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February 22, 2019

No Bake Homemade Granola Bars with Peanut Butter

Dairy Free Gluten Free Vegan Vegetarian Bars + Energy Balls Breakfast + Brunch Snacks
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These 5 minute homemade granola bars with peanut butter are not only delicious and nutritious, but they are also vegan, and, if you use gluten free certified oats and brown rice cereal, gluten free!

Oh yeah: and you don’t even need to turn on your oven! They’re the perfect portable snack – especially for summer.

Make a big batch and enjoy them all week. They also freeze well if you want to save some for later! 

5 minute no bake peanut butter granola bars recipe

5-Minute, No Bake Homemade Granola Bars with Peanut Butter

One of the most popular recipes on my blog, these homemade peanut butter granola bars are perfect for something healthy to grab while on the go — whether it be at work, school, or the great outdoors.

They are also absolutely delicious. Everyone I’ve made these for loves them! And you definitely won’t miss the artificial ingredients/sweeteners of most pre-packaged granola bars you’d find at the store.

Check out the video in this post to see just how easy these bars are to make.

Essentially, all you have to do is microwave the wet ingredients, mix with the dry ingredients, pour into a shallow dish, cool in the fridge, then cut into bars. That’s it! They really are that quick and easy.

I recommend making a double or triple batch. Enjoy some that week, freeze some for later (you’ll want to freeze them in individual bars for easy grabbing), and then gift the rest! 

These make an especially nice gift for new parents, or a friend or family member short on time. 

5 minute no bake peanut butter granola bars recipe

Homemade Granola Bar Variations

I really love how flexible these bars are – the variations are endless! Here are some ideas for how to mix them up and optimize them.

The flaxseeds/chia seeds are tasty and nutritious (great healthy fat!), but unnecessary to the success of the bars. You can leave them out to save money. The vanilla extract and coconut are also tasty, but can be left out with no problems.

Roasted and salted pumpkin and sunflower seeds taste the best because of the salty/sweet contrast with the brown rice syrup.

Dried fruit — cranberries, raisins, apricots, goji berries, etc. — is another tasty addition, as are chocolate chips.

Instead of peanut butter, you can try using another kind of nut or seed butter. I also love this recipe with almond butter!

5 minute no bake peanut butter granola bars recipe

And now, here’s the full recipe – but feel free to get creative with the mix ins, as I mentioned above.

5 Minute No Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars

5 Minute No Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars
May 5, 2019

These healthy bars are perfect for something healthy to grab while on the go — whether it be at work, school, or the great outdoors.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Yield
makes about 12 bars
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Ingredients:

Dry (use scant measurements):

  • 1 & 3/4 C rolled oats
  • 1 C crisp puffed brown rice cereal
  • 1/4 C pumpkin seeds
  • 1/4 C sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 C chia seeds OR 1/8 C finely ground flaxseed (both optional)
  • 1/4 C unsweetened coconut (optional)

Wet:

  • 1/2 C brown rice syrup
  • 1/3 C creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl.
  2. In a separate (microwave safe) bowl, mix together the wet ingredients, then microwave them for about 20 to 30 seconds. This will make it easier to mix and add to the dry ingredients since it’s really sticky!
  3. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix! Keep mixing until the wet binding ingredients are as well distributed as possible.
  4. Put the mixture into a shallow pan and flatten it down. Place pan in fridge to let the bars chill/set.
  5. After about 30 minutes in the fridge (or you can wait until the next day – whatever works), cut them into bars, then wrap them up in foil and store back in the fridge (or in the freezer!) for easy grabbing and go-ing!

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Love no bake snacks? Here are some others to try:

  • Oatmeal Raisin Energy Bites (vegan, gluten free with gf oats)
  • Chocolate Coconut Almond Balls (gluten free with gf oats)
  • Cinnamon Raisin Almond Balls (vegan, gluten free – only 3 ingredients!)
  • Salty Maple Nut Energy Bites (vegan, gluten free)
  • Savory Curry Granola Bars (gluten free) 
  • Savory No Bake Honey Mustard Granola Bars (gluten free)
  • Tart Cherry Pie Snack Balls (vegan, gluten free)

Want even more similar recipes?

Check this out: 10 Healthy On the Go Snack Recipes

- anne
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63 comments
  • PippaPatchwork
    February 22, 2010 · 10:15AM:
    Those look awesome, thanks for sharing! Good luck on your exam :)
    Reply
  • Beth @ DiningAndDishing
    February 22, 2010 · 11:09AM:
    I have never made my own bars before but in light of how much I spend on Cliff Bars I really should!! Thanks for the recipe :)
    Reply
  • Jessica @ How Sweet
    February 22, 2010 · 11:23AM:
    Those look perfect!! I will definitely be trying them. I have always been looking for the perfect granola bar recipe, too!
    Reply
  • Sarah
    February 22, 2010 · 11:29AM:
    Those look delicious! I wonder what could be substituted to make a gluten free variety (without using GF oats)...
    Good question! I'm not very knowledgeable about gluten free products... please let us know if you come up with anything! -Anne
    Reply
  • Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg
    February 22, 2010 · 11:32AM:
    This looks so easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing!
    Reply
  • Estela @ Weekly Bite
    February 22, 2010 · 11:36AM:
    Looks great! I've never made my own granola bar before... I'm dying to try though :)
    Reply
  • Becky @ flybynyght
    February 22, 2010 · 12:18PM:
    Mmmm, can't wait to try them! ...just need to find rice syrup... Good luck on your exam!
    I bought it at Whole Foods! I bet regular grocery stores might have it too, but I haven't looked! -Anne
    Reply
  • Lisa @ lists in my pocket
    February 22, 2010 · 3:45PM:
    Hmm I just might have to try these. Any idea what the calorie count would be? I'm more focused on that right now, especially for snacks.
    I'm not sure... I'd guess around 250 or so per bar but I really have no idea.. I'm sorry! If you enter the ingredients into an online calculation thingy to find out, please let me know! I would but I just don't have time :( -Anne
    Reply
  • Julie @ Pickley Pear
    February 22, 2010 · 4:44PM:
    The granola bars looks great, and so easy! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Good luck on your exam today!!
    Reply
  • Lisa (bakebikeblog)
    February 22, 2010 · 5:12PM:
    They look so good! I wonder if I can find some brown rice syrup in Aus?
    Reply
  • Leena
    February 22, 2010 · 5:36PM:
    wow! these look soooo good! i definitely will have to try them! the recipe sounds so easy! thanks for sharing!!! :)
    Reply
  • Gracie @ Girl Meets Health
    February 22, 2010 · 8:54PM:
    Those look great!! I love the ingredient list. Not only is everything super nutritious, but the list itself is quite short and nothing is out of the ordinary; I can actually see myself making these. I can also see myself crumbling one of those babies atop some oatmeal or yogurt. Yum!
    Yes, brevity is key with recipes for me!! If I see a recipe that has a billion ingredients, even if it sounds good, I'm usually way too lazy to make it ;) Good call on the crumbling over yogurt - I'll be trying that tomorrow! :) -Anne
    Reply
  • Jessica @ The Process of Healing
    February 22, 2010 · 9:26PM:
    Yum.. those sound so good!! I have yet to make homemade bars.. why have I waited so long?! For this fabulous recipe of course haha seriously, I will have to try these!
    Haha, exactly ;) -Anne
    Reply
  • emily
    February 22, 2010 · 9:34PM:
    Those are such a good idea, I like the idea of a no-bake granola bar. I hope your exam went well!
    Reply
  • caronae
    February 22, 2010 · 10:21PM:
    Mmmmm! I just made Averie's no bake pb bars and they were so easy and tasty. I'll have to try yours next. Hope the exam went well:)
    Reply
  • Hillary [Nutrition Nut on the Run]
    February 22, 2010 · 10:53PM:
    Those are all seeds, silly...not nuts. Good luck with your exam!
    Haha yeah I meant to show you could use nuts or seeds.... but apparently I just used seeds. Haha. :) -Annebut
    Reply
  • Lu
    February 23, 2010 · 9:07AM:
    I'm so trying those granola bars. I hope the exam goes well. Way to tackle the snow and ice. That is great cardio! Hope you enjoyed Shutter Island too.
    Reply
  • Andrea @ CanYouStayForDinner.com
    February 23, 2010 · 1:47PM:
    Anne these look amazing! So quick and easy. I'm going to try them this week, thanks for the recipe!
    Reply
  • Becky
    February 23, 2010 · 9:54PM:
    Thanks for the recipe - can't wait to give it the ole' college try! Hope the exam went well!
    Reply
  • MegaNerd
    February 24, 2010 · 7:21AM:
    Wow these look great! (and easy to make, too!) I only have sweetened coconut, do you think that would still work? Otherwise I think I have all that stuff! lol
    Sure that would definitely work! It'll just make 'em a bit sweeter :) -Anne
    Reply
  • Caitlin March 3, 2010 · 9:20AM:
    these look great! any substitutions for brown rice syrup?
