Last Updated: January 7, 2022
Crunchy toasted almonds, rich peanut butter and chocolate chips make these no bake granola bars a treat and a healthy(ish) snack at the same time! These super easy bars use every day ingredients and come together in just 15 mins. Make these ahead for the week and quell those hangry mid afternoon snack pangs!
I’m a genuine chocolate lover. I may have chosen strawberry ice cream 0.001% of the time over chocolate in my lifetime. Whether it’s an ice cream, cake, cookie, donut or coffee flavour I gotta pick, I always – without fail – look to see if there’s a chocolate option. If I could add chocolate – YES PLEASE!!! (ok chocolate love gush over)
So when I found Cookie and Kate’s no bake granola bars I was super excited to try ’em out. I wanted a healthy snack I could grab right away because let’s be honest, the longer you wait…the further down the bad snack choice rabbit hole you go… amirite? Also, cuz there were chocolate chips in it…
The bars were delicious! However, I personally prefer my granola bars less sticky and more chocolatey….(see above).
So I set forth to make my own adapted version and VOILA…I think I nailed a chocolatey tasty version. FYI – these bars are firmer and slightly more crumbly since I personally like them that way. These bars were a great hit with the family, my daughters LOVED them and had them for snack OVER cookies…(yes…I’m stunned too)
Toasted Almonds
The extra step to toast the sliced almonds really adds an extra depth of flavour and smokiness that make these bars irresistible.
Oats
Quick cook oats make these bars possible with the no bake option. The moisture from the peanut butter and honey soften them up and create a nice texture without being too chewy. If you have only large flake or old fashion oats, I’d recommend blitzing them in a food processor or blender beforehand.
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter goes beautifully with chocolate and these bars remind me of Reese’s peanut butter cups! I just used regular smooth peanut butter but all natural definitely works as well. I’d recommend adding an extra 1/4 tsp of salt if using the natural stuff. I’m sure other nut butters (almond, pecan, cashew) will work just as well but I haven’t tried it myself. If you try this out with another nut butter, leave a comment below to let me know how it turned out!
Honey
Honey also helps keep these bars together and adds a lovely sweetness which balance the toasted almonds. Maple syrup is also a great alternative!
Cocoa Powder
I mix in cocoa powder to give these bars that extra kick of chocolate flavour. However, these bars are great without it as well.
Let me know in the comments below what you think!
Serving Suggestions
I usually enjoy these bars straight out of the fridge with a tea or coffee. Try to just eat one!
They will soften when placed in room temperature. For an easy to go snack, I would wrap the bars in parchment paper and place them in a reusable container.
No Bake Chocolate Granola Bars
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2/3 cups sliced almonds
- 2 cups quick cook oats (or large flake oats pulsed in a food processor) (Note 1)
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter (Note 2)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat toaster oven to 350 °F
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper and lay out sliced almonds in a single layer
- Place almonds in preheated toaster oven and toast for 5-7 mins flipping once (keep an eye on 'em cuz they burn easily!) (Note 3)
- Combine peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract in a measuring cup. Stir until well mixed
- In a separate bowl, add almonds, oats, salt, cinnamon and cocoa powder. Mix until well combined
- Pour the wet peanut butter/honey mixture into the dry almond/oat mixture
- Stir mixture WELL until ALL oats are moistened (its gonna take a little arm grease!) (Note 4)
- Add in chocolate chips
- Line a square pan with parchment paper up the sides (I use the same paper from toasting the almonds)
- Pour granola mixture into the square 8"x8" pan, spread out into an even layer as best as possible. (Note 5)
- Using the bottom of a glass, press down to firmly pack the mixture (cover the top of the granola with some parchment paper when pressing down to avoid sticking)
- Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out easily. Cut into square bars and ENJOY! (Note 6)
Notes
- OATS – quick cook oats are important to create a nice texture in these bars. If you have large flake or old fashioned oats, blitz them in a food processor before adding in to make sure they aren’t too chewy.
- PEANUT BUTTER – you can use regular smooth peanut butter or all natural peanut butter. If using natural peanut butter, make sure you mix it well before measuring out (since it tends to separate). Add some additional honey and salt to taste.
- TOASTED ALMONDS – you can choose not to toast the almonds, but they add a wonderful smoky flavour to the bars. Be sure the almonds are not hot and cooled slightly before mixing. Don’t be too fussed that they are not toasted evenly, since they will be thoroughly mixed after, it won’t affect the overall flavour.
- MIXING – when mixing the dry and wet ingredients, it will seem there isn’t enough liquid to wet all the oats at first. Keep mixing! Make sure there are no dry oats left so that the bars don’t break apart and you don’t end up with dry patches. If you’re finding that you can’t get all the oats moistened, feel free to add an extra tablespoon of peanut butter.
- PAN SIZE – I’ve used a 8″x 8″ pan as well as a 9″x 6″ glass storage container. Any container will do as long as it’s about the same volume. Either size produces a bar about 1.5 inches thick depending how much you pack in the mixture.
- CUT INTO SQUARES – due to the softer texture of these bars, I recommend cutting into squares rather than bars
May Towers
The bars turned out great! Do you think these can be frozen and defrosted later to eat?
Ellen
Thanks for trying out granola bars! They can definitely be frozen and eaten later! I would recommend putting them out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes once out of the freezer to get them at a softer consistency faster.