Posted Jun 13, 2017, Updated Oct 17, 2021
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!
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.
Bake the bars
These Peanut 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. I love 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.
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