This recipe for no-bake peanut butter and pretzel granola bars is a fantastic option for a quick and easy homemade snack. You can whip up a batch in 10 minutes or less, plus 30 minutes of cooling in the refrigerator. The quick prep is a good thing, because if your family likes this healthy snack as much as mine did, you’ll be making them quite often. These granola bars disappear fast!
Not only do these no-bake peanut butter and pretzel granola bars taste delicious (seriously, you can’t go wrong with peanut butter, pretzels and chocolate chips!), but they’re also healthier than the store-bought variety. (Let me check the ingredients. Nope. No partially hydrogenated anything, high fructose corn syrup or BHT in this homemade variety.)
Finally, they’re much cheaper than the kind you can buy in the store. Easy to make, delicious to eat, healthier than store-bought, and cheap. Yep, they pass the test for a “keeper recipe” at my house with flying colors! Even my daughter who doesn’t like granola ate every bite, so they’re definitely kid-tested, mom-approved.
Here’s the recipe. Trust me. You’ll have it memorized in no time!
Ingredients:
¼ cup butter
¼ cup honey
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups oats (You can use either quick oats or regular oats, whichever you happen to have on hand. I found regular oats in my cupboard, and they turned out just fine.)
½ cup crispy rice cereal
¾ cup chopped pretzels
¼ cup chocolate chips
Instructions:
1. Line the bottom of an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper. (This will help greatly when it’s time to cut the bars!)
2. In a small saucepan, combine butter, honey, brown sugar, and peanut butter. Heat on medium low until the mixture bubbles. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
3. Mix in oats, cereal, and pretzels and press into prepared pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and press them gently into the granola mixture. (The chocolate chips will melt slightly. That’s OK.)
4. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Cut into 8 bars and serve.
Note: This recipe was adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod.