Sunday morning I woke with an unshakable craving for granola bars. Maybe it was triggered by Mr. How Sweet’s New Year’s Day comment about buying Fiber One bars in bulk. I raised an eyebrow—he does not need more fiber, trust me.
Why won’t he eat my homemade granola bars?
If I could make a granola bar out of chicken and steak, he’d probably devour it. Now that I’ve given you that slightly gross mental image, let me tell you about these peanut butter granola bars—they’re delicious.
These might be the simplest granola bars you’ll ever make.
The base requires only five ingredients to start. It makes a straightforward, perfect peanut butter granola bar, and it’s also a flexible base for loaded bars. Since making six batches of these since Sunday, I can tell you what add-ins work best: chocolate chips, dried cherries, almonds, wheat germ, dried figs, and dried banana.
Yes—dried banana. Peanut butter, honey, and banana in granola bar form. Heaven.
This batch got a generous handful of chocolate chips because, honestly, chocolate and peanut butter are unbeatable together. I don’t need to justify it—you know me.
And yes, I’m sure some of you are waiting for me to add bacon. I just thought of it while writing this post—maybe an Elvis-style granola bar is next. The idea makes me giddy (and slightly alarmed).
The best part: these don’t have to be baked. I baked three batches and left three unbaked, and I can’t decide which I prefer. I do love how the chocolate melts a bit in the oven—there’s something special about biting into a warm granola bar.
Before I settled on this easy mix I had three failed attempts with more complicated recipes. Sometimes simple really is better.
5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Granola Bars
12
to 16 granola squares
Ingredients
- 4 cups rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds optional, adds nice texture
- 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
- 3/4 cup natural peanut butter, melted
- 1/2 cup brown rice syrup (honey works too)
Add-ins
- chocolate chips
- wheat germ
- flaxseed
- dried fruit (cherries are great)
- other nuts
- seeds
- coconut
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
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In a large bowl, combine oats, chia seeds and chopped peanuts. Add brown rice syrup (or honey) and mix until combined. Stir in melted peanut butter until the mixture is evenly moistened. At this point add any chosen add-ins and fold them into the mixture. You may need to use your hands to thoroughly work the dough. If the mixture feels dry, add more peanut butter or syrup, one tablespoon at a time, until moistened.
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Press the mixture firmly into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
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Bake for 25 minutes. If you prefer no-bake bars, press the dough into the pan and refrigerate for 60 minutes instead of baking. Both options are delicious; baking melts the chocolate and makes the bars warm and soft.
Did you make this recipe?
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Off to dream of bacon granola bars. Don’t hate.