Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Granola Bars, chewy

When we worked in an office, store-bought granola bars were one of our favorite snacks. We kept a stash in our desk drawer and they quickly became an every-afternoon habit. While we tried different flavors, the one we always went back to again and again was the chewy peanut butter-chocolate chip variety. Shocking, right?!

Since we began making a lot more of our favorite packaged foods at home, we haven’t bought granola bars in ages. A few years ago, we made a at-home version of one of those memorable chewy store-bought granola bars with chocolate chips. They were a pretty spot-on recreation, but we wanted to include peanut butter, and we also wanted to eliminate the butter and sugar for a healthier option. This version accomplishes both, and they are absolutely fantastic!

These granola bars steal a page from two of our favorite store-bought “lighter” bars – Clif Bars and Larabars – they use pureed dates as a binder. Sneaky! While we chose to use peanut butter and chopped peanuts, you could absolutely omit the chopped nuts and use a different type of nut butter (or Sunbutter) if you are making them for someone with allergies.

You can keep these at room temperature or in the refrigerator, and we also had great luck freezing these. Once they were cool, we cut the bars, wrapped them in plastic wrap and then placed in a freezer bag – they were reliable! They stayed soft enough that you could actually eat them straight from the freezer.

If only we hadn’t wasted years of eating too-small and too-artificial-tasting granola bars before we realized that from-scratch granola bars were far superior!

One year ago: Our Grandma’s Biscotti Recipe
Two years ago: Soft Pretzels
Four years ago: Apple Cinnamon Bread

Chewy Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Yield: 12 bars Straightforward and lighter granola bars loaded with peanut butter, peanuts and miniature chocolate chips.

• 2 cups (162 g) old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup (146 g) chopped peanuts
• ½ cup (90 g) miniature chocolate chips
• ½ cup (9.33 g) puffed rice cereal
• 8 ounces (226.8 g) dates, pureed (about ½ cup)
• ½ cup (129 g) peanut butter
• ¼ cup (84.75 ml) honey
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Pinch kosher salt

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9x9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, stir together the oats, chopped peanuts, chocolate chips and puffed rice cereal.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the date puree, peanut butter, honey, maple syrup, vanilla and salt until smooth and thoroughly combined. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the oat mixture and fold together with a rubber spatula until evenly mixed.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and, using the back of a wooden spoon, press firmly into an even layer, making it as compact as possible. Bake until the bars are set and beginning to brown around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature before slicing. The granola bars can be kept at room temperature, in an airtight container or individually wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.

Notes

Nutritional values are based on one serving

• Yield: 12 bars
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 20 minutes
• Total: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups ( 162 g ) old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup ( 146 g ) chopped peanuts
• ½ cup ( 90 g ) miniature chocolate chips
• ½ cup ( 9.33 g ) puffed rice cereal
• 8 ounces ( 226.8 g ) dates, pureed (about ½ cup)
• ½ cup ( 129 g ) peanut butter
• ¼ cup ( 84.75 ml ) honey
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Pinch kosher salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9x9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, chopped peanuts, chocolate chips and puffed rice cereal.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the date puree, peanut butter, honey, maple syrup, vanilla and salt until smooth and thoroughly combined. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the oat mixture and fold together with a rubber spatula until evenly mixed.
4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and, using the back of a wooden spoon, press firmly into an even layer, making it as compact as possible. Bake until the bars are set and beginning to brown around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature before slicing. The granola bars can be kept at room temperature, in an airtight container or individually wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.