries you decide to use. I happened to have a mixture of berries in my refrigerator so I used blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and the last of my strawberries.
But you can use just one kind if that is all that you have, or any combination that you have available to use. I haven't used frozen berries, but I can't see why they wouldn't work as well. I think I would thaw them first however.
This recipe I am sharing today has been adapted and down sized from a recipe which I found in the cookery book, Baking at Home with the Culinary Institute of America.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE MIXED BERRY COBBLER
Simple ingredients. Nothing out of the ordinary here. The original recipe made 12 servings. I have switched it out to serve only 6. (Maybe less if they are really big eaters.)
- 3/4 cup (105g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 TBS (1/4 cup/60g) butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) sugar divided
- 1 small free range egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup (60ml) buttermilk
- 1 1/2 pints (3 cups) mix of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries
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If you don't have small free range eggs, then you can use one half of a large egg which has been beaten together with a fork. This should equal 2 TBS of beaten egg that you will need.
Cream of tartar helps to stabilize whipped egg whites when making meringues, prevents sugar from crystallizing and acts as a leavening agent in baked goods.
Because this recipe uses both baking soda and cream of tartar you can substitute 3/4 of a teaspoon of baking powder in its place if you don't have any.
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Second you can just mix equal parts of whole milk and whole milk plain yogurt to equal the amount of buttermilk needed. (so 1/8 cup/30ml of each whole milk and whole milk yogurt, equaling 1/4 cup/60ml)
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HOW TO MAKE MIXED BERRY COBBLER
This is really such a simple dessert. It does involve using your oven, but only for half an hour or so. Some things are just worth it.
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 7 by 11 inch baking dish really well. Set aside.
Sift the flour, soda, cream of tartar and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle, cream together the butter and 1/3 cup (63g) of the sugar on low speed until light in texture. Beat in the egg until smooth. (Alternately you can use an electric hand mixer.)
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Add the flour, alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Mix the berries with the remaining sugar and scatter them in the baking dish. Spoon the cake batter over the top in dollops.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the filling is bubbling and a toothpick inserted into the cake batter comes out clean.
Let stand for 10 minutes and then serve warm, spooned into bowls with scoops of vanilla ice cream or pouring cream if desired.
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If you would prefer you can make a biscuit topping. This one is a simple version. You will need:
- 3/4 cup (105g) plain all purpose flour
- 3 TBS sugar
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 3 TBS butter, cold and cubed
- 1/4 cup (60ml) cold buttermilk
- buttermilk and coarse sugar to glaze
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Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Drop in the butter and cut it in with a pastry blender, or two round bladed knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk until evenly combined.
Take out spoonful's of the dough and gently flatten and stretch it with your hands. Place haphazardly on top of the fruit. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar.
Proceed to bake as per the recipe, until the fruit is bubbling and the biscuit topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
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This is really good served warm, spooned into bowls, topped with vanilla ice cream or pouring cream. I have never had a person turn down a bowl of this yet!
Some other great cobbler recipes on the blog are:
BUMBLEBERRY COBBLER - Containing random bits of all of the berries we have available at the moment, the only real requirement being that there be at least three different types of berries. Lightly flavored with lemon sugar and topped with a crumbly buttery, vanilla infused scone topping and baked until the berries are all bubbling up and sweet, the scone topping is browned and crisp, and the whole thing together is one delicious mass of tasty cobbler goodness.
SKILLET CHERRY COBBLER - This really is a very simple recipe, which enables you to get on with doing other things. Its as simple as popping your filling into an oven-proof skillet and topping it with an easy buttermilk biscuit topping.
Mixed Berry Cobbler
Yield: 12
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 55 Min
There are about as many varieties of cobblers as there are people. This one boasts an almost cake type of topping. Its delicious served warm and spooned into bowls with ice cream.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (105g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 TBS (1/4 cup/60g) butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) sugar divided
- 1 small free range egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup (60ml) buttermilk
- 1 1/2 pints (3 cups) mix of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 7 by 11 inch baking dish really well. Set aside.
- Sift the flour, soda, cream of tartar and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle, cream together the butter and 1/3 cup (63g) of the sugar on low speed until light in texture. Beat in the egg until smooth.
- Add the flour, alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- Mix the berries with the remaining sugar and scatter them in the baking dish. Spoon the cake batter over the top in dollops.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the filling is bubbling and a toothpick inserted into the cake batter comes out clean.
- Let stand for 10 minutes and then serve warm, spooned into bowls with scoops of vanilla ice cream or pouring cream if desired.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
Million Dollar Relish. I reckon there are about a bazillion recipes for this tasty pickle relish out there, each one claiming to be the best. I am sure they are all very good.
This is my version and it is very good. Its an excellent pickle relish to serve with cold plates, in potato or macaroni salads, or on burgers and dogs. And (trust me on this one) its excellent stirred into tuna or chicken salad.
Some recipes out there use ground cauliflower in the mix. This version does not. Its just a simple kitchen garden variety.
When my children were growing up I made dozens and dozens of jars of pickles, jams and relishes each year. It was something which I really enjoyed doing. I loved seeing the bejeweled jars of finished goods lining my larder shelves and my family loved partaking of the fruits of my labors through the winter months.
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Now that I have an empty nest, preserving is not something I do a lot of anymore. I do find myself missing my old favorites however and so this year I am trying to downsize/small batch some of them so that I can enjoy them in the months to come.
A few weeks ago, at the start of strawberry season, I did some Strawberry & Honey Jam. It was a success and so today I decided to make a pickle/relish.
