Easy No-Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cups are a delicious combination of three family favorites: peanut butter, oats, and chocolate. The ideal dessert for those who love classic peanut butter cups!
These easy no-bake peanut butter cups were inspired by my No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars.
I wanted to riff off the same concept but make a recipe that didn’t require slicing and was already in individual portions.
So rather than making bars, I whipped up some oatmeal peanut butter cups using a regular muffin pan.
From start to finish, the prep time on this recipe is around 10 to 15 minutes and it requires nothing you haven’t encountered before.
The chocolate peanut butter cups are so easy to make, you’ll want to make a double batch and keep them on constant rotation.
For those of you who prefer almond butter over peanut butter, the almond butter version is delicious too!
With a short list of ingredients, these are a great option for the warmer months when you don’t feel like turning on the oven.
The one cautionary note I have is to store the cups in the refrigerator because they become very soft when they are at room temperature and can easily melt at higher temperatures.
For this reason, I don’t recommend putting them in school lunches but they do make for a great after school snack.
If you’re looking for a portable treat, make my Homemade Aussie Bites.
Let’s discuss the healthy ingredients for this easy recipe.
Ingredients For No-Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cups:
Unsweetened Peanut Butter (or Almond Butter): The reason we’re all here is to experience the glory of everyone’s favorite nut butter: creamy peanut butter. Or almond butter.
This main ingredient gets combined with sweet pure maple syrup and nutty oats to make a peanut butter cup that disguises itself as a healthy snack.
Use any type of nut butter or seed butter you like, but be sure it is well-stirred, thick and sticky, and unsweetened. Cashew butter and sunflower seed butter work great here. I use natural peanut butter or almond butter.
Oats: Rolled oats, instant oats, or quick oats get mixed in with the peanut butter to give the treat a nice chew and also a tiny burst of whole grains.
I like the texture of quick-cooking oats myself because I find they are easiest to chew in raw peanut butter cups.
Pure Maple Syrup: Used as the sweetener, pure maple syrup brings the perfect level of sweetness here so that we’re left with a sweet treat that isn’t a shock to the system.
You can replace the pure maple syrup with a different liquid sweetener like honey or coconut nectar. I love that this recipe doesn’t contain a lot of added sugar.
Vanilla Extract: A little splash of vanilla extract brings a hint of warm flavor. If you don’t have it on hand, skip it.
Sea Salt: Be sure to add a pinch of sea salt to the peanut butter layer, as it helps enhance all of the flavors.
Chocolate Chips: We melt chocolate chips with a small amount of coconut oil (or butter) to make a thin chocolate layer on top.
You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or sugar-free chocolate chips.
Not only does the chocolate topping bring delicious rich chocolatey goodness to the no bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cups, but it also helps them stay held together nicely.
Coconut Oil (or Butter): We need just one tablespoon of coconut oil or butter to help melt the chocolate chips and ensure they don’t burn. You can also use two tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter here instead of oil or butter.
Looking to make some additions to these no bake peanut butter oat cups? Here are some ways you can change up this no bake treat to include some health benefits.
Optional Additions:
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds, hemp seeds, or flax seeds
- 3 Tbsp protein powder of choice for protein-packed peanut butter cups.
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
- Flaky salt for topping
Now that we’re experts on the simple ingredients for this delicious treat, let’s whip up some peanut butter cups!
How to Make Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cups:
In a mixing bowl, stir together the peanut butter, pure maple syrup and vanilla extract until well-combined.
Note: if your peanut butter has been sitting in the refrigerator and is cold, microwave it for 20 second intervals until it softens up and is very easy to stir.
If need be, you can heat all the ingredients together in a small saucepan on the stove top, but you should be able to mix everything together in a mixing bowl.
Stir in the oats and sea salt until combined and a thick dough forms.
Lightly spray 8 to 10 holes of a muffin tin with cooking spray. This helps release the peanut butter cups from the muffin tray once they have set up.
Note: if you have a mini muffin tin and want smaller chocolate peanut butter oat cups, feel free to make mini muffin sizes.
Divide the peanut butter mixture between 8 to 10 muffin holes, creating the size of peanut butter cups you want (I make 8 large peanut butter cups).
Transfer the chocolate chips and coconut oil (or butter or peanut butter) to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 20-second increments, stirring well in between intervals, until the chocolate chips have completely melted.
Spoon the melted chocolate mixture over the peanut butter layer. If desired, sprinkle the tops of each peanut butter cup (on top of the chocolate layer) with flakey sea salt.
Freeze the peanut butter cups in the freezer for at least 1 hour, or until they have completely set up.
Use a butter knife to run along the edge of the peanut butter cups to lift them out of the muffin tin. Enjoy!
Store oatmeal peanut butter cups in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
You can also freeze the oatmeal cups in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
And that’s it! The easiest no-bake dessert recipe that is perfect for sharing no matter the time of year.
Whether you’re beating the summer heat or celebrating a peanut butter lover, these easy oatmeal peanut butter cups are sure to please.
The next time your sweet tooth is begging for the chocolate peanut butter combo, be sure to whip up these no bake oatmeal cups.
If you love easy healthier no bake desserts like this one, also check out these gems.
More Healthy Treats:
- 5-Ingredient No-Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies
- 6-Ingredient No-Bake Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Protein Balls
- Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Snowballs
- 3-Ingredient No-Bake Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Chocolate, peanut butter, and oats forever!
No-Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cups
Equipment
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Layer:
- 1 cup unsweetened peanut butter
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups quick oats or rolled oats
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Chocolate Layer:
- ⅔ cup chocolate chips
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil*
- Flaky sea salt optional
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the peanut butter, pure maple syrup and vanilla extract until well-combined. Note: if your peanut butter has been sitting in the refrigerator and is cold, microwave it for 20 second intervals until it softens up and is very easy to stir. If need be, you can heat all the ingredients together in a small saucepan on the stove top, but you should be able to mix everything together in a mixing bowl.
- Stir in the oats and sea salt until combined and a thick dough forms.
- Lightly spray 8 to 10 holes of a muffin tin with cooking spray. This helps release the peanut butter cups from the muffin tray once they have set up. Note: if you have a mini muffin tin and want smaller chocolate peanut butter oat cups, feel free to make mini muffin sizes.
- Divide the peanut butter mixture between 8 to 10 muffin holes, creating the size of peanut butter cups you want (I make 8 large peanut butter cups).
- Transfer the chocolate chips and coconut oil (or butter or peanut butter) to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 20-second increments, stirring well in between intervals, until the chocolate chips have completely melted.
- Spoon the melted chocolate mixture over the peanut butter layer. If desired, sprinkle the tops of each peanut butter cup (on top of the chocolate layer) with flakey sea salt.
- Freeze the peanut butter cups in the freezer for 1-2 hours, or until they have completely set up.
- Use a butter knife to run along the edge of the peanut butter cups to lift them out of the muffin tin. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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These are great! I used whole rolled oats, but blended them first so they’re easier and softer to chew. I also added protein powder to up the protein level. Mine made more than 8-10. I got a whole 14, but only 12 with chocolate. Great recipe!
I love the idea of blending the oats, Meaghan! This is genius! Thanks a bunch for sharing your changes 🙂 xo