Chewy Peanut Butter Fruit and Nut Granola Bars Recipe

Peanut Butter Fruit and Nut Granola Bars drizzled with chocolate on a wire rack. A bowl of chocolate for drizzling beside the bars.

Chewy Peanut Butter Fruit and Nut Granola Bars Recipe

Chewy, toasty, peanut buttery and sweetened with maple and brown rice syrup, these granola bars come together quick and hold up for weeks in the fridge. They are vegan and optionally gluten free.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings Bars

Calories 390kcal

Author Traci York

Ingredients

For the Bars:

3 C Thick Rolled Oats not quick oats, 333 g
1 1/2 C Mixed Raw Unsalted Nuts; I use walnuts, pecans, and almonds (210 g)
1/2 C Raw Sunflower Seeds 76 g
1/2 C Dried Cranberries 74 g
1/2 C Dried Apricots 106 g
1 1/3 C Natural Peanut Butter crunchy (345 g)
3/4 C Maple Syrup 230 ml
1/2 C Brown Rice Syrup 170 ml
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

For Drizzling (optional):

4 Tbs Dark Cacao + 2 Tbs Coconut Oil melted and still warm *see note, I use raw Cacao

Instructions

For the Bars:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment and pour the oats on so that they are spread evenly. Toast the oats for 25-30 minutes or until golden and toasty. On a separate pan, toast all the nuts for 18-20 and on a third separate pan, toast the seeds for 15-20 minutes or until golden and toasty. We want to keep the nuts and sunflower seeds separated as the nuts will be chopped and the sunflower seeds need to remain whole. (round cake pans work well here).
Line a 13"x9" baking dish with parchment paper. Secure the parchment paper to the two long sides with clips.
While the nuts, seeds and oats are toasting, rough chop the cranberries and apricots. Add them to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a 2 quart sauce pan, mix the peanut butter, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, salt and vanilla extract until all the ingredients come together. Gently warm the mixture on low just until it is pourable. If needed, use a whisk to get the ingredients to come together.
Add the toasted oats and sunflower seeds to the large mixing bowl with the dried fruit. Rough chop the nuts and add them to the dried fruit/oat/nut mixture in the large mixing bowl.
Pour the peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix throughly.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly in the dish. Use your hands to press the mixture in. The firmer the press, the better!
Refrigerate the granola for at least 1 1/2 hours or freeze for 30 minutes.
Lift the granola out of the pan using the parchment as handles. Cut into 1 1/2" x 4" bars.
Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or freezer for up to a month.

For the Drizzle (optional):

Mix the cacao and warmed oil in a small bowl. Mix until ingredients are incorporated. Drizzle over the granola bars. Pop in the fridge for a few minutes to allow chocolate to set.

Notes

Raw Cacao drizzle will be bitter. If a sweeter chocolate is desired, melt 1/4 C Vegan SemiSweet Chocolate Chips (44 g) according to package directions.

Nutrition