Peanut Butter Granola Bars

5 from 9 votes

With an easy method, accessible pantry ingredients, and the yummiest flavor, these Peanut Butter Granola Bars are a snack time staple.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 182kcal

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8x8-inch pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. (The paper helps make the bars be easy to lift out and slice after baking, without scratching your pan.)
Add the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, and chia seeds to a medium bowl. Stir to mix.
Add the mashed banana, peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and chocolate chips. Stir very well to evenly combine the wet and the dry ingredients.
Press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.
Cover pan with foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. (The foil prevents the edges from over browning.)
Remove pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, use the paper to lift the bars out of the pan onto a cutting board. Slice into rectangles or squares.

Store granola bars in an airtight container or storage bag for up to 2 weeks. I prefer to store them in the fridge.
You can wrap each bar in plastic wrap if desired.
Use raisins in place of the chocolate chips.
Use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend in place of the whole wheat flour.
Note about the sugar: I made this recipe over and over looking to get the right texture and flavor, and I tried using less sugar—they were too bland. If you want to lower the honey slightly to 1/3 cup, you are welcome to do that. The amounts in this recipe are the ones I settled on as leading to the best results.
I use unsweetened creamy natural-style peanut butter in this recipe.