Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Squares

I’m taking you back to your childhood with these perfectly sweet, salty and moist Peanut Butter and Jelly Squares!

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Squares

I’m taking it back old school today.

So, if you’re not new around here, then you know that I like me some peanut butter. And this all actually began when I was a little girl. Don’t tell my mom, but I used to sneak finger fulls of peanut butter straight from the jar. Oops. And I was lucky enough to grow up with a mother who made my school lunches everyday. And you bet that PB&J was a regular menu item! I used to look forward to lunch everyday, seriously, just for my PB&J. God… I haven’t changed a bit.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Squares

This recipe came to fruition on a recent Saturday night. I decided to stay in because I had worked about 10-12 hours that day (#bloglife), so I was too pooped to do anything but vegetate on the couch. Somehow, some way, however, an urge to bake came over me.

This is usually how the best recipes happen for me:

I had zero plan. I had been craving the combination of peanut butter and jelly, however. I didn’t want to make cookies, I wanted something different, but still cookie-esque. So… squares. This is the most anti-climactic story ever, but basically I threw stuff into a bowl, baked it, and it came out so good that I had to share it with you guys! And I swear it’s always the recipes that I make on my own, without an intention of sharing on this here blog, that come out the best.

And as a food blogger, cooking has become something different. Of course I still enjoy it and it serves as an escape and stress-reliever for me, but almost everything I make now is for TBB. So when it comes time to cook something just for the heck of it, my energy for it is low. It’s almost like when I used to work at the gym in college. I was there so often, that I had to find somewhere else to exercise (aka, run outside). So, I love when I make something just for me, just for the heck of it, and it comes out share-worthy. Not because I planned it out, but because it just happened.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Squares

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But this is different, and I can feel it. Usually, if I cross work territory with pleasure territory, I become sick of that thing, whatever it is. It’s weird. It’s like as soon as you are required to do something, you don’t want to do it anymore. Christian played football in college for five years. And as soon as he was finished, and I wanted to exercise with him, he never wanted to work out. He’d been required to do work outs for so long, that he just had no desire to even exercise anymore.

He’s over it now, but at the time the two had been blurred together for so long that he developed a negative connotation to it.

When I was younger, I was basically required to go to church with my family every weekend. Of course, I was a child. My parents were raising me. But now, as an adult, it is my option. I choose to go, or not to go. And I find that I enjoy it much more when it’s my decision. Funny how life works!

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Squares

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Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Squares
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 16 squares
Ingredients
  • 1 cup oat flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tbsp strawberry jelly
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 and grease an 8×8 baking dish.
  2. Add the flour, baking soda, salt and sugar to a large bowl. Mix well.
  3. Add in the oil, egg and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
  4. Add the peanut butter and jelly. Fold together and stir to combine well.
  5. Batter will be thick – add it to the baking dish. Use your hands or a spatula to spread it across the dish evenly.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Squares

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Squares

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Squares

Join the conversation:
Have you ever experienced the work-pleasure blurred lines?
What is something you reserve to be strictly pleasurable in your life? (i.e. making sure to never work in a certain industry like fitness because you enjoy exercise as “me” time)

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Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Squares

Comments

  1. says

    The best ideas are always the ones you don’t plan, or at least that’s what I’ve experienced! I feel the same way as Christian did about football. except with dance. When I get a break from school or dancing, I TAKE IT. Haha my body is like stahhhhp. But then I go back after the break and it feels great! But first, these PB&J squares….<3

  2. says

    You’re right–the BEST recipes sometimes come from just throwing ish in a bowl. I had the urge to make something yesterday and I sort of just threw random stuff that I had in my cupboard together annnnnd wouldn’t ya know it, it turned out to be a success–woo! And don’t hate but I used to hate jelly as a kid so my mom always packed me a plain PB sandwich. Good thing my taste buds have matured 😉

    • says

      Exactly it’s always the best, OR sometimes I plan to make something just on my own, don’t try very hard at it bc its not for the blog (lol), and don’t plan on sharing it, but then I”m like what the heck I’ll just post a pic on Insta, and then its like reposted by feedfeed or something hahah such is life

  3. says

    I’m the same way with church (and fitness!)…when I’m told to do something I either don’t do it or don’t enjoy it as much. When it’s my choice in the first place I put in the effort and the process is more enjoyable. These look amazing! I ate peanut butter and fluff (yes) every day for about 10 years.

  4. says

    My PB&J love story is a weird one. As a toddler, I ate jelly & crackers when my dad would eat peanut butter & crackers because I didn’t like peanut butter (????). And then i went to shunning jelly and eating spoonfuls of peanut butter out of the jar and mountains of peanut butter alongside apple slices. Then, in late elementary school, I finally appreciated the two together and life has been happier ever since :) These look delicious, Christina!

  5. says

    PB&J is a classic. I never get tired of it either. Sometimes I’ll have a PB&J for breakfast just because it’s easy and it fills me up. I am in total agreement that the best recipes are the ones that are thrown together. I find that when I’m trying to make something, I’m often more disappointed if it doesn’t live up to my expectations.

  6. says

    I definitely still struggle a bit with balancing the work/pleasure blurred lines — it’s especially challenging working a full time job and blogging/working out whenever I’m home. I try to leave my day job at the office and reserve certain times for blogging so I can separate the two. I sometimes have to blog for my job which is why separating the two is so important to me. I am thinking about getting my spinning certification but this is actually one of my biggest concerns, I love spinning but will I enjoy it as much when I have to teach a few times a week?

  7. says

    I love the PB&J combo, I tend to have a lot of quinoa bakes with PB&J for breakfast lately, but I’ve always enjoyed it on pretty much every conceivable surface.

    And I also find that I enjoy things far more when they’re my choice. Of course with a full time job, I can’t really have that at work, but otherwise with things that are “obligatory” but family related, or a different obligation, it’s definitely better to choose to do something than to have it chosen for you.

  8. says

    Okay this is genius and I actually want to make this like tonight. I love baking with peanut butter and jelly ahhh so delicious.

    I totally felt that way with reading during school. I love to read. But when we had to read for class in high school and college, I would NEVER do it. Even if the books were really good, I just hated being told “read chapters 1-4.” I’d read like 2 pages and be like uhhh nope. But now being out of school, I’m like give me alllll the books! Hahah I agree, life is a strange thing.

  9. says

    A few years ago I got certified in yoga and totally thought I wanted to teach…After going through the teacher training, I realized that I needed yoga to be “me time”. I needed the peace and quiet on the mat. And I know realize that this is the only place I can truly disconnect, so I enjoy it to the fullest…I love my time on the mat. It keeps me sane! XOXO

    • says

      Thats still great though I’m sure you learned so much about the practice that you hadn’t known prior! That’s great to hear, I really wish I loved yoga more because I know how good it is for you!!

  10. says

    I can’t believe this Christina, but I made these this afternoon, and guess what? I forgot to add sugar. O_O They were still slightly sweet because I used sweetened peanut butter and jam, but that was a really embarrassing mistake.

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