Ingredients:

  • 250g natural peanut butter (creamy, no added sugar)
  • 120ml maple syrup
  • 100g coconut sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 150g rolled oats
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp sea salt
  • 90g dark chocolate chips (70% cocoa)
  • 12 Nutter Butter cookies
  • 100g white chocolate melts
  • 20g red sanding sugar
  • 10g mini chocolate chips
  • 5g red cinnamon candies

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9x9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an inch of overhang on the sides to create a sling.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the natural peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and emulsified.
  3. Stir in the rolled oats (slightly pulsed in a blender for texture if preferred), baking soda, and sea salt until a thick dough forms.
  4. Gently fold in the dark chocolate chips.
  5. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a silicone spatula.
  6. Bake for 22 minutes. The edges should be golden and crispy, but the center should still look slightly soft. Pull from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan to utilize carry-over heat.
  7. While bars cool, prepare the Santa toppers: Melt white chocolate in a microwavable bowl. Dip half of each Nutter Butter cookie in white chocolate for the beard and the top edge for the hat trim.
  8. Decorate with red sanding sugar for the hat, mini chocolate chips for the eyes, and a red cinnamon candy for the nose. Once set, place the Santas onto the sliced bars.