Peanut Butter Granola Bars

There are few things more comforting than a bowl of granola in the morning. This is true any time of year. I just love the hearty combination of oats, nuts, dried fruits and spices – with extra milk. As good as it is, granola can really pack on the calories and is therefore not something I’d consider a daily breakfast, but more of a weekend treat. That is, unless you can really control the portion size. These Peanut Butter Granola Bars are awesome for giving you that granola fix you crave without sinking your calorie battleship before noon. They’re a great grab-and-go breakfast for the kids and I often have one as a post-workout snack or when I hit that midday slump.

The grab-and-go breakfast is more the rule than the exception in our house, especially as the kids have gotten older and have to get up for school earlier. There’s no time in the morning to sit and eat. They have gone through so many varieties of granola bars over the years. First, they had to have chocolate chips in them. Then, they had to be crunchy. Nope, then they had to be chewy. And no raisins. Never raisins. Could I sneak some dried cherries or cranberries past them? Negative. Too close to raisins. Oh, and not huge fans of nuts either. Sheesh! Turned out the only real way to make anyone happy, and not waste money on millions of different granola bars in attempt to get them to approve of just one, was to make them homemade.

What is in these Peanut Butter Granola Bars

This recipe uses any kind of granola that you want. Combined with just a few other wholesome ingredients, you’ll have homemade granola bars in no time. I typically use a plain/boring granola with no nuts or dried fruit so that my family will eat them, but wouldn’t they be amazing with some dried cherries and almonds? Yum. Come to think of it, maybe I’ll just make a batch for myself!

In addition to your granola of choice, you’ll also need honey, cinnamon, and a little flour and butter.

How do you make homemade granola bars?

Making homemade granola bars is super easy. Just put your granola and any mix-ins into a food processor along with the honey, cinnamon, butter and flour and pulse until just combined. Then, use your hands to form the mixture into a rectangular shape on a baking sheet. Once the big rectangle is baked and cooled, slice it into smaller rectangles and drizzle with peanut butter.

Drizzling nut butter onto these Peanut Butter Granola Bars is always a good idea, and you can use really any kind you like. I’ve tried both almond butter and cashew butter and both are so delish. I went with peanut butter for these cause it’s simple for the kids. And really, the end goal here is to get something wholesome into their bellies in the mornings any way you can. So, mission accomplished. And you’ll see how easy it is. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Make wholesome granola bars at home with this easy and versatile recipe, great for breakfast or anytime snack

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 10 bars

Ingredients

  

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• 2 cups granola
• 5 Tbsp. melted butter
• 3 Tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 2 Tbsp. peanut butter

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Pulse first five ingredients in a food processor until combined, about 5 seconds. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Dump the granola onto the baking sheet and, using your hands, flatten and form it into a rectangular shape that is about 1/4 inch thick.
• Bake for 10 minutes and then allow to cool completely before slicing. Once cooled, slice into rectangles. Microwave the peanut butter on high for 20 seconds or a little longer, until looser in consistency. Drizzle onto the granola bars and allow to set, 15-20 minutes.

Keyword breakfast, easy, healthy

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