No-Bake Chocolate Granola Bars

With only a handful of flavorful substances (together with chocolate and peanut butter), these crispy no-bake Chocolate Granola Bars are delish as a snack or dessert. They take about 10 minutes to make and you may retailer them within the fridge or freezer for weeks.

Chocolate Granola Bars

Made with rolled oats, crispy rice cereal, peanut butter, chocolate and extra, this recipe is a cinch to combine collectively and arrange. And the feel is sort of a rice krispie deal with, solely with extra taste and substance. These are significantly delish and in addition tremendous satisfying—an ideal do-it-yourself snack to maintain us fueled!

That is considered one of my go-to do-it-yourself snack recipes to make for pals once they have a brand new child in the home or to make once I’m attempting to inventory the freezer with do-it-yourself snacks. They’re additionally nice to take climbing or on tenting journeys.

The beauty of this recipe is that you just stir the substances collectively, let it set, and slice up the bars. No cooking required. (And you’ll safely style the batter, identical to with my Bliss Balls.)

Elements You Want

To make this straightforward recipe you’ll must have the next substances available.

• Rolled oats: These oats add fiber and entire grains, and soften in the remainder of the combination.
• Crispy rice cereal: Rice Krispies or a retailer model work the identical.
• Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet or darkish chocolate chips work nicely right here.
• Unsweetened pure peanut butter: Manufacturers like Smucker’s Pure or Teddie’s work nicely right here. (I’m positive an everyday creamy peanut butter will work if that’s what you’ve got.)
• Brown rice syrup: I exploit this syrup in my no-bake granola bars because it’s stickier than honey, so it helps the bars maintain collectively very well. It’s additionally much less candy tasting, which is sweet since there are different candy substances right here. It’s normally bought close to the agave or you’ll be able to order it on Amazon. One jar will make two batches of those bars.
• Dried cherries or raisins: I like this with dried cherries, however raisins work too. You may as well skip this addition if you wish to simplify.
• Shredded unsweetened coconut: I like the flavour this provides, so I typically use some instead of ½ cup of the oats, however that’s non-compulsory. In any other case you’ll be able to skip it.

TIP: You should use honey instead of the brown rice syrup. The bars gained’t maintain collectively fairly as nicely, so be sure you retailer them within the fridge and serve them very chilly for greatest outcomes.

Step-by-Step Directions

Right here’s a have a look at the method concerned in making this recipe for your loved ones. Scroll all the way down to the underside of this publish for the total info.

1. Add the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and brown rice syrup to a giant heat-safe bowl.
2. Heat within the microwave. Stir to soften the chocolate.
3. Add the dry substances to the bowl with the chocolate combination. Stir with a picket spoon, transitioning to utilizing your arms when it’s laborious to combine. Combine the substances nicely to type a uniform batter. It might take a minute or two.
4. Pour batter right into a pan lined with parchment paper and press down evenly. Pop into the fridge briefly to agency up, then take away from the pan and slice into bars.

TIP: You possibly can wrap these individually and retailer, or retailer them in a container free. Each work!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

This recipe is simple to make gluten-free in case you use licensed gluten-free rolled oats, which you need to be capable of discover at most grocery shops.

Why do you employ brown rice syrup?

I do know that brown rice syrup isn’t a pantry staple that the majority of us have in the home, however one jar will make two batches—and you may retailer it within the fridge till you’re able to make the second batch. You should purchase it on-line or search for it close to the sugar or agave in your grocery retailer. My small city shops each carry it.

Can I make this recipe nut-free?

For no matter cause, peanut butter binds the very best on this recipe. To make the bars nut-free, use sunflower seed butter as an alternative and serve them chilly out of the fridge.

The right way to Retailer

Retailer within the fridge for as much as 5 days in an hermetic container or within the freezer in a zipper high bag for as much as 3 months. You possibly can wrap every bar in plastic wrap so that they’re straightforward to seize and go.

Finest Suggestions for Success

• Use easy pure and unsweetened peanut butter.
• Go away an overhang on two sides of the pan with the parchment paper so you’ll be able to raise the bars out to simply reduce them.
• Use your arms to combine the batter as wanted to get it evenly coated.
• Chill for a bit earlier than slicing.
• I favor to retailer these wrapped individually in plastic wrap.
• Use honey for the brown rice syrup, however be sure you serve them straight from the fridge as they’ll must be chilly to carry collectively as nicely.
• Cube up into small items for youthful eaters. Or make thinner bars by utilizing a 9×11-inch pan as an alternative of the 8×8-inch pan I present right here, which might be simpler to chunk into and chew.

I’d love to listen to your suggestions on this recipe, so please remark beneath to share!

• Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving sufficient on the perimeters so that you can raise the bars out of the pan.

• Add the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and brown rice syrup to a big heat-proof bowl. Warmth within the microwave in 30 second intervals till easy, stopping to stir. (It ought to take a minute).

• Add the cereal, oats, cereal, and dried cherries.

• Stir with a picket spoon, then use your (clear) arms to therapeutic massage the substances collectively till nicely included.

• Pour into pan and use your arms to press down firmly and evenly.

• Chill for 10-20 minutes, use the parchment to take away from the pan, and slice into bars. Serve chilled (they are going to be firmer) or at room temperature.

• To retailer, wrap every bar in plastic wrap and retailer in a zipper high bag within the fridge for as much as 2 weeks or within the freezer for as much as 3 months. To retailer within the freezer, place bars in a zipper high bag and take away as a lot air as potential.
• I favor to retailer these wrapped individually in plastic wrap.
• Use easy pure and unsweetened peanut butter.
• Go away an overhang on two sides of the pan with the parchment paper so you’ll be able to raise the bars out to simply reduce them.
• Chill for a bit earlier than slicing.
• Nut-free: Use sunflower seed butter as an alternative of the peanut butter.
• Gluten-free: Use licensed gluten-free rolled oats.
• Sub ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut for a number of the oats, if desired.
• Slice into smaller items if desired. Or make thinner bars by utilizing a 9×11-inch pan as an alternative of the 8×8-inch pan I present right here.

Serving: 1bar, Energy: 269kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 6g, Fats: 13g, Saturated Fats: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g, Monounsaturated Fats: 4g, Ldl cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 89mg, Potassium: 157mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 1mg

This recipe was first printed August 2019.