Homemade Granola Bars without Peanut Butter
Whether for packed lunches or an easy snack, these homemade granola bars without peanut butter are the perfect option! With simple, real food ingredients and a few basic steps, you’ll never want to buy the packaged version again.
Up until now, we’ve mostly avoided snacks in our house. If our kids are hungry, they know that they can always have a glass of milk, yogurt, or a hard-boiled egg. But, as they’ve gotten older and have started participating and competing in sports, I’ve added a few homemade options to our repertoire for hungry, growing kids.
These no bake granola bars, along with date energy balls and gummies, have been the snacks that I’ve found myself making over and over again.
Because not all of our children are peanut butter lovers and there are strict peanut and nut free policies in some of the activities they are involved in, I wanted a peanut butter and nut free option that was still satisfying and delicious!
Ingredients in Homemade Granola Bars
Oats – I prefer to use rolled oats in this recipe, but quick oats could work too. We prefer to either buy rolled oats in bulk from Azure Standard or the One Degree Sprouted Rolled Oats from Costco.
Chopped Nuts (optional) – We enjoy the taste and texture of adding a ½ cup of sliced almonds or cashew pieces to this recipe, but they could also be omitted for a completely nut free option.
Butter – There’s something about using real butter to make the syrup in this recipe that elevates the taste of these bars. However, ghee or coconut oil could be substituted for a dairy free version.
Brown Sugar – Brown sugar combined with the butter and maple syrup makes for a delicious syrup in these granola bars. For a more natural swap, we like to substitute the brown sugar for sucanat (or natural sugar cane with the molasses still in it).
Maple Syrup – Maple syrup is the perfect companion to the butter and brown sugar in the syrup of these granola bars. Alternatively, honey would be a perfect swap.
Sea Salt
Raisins – We like to buy organic raisins in bulk from Azure Standard. Or, these dried cranberries sweetened with apple juice would make a delicious alternative.
Chocolate Chips – Mini chocolate chips are ideal in this recipe, but we typically use the regular sized ones that we have on hand, and they work just fine too!
How to Make Homemade Granola Bars without Peanut Butter
The first step is to toast the oats and optional nuts. This is essential to bring out a deeper, nuttier flavor and remove any moisture in the oats to integrate better with the syrup binder in these no-bake granola bars.
Place the oats and nuts (if using) on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350°F (180° C).
While the oats are cooking, make the syrup by combining butter, maple syrup (or honey), and brown sugar in a small sauce pan. Warm the syrup over medium heat until the butter is completely melted, the sugar is dissolved, and a light boil is achieved.
Don’t skip this step by combining melted butter with the sugars (I’ve tried—it doesn’t work!). Warming the syrup to ensure that the sugar is completely dissolved and eliminating any excess moisture causes the syrup, when cooled, to act as a glue or binder, locking the oats together so they don’t crumble apart.
Once the oats are toasted, place them into a medium sized mixing bowl. Add a sprinkle of salt to the butter/sugar syrup mixture and pour it over the oats. Stir together so that the oats are completely covered by the syrup binder.
Wait 10 minutes for the mixture to cool down before stirring in the raisins and chocolate chips (to avoid melting the chocolate chips).
Line a 9×9 inch baking ban (or 8×8 for thicker bars) with parchment paper. You can skip the parchment paper and grease the pan thoroughly, but the parchment paper does make a big difference to be able to pull the bars out and easily cut them.
Pour the granola bar mixture into the lined pan. Press the whole mixture down into the pan thoroughly, especially around the perimeter and corners. This step is really helpful for avoiding crumbly granola bars.
Cover the granola bars and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, until completely chilled, before cutting the bars.
To making cutting the bars easier, I like to remove from the pan and place on a baking sheet or cutting board.
Store the bars in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. These homemade granola bars can also be frozen for up to 6 months.
Troubleshooting Homemade Granola Bars
– How to Avoid Crumbly Granola Bars
Crumbly granola bars are primarily caused by the ratio of the binder to oats being off. If the oats crumble apart, try adding a bit more butter/maple syrup to the syrup. Pressing the bars thoroughly into the pan, heating the syrup enough can also make a big difference, and making sure to thoroughly coat the oats in the syrup all can also help the granola bars to stick together and not fall apart.
Note – these homemade granola bars are softer bars and more delicate than most packaged granola bars.
Homemade Granola Bars without Peanut Butter Recipe
Yield: 12 Bars
Ingredients:
– 2.5 cups rolled oats
– ½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
– ⅓ cup butter
– ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
– ½ cup maple syrup or honey
– ¼ tsp sea salt
– ½ cup raisins
– ¼ cup chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180° C) and toast oats (2.5 cups) and nuts (1/2 cup) on a rimmed baking pan for 10-15 minutes.
2. While oats are baking, prepare syrup by combining butter (1/3 cup), packed brown sugar (1/4 cup), and maple syrup (1/2 cup) in a small sauce pan.
3. Heat syrup over medium heat until butter is melted, sugar is completely dissolved, and the syrup is lightly boiling. Remove from heat.
4. When the oats are baked, put oats and nuts into mixing bowl.
5. Add sea salt (1/4 tsp) to butter/sugar syrup and pour over oats.
6. Stir together and let sit for at least 10 minutes to cool before stirring in raisins and chocolate chips.
7. Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper and pour granola bar mixture into prepared pan.
8. Press mixture thoroughly into pan, making sure to get the edges and corners so they don’t crumble apart.
9. Put pan in the refrigerator and let cool for at least 2 hours before cutting.
10. To cut, remove parchment paper and slice into bars.
For more homemade snacks you’ll love:
- Nut and Date Energy Balls (The Ultimate 3 Ingredient Snack!)
- Easy Elderberry Gummies (or other fruit juices!)
- 6 Ingredient Nut Free Granola
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Homemade Granola Bars without Peanut Butter
Whether for packed lunches or an easy snack, these homemade granola bars without peanut butter are the perfect option! With simple, real food ingredients and a few basic steps, you’ll never want to buy the packaged version again.
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
- ⅓ cup butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup raisins
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and toast oats (2.5 cups) and nuts (1/2 cup) on a rimmed baking pan for 10-15 minutes.
- While oats are baking, prepare syrup by combining butter (1/3 cup), packed brown sugar (1/4 cup), and maple syrup (1/2 cup) in a small sauce pan.
- Heat syrup over medium heat until butter is melted, sugar is completely dissolved, and the syrup is lightly boiling. Remove from heat.
- When the oats are baked, put oats and nuts into mixing bowl.
- Add sea salt (1/4 tsp) to butter/sugar syrup and pour over oats.
- Stir together and let sit for at least 10 minutes to cool before stirring in raisins and chocolate chips.
- Line a 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper and pour granola bar mixture into prepared pan.
- Press mixture thoroughly into pan, making sure to get the edges and corners so they don’t crumble apart.
- Put pan in the refrigerator and let cool for at least 2 hours before cutting.
- To cut, remove parchment paper and slice into bars.
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