Peanut Butter Maple Bars
Gooey no-bake granola bars for kids and adults
I’ve been making these simple granola bars on the fly, without a written recipe, for awhile now. It didn’t actually occur to me that I should write a “real” recipe for the bars until I realized yesterday that every time I make a batch they disappear instantly.
So, as my 9 year old says, I snapped a “quick pic” so you could see what the bars look like and I’ve included the recipe below.
Sometimes, as a recipe developer, I forget that the simplest recipes are often the ones people appreciate most. These bars are definitely simple: They have 6 ingredients and take about 10 minutes to make, plus 1 hour to chill in the fridge. You can make a batch quickly so your kids (or you) have an easy treat to grab from the fridge after school or after dinner.
These gooey bars fall more into the “dessert” granola bar category than the “healthy” granola bar category. They’re sweet and nutty with a pinch of salt and a hint of maple flavor. The texture is kind of like a soft Rice Krispies treat.
P.S. You can make these bars with any type of nut or seed butter, or even a blend of different nut butters. My kids like peanut butter so that’s what I use.
P.P.S. The instructions only look long because I include helpful tips. Basically there are only 3 steps:
Warm nut butter, brown rice syrup, maple syrup and salt in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Pour it over oats and any cereal similar to Rice Krispies. Mix well.
Pat the bars into a pan and chill for 1 hour.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
2 cups of any cereal that is similar to Rice Krispies (I use generic brown rice crisps from Whole Foods)
1 cup peanut butter, or any nut or seed butter that you like (as long as it’s unsalted and unsweetened)
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
¼ cup pure maple syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Line an 8x8 square pan with parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on two sides. Set the pan aside.
In a large bowl, combine the oats and cereal.
In a smaller bowl, warm the nut/seed butter, brown rice syrup, maple syrup and salt in the microwave for 30 seconds. Mix until smooth and combined.
Pour the wet mixture over the oats and cereal and mix really well. Make sure there aren’t any dry spots.
Pat the granola bar mixture into the lined pan. It needs to be very tightly packed so that the bars hold together.
Chill the bars for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Use the overhang of parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan before cutting them into squares or longer rectangles.
Here are two tips for packing granola bars:
Wet your hands slightly, which makes it easier to press the bars down without your fingers getting too sticky.
Fold the overhang of parchment over the bars to cover them. Use the flat bottom of a small glass jar or drinking glass to press down firmly on the bars, making the batter smooth and tightly packed. The parchment paper will prevent the glass from sticking to the bars.
Ingredient Notes
Brown rice syrup is a liquid sweetener made from brown rice. It’s made by turning the starch in rice into sugar. I really like brown rice syrup for granola bars because it has a thick texture that holds bars together well. It also doesn’t taste as sweet as granulated sugar or honey.
The flavor is milder and less sweet than honey. It’s more similar to molasses, but milder and a little bit nutty. I buy brown rice syrup at Whole Foods and also use it to make back-to-school granola bars.
Recipe Notes
These bars need to be kept in the refrigerator or they get too soft and gooey. In the refrigerator they hold their shape well and still have a soft texture.
You can cut small squares or longer granola bars.
I haven’t tried it yet, but I think you could add a 1/2 cup of shredded coconut and/or chocolate chips.
You could probably even add something healthier, like a tablespoon or two of flax, chia or hemp seeds.
