I LOVE making healthy treats and vegan meals for my loved ones. As a vegan bodybuilder chick, I tend to eat pretty bland & boring foods when I’m just cookin’ for myself. So whenever someone comes over to my bachelorette pad, I like to make something special. Still healthy–and always vegan of course–but something that entails a little more than a plate of steamed vegetables, tofu and rice.

Although I haven’t birthed any Shorkey Juniors myself, I do have a bunch of nieces and nephews who are of course, wayyyyyyyy cuter than every other child on Earth. And I thoroughly enjoy whippin’ up some healthy snacks for the miniature Shorkey crew whenever I can.

One recipe that never fails are my “Peanut Butter Bars” which can be made (and eaten) in less than 20 minutes. They use a mere FIVE ingredients that I always have on hand, are a fiber-rich, good source of starchy complex carbs, gluten-free, can be eaten as breakfast, dessert or snack AND I can eat half the pan myself and not feel guilty about it. 😉

Even the pickiest of kids will like these bars… Well maybe not those with a severe peanut allergy… But for everyone else, it’s a win/win! And you can even make granola out of the broken pieces and leftover crumbs. Try ’em out and let me know what you (and your offspring) think!

Kid-Pleasing (and Diet-Friendly) Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients:

5 Tbsp all-natural peanut butter
4 Tbsp. maple syrup
1.5 cups rolled or quick oats
1/2 cup chopped dates or figs or raisins/dried fruit of your choice (I did figs today)
1 Tbsp. brown rice flour (or gluten-free flour of your choice)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the PB and maple syrup in a pot over medium heat until melted (2 – 3 minutes.) Remove from heat then add oats, chopped figs/dates and flour.

Mix everything together until crumbly then press mixture into a small cake pan or baking dish.

Bake for 15 minutes and be sure to cut the bars into squares after you take them out of the oven, while they’re still hot. Cool/chill before removing bars from the pan and enjoy!

Sadie sure loved ’em!

-Sam Shorkey, Jacked on the Beanstalk