Chocolate covered no-bake granola bars

I shared a picture of these yummy bars a few weeks back in this post, and I'm finally getting around to sharing my recipe.  They're inspired by my energy balls, same ingredients and flavors (my favorite combination- peanut butter & chocolate) and they are SO tasty!  My husband and I are working on cutting out processed foods and flours, so these are a nice treat to have once and a while.  I tend to make a batch and stick half in the freezer so I don't eat them all in one day and so I have a sweet treat for later on. 

INGREDIENTS
bars 

• 2 1/2 c. oats (I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free)
• 1 c. peanut butter (I use an organic creamy peanut butter)
• 1/3 c. honey
• 1/2 c. coconut oil, room temperature
• 1/4 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/4 c. flax seed
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• generous pinch of sea salt 

chocolate topping

• 1/2 c. dark chocolate chips (more or less depending on how think you want the chocolate 
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 tbsp. peanut butter 

garnish

• oats
• sea salt 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Line an 8 x 8" pan with parchment paper (makes removal and cutting so much easier!)
2. In a large bowl add all of the "bar" ingredients and mix really well. 
3. Pour mixture into the lined pan and spread evenly using a spatula and pressing down firmly.
4. In a saucepan, whisk together the "topping" ingredients until melted and smooth. Pour over the bars mixture in the pan and garnish with oats and sea salt.  Place in fridge for at least an hour before serving or in the freezer for a good 15 minutes if you're looking to speed up the process. 
5. Remove the bars by pulling the parchment paper out of the pan. You can now cut into small square bars.  Keep bars stored in the fridge or freeze for later. 

Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!!  Would love to hear what you think; leave me a comment with your thoughts or any additions/substitutions you make!  Thanks as always for stopping by!

xx
Rebecca