Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Cake

This is actually way healthier than it sounds. Sorry. It's full of whole wheat and oats...but WAIT, it's also full of peanut butter (and not just plain peanut butter, but chocolate peanut butter!) AND it has chocolate chips. Had you worried there for a second didn't I? You know me, it's always semi healthy around here.
I have the best of intentions. I go for healthy....but then chocolate and sugar and stuff usually gets in the way. *sigh*

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Cake

1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 c. old fashioned oats
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. creamy Natural Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter*
1 T. vanilla extract
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. mini chocolate chips

*Regular peanut butter, your choice of nut butter, or a peanut butter replacement (like SunButter) could also be used

• Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on high until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. 
• Add flour, oats, salt and baking soda and mix on medium speed. The dough will look crumbly. 
• With the mixer on low speed, add milk and mix until a dough forms. 
• Fold in chocolate chips.
• Make a ball with the dough and place ball in the middle of an 8×8 baking dish. Press dough evenly into dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until set and golden on top. 
• Let cool. Cut into squares or bars. Store in airtight container. 

Recipe slightly adapted from Kate's Recipe Box 

As pictured above, this can be dessert...warm from the oven with a little whipped cream and chocolate syrup (yummmm), but it also makes a decent lunch box treat.

My son couldn't have these due to the peanut butter, but my girls and I enjoyed them. They aren't super sweet like an oatmeal cookie, but a pretty good snack. It also got some whole grain oats into my girls since they did not inherit my love of oatmeal (which I so don't understand!) They did however, inherit my love of chocolate. What can ya do...genetics is tricky business ;-)

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