Perfect O’Henry Bars {Gluten Free & Dairy Free}

These Perfect O’Henry Bars {Gluten free & Dairy Free} are so delicious! Definitely not your average granola bar. Gluten-free oats coated with butter and sugar, baked to perfection then topped with melted chocolate and peanut butter.

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Perfect O’Henry Bars {Gluten free & Dairy Free}

These O’Henry Bars are hands down my favorite dessert bar. If you’ve happened to notice a pattern with several of the recipes I share….yes, I am obsessed with peanut butter and chocolate. Out of all of our food allergies and sensitivities thankfully no one has any nut allergies! And if you do, no worries, you can easily substitute Sunbutter for the peanut butter.

Which is another reason why I love these bars so much-they are so versatile. When I first had to go gluten-free and dairy-free, I was so excited to see how easy it is to make this recipe gluten and dairy-free by switching out the oats and chocolate. It may not be the ‘healthiest’, but it’s fun for a special treat and my kids absolutely love them! I think I have passed down my love for peanut butter and chocolate to them.

I was first introduced to these bars as a teen. My sisters best friend made them for us when she came to visit us during one of our summer breaks. I have since put my own spin on the recipe and they have become a family favorite! In fact, they were featured in our families ‘treasured and most favorite family dishes’ cook book so I couldn’t have been more thrilled to share my secret tips and tricks on how I have perfected this recipe with them and I’m excited to get to share it with you! 🙂

There are lots of different versions of these cookie bars out there, mine are like a sweet granola bar topped with delicious melted chocolate and peanut butter. Imagine a perfectly balanced sweet granola bar topped with a melted Reese’s…..that’s this bar. So. Good. And I have convinced myself that they are an okay treat (emphasis on treat) while I am still a breastfeeding momma because of the benefits of the oats and protein of the peanut butter. Ha!

My kiddos also LOVE these bars! Like will eat an entire pan in one day if I do not keep them on the top shelf in the refrigerator. lol However, I will warn you now that with kids it can be a rather messy snack (imagine the oatmeal crumbs and melted chocolate all over their hands and face), but they think it’s hilarious and really love them. And when we’re making messes, we’re making memories right?

Ingredients

• Gluten-Free Quick Oats. Obviously the oats are the base of this recipe and help hold everything together. I have found that quick-oats work best, they have the best texture and make for a perfect bar. However, you can also use gluten-free rolled oats if that’s what you prefer. I would recommend pulsing them very carefully in a blender to help break them up a bit. And as always, if you’re not gluten-free, regular oats work just fine!
• Brown Sugar. I think this is the ingredient that just sends these bars over the moon. Whatever you do, do not skip or substitute this ingredient or they will not turn out the same.
• White Sugar. This helps add sweetness (imagine that?) and balance out the brown sugar. I have used regular white sugar and organic cane sugar and they both work great.
• Butter. Hands down my favorite butter to use is Kerrygold unsalted butter, but really any unsalted butter (or dairy-free butter substitute) would work just fine. I do not recommend using margarine, vegetable oils etc because they would not give the O’Henry Bars the same flavor or texture.
• Dairy-Free Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. My favorite brand of dairy-free chocolate chips is Enjoy Life. I personally think they taste the most like regular chocolate chips without having a weird aftertaste. If you’re not dairy-free regular semi-sweet chocolate chips work perfectly. Again, I personally prefer semi-sweet instead of milk chocolate. I am not a big fan of milk chocolate so I rarely bake with it and there is a lot of sweetness going on in this recipe so it helps break it up, but use what you prefer.
• Creamy Peanut Butter. Combined with the chocolate, the creamy peanut butter adds the perfect balance of salty and sweet to these O’Henry Bars. Because you get such a nice crunch from the oats, I always use creamy instead of crunchy peanut butter.

How To Make Perfect O’Henry Bars {Gluten Free & Dairy Free}

1. Mix. To a large mixing bowl (and I do mean large…we’re going to use 4 cups of oats!), mix together the gluten-free quick oats, white sugar and brown sugar. Being careful to break up any clumps in the brown sugar. I prefer to use a fork to make sure that everything is well-combined.
2. Melt. To a microwave safe bowl, add the butter and melt in the microwave. Using a spatula or fork, combine the butter with the oats and sugar mixture and stir until it’s well incorporated.
3. Bake. Pour into a 9×13 baking dish (I like a thicker bar) lined with parchment paper and bake at 350F for 12 minutes or until edges are brown and bubbly.
4. Melt. To a medium sauce pan, add the creamy peanut butter and dairy-free chocolate chips and melt. Being careful not to burn. You can always use the double broiler method, but I’m ok with taking a bit of a risk and just melting it all in the sauce pan.
5. Pour. Once the bars are done baking, let them cool for about 10 minutes. Once they have cooled, generously pour the chocolate and peanut butter over the top and store in the refrigerator.
6. Chill. This is where it takes great patience. While these bars are delicious no matter how you eat them, they’re best if refrigerated! I try to chill them for at least one hour before we eat them. I typically make them the night before I plan on serving them so that they have all night to chill.

Enjoy!

I hope these tips and tricks are helpful to you and that you and your family will enjoy these bars as much as mine does! Happy Baking!

Looking for more gluten-free recipes? Find them here!