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With very little work, you can turn pantry staples into healthy homemade granola bars!
Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bar
Unlike the packaged kind, these Peanut Butter Granola Bar are fresh, healthy, and made with the wholesome ingredients you choose! Their texture is soft, without being cookie-like and don't crumble like so many homemade bars do.
The ingredient list allows for flexibility (don't we all love that) and they can truly be customized to you and your child's preferences. Dried fruits, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, even the peanut butter can be swapped for sunflower butter.
One of our favorite combinations are dried cranberries and apricots, with dark chocolate chips and maple syrup for sweetener. Just remember to keep measurements the same when swapping out some of the 'add-ins' and you have a never-ending variation of the beloved granola bar!
What is In a Peanut Butter Granola Bar
Many of these ingredients are pantry staples, so it's quick to throw them together in a pinch. Here's what you need:
- Rolled oats: this recipe yields better results with rolled old-fashioned oats. You’ll divide these and turn some into oat flour in the blender.
- Rice crispies: this kid-favorite cereal provides added crunch and texture.
- Brown sugar: to sweeten and bind the ingredients.
- Salt: to enhance the other flavors.
- Cinnamon: so good. a little goes a long way.
- Add-ins: mix and match dried fruit, nuts, or chocolate chips, up to 2 cups.
- Peanut butter: to help bind the granola bars. Make it nut-free by using sunflower butter.
- Butter: melted to combine the ingredients. You can use coconut oil to make these bars dairy-free.
- Vanilla: a tasty flavor everyone loves!
- Honey: you can use maple syrup or brown rice syrup instead.
- Water: adds a little moisture to the dry ingredients.
You'll find the measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Granola Bars with Peanut Butter
Turn on the oven because if you can mix ingredients, you can make these Peanut Butter Granola Bars quick and easy! Follow the tips, and you’ll get a perfect classroom snack in a breeze! Just follow these steps:
- Prep
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper or grease it generously with oil or nonstick spray.
Place ⅓ cup of oats in a blender or food processor and blend until they have a flour-like texture. Transfer the oat flour into a large bowl. - Measure and Mix
To the large bowl with the oat flour, add the rest of the oats, rice crispies, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and your 2 cups of dried fruit, nuts, and/or chocolate chips
In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, melted butter, vanilla, honey, and water.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and with a wooden spoon, mix and combine. - Bake
Spread the mixture into the prepared pan, pressing firmly.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown along the edges. These will still be soft when they come out of the oven, almost like they are underbaked.
Allow the pan and the bars to cool down completely. - Cut
Once fully cool, use a knife to cut a row of bars. If they seem a bit crumbly, refrigerate for 30 minutes to help them set - Store
Wrap individually and store in an airtight container.
How do Homemade Granola Bars Stick Together
Brown sugar combined with honey is the glue that helps dry ingredients stick together. While you can make the substitutions I suggest in this recipe, don't omit these "sticky" ingredients.
Another hack to keep homemade granola bars from falling apart is pressing down when you spread the mix into the pan. This will help the mixture stick together while cooking.
Once done, allow the bars to cool down completely to avoid crumbling. If they still seem like they will fall apart after cooling, place them in the fridge for 30 minutes to help them set.
How to Store Homemade Bars
Once cool and cut, wrap each granola bar individually and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week and on the counter for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing these bars since the texture of the oats will change when thawing.
Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats, divided
- 1 cup rice crispies
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
- 2 cups add-ins (like nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit), mix & match your favorites
- ⅓ cup peanut butter, or nut-free butter
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup honey, maple syrup or brown rice syrup
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
Prep:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper or grease it generously with oil or nonstick spray.
- Place ⅓ cup of oats in a blender or food processor and blend until they turn into flour. Transfer the oat flour into a large bowl.
Measure & mix:
- To the large bowl with the oat flour, add the rest of the oats, rice crispies, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and your 2 cups of dried fruit, nuts, and/or chocolate chips.
- In a medium bowl whisk together peanut butter, melted butter, vanilla, honey, and water.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and with a wooden spoon, mix and combine.
- Spread the mixture into the prepared pan, pressing firmly. Use a large piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap to make the process less sticky.
Bake:
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown along the edges. These will still be soft when they come out of the oven, almost like they are underbaked.
- Allow the pan and the bars to cool down completely. Once fully cool, use a knife to cut a row of bars. If they seem a bit crumbly, refrigerate for 30 mintues to help them set.
Store:
- Wrap the bars individually in plastic wrap or cover the pan. Keep them on the counter for 3 days or in the fridge for a week. I do not recommend freezing them.
Val says
How many bars do you get from this recipe?
MOMables-Laura says
This recipe yields about 9 bars in an 8 x 8-inch pan or 12 bars in a 9 x 9-inch pan.