No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars

You really can never have too many snackities, ya know?

My fridge is always bursting at the seams with muffins and no-bake bites galore. I've always wanted to make homemade granola bars, but I could never fully wrap my head around using oodles and oodles of liquid sweetener to hold them together.

When life gives you dates, make no-bake peanut butter granola bars.

Not dates as in males. Dates as in medjool. Both types are kind of sticky and annoying, but overall pretty darn sweet in the end.

I know you guys probably want to kick me in my hiney when every recipe I post requires a food processor, which I know not everyone owns. These are glorious because you can mix them in a bowl rather than having to blend up a gazillion nuts and dates in the food processor. These do require you to blend dates and water in the itty bitty nutribullet (or blender of choice), but hey...if you don't want a half a cup of honey in your bars, ya gotta blend up those naturally sweetened dates! Sacrifices, people.

I'm on an oatmeal kick. A gigantical one. Oats in a bowl breakfast with berries and almond butter. Oats in a bar for snack with chia seeds and  peanut buttah. Oats for dessert with chocolate chippies.

Oats in ALL THE THANGS.

Let's just say that this bod is getting its dose or three of cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber thanks to my recent oatmeal overload.

Ditch that afternoon cup of coffee and processed energy bar and snag one of these instead. Your taste buds, cholesterol, and wallet will thank ya! For more no-bake goodies, check out 15 Clean-Eating No-Bake Snacks.

P.S. Tossing in a handful or four or chocolate chips wouldn't be the worst idea I've ever heard...

No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars

• Author: Alexis Joseph, MS, RD, LD
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Yield: 12 1x
• Category: Snack

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 7 large pitted medjool dates(about ½ cup packed), soaked
• 5 tbsp hot water
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 3 tbsp brown rice syrup (or honey)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed

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Instructions

1. Line a shallow baking dish with parchment paper (or wax paper). I used a 7x11 glass dish.
2. Place pitted dates in a bowl. Cover with boiling or very hot water (I used my tea kettle). Allow them to soak for at least 10 minutes.
3. Place soaked dates plus 5 tbsp of the soaking water in a blender (I used my nutribullet). Blend until combined. The mixture will be very thick.
4. Place date mixture, peanut butter, brown rice syrup, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until well-combined and heated through.
5. In a large bowl, combine oats, chia seeds, and flax. Stir in wet mixture until combined.
6. Spoon mixture into baking dish, pressing very firmly so mixture is evenly spread throughout pan. It should be very compact. Place another piece of parchment paper on top and press down firmly. Remove top piece of parchment and freeze bars for at least 2 hours.
7. Cut into 12 bars. Store in the freezer.

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