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No-bake peanut butter granola bars are perfectly sweet and salty, nutty, chewy, & loaded with your favorite mix-ins – A crowd-pleasing, gluten-free, vegan snack!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The lure of ‘convenient’ pre-packaged, store-bought granola bars can sometimes be hard to ignore. But here’s why making this recipe for peanut butter granola bars is SO worth it:
- Easy to make: It requires just 5 inexpensive, pantry-friendly base ingredients, a few minutes of prep, and no baking.
- Healthier than store-bought: Free from artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, and high corn fructose corn syrup, naturally protein-packed, with healthy fats and tons of fiber.
- Customizable: This version is jam-packed with crisp cereal, chewy dried fruit, and decadent vegan chocolate chips. But choose your favorites (suggestions below!). You could try something new in every batch of these homemade peanut butter granola bars.
- Delicious: With creamy peanut butter, a little vanilla and cinnamon, oats, and sweetener – they’re loaded with sweet, salty, creamy, warm, nutty flavors.
- Convenient: Store these vegan chocolate chip peanut butter granola bars in the fridge or freezer for a quick treat for breakfast, in lunchboxes, and on the go.
Looking for more peanut butter portable snacks? You might enjoy peanut butter oatmeal bars, chocolate peanut butter pretzel bars, and peanut butter oatmeal balls.
The Ingredients and Substitutes
Please refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients, substitutes, and quantities.
This peanut butter granola bars recipe uses just 5 ingredients as a base with a whopping 2 ½ cups of add-ins: this time, cereal, dried fruit, and vegan chocolate chips.
The Best Peanut Butter Granola Bar Add-Ins
Use 2 ½ cups of any of the following (or replace the cereal with oats and use just ½ cup add-ins) to create perfectly customized peanut butter no bake granola bars.
- Dried Fruit – Raisins, cranberries, chopped apricots, dates, glace cherries, etc.
- Vegan chocolate chips – semi-sweet or bitter-sweet (I use dairy-free for vegan peanut butter granola bars). Mini vegan chocolate chips work best.
- Cereal – My favorite options are cereal O’s or puffed rice cereal (I try to look out for healthier options with a neutral flavor). Use gluten-free if necessary.
- Cacao nibs – For crunch and antioxidants.
- Chopped nuts – Peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, etc.
- Seeds – Like pepitas, chia seeds, hemp seeds, etc. Only add 1-2 tbsp of the latter two.
- Crushed pretzels – For sweet and salty crunch.
- Banana chips – Finely chopped for flavor and crunch.
- Coconut flakes – Raw or toasted. Shredded coconut works, too.
- Protein powder – Add 2-3 tbsp of your favorite vegan protein powder.
How to Make Chewy Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Step 1: Line a 9×9-inch (or 8×8) baking dish with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easier removal. Then, combine the peanut butter, liquid sweetener, and brown sugar (if using) in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for a minute. Stir well and microwave for a further minute, if needed, to melt the brown sugar.
Step 2: Then, working one at a time, stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, oats, cereal, dried fruit, and finally, the vegan chocolate chips (only once the mixture has cooled; otherwise, they’ll melt).
You only need to heat the mixture until it combines into a cohesive mixture.
Step 3: Pour the mixture into the prepared dish, cover it with a layer of parchment paper, and press it with your hands or the bottom of a wide cup into a compact, even layer.
Step 4: Transfer the pan to the freezer for an hour to set before finally removing it from the pan and cutting it into your preferred size peanut butter chocolate granola bars.
FAQs
Yes, but you’ll need slightly more since the peanut chunks will take the place of some liquid and may throw the ratio off. We recommend an extra 2-3 tbsp.
You could likely swap the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter or tahini instead.
Sure – feel free to replace it with additional oats instead, if preferred.
Pro Recipe Tips
- No microwave? Either heat the ingredients in a saucepan over low OR use naturally drippy peanut butter and a thin syrup, like maple syrup.
- Press it firmly: To form compact bars that will hold their shape.
- Customize them: You can use up to 1 ½ cups of your favorite add-ins, so have fun experimenting with different combinations.
Storage Instructions
As these are no-bake peanut butter granola bars, I recommend storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, separated in layers by wax paper, until you’re ready to eat them. They’ll store for up to a week.
You can also freeze the bars for 2-3 months individually wrapped with parchment/wax paper. Leave to thaw at room temp before enjoying one or thaw in the microwave for a minute or two.
Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup of creamy or crunchy peanut butter
- ⅔ cup of light corn syrup, agave, or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (optional if you want it sweeter)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 2 cups of quick oats
- 2 cups of Os or rice crispies cereal
- ¼ cup dried cranberries or raisins (sub in any dried fruit you like)
- ¼ cup vegan chocolate cihps
Instructions
- First, line a 9×9-inch (or 8×8) baking dish with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easier removal.
- Then, combine the peanut butter, liquid sweetener, and brown sugar (if using) in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for a minute. Stir well and microwave for a further minute, if needed, to melt the brown sugar.You only need to heat the mixture until it mixes into a cohesive mixture.
- Then, working one at a time, stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, oats, cereal, dried fruit, and finally, the chocolate chips (only once the mixture has cooled; otherwise, they’ll melt).
- Pour the mixture into the dish, cover it with a layer of parchment paper, and press it with your hands or the bottom of a wide cup into a compact, even layer.
- Transfer it to the freezer for an hour to set before finally removing it from the pan and cutting it into your preferred size peanut butter chocolate granola bars.
Notes
- No microwave? Either heat the ingredients in a saucepan over low OR use naturally drippy peanut butter and a thin syrup, like maple syrup.
- Press it firmly: To form compact bars that will hold their shape.
- Customize them: You can use up to 1 ½ cups of your favorite add-ins, so have fun experimenting with different combinations.
The best granola bars!
love the adding peanut butter. super tasty
The best kind of snack!