No Bake Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
My whole family LOVES these soft and chewy peanut butter granola bars. These healthy no-bake granola bars are SO much better than store-bought and only have 7 ingredients. Plus they’re ready in just 30 minutes! Don’t forget to try my apple oatmeal breakfast bars or jam oatmeal bars.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 24 bars 1x
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Freezer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups oats
- 1 heaping cup crushed pretzels (about 4 oz pretzels)
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips (or roughly chopped regular chips)
- ½ cups peanuts (whole or halved, optional)
Instructions
- Measure pretzels into a blender (I have this one) or food processor and pulse until they are the consistency of bread crumbs. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer (or just using a large glass bowl), mix the peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, and vanilla until well blended.
- Add the oats and crushed pretzels and mix until everything is evenly combined.
- Add the chocolate chips and peanuts (if using) and mix again for just a few rounds to incorporate into the mixture.
- Line an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper. Scoop the granola into the pan.
- Moisten your fingers and hands with water (see my notes) and press the granola down and out into the corners and edges of the pan until it is evenly distributed and pressed together.
- Place the pan in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the freezer and pull the granola bars out of the pan by using the edges of the parchment paper as handles.
- Cut the granola bars into 24 pieces. Store in the fridge.
Notes
- I’ve made this recipe using a regular bowl and a mixer bowl and both work well. I recommend the mixer bowl because the paddle makes distributing the honey and peanut butter a lot easier, but you can always use your hands or a spatula with a regular bowl.
- Getting your hands a little wet before handling the granola keeps the chocolate from melting from your body heat and also keeps more granola mixture in the pan rather than sticking to your hands. You don’t need much water – just stick them under running water and shake off the excess.
- The consistency of peanut butter will vary depending on what type you used. I used an all-natural peanut butter which contains just peanuts and salt, but if yours has added sugar, the bars may be sweeter.
- Natural peanut butter tends to be more oily, so if you’re using a different kind you might need to add the coconut oil as directed in order to have enough moisture for the bars.
Adapted from Pinch of Yum.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 150