These homemade peanut butter granola bars (inspired by Nature Valley) are the perfect way to satisfy that midday sweet craving.
The recipe for these peanut butter granola bars has lived on my site since a faraway time known as the year 2017. I was really into Nature Valley’s ubiquitous crunchy granola bars at the time and wanted to figure out a way to make them myself so I could control the quality of the ingredients as well as the amount of sweetener.
The bars turned out pretty simple to replicate and have been a part of my meal prep routine since.
They’re sweet-and-salty, satisfyingly crunchy, and perfect alongside that afternoon cup of tea or coffee. They’re also virtuous enough to grab for breakfast on the go because they’re basically oatmeal! And even though they feel like a treat, they’re an excellent source of fiber and have some protein as well.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
- Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats work best here.
- Peanut Butter: This recipe was developed using natural peanut butter – i.e. the kind without additives (the only ingredients listed on the label should be peanuts and maybe salt). I have not tested it with conventional peanut butter (like Jif).
- Flaxseed Meal: i.e. ground flaxseeds. It takes on a gelatinous texture when wet, thus keeping these bars “glued” together and preventing them from crumbling.
- Coconut Oil: I love the floral aroma this oil adds to the bars, but you can use any oil you have here, like avocado, etc.
- Honey: This sticky sweetener helps the bars harden. Do not substitute with maple syrup as it does not have the same binding power.
How to Make Peanut Butter Granola Bars (Step-by-Step Photos)
Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Prep the Ingredients
Place the oats in a large bowl. Place the wet ingredients and the flaxseed meal in a separate microwave-safe bowl, and microwave in 15-second increments – whisking in between – just until the mixture is smooth and pourable, 30 to 40 seconds total.
Step 2: Combine the Ingredients
Pour the peanut mixture into the oats and stir with a flexible rubber spatula until the oats are evenly coated.
Step 3: Press Into a Baking Dish
Turn the mixture out into a parchment paper-covered 8×8-inch baking dish and distribute evenly. It’s very important to flatten the oats into a thin compact layer [to get them to stick together]; use a lightly-greased underside of a measuring cup for best results.
Pro Tip: To help the parchment paper stay snug in the baking dish, clip it down with office clips. Just don’t forget to remove them before baking!
Step 4: Bake and Cool
Bake until the oats are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely (at least 1 hour) before cutting into bars; the mixture will harden as it cools. If you cut them while still warm, the oats will fall apart.
Don’t Skip These Tips
A common problem with homemade granola bars is that they can be crumbly. Unfortunately, this is just the nature of this snack – even Nature Valley bars are known to fall apart in the package. However, there are a couple of things you can do to reduce the crumble factor:
- Press the oat mixture into your baking dish as firmly as humanly possible so the oats get packed in super tightly, which helps them stick together.
- Cool the bars completely before cutting them. It’s also important to use a sharp chef’s knife and to cut these in a decisive, swift motion.
Storage Info
Once completely cooled, store these bars in an airtight container in a cool dry place and eat within 10 days.
More Breakfast Recipes to Try
- Carrot Oatmeal Cookies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding
- Sweet Potato Waffles
- Vegan Cornmeal Pancakes
Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.
The Full Recipe
Peanut Butter Granola Bars
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Chill Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 bars 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These crunchy peanut butter granola bars (Nature Valley copycat) are the perfect way to satisfy that midday sweet craving.
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup runny honey
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal (ground flaxseeds)
- 3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons melted virgin coconut oil, plus more for greasing the pan* (see note below)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8×8-inch baking dish (see note below) with parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang, and lightly grease the paper with coconut oil. Set aside.
- Place the oats in a large bowl.
- In a separate, microwave-safe bowl, combine all the other ingredients. Microwave in 15-second intervals – whisking in between – just until the mixture is smooth and pourable, 30 to 40 seconds total. (Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a small pot and warm gently on the stove.)
- Pour the peanut mixture into the oats and stir well with a rubber spatula until they’re evenly coated.
- Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Using the bottom of a cup measure – greased with a bit of oil to keep it from sticking to the oats – press the mixture down very firmly to flatten it into a single compact layer. (This step is very important to keep the bars from falling apart later.)
- Bake until the oats look dry and are golden brown all over, 25 to 28 minutes.
