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Peanut Butter Energy Bars

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By: Erin Antoniak • Updated On June 16, 2026
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Power your morning, afternoon, or workout with Peanut Butter Energy Bars. Made with rolled oat, chia seeds, and chocolate chips, these tasty bars are the perfect pick-me-up!

chocolate energy bars

An at home and easy to make energy bar recipe

It’s two o’clock and you feel yourself needing a small boost of energy. Welcome to my daily afternoons! Just kidding. But on a serious note, afternoon slumps are no match for these peanut butter energy bars. Made right in your own kitchen, there’s no better pick-me-up!

Homemade peanut butter power bars are the perfect treat. They’re made with yummy ingredients (like honey and chocolate chips), and are perfect for getting through long work days, boosting your energy before a workout, or fueling your morning as a breakfast bite!

chocolate energy bars

Ingredients in chocolate peanut butter energy bars

This energy bar recipe is made with a base of rolled oats and peanut butter, followed by yummy mix ins that provide nutrients and great flavor at the same time.

  • Rolled Oats: 2 cups of rolled oats serve as the base layer of the energy bars. This amount will help create about _ servings.
  • Natural Peanut Butter: Next up, add amazing butter flavor with 1 cup of natural peanut butter.
  • Chia Seed: Chia seeds add fiber and loads of other important nutrients. Since we’re using  ½ cup, they’ll also contribute to the bulk and texture of the bars!
  • Honey: For a sweet additive to go along with the peanut butter, add in ½ cup of honey.
  • Chocolate Chips: Include 1 ¼ cup of chocolate chips for obvious reasons!
  • Coconut Oil: Finally, 1 tsp of coconut oil will help all of the ingredients stay together.

Tools needed to create homemade power bars

To create your energy bars, gather the following items:

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Stirring utensil
  • Microwavable bowl
  • Non-stick spray or oil
  • 8×8 baking dish

For measuring, you’ll need the following sized cups: 1 tsp, ¼ cup, ½ cup, and 1 cup.

making energy bars

How to make peanut butter energy bars

Now that we have all the ingredients ready to go, let’s jump straight into preparing these delicious homemade energy bars!

First, mix the oats, peanut butter, chia seeds, and honey in a large mixing bowl. 

Next, stir in ¼ cup of chocolate chips.

Press the mixture into a greased 8×8 dish.

Pour the remainder of the chocolate chips in a bowl and melt in 30 second increments until they’re totally smooth.

Pour the chocolate over top of the bars and place them in the fridge for at least one hour before cutting. After they are cut, store them in the fridge.

How these power bars are healthier

When you pick up a box of energy bars in the grocery store, even the healthiest brands are usually full of preservatives, chemicals, and otherwise icky ingredients. Though some brands can be okay in moderation, I prefer to make my own so that I know exactly what’s going into them!

To make these healthier, I subbed popular baking ingredients with healthier alternatives like rolled oats, honey, and coconut oil. These simple switches make all of the difference.

making chocolate energy bars

Recipe Tips

Do you have a favorite flavor or cookie that you want to add to this recipe? Add them! Dried fruit makes a great addition, whether apples, bananas, berries, mangoes, or pineapple! For a chocolatey addition, add candy like crushed Twix or Kit-Kats, or include Oreos!

If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!

Did you like this recipe? Try these mouth watering bars next! Each one is hand crafted right at home and a great way to keep things healthier while satisfying your sweet tooth. Enjoy!

  • Paleo Turtle Bars
  • Healthy Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
  • Healthier Millionaire Bars (Gluten-Free)
  • Pumpkin Oat Bars
chocolate energy bars
chocolate energy bars
Erin Antoniak

Peanut Butter Energy Bars

5 from 12 votes
Power your morning, afternoon, or workout with Peanut Butter Energy Bars. Made with rolled oat, chia seeds, and chocolate chips, these tasty bars are the perfect pick-me-up!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Servings: 12 bars
Course: dairy-free, Dessert, gluten-free, Snack, sweets
Cuisine: American
Calories: 354
Ingredients Method Nutrition

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup natural peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup chia seed
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 1/4 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp coconut oil

Method
 

  1. In a large bowl, mix together oats, peanut butter, chia seeds, and honey.
  2. Stir in 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
  3. Press into greased 8×8 pan.
  4. Pour remainder of chocolate chips in bowl and melt with coconut oil in 30 second increments until totally smooth.
  5. Pour chocolate over top of bars and place in fridge for at least one hour before cutting. Store in fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 354kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 8gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 6mgPotassium: 259mgFiber: 5gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 4IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 77mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

5 from 12 votes

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Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love seeing what you made!

