Chewy Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
When I worked in an office, store-bought granola bars were one of my very favorite snacks. I kept a stash in my desk drawer and they quickly became an every-afternoon habit. While I tried different flavors, the one I always went back to again and again was the chewy peanut butter-chocolate chip variety. Shocking, right?!
Since I began making a lot more of my favorite packaged foods at home, I haven’t bought granola bars in ages. A few years ago, I made a copycat version of one of those amazing chewy store-bought granola bars with chocolate chips. They were a pretty spot-on recreation, but I wanted to include peanut butter, and I 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 my favorite store-bought “healthy” bars – Clif Bars and Larabars – they use pureed dates as a binder. Sneaky! While I 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 I also had great luck freezing these. Once they were cool, I cut the bars, wrapped them in plastic wrap and then placed in a freezer bag – they were perfect! They stayed soft enough that you could actually eat them straight from the freezer.
If only I hadn’t wasted years of eating too-small and too-artificial-tasting granola bars before I realized that homemade granola bars were far superior!
One year ago: My Grandma’s Biscotti Recipe
Two years ago: Soft Pretzels
Four years ago: Apple Cinnamon Bread
Chewy Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
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
Instructions
- 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
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Hi, question, when you purée the dates do you add any liquid?
Hi Christine, I didn’t need to do, but if your dates are drier, you can add a bit of water if you need to!
After waiting for what felt like forever (or until I picked up dried dates), I made these last night. Super easy, love the lack of oil and addition of dates, and great taste. Wrapped them up and put them in the freezer for quick snacks and breakfasts. And, wouldn’t you know, our microwave died this morning 10 seconds into thawing a bagel, so my husband’s breakfast was saved, thanks to you and one of the granola bars :) Thanks!
Made these yesterday – they are amazing! Thanks for the great recipe.
My family loved these–I made two batches in two weeks! Made them, loved them, posted them! http://www.fransfavs.com/2015/01/chewy-peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-granola-bars/
If you cut the pan into 12 bars per the recipe = approximately 212 calories per bar
I cut mine into 24 bars = approximately 106 calories per bar
What is the calorie an for what size bar?
Instead of puffed rice cereal, could I substitute crispy rice cereal? It’s what I already have on hand.
Hi Angela, I think that would work okay.
Did anyone figure out the nutritional info for these? I was wondering how they compare to the standard granola bar–although these look much better!
The perfect on the go snack! Love the peanut butter and chocolate chip combo!
Thanks for this great recipe. Also, thanks for including how long they can be stored. I’ve always wanted to try making my own granola bars, but never knew how to store them.
Those look amazing! Granola Bars were always one of my favorite snacks too. I love that these are healthier than store bought ones.
I love granola bars and homemade versions are so much healthier with less additives and sugars. These look yummy and the peanut butter sounds perfect!
Oooh! I bet you could even add protein powder if you wanted to make a homemade protein bar too! The store bought ones always taste so strange.
I hope you include these in your freezer stash. These are the perfect kinds of snacks for new mommas!
I love that these have no butter or sugar in them! So many granola bars are so unhealthy! I am always looking for lighter recipes for granola bars that you can feel good about eating.
I’m so excited to try this recipe. So delicious! So inspirational!
Happy new year!
http://www.trangscorner.com
these look amazing – yum!!
These look amazing and exactly like the store bought kind. I love that you made them with dates too.
These remind me of the peanut Tracker bars I got at the vending machine each week after I’d been swimming with friends as a kid. Definitely going to make these, they look gorgeous and those nostalic memories, too.
These look great. this may be a dumb question, but how do you puree the dates? I don’t have a food processor. Would a Vitamix work? It seems like it would just be gummy mess?
Hi Linda, I used my food processor. I think a Vitamix would work… if the dates are a little dry, you might need to add a little water.
I’ve been looking for a recipe like this. I too love bars, they are my go-to food, but hate all the preservatives.
These sound so good. Even better is that they contain pretty healthy ingredients.
Did you have to add water to puree the dates? This recipe looks awesome!
Hi Monika, I didn’t, but my dates were really pretty moist. If your dates are on the drier side, you could add a bit of water to get them going in the food processor.
You’re a genius! These look awesome, and I was just lamenting how much I spend on KIND and LARA bars last week. Thank you, and hope you’re staying comfortable these last few weeks!!
These look really yummy! Question on the puffed rice ingredient; is this like Rice Krispies or is it the squishy, puffs of puffed rice cereal? Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I have see Rice Krispies referred to as puffed rice in other recipes, so just wanted clarification. Thanks!
Hi Theresa, This is different than Rice Krispies (usually that would be referred to as crisped rice or crispy rice cereal)… you would the puffed rice cereal for these.
These look fantastic and I have all of the ingredients. I love how thick and chewy they look and the really good clean cuts you get…can’t wait to try them!
Hi I love Ben my question is I am not a huge fan of dates so could I use something other than date puree as I am a diabetic and love making snacks I can consume safely.thank you happy new year.
Hi Courtney, You could puree any other type of dried fruit you’d like.
So you shape it into bars before you bake them?
Can you read? Have you ever been in a kitchen?
Didn’t realize trolls hung out on recipe websites. I’ll clarify my question to the actual author of the article…
“using the back of a wooden spoon, press firmly into an even layer, making it as compact as possible.” Makes me think it would be all together… But then the next line makes it seem like it’s not. So…I just wanted clarification…
While I’m not the author, I have made granola bars before and I would say that you do wait to make them into bars/cut them up until after they are baked. Granola bars tend to be kind of gloppy and don’t hold the best shape (at least the ones I’ve made). So, you put them in a pan (in this case a 9×9) and bake them until they are firm. Then you slice them up into bars. Hope that helps a bit! :)
maybe this helps – you press all the mixture into a big sheet of granola bar, firmly packing is the only way to make them stick before baking. then after baking and cooled you flip the entire granola “brick” out of the pan and cut into desired shapes and sizes.
Thanks ladies. I hope I didnt sound as clueless as she was making me sound, but the instructions didbkind of throw me off. So the when she says edges should be brown, she just means the outside of the whole thing. Great! Thanks again! :)
You don’t sound clueless. Unless you’ve made granola bars before, you wouldn’t know that they are more like Rice Krispy treats (put everything in the pan and let cool before cutting/shaping) than chocolate chip cookies (shaped prior to cooking). :)
Hi Liza, I’m sorry if the wording was confusing, but no, you pack the mixture into the pan, bake it, then once cool, you slice into bars. Enjoy!
This is exactly what I was thinking about making today! Only thing is I don’t have any dates at the house. Any suggestions for substitute?
Hi Rebecca, You just really need a sticky binder, so you could puree other dried fruit like figs, apricots, raisins, etc.
I will have to try this new version. your old granola bar recipe is a big hit especially with my son and his college buddies.
I’ve been wanting to try pureed dates in something and these bars sound scrumptious. I always get REALLY hungry around 4 o’clock, so these would fit the bill when I go lookin’ for something healthier to snack on.
These look absolutely delicious and i love that its healthy too :) Stock your freezer up with these…