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Crunchy peanut butter granola bars on parchment paper

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

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  • Author: thenewbaguette.com
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 8 bars 1x
  • Category: Snack
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

These crunchy peanut butter granola bars (homemade Nature Valley bars) are the perfect way to satisfy that midday sweet craving.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 3 tablespoons natural peanut butter (See Note 1)
  • 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil, plus more for greasing the pan (See Note 2)
  • 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal (ground flaxseeds) OR chia seeds
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Coarse sea salt (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8×8” baking dish (See Note 3) with parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang, and lightly grease the paper with coconut oil. Set aside.
  2. Place the oats in a large bowl.
  3. In a small pot, combine the honey, peanut butter, oil, flaxseed meal, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Briefly heat over a low flame, stirring frequently, just until the mixture is combined and pourable, 30 to 60 seconds. (Alternately, warm the mixture in the microwave).
  4. Pour the honey mixture into the oats and stir until they’re evenly coated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Press the mixture into the dish very firmly to flatten it into a single tight layer. (Use the bottom of a loaf pan, a cup measure, or a firm spatula – greased with a bit of oil to keep it from sticking to the oats – to tightly press in the mixture.)
  5. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the oats look dry and are lightly golden.
  6. Cool completely in the baking dish (about 1 hour).
  7. When no longer warm to the touch, lift the bars out of the baking dish using the parchment overhang. Using a sharp knife, cut into 8 bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

Notes

1 – Feel free to use any nut butter you have – cashew, almond, or even tahini.
2 – I love the layer of flavor coconut oil adds to these bars. If you don’t have any, substitute with olive, avocado, or canola oil.
3 – This recipe was developed with a ceramic baking dish. If you use metal, the bars may take less time to bake since metal heats up faster than ceramic.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 bars
  • Calories: 366
  • Fiber: 5.4 g
  • Protein: 8.8 g