No Bake, no guilt brownie bars

Ever have those chocolate cravings, but you are trying to watch your waste line? Maybe there is a way you can have both..My daughter loves trying new recipes and spending time in the kitchen with her is one way we sneak some extra quality time into our crazy schedule (I’m all about multiplying my time, but I will save that for another post).

Let’s just say these didn’t even make it to the container to be stored. I ate one (or two) too many, but could do it without all the guilt knowing that they are low in sugar (which is one of the things I try to avoid getting too much of in my family’s diet) I found that the recipe alone was pretty rich, adding the peanut butter topping seemed to cut that…and let’s be real, who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate together?

4 Scoops Shakeology (or chocolate protein if you have that on hand)

1/2 cup peanut butter ( you can also sub PB2 with some water to reduce calories)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup milk (almond, coconut, or other alternative milk would work too)

1 cup rolled oats (if you have a gluten intolerance make sure your oats are processed in a GF facility)

Pinch of sea salt

Add ins:

If you want to spice this up a bit try adding in Raisins, dark chocolate chips, dried cherries or anything else that suits your fancy. You might even try adding some cinnamon and a small dash of cayenne for more of a Mexican mocha taste. You really can get as creative as you want. These were just some ideas that came to mind.

To make:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. You an either use a stand mixer with the paddle or your (clean) hands.

2. Line a  9×13 inch pan with parchment paper or grease it. Press the mixture into the pan and chill in the fridge for about 3 hours.

3. Cut into squares and store in an air tight container.

*Notes: If you really love peanut butter like I do then I put a teaspoon of peanut butter on top too. This is where using powdered Peanut Butter like PB2 and adding a little water can come in super handy. It will give you the PB taste with the added calories.