Granola Bars Recipe (Honey Peanut Butter)

homemade granola bars sliced and topped with melted chocolate.

Granola Bars Recipe (Honey Peanut Butter)

Course: Snack

Cuisine: gluten-free

Keyword: homemade granola bars

Prep Time: 14

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 15

Servings:

Calories: 160kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

This homemade granola bar recipe might be one of the best things to come out of my kitchen. It requires just 1 minute(!) of cooking and yields granola bars with a chewy texture that don't need to be chilled to hold together. That means you can store them in your backpack or purse for an easy snack on the go! The combination of sweet and salty flavors is perfection, so make sure you follow the measurements closely for the best results.

Print Recipe Add to Collection

US Customary - Metric

Ingredients

Granola Bars

1 ¾ cups old-fashioned rolled oats (certified gluten-free, if needed)
¼ cup hemp hearts (or any add-in; see notes)
½ cup all-natural peanut butter
½ cup honey (or maple syrup)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ cup dark chocolate chips (melted; optional topping)

Instructions

Pour the oats, hemp hearts (or other mix-in), and salt into a large bowl and stir well, then set it aside. Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray and press a square of parchment paper into the bottom. (The oil will hold the parchment paper in place, so it doesn't move around later.) Make sure these two things are done first, before you move to the next step, because this recipe moves quickly.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the honey to a boil. As soon as you see large bubbles forming around the edge of the pan, set a timer and let the honey boil for 1 minute without stirring.
Remove from the pan of honey from the heat and stir in the peanut butter immediately. As soon as the mixture is smooth, pour it over the oats.
Use a spatula to stir quickly, coating the oats evenly with the peanut butter mixture. It will harden as it cools, so it may become more difficult to stir as it cools down. (Just be patient and keep stirring.)
Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, and press it very firmly into the bottom. Place the pan in the fridge for freezer to cool quickly. Once they feel firm to the touch (about 10 minutes in the freezer) then use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan and slice them into 12 pieces. You can also make smaller, bite-sized pieces by cutting those bars in half.
Drizzle the top of each granola bar with melted chocolate, if desired. Once the chocolate has hardened, they are ready to serve. These granola bars can be kept at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months if you'd like to make a larger batch. They can thaw overnight in the fridge.

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 12 bars, using the melted chocolate chips, and replacing a 1/4 cup of the oats with hemp hearts. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.

Make them Vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey.

Make them Nut-Free: Use sunflower seed butter or tahini instead of peanut butter.

Oats/Mix-Ins Note: You can replace up to a 1/2 cup of oats with a mix-in of your choice, such as hemp hearts, sliced almonds, or dried fruit. If you end up with more than 2 cups total of dry ingredients, they won't get well coated in the peanut butter mixture, so make sure you measure correctly when replacing a portion of the oats.

Protein Note: I've tested another variation of this recipe by replacing some of the oats with protein powder. Check out my Protein Granola Bars for guidance.

Update Note: This recipe was updated in January 2023 and again in March 2026 as I've tested different variations to share.

Nutrition