Recipe Rating




  1. Christine Driskill says

    Posted on 1/26 at 7:12 pm

    5 stars
    They were great but can I use ground flax seed too? The chia seeds get stuck in my teeth

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/28 at 2:36 pm

      Hi Christine, so happy you liked them and sure! Feel free to make them your own!

      Reply
    • Alisa says

      Posted on 1/28 at 7:21 am

      Hello, may I sub pBfit peanut butter for this recipe?

      Reply
      • Erin says

        Posted on 2/6 at 11:57 am

        Hi Alisa, if you make it like regular peanut butter it might work! Let me know how yours comes out!!

  2. catie says

    Posted on 1/13 at 3:51 pm

    Hi – can rolled oats be replaced with steel cut oats?

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/15 at 1:28 pm

      Hi Catie, yep, that works. Let me know how yours come out!

      Reply
  3. Vicki says

    Posted on 8/31 at 9:10 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! I’ve made these several times and they always go fast. Would be nice if when clicking the 2x recipe, the conversion also applied to the chocolate chip measurement in step 2. Highly recommend these. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 9/5 at 11:25 am

      Hi Vicki, so happy you loved them and made them your own! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Kayley says

    Posted on 6/5 at 2:02 pm

    5 stars
    Never buying bars again- these are SO good! The chia seeds & sea salt on top- chef’s kiss!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 6/5 at 2:44 pm

      Hi Kayley, so happy you loved them!! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Mary Liz says

    Posted on 7/24 at 8:08 pm

    5 stars
    I made these bars to help keep me fueled during the last few weeks of my pregnancy when I was feeling really nauseous and had little appetite. They are so easy to make and SO GOOD. I plan on continuing to make batches to have as a snack. My 2 year old loves them too and think they are cookies 🙂

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 7/25 at 12:14 pm

      Hi Mary, ah so happy you and your little one loved them!! Congrats on your new addition soon!

      Reply
  6. Rachel S. says

    Posted on 7/11 at 1:21 pm

    5 stars
    On another level!!! This recipe is SO GOOD! Not only is it delicious with the sweet and salty combo, but it’s also incredibly satisfying and filling. I may or may not be addicted!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 7/11 at 4:05 pm

      Hi Rachel, so happy you loved them so much!! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Pam says

    Posted on 9/13 at 4:33 pm

    5 stars
    Don’t sleep on these! I usually make the perfect bars for a snack but these are a hit too. Not quite as sweet and equally satisfying.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 9/13 at 9:09 pm

      Hi Pam, so glad you loved them!!

      Reply
  8. Annie says

    Posted on 8/8 at 5:34 pm

    5 stars
    This is the perfect healthy dessert!! Gives the chocolate taste but still getting good ingredients and so easy to add/customize! Thank you, Erin!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/9 at 4:59 pm

      Hi Annie, so happy you loved them!! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Anastasia says

    Posted on 6/24 at 11:00 pm

    5 stars
    I LOVE these!!! So easy to make and the perfect treat! I love how the ingredients are things I always have in my cabinet.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 6/27 at 8:11 pm

      Hi Anastasia, so glad you loved the bars!!

      Reply
  10. Nicole Santos says

    Posted on 6/13 at 8:53 pm

    5 stars
    I made these with my two younger sons and they were so easy and absolutely delicious! I’m also a nursing momma right now and these are the perfect snack to keep handy in the fridge!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 6/14 at 3:20 pm

      Hi Nicole, so glad you and your family loved them!! Congrats on your new little one!

      Reply
  11. Savannah says

    Posted on 6/13 at 3:33 pm

    5 stars
    such a yummy recipe and perfect for easy breakfast all week!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 6/13 at 8:19 pm

      Hi Savannah, so glad you loved them!!

      Reply
  12. Maria says

    Posted on 5/16 at 3:27 pm

    5 stars
    I made these for breakfasts and snacks this week & they were so delicious! Love that they were so easy to make and didn’t require a ton of clean up!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 5/16 at 5:21 pm

      Hi Maria, so glad you loved them!!

      Reply
  13. Kylee says

    Posted on 5/13 at 12:05 pm

    5 stars
    I made these last night and they are delicious! I love that they are not super sweet and were really easy to throw together!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 5/13 at 4:50 pm

      Hi Kylee, so glad you loved them so much! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

      Reply

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I’m Erin. Creator of Erin Lives Whole, a food blog with delicious and easy healthy recipes that will leave you feeling good. We’ve got everything from wholesome baked goods to comforting savory dishes. I can’t wait to see what you whip up! Read More...

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Peanut Butter Energy Bars
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