Alright, friends, confession time: I have a bit of a problem. A CVS problem, to be exact. It seems I can’t walk into a CVS (which, thanks to prescription refills, has been more often than I’d like to admit lately) without bringing home one particular, very yummy, nut butter filled Clif bar. My obsession was getting out of control.

So, instead of just staying obsessed, I decided to tackle the problem head-on: I made a recipe. And you know what? Sometimes, just the act of writing down a recipe is all it takes to nip a snack obsession right in the bud.

My brain, it seems, finally feels safe and gives up the relentless craving, knowing we can just whip up a fresh batch at home in less than 5 minutes! With the ingredients we love and buy, no less.

That’s another cool part about copycat recipes (besides, of course, cutting costs). They’re completely customizable! Think of a wild combination of flavors? Go ahead, make your own unique bar exactly that, because why not?

These Mini-Batch Nut Butter Filled Bars are my latest triumph. They take the concept of those beloved store-bought bars and elevate it into a wholesome, incredibly easy-to-make treat.

Endless Flavor Combinations

Here are a few ways you can customize these bars to your heart’s content:

Birthday Cake: Use cashew butter for both the dough and filling. Add a generous sprinkle of rainbow sprinkles to the dough, the filling, or both!
Peanut Butter Cup: Stick with peanut butter for the dough and filling. Fold in chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate to the dough for extra chocolatey goodness.
Tahini Chai: Use tahini for the dough and filling. Add ¼ teaspoon chai spice blend (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves) and a tiny pinch of black pepper to the dough mixture.
Pistachio Baklava: Substitute some of the oats in the dough with crushed crispy cereal for an added crunch. Use pistachio butter for the filling.
Tiramisu: Use almond or cashew butter. For the dough, substitute some of the cocoa powder with instant coffee powder (about ½ tsp) for that distinct coffee flavor.

My bars vs the original Clif bar… somehow my bars were bigger for the same weight 🙂 I think it’s because they use oat flour instead of oats. Next batch!

This recipe is a fantastic base for endless creativity. Give it a try and let me know what delicious combinations you come up with!

Print Recipe

No ratings yet

Mini-batch Nut Butter Filled Bars

Prep Time10

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Keyword: easy recipes, gluten-free, low sugar, nut butter, oat bars, oat bites, oatmeal, plant-based, small-batch, stuffed, vegan

Servings: bars

Calories: 216kcal

Ingredients

Bar dough

2 tbsp nut/seed butter (32 g) I used peanut butter
3 tbsp maple syrup (63 g) sub 1/2 mashed banana (60 g) for no-added-sugar version, make sure it's ripe
2 tbsp (plant-based) protein powder (15 g) I used Aloha vanilla protein powder, you can probably use whey/casein or even oat flour as well
2 tbsp cocoa powder (12 g)
pinch of salt
3/4 cup quick oats (60 g) You can process rolled oats until roughly broken down

Filling

2 tbsp nut/seed butter (32 g) I used more peanut butter

Instructions

In a medium bowl stir together nut butter, maple syrup, protein, cocoa powder and salt until smooth. Add oats and stir to combine.
If too wet add a pinch more protein/flour, if too dry and crumbly add a drop of water. The bar dough will thicken as it sits and the oats soak up moisture.
Divide the dough into 4. On a piece of parchment paper, make a rectangle of the bar dough.
Cut the rectangle in two halves and smear your filling on one side (if your nut butter is not spreadable, warm in the microwave first).
Top with the other piece making sure to connect the edges so your filling doesn't leak. It can help to freeze the lower layer and filling a bit to firm them up.
Freeze your bars until set, about 30 min – 1 hour at least.
(Optional) If you prefer baked bars (really not necessary if you ask me), instead of freezing above, bake them at 350F for about 12 minutes. Let your bars cool and enjoy!

Notes

If you want to make a chocolate filling from scratch (instead of using like, nutella) microwave together 1 tbsp nut/seed butter and 1 tbsp chocolate chips 30 sec at a time and stir until all chocolate melts and use this as your filling.
I love the bars but if you would like to make a no-added-sugar breakfast item, just sub the maple syrup for 1/4 cup mashed banana which is about 1/2 a large banana. Make sure it’s ripe! You can add additional natural sweetness by adding 1/4 tsp or so cinnamon. It’s so good.