    Not as far as I know... I've tried it with other stuff but this works best! They're the main thing that make them stick together. -Anne
    Reply
  • Natalie March 5, 2010 · 10:12AM:
    I made these at the beginning of the week! But, I added chocolate chips and cherries, too. DELICIOUS! What a great, easy treat. It is hard to not each the entire batch in one sitting.
    Reply
  • Brandy March 5, 2010 · 4:03PM:
    Oh my gosh. Totally excited I found this!!! Thanks for your great ideas.
    Reply
  • Miranda
    April 9, 2010 · 2:41PM:
    Seriously love these. First batch I made I hadn't found and brown rice syrup, so I subed the 1/2 cup of that for 1/4cup honey and 1/4cup maple syrup. That was good for sure. I've gotten my second batch under my belt now and made with brown rice sryup *which btw is Ah-may-zing*! Thanks!
    Reply
  • Kim Hoffman April 26, 2010 · 12:10PM:
    Just tried making these for the first time today. They are delicious!! Thanks so much.
    Reply
    • Anne P
      April 26, 2010 · 12:37PM:
      You are very welcome :)
      Reply
  • lelaine September 2, 2010 · 2:22AM:
    Hi! I super love granola bars and im a vegetarian so all the more go go for your recipe! I'll be trying this later n tell u how it goes! How long is the shelf life of this granola???? Super thanx!!!!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      September 2, 2010 · 5:43PM:
      I hope you like them! If you want to keep the granola bars longer than a week or two, store them individually wrapped in foil in the freezer :) They'll last a couple months!
      Reply
  • Kathryn
    November 4, 2010 · 2:09PM:
    I made these today and they are SO YUMMY! I omitted the flaxseeds and added walnuts and goji berries to the mix. Thanks for the great recipe!
    Reply
  • Andie
    November 15, 2010 · 10:21AM:
    I made these yesterday! I ♥LOVE♥ them. Thank you so much for the recipe. I do have one question. Do you know the nutritional values for the bars?
    Reply
    • Anne P
      November 15, 2010 · 10:43AM:
      Hooray! Unfortunately I don't have the nutritional stats - I'm sorry!
      Reply
  • Nadia
    November 16, 2010 · 6:54PM:
    I made these a few minutes ago and they are AMAZING!!! I love love love them. Thanks for the recipe. Since a lot of people are asking for the nutritional stats (and because I have time on my hands, lol), I calculated it. This information is based on 12 bars: Nutrition Facts Serving Size 47 g Calories 189 Total Carbohydrates 24.6g Dietary Fiber 4.4g Sugars 9.3g Protein 6.0g
    Reply
    • Anne P
      November 16, 2010 · 8:13PM:
      Wonderful -- THANK you!! I will update the page with this info when I get a chance :)
      Reply
    • Lauren May 14, 2012 · 8:32AM:
      Thank you Nadia for the nutritional stats. Do you know what the Sodium is? Not sure how to figure that out? Thanks!!!!
      Reply
      • Anne P
        May 14, 2012 · 10:01AM:
        You can use SparkRecipes.com to calculate nutritional stats if you like!
        Reply
  • Karen R November 21, 2010 · 8:25PM:
    I finally got the ingredients to make the homemade granola...its delicious. I added some craisans to mine( i love them) YUMMY!!!
    Reply
  • Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga)
    November 21, 2010 · 8:45PM:
    I just saw these linked from another blog. They look great! I have a 5 minute vegan PM granola bar recipe too that I posted last Jan and have been making them ever since. http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2010/01/vegan-peanut-butter-choc-chip-protein.html Just delete this comment if the link drop isn't cool! I totally understand :)
    Reply
  • Carol March 17, 2011 · 6:10PM:
    These were great! I'm going to get my 8-yr old daughter to help me make the next batch. They're so easy. And good for post workout munching.
    Reply
  • Holly March 31, 2011 · 4:07PM:
    I came across your blog from a friend and am in love with it! You cook just the way I do. I have already made your Vegan whole wheat carrot cake muffins (wow, so impressed by the flavor!!) and I just made these granola bars. I've been dying to make my own granola bars but was intimidated, this recipe seemed simple enough and it was! They're delicious and exactly what I was looking. Btw-I am having a hard time eating just one carrot cake muffin at a time! I am so interested in nutrition and would love to go back to school sometime and persue it. Goodluck, your blog will continue to inspire me!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      March 31, 2011 · 5:31PM:
      Thanks for the sweet comment, Holly! So glad you're enjoying the blog :)
      Reply
  • Michelle January 22, 2012 · 8:57PM:
    Just had my 3girls make their own batch each. They just loved making them and cant wait to try some. Do you know of another sub for peanut butter we can't have this at school??
    Reply
    • Anne P
      January 22, 2012 · 9:15PM:
