Copycat Chocolate Peanut Butter Heavenly Hunks Recipe

If you're a fan of the popular snack Heavenly Hunks, you will love this copycat chocolate peanut butter Heavenly Hunks recipe from recipe developer Annabelle Randles. With just a few simple ingredients and easy steps, this no-bake version makes 25 delightful, soft, and chewy squares. Studded with chocolate chips, these melt-in-the-mouth copycat Heavenly Hunks will soon become your favorite homemade treat.

Randles uses a combination of oat and tapioca flours to create a soft, tender, and moist texture. In keeping with the original Heavenly Hunks, both flours are gluten-free, making them suitable options for individuals with gluten or wheat sensitivities.

These copycat chocolate peanut butter Heavenly Hunks do not require any baking. Instead, they firm up in the freezer before you cut them to shape. To preserve their texture and freshness, they are best kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to five days., and they can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature.

To make these copycat chocolate peanut butter Heavenly Hunks, you will need rolled oats, peanut butter, brown rice syrup,  coconut oil, shredded coconut or coconut flakes, tapioca flour, light brown sugar, chocolate chips, and salt. For equipment, you will need an 8x8-inch pan and parchment paper.

Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper.

Place ½ cup oats in a blender.

Grind the oats into flour.

In a saucepan, gently heat the peanut butter, brown rice syrup, and coconut oil.

Mix until well combined, then set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, oat flour, coconut, tapioca flour, sugar, and salt.

Stir in the peanut butter mixture and mix until well combined.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Transfer the oat mixture to the pan.

Press the oat mixture firmly into the pan and flatten the top

Place in the freezer for 30 minutes, until firm.

Cut into 25 squares.

Serve or keep in the fridge in an airtight container.

Heavenly Hunks are soft and chewy oat cookies renowned for their melt-in-the-mouth texture. Compared to conventional round cookies, Heavenly Hunks are shaped as bite-sized squares, which makes them perfect to be enjoyed as a quick, and satisfying snack. What started as a family recipe was perfected over the years by co-founder Casey Webber. Over time, the company has introduced a number of different flavors while staying true to its mission of producing nutritious and delicious cookies packed with wholesome, unrefined ingredients, such as gluten-free oats, sorghum flour, tapioca flour, brown rice syrup, cane sugar, or coconut oil.

Free from artificial additives, preservatives, GMO, and refined sugars, Heavenly Hunks are often considered to be a healthier alternative to traditional soft cookies, energy bites, and granola bars. Requiring only simple and readily available ingredients, they are a delightful treat that you can easily recreate in your kitchen and are ideal for anyone with wheat, dairy, and soy sensitivities. They pair perfectly with fresh fruits, ice cream, a glass of milk, as well as a cup of coffee or tea.

While this copycat Heavenly Hunks recipe blends together the classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate, there are many ways that you can customize it and incorporate your favorite flavors. 

At its simplest, you can simply add a hint of flavoring, such as vanilla or almond extract, and pair it with spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cardamom, or even pumpkin pie spice for a seasonal treat. This can be combined with dry fruits — raisins, cranberries, blueberry, or mango — and different types of chocolate chips. Some of Randles favorite combinations include blueberry with lemon extract and nutmeg, cranberry and white chocolate, mango and ginger, and apple with raisins and cinnamon.

While Randles favors using brown rice syrup for its hints of caramel flavor and thick, syrupy consistency, you can swap it for honey or maple syrup. Similarly, you can experiment with different types of flour and replace the oat flour in this recipe with almond or coconut alternatives. Do keep in mind that different flours will alter the overall texture of your copycat Heavenly Hunks, meaning that you might need to adjust the amount of wet ingredients