- Cool completely, about 1 hour.
- When cooled, lift out of the baking dish using the parchment overhang. Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut into 8 bars. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place and eat within 10 days.
Notes
- I love the flavor coconut oil adds to these bars. If you don’t have any, substitute with olive, avocado, or canola oil.
- This recipe was developed with a ceramic baking dish. If you use metal, the bars may take less time to bake.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 220
- Fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
Laura says
SUPER delicious but mine turned out too crumbly to be in bar form. Followed the recipe exactly. Any advice on how I can fix it next time?
Alexandra Shytsman says
Hi Laura! Unfortunately the crumbliness is part of the nature of this snack, plus there’s a number of factors to consider. For instance, what material was the baking pan you used? My best tip to get these to stick together is to press the mixture down really firmly before baking – I like to use the bottom of a separate loaf pan for this. Other readers have reported good results adding psyllium husk to the mixture but I personally haven’t tried it yet.
Lori says
I don’t have any flaxseed. What does it do in the recipe? Would I be okay leaving it out?
Alexandra Shytsman says
Hi Lori! The flaxseed helps keep the bars “glued” together. I do not recommend skipping it.
Lori says
Thank you. Looks like I will have to go to the store before trying this recipe 😆
Alexandra Shytsman says
Oh, that’s always a bummer! If you eat eggs, you could try whisking an egg white into the honey mixture after it comes off the stove. I haven’t tried it but they should work about the same 🙂
Tracy says
I love Nature Valley peanut butter granola bars so was so happy to find this recipe! I like my granola bars crunchy and it seems like all the homemade bars turn out soft. These are nice and crunchy! I made it with coconut nectar and they turned out great. Very easy to make…next time I’m going to add some chopped peanuts and top with chocolate (just because I can!).
Alexandra says
Hi Tracy! So glad these worked out for you – love the chocolate idea 😀
Eileen says
Delicious and closer to the store-bought bars that my husband misses than anything else I have tried! They are a bit crumbly, but they taste great, have a nice texture, and come together so quickly.
Alexandra says
So glad your husband likes them! You do sort of have to be conscious of the crumbling, but Nature Valley’s crumble too, haha
Grace says
Hi Alex! Is it possible to substitute the oil with butter? I only have olive oil at the moment but I’m worried it’s flavor will overpower the rest of the ingredients. This has happened to me with other recipes.
Alexandra says
Hi Grace. I have not tried it but I don’t see why not! I will say that the peanut butter and honey flavors are quite strong here, so I don’t think you have to worry about olive oil too much.
Grace says
Hello! Thanks for the advice and a speedy reply! 🙂 I will try with olive oil first and let you know how it goes!
Alexandra says
Fantastic! Please do 😀
WhatswhaTlife says
I added a good tablespoon of PSYLLIUM husk and a handful of SLIVERED almonds. And also used GOLDEN syryp instead of honey. They turned out perfect. They were PARTICULARLY enjoyed by the men in my familY, when i touted them as healthy protein bars with Fibre.
Alexandra says
Haha love that feedback! The psyllium husk is a great idea.
GreTchen says
I loved these! Stayed togetheR and tastes great. One sOn wanted chocolate bars, will add more cocoa powder (added a bit this time) and maYbe some chocolate, butso Happy to have found this recipe!
Alexandra says
Yay! Glad you like it 😀
trish says
what can i substitute in place of honey?
Alexandra says
You could use maple syrup – or a combo of maple and brown rice syrups – but I haven’t tested it so I’m not sure it will have the same binding power. Worth a try though!
B Elizabeth James says
I tried to make these and they, like every other recipe I seem to try, fall apart! I did everything according to your recipe, and sorry, they crumble.
Alexandra says
Hi there! So sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you. I cook from this recipe all the time myself and know it has worked for other folks too. With these types of granola bars, it’s really, really important to press the mixture tightly into the baking dish (as outlined in step 4). It’s also very important not to over-bake and pull these out of the oven when they’re just barely golden. Lastly, it is imperative to let them cool completely before slicing.
I do hope you’ll try these again, and thank you for your feedback 🙂
Sean Mahan says
I looove granola bars!! Peanut is just the best addition I could think of, can’t wait to try these!