Homemade Granola Bars
User Reviews
4.8
Homemade Granola Bars
Description
This Homemade Granola Bars recipe uses creamy natural peanut butter combined with honey, vanilla extract, and sea salt to create a sticky base. Rolled oats provide structure and chewiness, while mini chocolate chips add occasional bursts of chocolate flavor. Pepitas contribute a nutty crunch.
The mixture might seem dry before thorough stirring, but persistence helps bind the ingredients together. Pressing firmly into a parchment-lined pan and chilling solidifies the bars for clean cutting. These bars make a portable, homemade snack that balances sweet, salty, and slightly nutty elements.
For variations, cashew butter can replace peanut butter, and nuts can be swapped with similar textures. Mini chocolate chips are preferred for cohesion; using larger chips can reduce bar stability but works if forming energy balls instead.
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter or cashew butter, very smooth creamy natural
- ⅔ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Heaping ½ teaspoon salt sea salt
- 2½ cups rolled oats whole
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons Pepitas or crushed peanuts or cashews
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and salt, until smooth.
- Add the oats, chocolate chips and the pepitas (or nuts). The mixture might seem dry at first, but keep stirring and it'll come together. Stir to combine and press firmly into the pan. Use a second piece of parchment paper and the back of a measuring cup to help flatten the mixture. Chill for at least 1 hour, then slice into bars.
- Store bars in the fridge.
Notes
- Mini chocolate chips help the bars hold together better than regular sized chips; if unavailable, chop larger chocolate into small pieces.
- For a vegan option, replace honey with brown rice syrup as maple syrup may not bind well enough for bars but works for energy balls.
- Using certified gluten-free oats ensures the bars are gluten-free.
- Storage should be in the fridge to keep bars firm and fresh.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
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