Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe (2024)

By Laura

Posted Jun 13, 2017, Updated Oct 17, 2021

5 from 6 votes

127 Comments

Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe is a healthy homemade snack for busy moms! They are oil-free and sugar-free because they are sweetened with dates! Plus they are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and full of protein and fiber!

Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe (2)

These Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars are a yummy and healthy homemade snack (along with these Chocolate Paleo Energy Balls).

They are made with 8 nutritious ingredients, sweetened with dates, and loaded with protein and fiber! They also freeze well, so it’s easy to make a batch and always have them on hand for snack emergencies!

Truth be told, most of the prepackaged snacks out there don’t meet my standards of health and nutrition, so I almost always make my own – I even make homemade fruit snacks!

Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe (3)

How to make this Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe

These granola bars are super easy to make, but I want to note a couple of things about the method!

Soak the dates:To do this – measure out the dates into a glass container and pour boiling water over them until they’re completely submerged. Soak for 15-30 minutes or until the dates are soft. Then drain the dates, add them to the container of your Vitamix.

Blend:there are two options when making this recipe. If you like chunkier granola bars more similar to store-bought varieties, then do not blend the dry ingredients (follow the recipe as it’s written). If you prefer a less chunky bar, you can toss the dry ingredients into a Vitamix and blend everything together at the end. You’ll need to scrape the sides and use the tamper if you opt to do that though, because the mixture will be thick.

Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe (4)

Bake the bars

ThesePeanut Butter Granola Bars need to be baked. I tried them as no-bakes but they were only good when eaten straight out of the freezer! So please don’t forget this step!

Store/freeze

Let the peanut butter granola bars cool completely. Then, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Serve them chilled or at room temperature.

Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe: Substitutions

As always I recommend making the recipe exactly as written, however there are some possible substitutions for this recipe that will not compromise the taste or texture of these bars.

  • Dates. Ilove being able to use dates as a sweetener in healthy treats – like this Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe – instead of sugar. I don’t recommend substituting the dates in this recipe.
  • Almond milk: Any non-dairy or regular milk works in this recipe. I recommend using unsweetened varieties.
  • Peanut butter:Any nut or seed butter can be used in place of peanut butter – suggestions include almond butter, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter.
  • Old-fashioned oats:I have also used quick-cooking oats with great results.
  • Almond meal:If you need to leave out the almond meal you can simply increase the amount of oats by 1/4 cup.
Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe (6)

Recipe FAQs

How long do homemade granola bars last?

These last for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes, double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13″ pan.

Can I omit the coconut?

You can replace coconut with an equal amount of oatmeal.

Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe (7)

If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can your creations!

Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe (8)

Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe (9)

SavePinPrint

Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe

Laura

This Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe is a healthy homemade snack for busy moms! They are oil-free and sugar-free because they are sweetened with dates! Plus they are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and full of protein and fiber!

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 10 granola bars

Calories 172.1

Prep Time15 minutes minutes

Cook Time30 minutes minutes

Total Time45 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  • Line an 8×8” square baking pan with parchment paper and grease, set aside.

  • Mix oats, coconut, almond meal, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl, set aside.

  • Add the soaked dates and almond milk to the container of your Vitamix (or other high-powered blender).

  • Blend, starting on low speed and increasing to high until ingredients are well blended but not totally smooth.

  • Scrape down the sides of your container and add the peanut butter and vanilla extract. Blend again until mixture is smooth.

  • Pour wet mixture into the bowl containing the dry ingredients. Mix by hand until well-combined.

  • Pour batter into the prepared baking dish and spread until evenly distributed. If desired, add chocolate chips to the top.

  • Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the top is set and the edges are golden brown.

  • Set dish on a wire rack to cool. Once completely cooled, cut into bars and enjoy.

  • Store in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container!

Notes

You can double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13″ pan.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Dates. Ilove being able to use dates as a sweetener in healthy treats – like this Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe – instead of sugar. I don’t recommend substituting the dates in this recipe.
  • Almond milk: Any non-dairy or regular milk works in this recipe. I recommend using unsweetened varieties.
  • Peanut butter:Any nut or seed butter can be used in place of peanut butter – suggestions include almond butter, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter.
  • Old-fashioned oats:I have also used quick-cooking oats with great results.
  • Almond meal:If you need to leave out the almond meal you can simply increase the amount of oats by 1/4 cup.

Store/freeze

Let the peanut butter granola bars cool completely. Then, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Serve them chilled or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Granola Bar | Calories: 172.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.4g | Protein: 4.4g | Fat: 10.8g | Saturated Fat: 5.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.9g | Sodium: 25.8mg | Potassium: 57.8mg | Fiber: 3.7g | Sugar: 7.1g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 0.8mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question? Leave a comment below!

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine!

Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Delena Feil

Last Updated:

Views: 5848

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (65 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Delena Feil

Birthday: 1998-08-29

Address: 747 Lubowitz Run, Sidmouth, HI 90646-5543

Phone: +99513241752844

Job: Design Supervisor

Hobby: Digital arts, Lacemaking, Air sports, Running, Scouting, Shooting, Puzzles

Introduction: My name is Delena Feil, I am a clean, splendid, calm, fancy, jolly, bright, faithful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.