You’ll love these simple do-it-yourself peanut butter granola bars! They’re made with easy elements like oats, peanut butter, and maple syrup. Plus, they’re nutritious, vegan, gluten-free, and pack 8 grams of protein per bar.
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These peanut butter granola bars are significantly scrumptious! If you happen to make a batch, they gained’t final lengthy. My household loves them —they’re excellent for fast snacks, and I at all times be ok with packing them in my son’s lunchbox. (Allergy notice: almond butter and sunflower butter are nice substitutes for peanut butter!)
They’re not solely tasty however nutritious, too! We didn’t got down to create an power 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 Elements
If you happen to’ve made our soft and chewy granola bars, you’ll discover a number of similarities with this peanut butter model. Right here’s what you will want to make do-it-yourself granola bars:
- Rolled oats are finest for this granola bar recipe. You may also use on the spot oats, however the texture can be totally different.
- Peanuts + peanut butter make these style wonderful. I take advantage of homemade peanut butter or a drippy pure peanut butter.
- Flaxseed meal + water binds our bars collectively. It additionally provides wholesome fat and sticking energy to the bars. Learn extra about flax eggs here.
- Maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt season the bars. They aren’t too candy, and I really like the cinnamon and vanilla.
- Chocolate chips are optionally available, however my household loves chocolate chip and peanut butter granola bars an excessive amount of to go away them out. I take advantage of mini chocolate chips since they maintain up higher within the bars and don’t fall out.
How you can Make Peanut Butter Granola Bars
You’ll begin by toasting the rolled oats and peanuts within the oven. I go away them within the oven till evenly toasted — we do the same factor when making our almond granola recipe.
Whereas the oats and peanuts are toasting, you possibly can put together your flax eggs. It’s simple and can assist your bars stick collectively.
As soon as the oats and peanuts have cooled, combine them with the flax eggs, peanut butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Then, toss within the chocolate chips and provides all the things a great stir. The combination must be good and sticky—a great signal as a result of your bars will maintain collectively completely!
Press the granola bar combination right into a lined baking dish and refrigerate for a number of hours earlier than reducing them into bars.
My Ideas for Success
Take care when urgent the granola combination into the pan. For finest outcomes, press firmly to make sure the bars maintain collectively. Place a chunk of parchment paper over the granola after which use the underside of a measuring cup or glass to make sure even urgent.
Mini chocolate chips are the best way to go! They distribute evenly all through the bars and assist them maintain collectively. If you happen to don’t have them, finely chop regular-sized chocolate chips for the same impact.
Chill your bars for 2 hours earlier than reducing them. This hardens the combination, making it simpler to slice into neat bars. Plus, chilling provides the oats time to soak up all these scrumptious maple-peanut butter flavors!
Use the proper sort of peanut butter. Not every kind of peanut butter work effectively on this recipe! No-stir pure peanut butter (like Pure Jif) produces the stickiest combination, serving to the bars maintain their form. Homemade peanut butter and pure peanut butter that want stirring (like Adam’s model) provide the most effective taste however can lead to barely drier bars. In case your combination appears too dry, strive including an additional 1/4 cup of peanut butter.
Extra Straightforward Recipes
If you happen to love nut butter, strive making it from scratch. Listed below are recipes for a number of of our favourite nut butters: Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, and Cashew Butter.
For extra granola recipes, strive our Easy Energy Power Balls, Vanilla Almond Granola, or these Soft and Chewy Granola Bars.
Straightforward Peanut Butter Granola Bars
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PREP
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These peanut butter granola bars with rolled oats, peanut butter, and maple syrup are simple to make and style wonderful! 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 high quality 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. Enable 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 in 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 can be sticky. Totally combine all the things 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 at the very least 2 hours. If you’re in a rush, you possibly can freeze them for about half-hour. The bars can be too tender if reduce earlier than they’re totally chilled.
9Take away the chilled block of granola combination from the pan, then peel away the foil or parchment. Minimize into 12 bars.
- Storing
1Retailer granola bars in an hermetic container for as much as one week. For the softest bars, preserve them at room temperature (notice that room-temperature bars might crumble extra simply than chilly bars). For barely more durable bars, retailer them within the fridge (that is what I do). When wrapped effectively, bars will preserve within the freezer for as much as three months.
Adam and Joanne’s Ideas
- Whereas we have now had the most effective outcomes with peanut butter, you possibly can strive substituting the peanut butter for one more nut butter like almond butter or cashew butter. You also needs to be capable of make them nut-free and use sunflower seed butter (for nut-free bars, additionally, you will must take away the peanuts).
- Honey works effectively in these bars. Use the identical quantity of honey as maple syrup known as for within the recipe above.
- If the nut butter is unsalted, take into account including 1/4 teaspoon salt to the granola bar combination.
- Vitamin info: The vitamin info supplied beneath are estimates. We’ve used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
Vitamin Per Serving
Serving Measurement
1 bar (12 complete)
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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
