Jul
24
Homemade healthy no bake peanut butter granola bars will be your new favorite snack. These chewy granola bars are packed with wholesome ingredients like peanut butter, honey, chia seeds, flax, almonds, and drizzled with dark chocolate. YUM.
I’m writing this post on my phone in the bathtub. I wish I could say that this was supposed to be a relaxing bath, but in reality it’s the only thing that’s helping my back/hip issues right now. Man, injuries really get you down, but I’m trying to look in the bright side of things at the moment.
MY LATEST VIDEOSTo give you a little more background, I’m not exactly sure what happened to my back and hip other than the fact that I walked 8 miles, then sat on a plane for 9 hours, followed by an intense workout. After that I started having pain/aching and even bouts of nausea (weird?). It gets better when I move and seems worse after sitting or standing for long periods of time.
It could be a strain, or potentially something else, but I’m pretty committed to doing everything to heal it. The worst part is that I can’t seem to pinpoint where it’s coming from. Is it my piriformis muscle? My hip flexors? My low back? Or is one causing the other? Who knows.
I’ve tried yoga, stretching, foam rolling, heat pads, massage, the chiropractor and tomorrow I’m doing acupuncture again. Right now though, I’m taking a hot 20 min bath with essential oils, sea salt and magnesium. It’s pretty much the only sense of relief I’m getting besides eating these super delicious no bake granola bars any chance I get. Heh.
I’ve officially made these peanut butter granola bar multiple times since I first developed the recipe– the best part is that they’re incredibly customizable. You could make a new version every week and never get sick of them.
Let’s chat about the base of the recipe:
Nut butter: We’re all about the healthy fats here! I like to use an all natural peanut butter (just peanuts + salt). If you wanna switch it up, you could try almond butter, cashew, pecan or even sunflower seed butter for a nut free version.
Honey: naturally sweetened and just the way I like it. I love using manuka honey because if it’s healing properties, plus I find that it’s a little less sweet than most commercial honey (such as clover).
Flaxseed meal: a natural source of protein, fiber and good for you vitamins. I love adding it to granola bars because it adds a nice nuttiness.
Chia seeds: another great source of fiber and protein and helps to keep you feel satisfied as chia actually expands in your stomach. It also helps to keep the bars together.
Oats: I love using gluten free old fashioned oats in this recipe. They’re pretty easy to find and are a wonderful complex carb to help give you energy.
The rest of the recipe is very flexible. Stick to the base but from there you can adapt!
Adapt these peanut butter granola bars to make them your own:
You can use any kind of nuts you want instead of almonds, or sub dried fruit such as raisins, dried cranberries or dried cherries.
You can also skip the coconut (though I think it adds a nice bulk to the recipe and natural sweetness).
If you’re trying to reduce your sugar intake, simply skip the chocolate chips on top.
SO MANY options and I’m incredibly excited for you to make these bars your own!
If you make this recipe, let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and leaving a comment below. And don’t forget to use the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram so I can see your creations!
No Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Author: Monique of AmbitiousKitchen.com
Nutrition Information
- Serving size: 1 bar
- Calories: 263
- Fat: 19.4g
- Saturated fat: 6.7g
- Carbohydrates: 16.7g
- Sugar: 8.4g
- Fiber: 4.3g
- Protein: 7g
Recipe type: Snack, No Bake
Prep time:
Total time:
- ½ cup creamy natural drippy peanut butter (just peanuts & salt)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅓ cup flaxseed meal
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats, gluten free if desired
- 1/3 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped* (or sub pecans)
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- For on top:
- 2 tablespoons roasted almonds, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon coconut oil
- Add peanut butter, coconut oil, honey, vanilla and cinnamon to a medium saucepan and place over low heat. Stir every so often until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Remove from heat and immediately stir in flaxseed meal, chia and oats. Fold in almonds and shredded coconut and stir until combined.
- Line an 8×4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper; pour granola bar mixture in and spread out evenly, then press down in the pan very firmly. Press remaining roasted almonds on top.
- Place dark chocolate chips and ½ teaspoon coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30 second increments, stirring in between until chocolate is completely smooth and melted. Drizzle diagonally over bars.
- Cover the bars with foil, and place bars in the fridge for 30 minutes-1 hour or until mixture has hardened. Remove bars from pan and cut into 8 granola bars anyway you’d like. Store bars in the fridge, either individually wrapped in plastic or in foil. Bars will last up to 1 week in the fridge.
Stove top method: Place almonds in a small pan over medium heat. Stir until toasted and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. They are done as soon as they start looking darker and smell toasty. Immediately remove the pecans from the pan to a bowl or paper towel to prevent burning.
Oven method: You can also toast the almonds in the oven on a baking sheet at 350 degrees F for 7-9 minutes. I prefer this method
To make bars vegan: Use coconut palm syrup instead of honey.
To make bars nut free: Use sunflower seed butter and sunflower seeds in the recipe. Please be aware there is coconut in this recipe if you are sensitive to it.
Feel free to double the recipe and place in an 8×8 inch pan.
Feel free to use any natural nut butter you’d like.
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