Nut-Licious Peanut Butter Bars Recipe

Nut-Licious Peanut Butter Bars Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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My friends were astonished to find out these bars were not button-busting. We nick named them bamboozled bars! —Hannah Wolters, Culleoka, Tennessee

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Nut-Licious Peanut Butter Bars Recipe

Prep: 45 min. Bake: 15 min. + chilling

Yield: 24 Servings

45 30 75

Ingredients

CRUST:
1-1/2 cups reduced-fat graham cracker crumbs (about 10 whole crackers)
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons butter, melted
NUT TOPPING:
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons honey
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
FILLING:
12 ounces fat-free cream cheese
2/3 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
DRIZZLE:
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

Directions

In a small bowl, combine crust ingredients. Press onto the bottom of a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, combine the nuts, honey and cinnamon. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 5-7 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Cool completely. Crumble mixture and set aside.
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, butter, confectioners' sugar and honey until smooth. Beat in the egg, vanilla and maple flavoring. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture. Spread over cooled crust. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until set.
Sprinkle nut mixture over warm filling; press in slightly. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Cool completely on a wire rack. Chill for 2 hours or until firm. Cut into bars. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 24 servings.

Nutritional Facts 1 bar equals 189 calories, 9 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 16 mg cholesterol, 175 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein.

Originally published as Nut-Licious Peanut Butter Bars in Healthy Cooking December/January 2013, p70