These healthier vegan puffed wheat squares are made with peanut butter, dates, and brown rice syrup (or honey) – and the puffed wheat is actually whole grain kamut. These are a twist on the classic, and they’re awesome.
These are sort of a healthier cross between vegan puffed wheat squares and peanut butter bars – peanut butter puffed wheat squares! I don’t know if puffed wheat squares are a prairie thing or not, so maybe people aren’t that familiar with them.
They’re really chewy, sweet, and chocolatey. Corn syrup is a main ingredient, followed closely by white sugar. Puffed wheat, corn syrup, sugar, and cocoa. If you’ve never had peanut butter bars, they’re a thing old ladies make here, so you’ll find them at holidays and funerals and stuff.
They’re peanut butter mixed with loads of icing sugar with marshmallows (often pastel coloured) throughout. Gross, I know, but so much peanut butter. And peanut butter is delicious.
I wouldn’t call this recipe healthy exactly, but it’s healthier than either puffed wheat squares or peanut butter bars. These little guys are chock full of protein packed peanut butter, mineral filled cacao, and heart-healthy coconut oil.
It only calls for 1/3 cup of liquid sweetener, and that’s all right in my books. I used puffed kamut wheat, an ancient grain, which is more easily digestible than standard wheat (and waaay more environmentally sustainable).
I’m sure you could substitute other puffed-whatevers for the wheat, like brown rice or quinoa (like these puffed quinoa bars). This is a really quick, no bake recipe.
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Peanut Butter Puffed Wheat Squares
These healthier vegan puffed wheat squares are made with peanut butter, dates, and brown rice syrup (or honey) - and the puffed wheat is actually whole grain kamut. These are a twist on the classic, and they're awesome.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup natural peanut butter*
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 cup brown rice syrup or honey
- 6 dates, mashed (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 cups kamut puffs
Instructions
- Add the peanut butter, coconut oil, brown rice syrup, mashed dates, and vanilla to a large pot. Bring to a low boil and then remove from the heat. Add the cacao and salt, and stir well. Pour the kamut into the pot and stir until evenly coated.
- Press this mixture into a square or rectangular dish lined with parchment paper. It doesn't matter what size it is, just the thickness of the bar will change. Refrigerate for half an hour before cutting. This is best if kept in the fridge.
Notes
* You can use a different kind of nut butter, or maybe even sunflower butter. I don't see why it wouldn't work.
M says
I made these without the dates and they didn’t stick together at all. Maybe the dates are the magic glue that holds them together! They were tasty but we had to eat them with a spoon..
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
Yes, the dates are needed here to make the bars stick together. Usually leaving an ingredient out altogether will result in an end product that isn’t the same as the photos : ) I hope you try them again with the dates!