These homemade peanut butter granola bars (inspired by Nature Valley’s) are the perfect way to satisfy that midday sweet craving. (This article has been updated from its original September 2017 version).
Something happens to me at 3 o’clock every weekday. I get a ravenous craving for something simultaneously sweet, salty, and crunchy. This craving can probably be attributed to the natural energy dip near the end of the workday, when we’re already drained but our brains need to keep going.
But even more than that, crunchy food cravings are apparently indicators of stress – something I accumulate lots of by 3pm. Fascinating, right?
One of my go-to midday snacks are (or should I say, were) Nature Valley peanut butter granola bars. Now, I don’t mean to poo-poo Nature Valley – their bars are by no means the worst on store shelves. But, they do contain soy lecithin – a chemical emulsifier many people are allergic to – and lots of sugar, which is what makes them so cloyingly sweet and addictive. So, I challenged myself to recreate my favorite treat with less sugar and healthier ingredients.
How to Make Crunchy Peanut Butter Granola Bars
These peanut butter granola bars are made with just 6 ingredients. They’ve got old-fashioned rolled oats (a great source of protein and fiber), natural peanut butter, coconut oil (you can use any oil), honey, vanilla, and flaxseed meal (ground flaxseeds), which act as a binder (you can also use chia seeds).
You start by combining the peanut butter, oil, honey, vanilla, and flaxseed meal, and warming up the mixture either on the stovetop or in the microwave. You’re not trying to cook this, but rather briefly warm it up so it’s pourable.
Next, you stir the mixture into rolled oats and make sure every single oat is coated. Then transfer the sticky mixture into a parchment paper-lined baking dish and press it down into an thin, flat layer. Lastly, you bake it for about 25 minutes.
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.
The first is to 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.
The second is to cool the bars completely before cutting them. It’s also important to use a super sharp knife and to cut these in a decisive, swift motion.
If you like these granola bars, check out…
- Peanut, Coconut, and Date Energy Balls
- Vegan Blueberry Lemon Muffins
- Carrot Oatmeal Cookies
- Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
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 and @thenewbaguette on Instagram.
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Peanut Butter Granola Bars
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- Place the oats in a large bowl.
- 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).
- 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.)
- Sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the oats look dry and are lightly golden.
- Cool completely in the baking dish (about 1 hour).
- 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
Keywords: granola, granola bars, oats, peanut butter, snack
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. You can use chia seeds as a substitute.
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!