Copycat Bobo’s PB&J Bars

These copycat Bobo’s PB&J bars are surprisingly easy to make, and so hearty and delicious. They’re a healthy snack that everyone will love!

I am a huge Costco shopper, and I love pretty much everything they sell. With four kids at home in all different stages of life (from toddler to college student), buying things in bulk is a necessity. I buy flour, sugar, and rice in 25 pound bags, we buy 5 dozen eggs at at time, and at any given moment I probably have somewhere around 5 pounds of fresh berries in the fridge. (My toddler is half berry at this point, so we go through them quickly.) The thing I don’t like about Costco, though, is when they suddenly drop a product that has become a staple in my (incredibly picky) children’s diets, and I am left scrambling to figure out how to replace it! My kids really love Bobo’s PB&J bars, and until recently I could buy a big box of them at Costco for a really reasonable price.

And then suddenly the PB&J bars disappeared! Now, I’m fully aware that I could buy them at the grocery store and pay full price for them, but of course my first reaction (and the best reaction) was to figure out if I could make them at home. And it turns out I can! These copycat Bobo’s PB&J’s aren’t EXACTLY the same as the originals, but they are super easy to make and incredibly delicious. They definitely scratch the same itch. And my two year old happily scarfed them down (along with his daily helping of more berries than any human should be able to consume), so I’m going to call them a win!

How Can I Customize My PB&J Bars?

The oat mixture is super easy to make, using pantry staples, and the process of making them is simple and quick. There’s definitely some room for experimentation, too! I added peanut butter to mine, but my inspiration recipe used almond butter instead. I’m sure sunbutter would work great too! I used blackberry jam in my bars because it’s my favorite, but you could definitely use strawberry or grape if you want them to be even more like the originals. I’m sure you could mix in other delicious/nutritious things like chopped nuts, flax seed, coconut, etc. The options are pretty endless!

These bars are so wholesome, not overly sweet, and they work great for a quick breakfast on the go, or a hearty snack. They’ll keep well in an airtight container for up to a week (and I actually liked them better the second day). I used a silicone cupcake pan to make it easy to pull out the bars, but a regular muffin tin will work too (and will be even easier if you use paper muffin cups). These bars are a new family favorite!

Bobo’s PB&J Bars

Print Recipe

Prep Time:20 minutes mins

Cook Time:16 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 4 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup real maple syrup
• 1/2 cup avocado oil
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup blackberry jam

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, baking soda, salt, maple syrup, avocado oil, peanut butter, and vanilla, until well blended.
• Scoop about two tablespoons of the oat mixture into each well of the muffin tin, then use a cup to flatten it into the bottom of the tin. Using a spoon, make an indentation in the center of each muffin cup.
• Add a teaspoon of blackberry jam to the center of each muffin cup. Divide the remaining oat mixture between the muffin cups (about two tablespoons per cup) and gently press the tops down into an even layer.
• Bake 16-18 minutes, until lightly browned. Let the bars sit in the muffin tin for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Servings: 12