PB & J Bars

Prep - 15 mins

Difficulty - Medium

Servings - 12

It’s not often that you get a delicious dessert that is full of fruit, fibre and protein! But these PB & J bars not only make a tasty dessert, they’re always on standby in our house for a quick breakfast option. Grab a bar for the commute to work or toss in your bag for a quick mid day snack. By using freeze dried raspberries and boysenberries to make a tasty and unique homemade jam, you get an intense fruity pop with each bite. And it’s super easy to make! Feel free to toss in some freeze dried Little Beauties blueberries to make a three-berry jam. The more berries, the better! 

The oat flour gives our bars a dense, chewy texture but you can also try switching up the flour to adjust the recipe to suit your personal preferences. Use all white, all purpose flour to make a lighter bar or try replacing the white flour in the recipe with almond flour. This makes the bars even nuttier and also gluten free!

You can never go wrong with a good peanut butter and jam (or jelly) sandwich and these bars mash all the flavours up into a beautiful bar that make great lunchbox fillers.

Ingredients

20g Little Beauties raspberries

20g Little Beauties boysenberries

150g sugar

120ml water

227g butter, unsalted

300g sugar

8ml vanilla extract

2 eggs

450g smooth peanut butter

250g oat flour

125g white flour

8g baking powder

8g salt

Directions

1. Add raspberries, boysenberries, first measure of sugar and water in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes to thicken the jam. Set aside to cool while you make the bars.
2. Grease a 9 x 13 pan with butter and place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 175°C.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are blended evenly. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again until smooth
4. Add the peanut butter and mix, again scraping down the sides of the bowl to mix everything well. Add all the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix slowly until a smooth batter forms. Spread about ⅔ of the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan.
5. Spread the jam across the bar batter, covering the whole pan with the delicious homemade jam. Sprinkle a few extra freeze dried raspberries over the jam. This is optional but it adds even more tasty fruit and a nice crunch.
6. Add spoonfuls of the remaining mixture over the top of the bars evenly, leaving some jam peeking through. Bake the bars for about 45 minutes. The top will be golden brown and feel set to the touch. Let the bars cool completely before cutting into squares. Store at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. The bars also freeze well- wrap them tightly in an airtight container or plastic wrap and freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature then enjoy!