These irresistible peanut butter granola bars are a must-try! Made with easy components, they’re chewy, flavorful, and full of 8 grams of protein per bar. Good for a fast and wholesome snack, this recipe can also be vegan and gluten-free.
These peanut butter granola bars are severely scrumptious! When you make a batch, they gained’t final lengthy. My household loves them, and I all the time be ok with packing them in my son’s lunchbox.
They’re not solely tasty however nutritious, too! We didn’t got down to create an vitality bar, however these peanut butter bars match the invoice. With peanut butter, oats, and flaxseed, they pack a punch. Every bar has 8 grams of protein and over 4 grams of fiber!
Key Components
- Oats: I favor rolled oats for this recipe as a result of they offer the bars a chewy texture, however you can too use instantaneous oats if that’s what you will have available. Simply bear in mind that the feel will probably be barely completely different. I additionally used rolled oats for my chewy granola bars, vitality balls, and almond granola.
- Peanuts and Peanut Butter: The peanut butter is the glue that holds these bars collectively, whereas a handful of chopped peanuts provides a pleasant crunch. I really like utilizing do-it-yourself peanut butter or a drippy pure peanut butter. When you’ve got a peanut allergy or desire, substitute one other nut butter (like almond butter) or sunflower seed butter.
- Flaxseed Meal: I combine floor flaxseed with water to create flax eggs, which assist bind the bars and add wholesome fat and fiber.
- Maple Syrup: I really like darkish maple syrup for these bars as a result of it makes them style unbelievable. Honey is an choice, too, if you’re not involved about them being vegan.
- Spices: Vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt season our bars and make them tremendous flavorful.
- Chocolate chips: The chocolate is optionally available, however I adore it! I exploit mini chocolate chips since they maintain up higher within the bars and don’t fall out. When you don’t have them, finely chop regular-sized chocolate chips for the same impact.
The best way to Make Peanut Butter Granola Bars
To make the bars, you’ll need to preheat your oven and toast the rolled oats and peanuts. I prefer to hold an in depth eye on them and take them out as soon as they’re evenly toasted in order that they don’t burn.
Whereas these are toasting, you’ll be able to shortly put together your flax eggs by mixing floor flaxseed with water. This easy step helps the granola bars maintain their form.
As soon as the oats and peanuts have cooled, it’s time to mix all the pieces. Combine the flax eggs, creamy peanut butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a touch of salt. I additionally toss in some mini chocolate chips for additional taste!
The combination must be good and sticky at this level, which implies your bars will maintain collectively superbly.
Subsequent, press the granola bar combination firmly right into a lined baking dish. I like to make use of parchment paper to make it simpler to take away the bars later. Take your time with this step, utilizing a measuring cup or the underside of a glass to make sure the combination is evenly pressed and packed tightly.
Now for the toughest half: ready! Place your baking dish within the fridge and let it chill for a number of hours. This can agency up the combination and permit the oats to absorb all these scrumptious maple-peanut butter flavors.
As soon as chilled, you’ll be able to simply reduce the combination into neat bars excellent for snacking on the go. These final in an hermetic container for as much as one week or you’ll be able to freeze them to retailer longer!
Simple Peanut Butter Granola Bars
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These peanut butter granola bars with rolled oats, peanut butter, and maple syrup are straightforward to make and style superb! They’re naturally vegan, gluten-free, nutritious, and have round 8 grams of protein per bar.
Makes 12 bars
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Want
3 cups (38g) old style rolled oats
1/2 cup (70g) unsalted peanuts, chopped
3/4 cup (190g) pure unsweetened peanut butter
3 tablespoons flaxseed meal
1/3 cup (110g) pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (60g) mini chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate
1/4 teaspoon tremendous sea salt, optionally available, see notes
Instructions
- Make Bars
1Warmth the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the underside and sides of an 8-inch or 9-inch sq. pan with aluminum foil, or use parchment paper.
2Unfold the oats and chopped peanuts onto a baking sheet, bake for five minutes, stir, and bake one other 3 to five minutes, or till evenly toasted. Permit to chill.
3Whereas the oats and peanuts bake, make flax eggs by stirring three tablespoons of flaxseed meal with six tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Throughout this time, the flaxseed meal will take up most, if not all, of the water.
4In a big bowl, stir collectively the peanut butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and flax eggs. If utilizing salt, add it now.
5When the oats and peanuts have cooled, stir them into the peanut butter combination. The combination will probably be sticky. Completely combine all the pieces so that every one the oats are effectively coated. Add as much as 1/4 cup extra peanut butter if the combination appears dry.
6Stir in 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips. Save the remaining tablespoon for topping the bars.
7Switch the granola bar combination to the ready pan, after which use a rubber spatula or damp fingertips to press it into the pan firmly so the bars keep collectively as soon as cooled and reduce. One trick is so as to add a sheet of parchment paper on high after which use the underside of a glass or measuring cup to press the oat combination down into the pan.
8Scatter the remaining tablespoon of chocolate chips over the pressed granola combination, utilizing a rubber spatula to push them into the highest. Cowl and refrigerate for not less than 2 hours. If you’re in a rush, you’ll be able to freeze them for about half-hour. The bars will probably be too tender if reduce earlier than they’re completely chilled.
9Take away the chilled block of granola combination from the pan, then peel away the foil or parchment. Lower into 12 bars.
- Storing
1Retailer granola bars in an hermetic container for as much as one week. For the softest bars, hold them at room temperature (be aware that room-temperature bars could crumble extra simply than chilly bars). For barely tougher bars, retailer them within the fridge (that is what I do). When wrapped effectively, bars will hold within the freezer for as much as three months.
Adam and Joanne’s Suggestions
- Whereas we’ve got had the most effective outcomes with peanut butter, you’ll be able to strive substituting it for one more nut butter, like almond or cashew butter. You also needs to have the ability to make them nut-free and use sunflower seed butter (additionally, you will have to take away the peanuts for nut-free bars).
- Honey works effectively in these bars. Use the identical quantity of honey as maple syrup referred to as for within the recipe above.
- If the nut butter is unsalted, add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the granola bar combination.
- The diet info supplied beneath are estimates.
Vitamin Per Serving
Serving Dimension
1 bar (12 whole)
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Energy
262
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Complete Fats
12.7g
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Saturated Fats
3.2g
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Ldl cholesterol
0mg
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Sodium
4.5mg
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Carbohydrate
27.4g
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Dietary Fiber
4.3g
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Complete Sugars
10.1g
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Protein
8.4g
