Is there a more iconic duo than Peanut and Chocolate? These two flavours seem like they are world apart but it because they are worlds apart, that is why they pair up together so well ( sounds weird, I know )! In these Peanut Butter Chocolate granola bars, the slightly salty peanuty taste is paired up so nicely with that of the melty chocolate chips yet you probably can’t find such a flavour elsewhere except to make it yourself!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola Bars Recipe by Bakeomaniac

This is a really simple recipe and I took really almost no time at all to assemble this! The clean up was really easy too, plus oats are so healthy!

Just like the Chocolate Chip Granola Bars Recipe, what inspired me to start off with this recipe is so that I can make healthy eating ( and baking ) both fun and delicious. I know some people might find it ironic because there is both peanut butter and chocolate in here. But before you attack ( I hope not! ) me for these statements, please read my explanation!

In our daily life, we have always been eating fat and sugar laden food like peanut butter and indulgent chocolate bars. But it is different here.

We might still be eating peanut butter and chocolate, but we are pairing it with healthier grains like oats ( over processed foods such as white bread ).

Oats make a healthy grain that is not just a good food for heart, but it is also rich in antioxidants, are extremely nutrient dense and increase the feeling of fullness throughout the day, allowing you to snack less as well!

I shall stop here for my healthy eating talk and get to describing the recipe!It is a very simple mixing of dry and wet ingredients except we will have to do a prior step.

We will have to melt and combine our wet ingredients together at low heat over the stove. This is because the wet ingredients ( such as honey and butter ) do not combine well but they will be able to in the presence of heat ( if you are interested to know the science behind this, feel free to contact me! ).

After the heating, we will have to cool it before adding it to our dry ingredients. This is a MUST! If you do not cool the wet ingredients, it will melt the chocolate chips. Although it will still be as tasty, the bars will look uglier!

For the peanuts, I strongly suggest you to buy those that are already roasted for you. Of course, if you only have or already have unroasted one, just use those. I feel that although while the granola bars spend time in the oven which allows the peanuts to roast, using already roasted peanuts will allow their flavour to shine even more without burning it!

You can try both and let me know how it goes!

Last but not least, let me explain on the peanut butter!

You can use any form of peanut butter, low fat, chunky etc. For this recipe I used a low fat variation. They all work as well! If you are using the chunky one, however, I would suggest adding 10g more of peanut butter to introduce more liquid content! My favourite choice is one that has low salt and creamy!

Here’s how it looks like on the cross section!

Now, that was a mouthful to explain! Without further ado, I shall now transit to the recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola Bars that we have all been waiting for!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola Bars
by Javier Tan November-4-2017

The beautiful combination of salty Peanut and sweet Chocolate is fully showcased here, toasted to perfection!

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups or 225g Rolled Oats
  • 1/3 Cup or 65g Roasted Peanuts, Chopped Coarsely
  • 2/3 Cup or 130g Mini Semisweet Chocolate Chips
  • 1/4 Cup or 70g Honey
  • 1/3 Cup or 90g Peanut Butter
  • 1/3 Cup or 75g Unsalted Butter
  • 3 Tablespoons or 37g Light Brown Sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C and line your 13″ x 9″ baking tray with parchment paper.
  2. Optional Step, if desired, you can heat up the rolled oats on the baking tray until slightly golden brown for about 12-15 minutes. This allows a more brown and toasted finish. Cool it to room temperature.
  3. In a small saucepan, melt together the light brown sugar, unsalted butter, peanut butter and honey on low heat. You will be able to form a single, liquid mixture. Cool to room temperature.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the chocolate chips, chopped peanuts and ( cooled ) oats using a spoon.
  5. Pour in the cooled peanut butter liquidy mixture into the dry mixture ( chocolate chip, chopped peanuts mixture ).
  6. Stir well with a spoon until all dry ingredients are coated with the wet ingredients. You can observe it by seeing that they will be able to clump up.
  7. Form a single layer on your baking tray, using the back of a spoon to even it out.
  8. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.
  9. Let it rest for about 2 hours on the wire rack in the tray or overnight ( I did overnight to ensure it can stick better ).
  10. Serve and enjoy!

Details

  • Prep time: 30 mins
  • Cook time: 20 mins
  • Total time: 50 mins
  • Yield: 1 13″ x 9″ Tray

Notes:

  1. Store well for up to at least two weeks in airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
  2. Please note that the taste can be greatly affected by your Peanut Butter. For example, a too salty one will result in more salty granola bars.
  3. If your peanuts are too large, it will cause your granola bars to be easily broken. Chop it coarsely, and if you want, press the whole peanuts on the top of the granola bars before baking instead.
  4. To pin it, click here!
  5. If you are sharing this recipe on your social media, please do feel free to link it back here or give me a mention! Its a much appreciated reward and encouragement for the hard work I put in to create this recipe, to me! ( Not compulsory but its my personal wish! ) Feel free to give me a mention / shoutout! 🙂
  6. If sharing on your personal website, please contact me for permission.
  7. For any questions, feel free to contact me on any of my social media platforms!

Enjoy!
– Bakeomaniac, Javier Tan