My mother, a school teacher by profession, was a wonderful baker who baked regularly, in cool weather and in warm. At some point, she put a second oven in an unfinished room in the basement of our family home, which allowed her to bake molasses cookies, cinnamon rolls or blueberry pies on hot summer days and for the rest of house to remain cool.

We don’t have a second oven in our basement but I do have this dessert recipe that’s great to make no matter the temperature but especially great if you are craving a yummy dessert that requires no baking.

These no-bake squares are also the perfect package to deliver the winning combination of chocolate and peanut butter. They take no more than 15 minutes of prep time and they’re nourishing too. Especially if you select quality ingredients.

The base is made in the food processor with oats, dates, peanut butter and salt. I use lovely soft medjool dates and a wholesome peanut butter that’s a little on the runny side. I use large rolled oats but quick oats do the trick as well. If your dates are especially dry you might soak them for a bit in warm water. Otherwise, your base mixture might be dry and crumbly.

The top layer is made of gently melted chocolate (semi sweet, bitter sweet, milk or the dark stuff) and a bit of peanut butter.

I’ve also included a simple method for making your own chocolate using cocoa powder, maple syrup and cocoa butter. It’s divine and super easy to make.

No-bake chocolate peanut butter squares

Adapted from and inspired by this recipe.

Base:

2 cups old fashioned or quick oats

1 cup pitted soft dates, packed (if hard and tough soak in warm water and then drain)

1 cup peanut butter

1/4 tsp salt (or more to taste)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Line a 8 x 8 pan with enough parchment so you can easily lift the squares out of the pan when it’s time to slice them.

Place oats and salt into the food processor. Blend while adding the dates, a couple at a time until processed well. Mixture will still be dry.

Add peanut butter and vanilla. Continue to process for one to two minutes or until you achieve a big sticky mixture. If it’s too crumbly add a bit of water or more peanut butter

Warm your hands and press the mixture into a 8 x 8 pan lined with parchment paper .

Place in fridge or freezer while you prepare the top layer.

Top Layer (two options):

1 cup finely chopped cocoa butter

5 tbsp maple syrup

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

pinch of sea salt to sprinkle on top (optional)

Chop the cocoa butter. Place in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Add cocoa powder, peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir occasionally.

When mixture is half way melted, remove from heat and continue to stir until everything is melted and well blended.

OR

1 cup finely chopped chocolate or chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

pinch of sea salt to sprinkle on top (optional)

Chop chocolate. Place in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Stir occasionally.

When mixture is half melted, remove from heat and continue to stir until everything is melted and well blended.

Remove base from fridge. Pour on the melted chocolate and spread evenly with the back of a spoon or by tilting the pan from side to side to side to evenly distribute the chocolate. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Return to the fridge and let sit until slightly solidified but not so hard you can’t easily slice. When it’s time to cut, lift the squares from the pan and slice into bite-sized or large squares by pressing a warmed blade of a large knife down firmly and then dragging it back in a single motion.

Store in an air tight container in the fridge. I don’t know how long they will last because we eat them in a week or less. I imagine they will keep at least two weeks in the fridge and even longer in the freezer.