I realize that I probably don’t need to actually say anything with this recipe because the name alone invokes the clearest, most divine picture of absolute decadent yumminess that nothing can compare to. Well, nothing except biting into one of these little guys and trying not to devour the whole batch in a single sitting because they are seriously THAT good! What is almost as good as the taste is how healthy they are, and how super simple they are to make. Tastes good, healthy, and simple to make are a perfect trio that can’t be beat by anything in this world…. Ok, maybe winning the lottery, but your chances of getting your hands on these are much higher. 😉

I made these little pieces of Heaven for my husband. I was inspired to make them when I had that disaster of a recipe last week that I saved the caramel, and turned the wreckage into a new recipe. This is it! Originally I made them like peanut butter balls and tossed them in his lunch because I hadn’t made his weekly batch of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bars yet. When he got home he had to tell me that whatever those things were, they were so good! That was my que to make another batch, and put that recipe in the keep pile!

Considering one of the “secret” ingredients, I wasn’t’ quite sure how he’d react to them, so this was an absolute win! The second time around I made them look like candy bar minis. Seriously, I don’t know anyone who will turn down a miniature candy bar, especially if it is healthy, but tastes naughty! And you can feel good about what you are eating for the antioxidants in the dark chocolate, the unrefined sugar of the dates, the fiber from the oats, and then of course, the peanut goodness that is natural!

With a soft, but crunchy inside, and a snappy dark chocolate outside you will wonder if you actually want to share. I had a couple over the weekend and reminded myself that I had to leave enough for his lunch today! Think Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup meets a Three Musketeer’s bar. Drooling? Ok, I’ll wait…… There really isn’t any special instructions since this recipe is about as simple as you can get. Once you make your caramel you are home free. When it comes to dipping time these are much easier to dip than if you were using semi-sweet chocolate because it is thinner which allows it to harden quickly and gives the finished product that nice snap! A single batch makes 16 squares, let me know how many are left after the first day. 😉 Get ready to whip up a batch of chocolatey peanut butter goodness so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy!

What is your favorite miniature candy bar?

Can you ever eat just one?

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

By Angie Gouchenour

16 Squares

Ingredients

1 batch of caramel (MINUS 1 Tablespoon of water)

½ cup natural crunchy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring, or extract

3 Tablespoons of oat flour (I just grind up some oats)

6 squares of Ghirardelli 83% dark chocolate

Directions

Combine caramel, peanut butter, vanilla, and oat flour together

Shape into a 3×6 rectangle on a plate, or dish, smoothing out the sides and top with the back of a spoon

Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes

Break the chocolate squares into smaller pieces. Microwave in 30 second intervals. After 60 minutes stir until all of the pieces are melted (If they are to firm you may have to heat for another 30 seconds)

Cut the peanut butter mixture into 16 squares

Dip each square in the chocolate with a spoon, turn over to make sure all sides are coated.

Tip the spoon before transferring the square to waxed paper

Let sit until hardened (Approximately 20 minutes)

Place in container, separate each layer with wax paper, and keep in the refrigerator

79 calories per square