Copycat Honey Mama’s Peanut Butter Cookie Bar
As more than half the U.S. broils under some sort of heat dome, the last thing we want to do is turn on the oven. But we want treats! What are we to do with this conundrum??
This copycat version of Honey Mama’s peanut butter cookie bar are the perfect answer. We whip them up in like 5 minutes on the stove, then chuck them in the fridge to solidify. That’s it. It’s the perfect healthy no-bake dessert that you can come and nibble on at night when a bit of a sweet palate cleanser is in order.
Why am I making a copycat version of this? First, I definitely support buying them at the store and supporting small businesses making quality products (and still do buy them at the store sometimes).
The biggest challenge I’ve run into is that I’m very selective in which Honey Mama’s flavors I like, and the flavors go in and out of stock a lot. So I can’t count on them being at Whole Foods whenever I want. Also, for families feeding more mouths and on limited incomes, they could be quite expensive.
It’s the same reason I made a copycat version of the chocolate peanut butter cup one…it’s the only other flavor that I like, and it’s frequently unavailable.
I’ve played around with the amounts in this recipe quite a bit to find what I like best, and strikes the best balance on flavor and texture—in particular for the peanut powder and coconut flour. I tried one more tablespoon of coconut flour in one version but it ended up thicker and grainier than I prefer. If you want it a bit more solid, give that a try.
What ingredients do you need?
Part of what’s so great about the Honey Mama’s brand is that it’s made from simple, real food ingredients. For the most part they’re things you have on hand, though there are one or two slightly specialized ones.
- Coconut oil
- Honey (typically I use organic raw local, but since we’re heating it, raw is less critical)
- Peanut butter (I like natural with a bit of crunch in it, not overly oily)
- Peanut powder (easy to buy online or in the store)
- Coconut flour (easy to find)
- Multiple types of salt, ideally (fine sea salt, sea salt crystals, and flaky for sprinkling)
- Vanilla and cinnamon
The salt options are flexible, this is just the combo I found I loved most. The coconut flour is pretty important for texture, you can’t just sub whatever you want. I haven’t tried it, but if I *had* to sub, I’d try almond or cashew flour.
I’ve used silicone molds before, but have found that a simple square pyrex container (this size specifically) is perfect for the amount I’m making. For a family, I’d double or triple.
How long does this Honey Mamas copycat peanut butter bar last?
This should keep in the fridge for at least a week or two, probably longer. Honestly…it’s never lasted that long in my house!).
I haven’t tried freezing them and using later, but don’t see why you couldn’t. In fact, if you like frozen treats, I bet these would be great to eat while frozen.
If you’re looking for your next favorite healthy treat, these copycat Honey Mama’s peanut butter bars are exactly what you need—and great for many types of dietary restrictions as well!
Other treats a peanut butter lover will fall for:
- Addictive 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
- Creamy 5-Minute Peanut Butter Pudding (Dairy-Free)
- Salted Peanut Butter Chocolate Shortbread
- Most Amazing Peanut Butter Frosting Ever
- Addictive Peanut Butter & Jelly Babka
- Peanut Butter & Honey Ice Cream with Sea Salt (Dairy-Free)
- “Reese’s” No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars: A Family Fave
- Peanut Butter Quinoa Granola
- Buckeye Brownies a.k.a. Layered Peanut Butter Brownies (+ a GF Option)
Pin for later!
Copycat Honey Mama’s Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup of honey you could go a bit scant here
- 1/3 cup of coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter I like natural with a bit of crunch in it
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons of peanut powder
- Sprinkle of cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon of fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of coarse bigger crystal sea salt (scant; NOT fine salt, see notes)
- 3 tablespoons of coconut flour
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Line a loaf tin or small rectangular pyrex container with parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the sides. You can also use silicone molds.
- In a small saucepan, stir together the coconut oil, honey, and peanut butter on medium heat.
- As soon as it’s smooth, add the peanut powder, and the fine sea salt. Whisk until smooth. One tip, you can take it off the burner as needed, whisk, smooth, add stuff, put it back on the burner…I sometimes am not quite prepared and all you have to do is pull it off the burner for a sec.
- Cook on medium, continuing to whisk, until it is CLOSE to starting to boil (over 80 C, headed toward 100 C). This will only take a minute or two.
- Remove from heat and quickly add the vanilla, coconut flour, and coarse sea salt. Stir together until incorporated, then pour into your prepared tin or mold immediately.
- Sprinkle with a little bit of flaky sea salt and refrigerate for at least an hour to let it set, ideally 2-3 hours (you can also freeze for 30 minutes).
- Chop into slices and enjoy! It will keep in the fridge for at least a week or two, probably longer (honestly…it’s never lasted that long in my house!).
Notes
- You can use whatever peanut butter you want, but I’ve found I prefer a more grainy natural one with some crunch to it (salted, preferably).
- I do believe that coconut flour is the only one that will really work here, you can’t just sub any GF flour. It contributes significantly to the texture of the bar. But if that’s a dealbreaker, you could try maybe cassava or almond flour for a somewhat similar texture and let me know how it goes?
- For the salt, you’re wanting the kind that is a bit bigger crystals, like you’d use to refill your salt grinder. My first several batches were over-salted, and you definitely don’t want that.
