5-Ingredient Granola Bars Recipe

Original recipe by Megan – The BakerMama

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup natural peanut butter or 1-1/2 cups natural almond butter (56g carb, 24g fiber, 128g fat, 64g protein)
• ¾ cup honey (279g carb)
• 4 cups pre-made dark chocolate granola (Try Love Crunch brand – Dark Chocolate and Red Berries Granola) 320carb, 80g fat, 32g protein, 32g fiber
• 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal (54 carb, 8 fiber, 10 protein, 6g fat)
• ¾ cup mini dark chocolate chips, divided (Lily brand is no added sugar and Enjoy Life brand is Vegan) (72g carb, 40.5 fat, 9g protein, 36g fiber)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with parchment paper or foil and lightly coat with coconut oil spray. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the peanut butter (or almond butter) and honey.
3. Stir in the granola and oatmeal until well combined. Stir in ½ cup of the chocolate chips.
4. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips. Use a spatula or your hands with parchment paper under them to press down firmly all over the top of the mixture making sure the top is smooth and the mixture is as compact in the dish as possible.
5.  At this point, you can lift the bars out of the dish (using the edges of the foil or parchment paper) and immediately cut into bars with a sharp knife or you can cover the dish with plastic wrap and place the bars in the refrigerator to firm them up even more, about 30 minutes, before cutting them into bars. Store cut bars in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

*These granola bars can be baked at 350 for 13-15 minutes, if desired. (made with Peanut butter, Love Crunch Granola, and Lily chocolate chips)