Friends, these quick and healthy no-bake granola bars are your answer to all things “back-to-school” related:
Woke up late and no time for breakfast? No-bake chewy granola bar…
Need a portable snack for your kid’s lunchbox? No-bake chewy granola bar…
Missed the bus, forgot about the PTA meeting (by the way, you are the new PTA president!), called your kid’s teacher by the wrong name… well, these here little granola bars may not solve all your problems, but they sure will keep you from losing it completely due to being hungry!
Welcome back to the new (school) year!! And if school days are far behind (or in front of!) you, you can always channel your inner desire to walk those crowded hallways by whipping up a batch of these chewy little treats. Granola bars seem to be the quintessential take-along snack, no matter if you’re off to school or the hiking trail.
And if you can make them in less than 15 minutes with NO BAKING required, using ingredients likely in your pantry right now… honestly, what could be better? These healthy bars are packed with protein (7 grams per bar!) and fiber (5 grams!) from the oats, peanut butter (use the natural, drippy kind for best results), chia and hemp seeds. Of course I add chocolate to mine… chocolate and peanut butter is just a wicked combo… but the sky is the limit for add-in’s. Dried fruit, sunflower seeds, coconut… whatever tickles your fancy.
I think granola bars are marketed as a “healthy” snack; however, when you look at the ingredient list of most brands you find on the grocery store shelves, they are anything but. Most commercial bars are full of sugar (in the form of high-fructose corn syrup) and fat (using partially hydrogenated oils, which are high in heart-unhealthy trans fats), and somehow, given “all those oats,” low in fiber and protein. You may as well eat a candy bar.
But with these yummy little bars, you actually are getting something healthy… Natural peanut butter is the main fat in these bad boys (substitute sunbutter if you need a nut-free treat) and my recipe uses only 1/2 the amount of sweetener (agave syrup, NOT high-fructose corn syrup) found in most commercial granola bars.
Plus, you can whip them up in less time than it takes to stand in line at the grocery store. And isn’t time always a gift?
So go ahead, there’s no reason not to make these healthy granola bars- they’re perfect for back to school, back to work, back to life, or just back to reality!
Enjoy, my friends!
Ingredients
- 2 cups oats (regular or quick-cooking, not instant)
- 1 T. chia seed
- 1 T. hemp seed
- ½ cup natural peanut butter (can sub sunbutter for nut-free)
- ¼ cup agave nectar (can sub maple syrup or honey)
- 2 T. extra-virgin coconut oil
- 1 t. vanilla
- ¼ - ½ cup chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Line a rectangular loaf tin with parchment paper.
- Place oats in a blender or food processor and pulse 5-6 times until they are fairly broken up but not flour. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in chia and hemp seeds.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, heat peanut butter, agave, and coconut oil until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Cool slightly so as not to melt your chocolate.
- Add peanut butter mixture to oat/seed mixture and stir to combine. It will be a bit sticky and this is normal. Stir in the chopped chocolate at the end, reserving some to press onto the top.
- Press into the prepared tin, spreading evenly and pressing it down with the back of a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Press remaining chocolate into the top. Cover loosely and refrigerate until well-chilled and set, about 4 hours.
- Cut into 8-9 large bars, or 16-18 mini-bars. Can be served cold or at room temperature. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.
What a great post about such a great snack! these bars really are as delicious as you say. Thank you so much for making these for me. It is such a great snack during break, when I am really hungry but I don’t have enough time to eat lots of food. With these bars I can be full in only 4-5 bites! I really love these bars! Please keep making them! 🙂