Everyone loves these delicious No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars that come together easily with just 6 simple ingredients. They're great for a quick and healthy snack or breakfast on the go.
This No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars recipe is great to have on hand for a quick breakfast or snack. The finished bars have a chewy texture with a bit of a crunch from the rice cereal - think similar in texture to Chewy peanut butter granola bars. My entire family says these are the best granola bars I've ever made. This is also a great recipe for the kids to help make because it's simple and easy to prepare.
If you like these easy yet healthy no-bake granola bars you'll also love my Dark Chocolate Granola, Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins and Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins!
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Ingredients
Here's what you need to make No-Bake Peanut Butter Honey Granola Bars:
- crispy rice cereal
- creamy peanut butter
- honey
- old-fashioned rolled oats
- vanilla extract
- salt
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here's how to make No-Bake Peanut Butter Honey Granola Bars:
1. In a bowl, stir together the oats rice cereal and salt.
2. Place the peanut butter and honey in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at 30-second intervals stirring in between until the mixture is smooth and melted. Then, stir in the vanilla. (Alternatively, you can melt this mixture in a small pot on the stove over medium heat.)
3. Gently fold the peanut butter honey mixture into the oat mixture. (See this tutorial on how to properly fold ingredients.)
4. Press the peanut butter oat mixture into an 8x8 baking pan lined with parchment paper, patting the top to get things smooth. Refrigerate the bars for 1 hour, then slice into 8 bars and serve.
Hint: I like to use non-separating natural peanut butter here but the normal processed jarred peanut butter works also. Just don't use homemade peanut butter or natural peanut butter in which the oil separates.
Substitutions
Want to substitute an ingredient in No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars? Here's how:
- Honey - use an equal amount of maple syrup or agave in place of the honey.
- Rolled oats - use an equal amount of quick oats in place of the rolled oats.
- Rice cereal - use an equal amount of cornflakes in place of the rice cereal.
- Peanut butter - substitute an equal amount of a different nut butter such as almond butter in place of the peanut butter.
Variations
Try one of these variations of No-Bake Healthy Peanut Butter Granola Bars:
- Vegan - substitute an equal amount of maple syrup in place of the honey to make these granola bars vegan.
- Gluten-free - all of these ingredients are usually gluten-free but be sure to check the labels on the packaging to make sure to use gluten-free oats and cereal.
- Chocolate peanut butter granola bars - stir ½ cup mini chocolate chips into the mixture before pressing into the pan.
- Chia seeds - stir 1 tablespoon of chia seeds into the dry ingredients when mixing to add extra nutrients to your bars.
- Dried fruit - add ½ cup of dried fruit such as dried cranberries or coconut flakes to the peanut butter mixture before pressing it into the pan.
Equipment
This equipment comes in handy when making No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars:
Storage
Store No-Bake Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Top tip
Although it's not necessary to make this recipe, this granola bar pan easily forms your granola bars into the perfect shape.
FAQ
To get homemade granola bars to stick together you will need a binding ingredient that is sticky such as honey or maple syrup. In this recipe, both the peanut butter and the honey work to hold everything together.
Yes, as long as it's a no-bake recipe that doesn't contain eggs or raw flour. In this recipe, all of the ingredients are fully prepared so that the actual granola bars don't have to be cooked.
Related
Looking for other easy breakfast recipes? Try these:
Recipe
No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Equipment
- 1 8x8 dish
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup puffed rice cereal
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a bowl, stir together the oats, rice cereal and salt.
- Place the peanut butter and honey in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at 30-second intervals stirring in between until the mixture is smooth and melted. Then, stir in the vanilla. (Alternatively, you can melt this mixture in a small pot on the stove over medium heat.)
- Gently fold the peanut butter mixture into the oat mixture. (See this tutorial on how to properly fold ingredients.)
- Press the peanut butter oat mixture into an 8x8 pan lined with parchment, patting the top to get things smooth.
- Refrigerate the bars for 1 hour so they firm up, then slice into 8 bars and serve.
Shannon
Such a hit with the kids!