When you need a snack that’s a little more filling, these granola bars are a perfect and healthy option. I was at Target the other day and was debating about purchasing some granola bars because they would be a great snack for after working out or at work. Then, I began reading the ingredients on the back. There’s so many types and brands of granola bars that claim to be healthy, yet they literally have 20+ ingredients and so much added sugar and salt. Don’t be fooled. This prompted me to make my own with cleaner ingredients. This is a very simple recipe and you can make a lot of them at once and then store them in the fridge/freezer. I decided to make two types- Chocolate Coconut Almond and Cranberry Chia Chocolate. Also- I used all natural peanut butter that only has one ingredient (peanuts)- but feel free to use any type or brand of butter (almond, sunflower, etc.) Keep in mind you can also use different types of nuts/fruit/toppings! I just used the ones I liked best. These ended up being like the width of a Nature Valley granola bar for reference, SO if you want a thicker bar, use a smaller tray. It really comes down to preference.
These are the ingredients you need! I forgot to add honey in this pic, so don’t forget that. It’s a key ingredient to get the bars to hold their shape.
Step 1: line a 9×9 pan with tinfoil or parchment paper.
Step 2: put 1.5 cup coconut oil, 2-3 table spoons of honey, 1 table spoon vanilla extract, and 2 cups of peanut butter in a pot on the stove. Stir once in a while on low heat. When it starts to bubble like this and everything is mixed and melted, take off and turn off stove. Let it cool for 5 mins.
Step 3: sprinkle some rolled oats in the pan. Make sure they are spread out evenly.
Step 4: pour in the coconut oil/pb/vanilla into pan evenly.
Step 5: this is the fun part. So I made two types so half the pan I sprinkled: dark chocolate chips, coconut flakes, cinnamon, almonds, and a pinch of sea salt. The other half of the tray I did dark chocolate chips, cranberries, and chia seeds.
Step 6: put tray in freezer for 1.5 hours. After that, take it out and cut bars into rectangles or squares. For best results, store in fridge or freezer so they don’t melt and stay fresh.
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