peanut butter chocolate chip granola bars

hi friends!  growing up i was obsessed with nature valley peanut butter granola bars.  you know the ones? peanut buttery, flaky goodness.  so i set out to create a healthy, non-processed version.  and it took me four go-rounds to get a recipe i’m in love with.  but let me tell you, even the practice rounds were all scarfed down in a matter of days.  these are such a perfect snack to get you by until your next meal, i cannot tell you enough how much of a staple they’ve become in our house!  hope you love as much as i do.  xx- sarah {more after the jump}

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of oats

3 tablespoons chia seeds (optional)

3 tablespoons chopped tamari almonds (optional)

3/4 cup all natural, unsalted peanut butter

1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips (more is more here, so add extra if you’re looking for a sweet treat!)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

 

METHOD:

– preheat oven to 350 degrees

– thoroughly combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl

– spread mixture into a lightly greased 7×9″ pan, press down firmly with a fork

– bake for 30 minutes

– let cool and then pop in the fridge to harden/store

* the reason i re-made these 4 times is because i was playing around with the amount of maple syrup required to make them stay together.  1/4 cup makes crumbly bars with a consistency i prefer, but if you want to take these traveling with you or prefer a less crumbly bar, increase the amount of maple syrup all the way up to 3/4 cup! and feel free to play around with the additions, raisins could replace chocolate chips for an even healthier snack!

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Reader Comments

  1. Janet|

    These look delicious and perfect for snacking on a hike! Do you think they would last a few days in the fridge if I make them ahead of time?

    Reply
  2. sarah yates|

    hi janet! yes, they'll definitely last in the fridge for a few days (although since it's a small batch ours never do, we eat them up in 2 days!)
    i might be weary of bringing them on a hot hike though, they might melt a little if they get too warm. 🙂
    good luck!

    Reply
  3. Kelly|

    These were incredible. My husband raved about them. I subbed sunflower seeds for the almonds and cacao nibs for the chocolate chips and reduced the baking time by a couple of minutes bc the sunflower seeds were starting to darken. But so good! Best granola bar recipe.

    Reply
  4. sophie|

    I just made these but left out the maple syrup. Instead I did a tablespoon of agave nectar, 15 drops of liquid Stevia and 1/4 cup applesauce. Plus a bit extra pb! Then I made them into cookies. Delicious! 🙂

    Reply
  5. emily|

    these look so great! quick question: when do you cut them into bar shapes – before or after the fridge?

    Reply
  6. Janet|

    Hi Sarah, these were fantastic! You're right, they were too delicious to last long in the fridge. My mom, sister, and myself devoured two batches – one with chocolate chips and one with craisins. I can see what you mean about melting on a hot hike, although they were perfect for a chilly hike at 10,000 feet. Thanks for sharing this recipe, it will be a staple in my house!

    Reply
  7. Alyaa|

    Hi, I don't have maple syrup at the moment and I was wondering whether I could use honey instead?

    Reply
  8. Alexis|

    Hey! Thanks for this simple recipe. One question though–have you tried replacing almond butter for peanut butter? This is something I'd like to do but don't know what it would come out like.

    Reply
  9. mesadedulces|

    Hola, te felicito por tu pagina esta muy bonita, me agradaria poder compartirles mi blog en el cual pueden descargar vectores muy bonitos gratis

    Reply