      Awesome! :) Can you have almond butter at school? That would work, too!
      Reply
      • Michelle January 26, 2012 · 1:55AM:
        Thanks for the alternative, as long as there are no kids with an almond allergy :)
        Reply
  • Libby June 11, 2012 · 10:08PM:
    Just made these (with 3 substitutions, because shopping in Pinehurst is rough going) and they are still delicious! :)
    Reply
    • Anne P
      June 12, 2012 · 7:06AM:
      Aw, yay! Glad you liked them. :)
      Reply
  • Kristen @ Change of Pace
    July 19, 2012 · 8:43PM:
    We made some over the weekend and they were gone within a few days. My whole family loves them... Especially my 4 year old and 2 year old. Thanks for a great recipe!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      July 20, 2012 · 7:21AM:
      My pleasure - glad they were a hit!
      Reply
  • Melissa B August 25, 2012 · 1:01PM:
    These look awesome! Any ideas for ways to increase the protein content? Do you think they would still come out well if I added some protein powder?
    Reply
    • Anne P
      August 25, 2012 · 1:36PM:
      I'm not sure... you could try and let me know! It'd probably work fine. You might just need a little more PB/brown rice syrup so they still stick!
      Reply
  • luv what you do
    August 28, 2012 · 10:01PM:
    These look incredible! I'm looking for something like this to take camping with me this weekend. Do you think I can sub in honey or agave for the brown rice syrup? I think I'm out of it!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      August 29, 2012 · 8:20AM:
      I'd recommend only using brown rice syrup - honey or agave won't be sticky enough to hold them together!
      Reply
      • luv what you do
        August 31, 2012 · 12:02AM:
        Thanks! I will have to pick up some more when I get back into town. Can't wait to try this recipe!
        Reply
  • Gina August 31, 2012 · 10:50AM:
    I'm newly trying a gluten-free diet, so I thought I'd make a batch of these to have some gluten-free snacks on hand. Of course the only gluten-free oats Whole Foods had were steel cut, but I'd already bought the other ingredients so thought I'd give it a shot. I ended up briefly "cooking" the oats in the syrup and (almond) butter, and though they're very chewy and don't hold together too well, they're still tasty! Not necessarily a substitution I'd recommend if you have normal oats, but I thought I'd comment to let people know it works if that's all they've got! Thanks for the recipe!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      August 31, 2012 · 11:15AM:
      Thanks for sharing! I bet steel cut would be fine raw - try it that way next time!
      Reply
  • melissa September 12, 2012 · 8:06PM:
    Hi! I never posted here before but I found a link to this recipe from KERF. I just had to try it BUT....for a new foodie it took me three days to get the ingredients. I bought pumpkin seeds since that is what it says but you really need pepitas and the syrup was a little tuff to find as well but finally found it at Kroger. Anyhow LLLLLOOOOVVVEEE it so yummy :) Thanks!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      September 13, 2012 · 9:46AM:
      Glad they were worth the effort! :)
      Reply
  • Ulli
    October 8, 2012 · 5:21AM:
    Oh wow, they look delicious!! I have some granola-bar recipes on my blog too, its really great that you can make your own in such little time and a lot healthier than bought ones!! Have a great day! Ulli
    Reply
  • Kim October 11, 2012 · 2:07PM:
    These are a big hit with my family. Even my picky son loves them- and he wouldn't eat most of the ingredients on their own. Curious whether you use salted or unsalted peanut butter.
    Reply
  • Mia November 20, 2012 · 3:49PM:
    Just made and posted your bars to twitter! Batch 1 has cashew butter subbed for pb and I added pumpkin seeds, coconut, cranberries, and chia. Batch 2 has pb and coconut butter pb with chia, hemp, coconut, pumpkin seeds, and chocolate chips stirred in. Ridiculous! Thanks for a great recipe!!!!!!
    Reply
  • Sarah August 1, 2013 · 8:25PM:
    Made these tonight and they were super easy to make. I love the addition of peanut butter. I didn't have brown rice syrup so I used honey. Its taking me everything not to go back into my fridge to eat more. This recipe would be easy to put in an oven on low for 40 min to make into a granola. I shared this recipe with friends.
    Reply
    • Anne
      August 1, 2013 · 9:57PM:
      I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing :)
      Reply
  • RP September 8, 2020 · 9:57PM:
    Can I replace the brown rice syrup with maple syrup?
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 9, 2020 · 1:37PM:
      No, unfortunately not - it's not as sticky as brown rice syrup, so it won't hold the bars together well enough.
      Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

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