Peanut Butter Granola Bar Recipe

Published 8/22/2021

Make Your Own Homemade Granola Bars!

If you know anything about us, you know that we always like to have homemade snacks on hand for when hunger strikes. These homemade granola bars are similar to our protein ball recipes but are in bar form. I’ve been a granola bar girl since I can remember. Chewy granola bars were my favorite growing up. I especially loved the chocolate chips. Our homemade granola bars are made with all of our favorite things – peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, and honey. They come together quickly, are perfectly chewy, and make for an excellent energy-boosting snack that the whole family will love.

What You Need

Peanut butter oatmeal anything is a win in my book. It’s satisfying and sweet and salty all at the same time. Here’s what you need:

All-natural peanut butter: make sure to use a drippy peanut butter. I like to stir my jar before using it in a recipe to combine the oil and nut butter.Rolled oats: rolled oats give these homemade granola bars a bite.Quick-cooking oats: quick cooking oats are easier to chew, so that’s why we used a combination of quick-cooking and rolled.Honey: honey is a wonderful all-natural sweetener and it’s stickier than maple syrup which holds these bars better together.Coconut oil: while coconut oil adds more fat to these bars, it also helps hold them together! Don’t skip this part.Chocolate chips: every granola bar recipe deserves chocolate chips.Peanuts: we added peanuts for an extra crunch.

Ingredient Substitutions

Peanut butter –> try using another drippy, all-natural nut butter such as almond butter or cashew butter. Honey –> while we prefer honey because it’s sweet and sticky, you can also try another sticky sweetener such as brown rice syrup. We haven’t tested this with maple syrup, but I have a feeling it’s not sticky enough. Oats –> you’ll notice that we used a combination of rolled oats and quick-cooking oats. This is because we love that they’re both chewy and have a bite. If you only have one or the other, feel free to use it. Chocolate chips –> feel free to have fun with your add-ins. You can swap the chocolate chips or peanuts for dried cranberries, pepitas, other chopped nuts, white chocolate chips, cacao nibs, etc.

Easy Instructions

Quick Q&A

How do I get homemade granola bars to stick together?

Our trick in getting homemade granola bars to hold together is not only using a sticky sweetener but a little bit of coconut oil. As coconut oil solidifies, it hardens and will help hold the bars together.

Are homemade granola bars healthy?

These homemade granola bars are healthier than store-bought because there are no additives you can’t pronounce. They’re 100% whole grain and sweetened with an all-natural sweetener (no white sugar!).

What is a good binder for granola bars?

We like using a combination of a sticky sweetener such as honey or brown rice syrup and a little bit of coconut oil. As the coconut oil hardens, it will help hold your bars together!

Can I use a different sized pan?

Yes! If you use a larger pan, your bars will be thinner and if you use a smaller pan, they will be thicker. Since this is a no-bake recipe, it really doesn’t matter what pan you use.

Storage

Once the bars have fully set in the fridge, slice them into bars. Then, transfer them into an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 7 days.