It’s peanut butter jelly time!! Sort of. How about flourless peanut butter strawberry chia bars instead? These gluten free and naturally sweetened dessert bars are a healthy alternative to traditional pb&j’s, without the bread and sugar-loaded jelly.
I haven’t met anyone that doesn’t love peanut butter and jelly. And I’ve met a lot of polarizing people. Dog lovers vs cat lovers. Republican vs Democrat. White wine vs red wine. College football vs professional football. And the most important of them all…milk chocolate vs dark chocolate.
PB&J’s are an American staple. It’s patriotic guys. Even in all of my paleo glory, I still love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. As a kid it meant Jiff, white bread, and Smuckers. As an adult it means paleo or gluten free bread, my favorite mixed nut butter blend at Trader Joe’s, and chia jam. Slightly different, but still the same comfort food I’ve loved since childhood.
I sometimes giggle at the food choices I’ve evolved in to, and where I started. Children of the 90’s you know what I mean…Lucky Charms, Hot Pockets, Doritos, etc. Now you might be mommies, feeding your kids homemade green muffins, probiotic smoothies, or avocado sprouted toast.
Lord only knows how our kids will evolve with their sophisticated little palates. I have to laugh when I get an Instagram direct message from a mom saying, “UGH my kid will only eat stuff with capers on it and I’m going broke!” I feel you mom, I feel ya. We do our best, then cringe when our kids only want smoked salmon, capers, steak, and blueberries when they aren’t in season..
Or maybe you’re like, “WHAT?! My kids eat Lucky Charms, Hot Pockets, and Doritos!”. No judgment here mommy. No judgement. If I’ve learned anything after adding another child to our family and being a work-from-home mom juggling a billion things, it’s do what you gotta do to get through the days.
But we can all agree on two things….1. peanut butter and jelly is amazing and 2. we try to keep things healthy every once in awhile. That’s why these flourless peanut butter strawberry chia bars are the perfect treat for crunchy moms, convenience moms, gluten free moms, and Costco-lifetime-supply-of-pretzels moms.
I didn’t hold back on decadence creating these beloved bars. Nothing light and fluffy here – these flourless peanut butter strawberry chia bars and dense and delicious. The peanut butter base has an almost ‘fudgy texture’ – nothing dainty for this pb&j lovin’ mom.
Peanut Butter Strawberry Chia Bars
These healthy, flourless, grainless treats are not for the faint of heart. If you want a healthy treat that will give you some major HANGRY relief, look no further. These flourless peanut butter strawberry chia bars make great mid-afternoon eat that will get you or the kids through until dinnertime, or the perfect decadent dessert without the junk. Packed with healthy fat, Omega 3’s, and fiber, these healthy bars are naturally sweetened too. I love making a big batch of the homemade strawberry chia jam and throwing it in the fridge for later use.
Best kept in the refrigerator, best eaten with the intent to get a little messy, best given to kids and adults that love pb&j’s.
And be sure to check out these other healthy treats when you need a little sweet-tooth fix! Paleo glazed banana bread donut holes, 5 ingredient paleo mojito cookies, paleo chocolate brownie skillet cake, and paleo key lime pie energy balls.
PrintFlourless Peanut Butter & Strawberry Chia Bars
These grainless, flourless, naturally sweetened peanut butter & strawberry chia bars are a healthy, decadent snack or dessert for all pb&j lovers.
Ingredients
- 2 cups peanut butter (or sub for nut butter of choice)
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
Chia Jam
- 1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries, thawed and drained (fresh will work too)
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons chia seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- To make the chia jam, place the strawberries and honey into a blender or mini food processor and blend until strawberries are broken down into a thick liquid
- Remove the strawberry liquid and pour into a small bowl. Add the chia seeds and mix well. Let sit for at least 10 minutes
- Combine the peanut butter, eggs, and maple syrup. For best results, beat for one minute, until dough is slightly crumbly. You can also mix by hand if necessary
- Press the peanut butter dough in a 9×12″ jelly roll baking sheet pan like this one HERE, spreading evenly throughout
- Place into the oven for 10 minutes
- Remove the pan from the oven and add the chia jam, spreading quickly and evenly
- Place the pan back into the oven for an additional 10 minutes
- Remove and let cool before cutting into bars
- Keep in the refrigerator
Notes
Opt for a thicker peanut butter or nut butter of choice for this recipe. Thinner, runnier nut butters will not yield the best results.
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These bars sound delicious. Is this the same jam recipe you use for sandwiches/toast, etc? I make a super easy low sugar freezer jam regularly for my kids instead of buying the sugar laden junk or paying an insane amount for something decent at the store. I’m always on the lookout for something new to try though. Assuming the recipe could be doubled/tripled to increase the quantity.
I do! I actually doubled the recipe and have a jar in the fridge!
Making these tomorrow as a morning snack for this week! I plan on using almond butter, since I have it on hand. Is there a healthier peanut butter brand you’d recommend for this?
Any natural peanut butter will work! I will say steer clear from the Trader Joe’s brand – seems runnier than others in my opinion
Hi there! I love all your recipes and your blog but I am really trying to watch carbs. Your recipes that call for dates, any suggestions on what to swap for lower carb options…. I do not need my insulin levels spiking.
Dates help keep the base of these together, but you could try subbing for raw honey and adding a little coconut flour!