Healthy No-Bake Homemade Granola Bars
These Healthy No-Bake Homemade Granola Bars are a nutritious and delicious snack, perfect for busy days.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 0.75 cup creamy peanut butter or almond butter
- 0.5 cup honey or pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups quick oats or rolled oats do not use instant oatmeal
- 0.25 cup ground flaxseed
- 0.25 cup wheat germ or an additional 2 tablespoons oats
- 0.75 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1.25 cups mix-ins of choice (e.g., dried cranberries, raisins, roughly chopped toasted nuts, chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, etc.)
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan: Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper or wax paper, leaving two sides overhanging for easy removal later.
- Make the Peanut Butter Mixture: In a small saucepan, heat the peanut butter and honey over medium heat. Whisk until smooth, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Allow to cool for a few minutes, especially if using chocolate chips, to prevent them from melting.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oats, ground flaxseed, wheat germ, cinnamon, and salt. If you have larger mix-ins, chop them roughly and add them to the oat mixture.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Pour the cooled peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula, mix until everything is well combined. The mixture will be thick and sticky but should hold together when pressed. If it feels too sticky, add a bit more oats; if too dry, drizzle in a little more honey.
- Press into the Pan: Firmly press the mixture into the prepared pan using the back of a large measuring cup or your fingers. Make sure it’s compact to help the bars hold together.
- Chill: Place the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour to allow the granola bars to set.
- Slice and Serve: Once set, lift the bars out of the pan using the paper handles. If they stick, run a knife around the edges to loosen. Slice into bars of your desired size (about 12 bars total).
Notes
Feel free to customize your mix-ins based on your preferences! You can use nuts, seeds, or dried fruits. For a chocolatey twist, consider adding cocoa powder to the mixture or using chocolate chips as a mix-in.