These irresistible peanut butter granola bars are a must-try! Made with easy substances, 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 critically scrumptious! In the event 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 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 Components
- Oats: I desire rolled oats for this recipe as a result of they provide the bars a chewy texture, however you can too use prompt oats if that’s what you’ve got readily available. Simply remember that the feel shall be barely totally different. I additionally used rolled oats for my chewy granola bars, power 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 like utilizing home made 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 like darkish maple syrup for these bars as a result of it makes them style unimaginable. 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 non-obligatory, however I like it! I exploit mini chocolate chips since they maintain up higher within the bars and don’t fall out. In the event 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 wish to preheat your oven and toast the rolled oats and peanuts. I wish to hold an in depth eye on them and take them out as soon as they’re calmly toasted so that they don’t burn.
Whereas these are toasting, you may rapidly put together your flax eggs by mixing floor flaxseed with water. This straightforward step helps the granola bars maintain their form.
As soon as the oats and peanuts have cooled, it’s time to mix every thing. 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 ought to be good and sticky at this level, which implies your bars will maintain collectively fantastically.
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. It will agency up the combination and permit the oats to absorb all these scrumptious maple-peanut butter flavors.
As soon as chilled, you may simply reduce the combination into neat bars good for snacking on the go. These final in an hermetic container for as much as one week or you may freeze them to retailer longer!
Simple 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 school 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 positive sea salt, non-obligatory, 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 calmly 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 soak 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 shall be sticky. Totally combine every thing so that each one the oats are nicely 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 a minimum of 2 hours. In case you are in a rush, you may freeze them for about half-hour. The bars shall be too delicate 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, hold them at room temperature (word that room-temperature bars might disintegrate extra simply than chilly bars). For barely more durable bars, retailer them within the fridge (that is what I do). When wrapped nicely, bars will hold within the freezer for as much as three months.
Adam and Joanne’s Suggestions
- Whereas now we have had the most effective outcomes with peanut butter, you may strive substituting it for one more nut butter, like almond or cashew butter. You must also be capable to make them nut-free and use sunflower seed butter (additionally, you will must take away the peanuts for nut-free bars).
- Honey works nicely 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, add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the granola bar combination.
- The vitamin details offered beneath are estimates.
Diet Per Serving
Serving Measurement
1 bar (12 whole)
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Energy
262
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Whole 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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Whole Sugars
10.1g
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Protein
8.4g
