By: Izzy Cheung, Staff Writer

I love getting a sweet treat from coffee shops on campus like Blenz or Renaissance, but after a few trips, I know my bank account starts to grumble. Keep your stomach and wallet happy by making your own sweet treats! These no-bake oat bars are quick to make, only take six ingredients, and taste great while you’re trying to decide whether to get an assignment done or take a nap after class. You can whip up a quick batch on a Sunday night to be ready for the week ahead. I use a recipe modified from one posted by a user on the collaborative recipe network allrecipes.com to include vegan alternatives, but it’s yummy either way!

Prep time: 20 minutes 
Additional time: 2–3 hours to chill in the fridge

Ingredients 

For the oat crust:  

1 cup butter or 1 cup coconut oil (vegan option)  

½ cup brown sugar or ½ cup turbinado sugar (vegan option) 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

3 cups quick cooking oats 

For the chocolate layer: 

1 tablespoon of butter or 1 tablespoon of coconut oil 

1 ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or 1 ½ cup carob chips 

½ cup peanut butter or ½ cup almond butter (for those with peanut allergies) 

Directions 

1. Line a baking pan with parchment paper — the pan’s measurements aren’t overly important, just as long as it’s at least 5 inches deep. Make sure you leave a little bit of a parchment paper wing at the top of the pan. 
2. Melt your butter or coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar or turbinado sugar, as well as the vanilla and oats. Turn the heat down to low and mix the ingredients until well-incorporated. 
3. Press two-thirds of the oat mixture into the pan and set aside the rest of it. Make sure there are no holes in the mix and that you can’t see through to the bottom of the pan. 
4. Put the chocolate or carob chips and the tablespoon of butter or coconut oil in a bowl and microwave it until the butter/oil is melted. Mix it until combined, then add the nut butter and mix. If the chocolate and nut butter aren’t mixing smoothly, add some more butter or coconut oil and microwave it again in 20-second increments. 
5. Pour the chocolate mixture over the oat crust and into the pan. Using the back of a spoon, spread the chocolate evenly over the oat crust. Pour the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate layer. 
6. Refrigerate the combined mixtures for 2–3 hours or overnight. After retrieving them, leave them out until they reach room temperature, then take it out by pulling on the wings of the parchment paper. 
7. Cut the bars into however many sections you’d like and store them in containers or saran wrapped sections. Keep them in the fridge and take one out whenever you need a nice pick-me-up!