No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

I forgot the recipe!  This is totally unrelated to rabbits--that must be why I forgot to include it in that post.  :)  These are bars that have been the big summer hit around our house.  I wanted something that was granola-bar-ish but I didn't want to have to turn on the oven.  This recipe is a cinch and is all done and stove top with just two pans (one if you wash in between).  I am terrible about actually following a recipe, so I am going to post the recipe and then in parenthesis share how I changed it.

Jill, this one's for you! 

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

1 c. butter (this is a lot of butter for the recipe, so I used 3/4 c. fat.  Probably 1/2 c. butter and 1/4 c. cocnut oil)
1/2 c. packed brown sugar (I don't use refined sugar so I used rapadura aka sucanat.  I also used a bit less than 1/2 c. and top it off with some honey to make it stickier)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 c. oats (we've been using organic or gluten free oats, but any old fashioned oats will due.  You can use whatever you want here: nuts, dried fruit, etc.
1 c. choc. chips
1/2 c. peanut butter (I use organic creamy; just peanuts and salt.  I also use a bit of coconut oil because it is more solid when refrigerated than peanut butter.  I love the taste and it makes the consistency a bit less messy)

You can use any sized baking dish for these, depending on how thick you want them.  I usually use my rectangular dish that is approximately 9x13.  Grease the dish.  Melt butter and coconut oil in a small sauce pan.  stir in sugar and vanilla.  Over med. heat, stir and let it simmer and thicken a few minutes; be sure all sugar is disolved.  Stir in oats; keep stirring until completely mixed and pour a bit more than 1/2 of the oat mix into the greased pan.  Press down to cover the bottom of the pan. Set aside other half of oats mix.

Melt choc. chips and peanut butter in another small sauce pan, then pour this mix over the pressed oats.  As best you can, evenly cover the bottom layer, then sprinkle the remaining oats mixture over the top.  Press down slightly to make the oats stick to the top.  Refrigerate.  Cut into bars. 

These do need to be kept into the frig. or they are almost too messy to eat. . . . almost.