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This recipe will make two pint jars of this delicious relish. Just enough to last this small household the winter. I just know that come January it is going to be a delicious taste of summer for me!
In years gone by people used to pickle and preserve to help to use up some of the abundance of their garden plots, so that nothing went to waste. Things like cucumbers tend to come in gluts and you can only eat so many fresh.
Pickling the abundance only makes sense, as there is not much else you can do with an over abundance of cukes!
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE MILLION DOLLAR RELISH
While some recipes do call for cauliflower, this one does not. It looks like a long list of ingredients, but most of it are spices.
- 2 pint jars, washed and sterilized
- 3 whole cucumbers, unpeeled, seeded
- 1/2 pound (226g) onions, peeled
- 1/4 medium green pepper
- 1/4 medium red pepper
- 1/4 cup (60g) pickling salt
- 1 cup (240ml) hot water
- 1/2 cup (120ml) white vinegar
- 1/4 tsp celery seed
- 1/3 tsp turmeric
- 3/4 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 TBS cornstarch (corn flour)
- 1 TBS cold water
- pinch hot pepper flakes (optional)
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I just used ordinary garden cucumbers. Wash, quarter and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, discarding them.
You will need to trim the peppers, discarding the ribs and seeds. I used 1/4 pepper of each red and green.
Just use regular cooking onions.
If you can't find pickling salt, use kosher salt or sea salt. I would not use iodized table salt.
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HOW TO MAKE MILLION DOLLAR RELISH
As with most pickle and preserving recipes, you do need to begin these the night before you mean to cook them.
Put the cucumbers, onions, and peppers through a meat grinder, or chop them finely by hand. Place them into a colander and drain them well.
Once drained, place into a bowl and add the salt and hot water, mixing well together. Cover with clean tea towel and leave to stand overnight.
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Next day:
Whisk the cold water together with the cornstarch. Set aside. Drain the vegetables well, rinse under cold water and drain again. Place into a medium saucepan. Add the vinegar, celery seed, turmeric, mustard seed, sugar and hot pepper flakes, if using.
Bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer. Simmer at slow boil for half an hour.
Add the cornstarch slurry, stirring it in well with a fork until it dissolves. Allow to thicken.
Make sure your jars are hot and freshly sterilized. (I do this in boiling water) Sterilize your lids and jar bands as well. Keep them hot.
Divide the relish between both hot and sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe the rims with a clean damp cloth and seal.
Store in a cool dark place. Once opened, refrigerate.
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If you are not really all that familiar with making pickles and preserves, I do recommend that you consult a professional canning resource to make sure you do things right and according to their directions when it comes to prepping your jars, vegetables, etc.
Don't just take my word for it. A place like this can give you expert and up-to-date advice on what the protocol is for making home preserves safely for your family to eat.
When it comes to food safety you cannot be too careful!
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I have always really loved the way my house smells when I have been putting up things like pickles, relishes and chutneys. All sweet and vinegary, slightly spicy.
To me it smells like home sweet home.
Preserving has never been work to me. Its just always been something I enjoy immensely. I like to think I am channeling my ancestors when I do things like this. They never had shops to buy things like pickles and relishes from. What they had they made themselves. There is a great deal of satisfaction to be had from doing so.
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GREEN TOMATO CHOW - This is my ex MIL Elizabeth's recipe and has been pleasing my family for years and years. It is a full sized recipe, but makes great gifts!
SPICED PEAR CHUTNEY - Pears, cranberries and plenty of sweet spice. This is fabulous in midwinter when you crack open a jar to enjoy with a good cheese.
BEETROOT CHUTNEY - This is delicious. You can vary the strength of the heat by upping or reducing the amount of crushed chilies.
Million Dollar Relish
Yield: 2 pint jars
Prep time: 12 HourCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 12 H & 30 M
This is a wonderful relish to make in the summer when fresh local produce is readily available. Its delicious and goes well on cheese boards, hotdogs, burgers, etc. My family always loved it. I have small batched it for the smaller family.
Ingredients
- 2 pint jars, washed and sterilized
- 3 whole cucumbers, unpeeled, seeded
- 1/2 pound (226g) onions, peeled
- 1/4 medium green pepper
- 1/4 medium red pepper
- 1/4 cup (60g) pickling salt
- 1 cup (240ml) hot water
- 1/2 cup (120ml) white vinegar
- 1/4 tsp celery seed
- 1/3 tsp turmeric
- 3/4 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 TBS cornstarch (corn flour)
- 1 TBS cold water
- pinch hot pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Put the cucumbers, onions, and peppers through a meat grinder, or chop them fine but coarsely in a food processor. (You do not want them liquified, but to have some substance.) Place them into a colander and drain them well.
- Place into a bowl and add the salt and hot water, mixing well. Cover and leave to stand overnight.
- Whisk the cold water together with the cornstarch. Set aside.
- Drain the vegetables well, rinse under cold running water and drain again. Place into a medium saucepan. Add the vinegar, celery seed, turmeric, mustard seed, sugar and hot pepper flakes, if using. Bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer. Simmer at slow boil for half an hour.
- Add the cornstarch slurry, stirring it in well with a fork until it dissolves. Allow to thicken.
- Make sure your jars are hot and freshly sterilized. (I do this in boiling water) Sterilize your lids and jar bands as well. Keep them hot.
- Divide the relish between both hot and sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe the rims with a clean damp cloth and seal.
- Store in a cool dark place. Once opened, refrigerate.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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