This post may contain affiliate links. Read mydisclosure policy.
No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip Granola Bars are easy to make at home and taste MUCH better than store bought granola bars. They are a great back to school or anytime snack!
How is it already back to school time? The summer went way too fast. I know I don’t’ have to go back to school and Caleb is still too young, but still. I am not ready for fall just yet. I still want to enjoy the summer sun and pretend I am on summer break.
To help make the back to school transition a little easier I have a fun and easy recipe for you today, No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip Granola Bars. This easy granola bar recipe is a great back to school recipe. You can pack the granola bars in lunch boxes or save them for an easy after school snack.
I’ve always been a granola bar fan, but they are expensive to buy at the store and some ingredient lists can be long and scary. I prefer to make my own to save money and so I know exactly what is going in them.
I love these No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip Granola bars because they are beyond easy to make and they are SO good. They are chewy with a little crunch from the pretzels and crispy cereal. I love the peanut butter, pretzel, and chocolate combo too. You can’t go wrong with sweet and salty if you ask me!
I chill the bars for about 30 minutes before cutting them. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. They might last longer, but they have never lasted longer than a week in our house.
You are going to want to have these No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip Granola Bars on hand all school year long. They are the best snack ever! Your kids are going to thank you when they find a granola bar waiting for them in their lunchbox or on the counter when they come home from school.
Adults and parents-I won’t tell if you make a batch just for yourself. I know you are going to want to hide some granola bars from the kids so you can have a tasty snack too! They are great to take on road trips, picnics, or for an easy on the go breakfast or snack!
Start the school year off right by making these easy homemade granola bars. They are better and healthier than store bought granola bars!
You might also enjoy my other easy granola bar recipes:
- No-Bake Sunflower Butter Granola Bars
- No-Bake Almond Granola Bars
- No-Bake Biscoff Granola Bars
- Blueberry Coconut Granola Bars
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Vegetarian
No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
These no-bake granola bars are easy to make and kids and adults love them! They are perfect for picnics, lunch boxes, or snack time!
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Instructions
Cut out an 8 x 8 inch square of parchment paper. Place the parchment paper in the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch baking pan.
In a large sauce pan, add butter, brown sugar, honey and peanut butter. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture starts to bubble. Once bubbling, cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Stir in the oats, crispy cereal, and pretzels. Stir until well coated. Pour into the prepared pan. Press the mixture evenly into the pan. Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips over the top and gently press into the granola bars with your hands.
Place the bars in the refrigerator and let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Cut into bars and serve.
Note-I store the bars in the refrigerator. I've kept them in the fridge for up to a week and they are still tasty! For gluten-free, use gf oats and pretzels.
Have you tried this recipe?
Leave a comment below and share a photo on Instagram. Tag @twopeasandpod and hashtag it with #twopeasandtheirpod
FAQs
While there are several different sticky ingredients that you can use, we've found that the binding agent that works the best is honey! When added to your homemade granola bars, honey acts as glue that sticks all the pieces together.
How do you make granola bars not fall apart? ›
While the oats and nuts bake, you can make the sticky glue that holds our bars together. You'll melt butter, honey, and brown sugar in a saucepan and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Mix this sticky mixture with the toasted oats and nuts. Allow everything to cool, and then toss in dried fruit and chocolate chips.
What binds granola together? ›
Clumpy Granola Method: Add Whole Wheat and Almond Flour
First, it adds a combo of whole wheat flour and almond flour (or almond meal), which act as a binder to hold the oat mixture together.
Is it cheaper to make granola bars at home? ›
These homemade granola bars taste better than any you've had in the store – AND they're cheaper and easy to make! They're chewy and sweet with the perfect texture. These are perfect for breakfast, snacks, on-the-go for hiking, work, picnics, and more!
What is the best binder for granola? ›
Binder
- Sugar Syrup - Maple syrup, honey, or rice syrup are three great options.
- Egg - Egg whites are a great binder for granola if you are trying to avoid sugar. ...
- Vegan "Egg" - plant-based eggs such as flax or chia eggs will also work as a binder.
For really crispy bars, you can either bake them all the way to 32 or more minutes or you can take the bars out after 25 minutes, let them cool for a bit, slice them up into the bars, and then put them back in on a baking sheet to bake for 10 -15 minutes so that they get more crispy.
How to stop homemade granola bars from crumbling? ›
If your granola bars are falling apart or seem too crumbly, here are a few tips. Make sure you use honey or another sticky sweetener such as maple syrup in the liquid part of the recipe; this recipe calls for honey. This will help bind together the ingredients and keep that signature bar shape.
How can I get my homemade granola to clump? ›
You need to stir the granola as it bakes to encourage even toasting. But, about halfway through the total bake time, just let it be. As the sugars caramelize, they cause the ingredients to stick together and eventually form those oh-so-desirable clusters.
How do you increase the shelf life of granola bars? ›
To keep your granola bars fresh, you must allow the least amount of air possible to reach the bars. Because air (and warmth) can easily cause spoilage, sealing your granola bars in an airtight container or wrapping them in wax paper is a great way to keep them fresh for longer.
What is the binding agent in granola bars? ›
Granola Bar Recipe Ingredients
Natural peanut or cashew butter – It helps bind the bars together, and it adds protein, healthy fats, and irresistible nutty flavor. Whole rolled oats – They give these bars a perfect chewy texture.
Use yogurt and cream cheese as your base, then add fruit like kiwi, banana, orange and frozen berries. A bit of honey and cinnamon rounds out the flavors and excites the taste buds! If you're in a hurry, you can also try this Maple Sea Salt Granola Parfait, which calls for just two ingredients!
How to soften granola bars? ›
Fortunately, there are ways to eat Nature Valley granola bars that prevent a little less of a crumble catastrophe. General Mills told Bloomer that eaters could try warming the bars up in the microwave to soften them first (but take them out of the package first).
How to make granola bars stick together? ›
Nut butter helps hold these bars together, and offers protein, healthy fat and fiber. You could use peanut butter, almond butter, or even pecan butter. For a nut-free option, sunflower butter will work.
Is it OK to eat a lot of granola bars? ›
Granola can give us many essential vitamins and minerals. Research suggests that granola may increase the amount of good intestinal flora. I recommend you may consume granola bars but in moderate amounts.
Do granola bars count as junk food? ›
Often touted for their whole grain goodness, most granola bars are sticky-sweet junk food in disguise. Don't let a few oats fool you — especially when you also see marshmallows and chocolate chips. Instead: If granola bars are a must-have, choose one with 6 grams of sugar or less per bar, and hopefully some fibre.
How do you clump store bought granola? ›
I baked them all for one hour at 325° F and employed the method I always use to ensure maximum clumping action: Do not stir (at all!), then wait for the granola to cool completely in the oven before touching it. And clearly, my methodology works—all three sheets produced plenty of clumps! Even the control.
How do you wrap individual granola bars? ›
Cut into desired size and put each into a bag. Roll up the bag and tape! Store in fridge. My review: Ours tasted great but were a bit crumbly, which is why I'd follow another recipe like the one I linked above.
What can I use instead of egg in granola bars? ›
Egg-free and vegan — Substitute 2 “flax eggs.” To make enough flax egg mixture for this recipe, mix 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (or flaxseed meal) with 5 tablespoons water. Let set for 5-10 minutes before adding to the recipe. (Bonus: Using flaxseed will help your bars stick together even more tightly.)
How do you soften hard granola bars? ›
Fortunately, there are ways to eat Nature Valley granola bars that prevent a little less of a crumble catastrophe. General Mills told Bloomer that eaters could try warming the bars up in the microwave to soften them first (but take them out of the package first).
