Description
These Peanut Butter Granola Bars are soft-baked, chewy, and packed with wholesome ingredients like rolled oats and natural peanut butter. Perfect for a healthy gluten-free snack, they can be customized with chocolate chips, nuts, and seeds. Easy to make and perfect for on-the-go, these bars balance sweetness and protein in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (use verified gluten-free if needed)
- 3/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 whole eggs (use flax egg for vegan-friendly)
Optional Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
- Pinch of salt (omit if peanut butter is salted)
- Walnuts, pecans, almonds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or dried fruit (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350℉ to prepare for baking the granola bars.
- Mix ingredients: In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, natural peanut butter, honey or maple syrup, whole eggs, and any optional add-ins. If the peanut butter is too solid, warm it for 10-15 seconds to soften before mixing thoroughly.
- Prepare the baking dish: Line a 9×9 inch baking dish with parchment paper to make removing the bars easier after baking.
- Press the mixture: Transfer the combined mixture into the prepared pan. Press it very firmly and evenly into the dish to ensure the bars hold together well. If using chocolate chips, sprinkle them on top and press gently into the mixture.
- Bake the bars: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 15-17 minutes or until the center is set and edges begin to brown. Start checking at 14 minutes as oven temperatures vary.
- Cool completely: Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing to ensure they cut cleanly.
- Slice and serve: Using a sharp knife, cut the cooled bars into 16 equal squares and enjoy your homemade granola bars!
Notes
- These granola bars are naturally gluten-free when using certified gluten-free oats.
- Using honey tends to help the bars stick together better compared to maple syrup.
- Firmly pressing the mixture before baking is key for bars that hold together well.
- Cooling completely before cutting prevents the bars from crumbling.
- Flax eggs can be used as a vegan egg substitute to make this recipe vegan-friendly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 64 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 17 mg
