I made these No Bake Peanut Butter Chia Healthy Granola Bars in honor of my sister, who recently informed me that she is, “over quinoa.”
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Over quinoa? Has the sun set on this little fiber and protein-rich powerhouse? Did its popularity rise, then fade into oblivion like the cupcakes and Krispy Kremes of yore? Or could my sister just have been toying with my emotions?
I’m hoping it’s the latter, because in addition to a fierce addiction to these Chicken Quinoa Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers, I have enough quinoa squirreled away in my basement to feed a small football team, assuming that football team is, you know, into quinoa.
About This Healthy Chewy Granola Bar Recipe
Since my sister is due to pop any second with my very first niece or nephew (yes, I am going to be an aunt!), I thought that the least that I could do would be to create a recipe for her that was mommy-friendly—no baking, one bowl, freezer friendly, healthy, endlessly flexible, kid-approved, and super-powered—and was quinoa-free.
It was also a good challenge to myself to incorporate new ingredients and grains that would still provide fabulous nutrition benefits, without involving the q-word.
The first thing that you should know about this healthy granola bar recipe is that it is ultra versatile.
The base is peanut butter, oatmeal, and honey (just like these No Bake Granola Bars and Healthy Granola Bars), and from there, how you customize the no bake bars is up to your preferences (or what is immediately available in your pantry).
I stirred in a generous handful of nuts for protein, chia seeds for fiber, and millet for crunch.
If you’ve never had millet, it’s a whole grain that’s ridiculously affordable, nutritious, and most commonly associated with bird seed, but do not be fooled.
Cooked, it makes a refreshing swap for oatmeal or rice, and raw it adds an addictive crunch to everything from Pumpkin Granola to these Buttermilk Crunch Muffins.
If you don’t have or prefer not to purchase millet, you can swap it for additional rolled oats, extra chia, or for a similar crunchy texture, uncooked quinoa (sorry sis).
Peanut butter base secured, it’s time for fun part of any homemade healthy granola bar recipe: the mix-ins!
I loaded my chia bars with walnuts and chopped dates, but feel free to swap any combo of dried fruits and nuts you love—or just go with a giant handful of chocolate chips.
Whichever homemade granola bar path you choose, I am confident in your decision.
No Bake Granola Bars Storage Tips
- To Store. Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- To Freeze. To freeze, individually wrap in plastic, place in a ziptop bag, then freeze for up to 2 months.
More Granola Bar Recipes
- Trail Mix Peanut Butter Granola Bars
- Salted Chocolate Almond No Bake Granola Bars
- Orange Almond Healthy Granola Bars
- Cranberry Almond Granola Bars
These no bake healthy granola bars are soft, chewy, loaded with smooth peanut butter and honey flavor, and best of all, they are great for you too.
They’re also freezer-friendly, so you can use these last few weeks of summer to stock up before the back-to-school madness strikes.
Or in the case of our family, baby madness!
No Bake Peanut Butter Chia Healthy Granola Bars
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats (quick cooking can also be used—I just prefer the chewier texture of the old fashioned)
- ½ cup roughly chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, and almonds or a mix. I used walnuts)
- ¼ cup uncooked millet or uncooked quinoa
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter (do not use the kind that must be refrigerated or the bars may not set)
- ⅓ cup honey (I like raw—use maple syrup to make vegan)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips, or dried cherries, raisins, chopped dried apricots, chopped dried dates, etc. (I used chopped mejool dates)
Instructions
- OPTIONAL: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the oats, nuts, quinoa or millet, and chia seeds on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until the mixture is lightly golden and smells toasty, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
- Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with plastic wrap or parchment paper, lightly mist with cooking spray, then set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium low heat, melt together the peanut butter and honey, stirring frequently until creamy and smooth. Remove from the heat, then stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, millet (or quinoa), nuts, and chia seeds. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the top, then with a rubber spatula, stir until the ingredients are evenly coated. If using chocolate, let the mixture cool for 1 to 2 minutes to ensure the chocolate doesn’t melt, then stir in any desired mix-ins (if you are not adding chocolate, you can stir in the mix-ins right away).
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. With a rubber spatula, press it firmly to the edges, then place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top and press down firmly with your fingers to make sure it is spread tightly and evenly. Refrigerate for 2 hours to allow the bars to set and the flavors to mingle. Use the plastic or parchment paper to remove the bars from the pan, slice into bars, and enjoy.
Notes
- I love toasting the ingredients in Step 1, because it deepens the bars’ flavor. That said, if you can’t handle turning on your oven, it is totally fine to skip this step! If you have time, I would still suggest toasting the nuts in a dry saucepan on low heat before adding them, because it does so much to maximize their flavor, but this is optional too.
- Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To freeze, individually wrap in plastic, place in a ziptop bag, then freeze for up to 2 months.
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Ahhh I’m so glad you made these bars!!! Wish we were still snacking on them together!! Xoxox
These look so delicious and PACKED with protein! Pinning- I love chia :)
I love that you put chia into granola bars! It’s a nice mix up from the traditional chia seed pudding!
Love these bars and I love that it’s not baked. Definitely a keeper!
These sound really good!
Over quinoa? I just got started on that bandwagon. Looks like I have to get on the chia bandwagon now too!! Lovely!
Oh these are perfect for me to take to work! PB and Chia it’s like a party for my belly!
Party on Renee! Hope you love them :-)
Hi there!
Thoughts on if these bars will set if made with almond butter? They look soooo good but we have a peanut allergy in our house
Hi Stef! I’ve never tried the bars with almond butter, but I do think it would work if you keep them refrigerated. They’ll be quite a bit softer than bars made using standard peanut butter, so just be sure to keep them cool and enjoy them shortly after removing them from the fridge. If you try them, I’d love to hear how they turn out!
These are truly amazing and couldn’t be easier to make. Even my 4 year old son demands that I make a batch every week. He has no idea that they are good for him! Thanks so much for coming up with this recipe!
Jess, I am so happy to hear that you enjoy these, and I’m extra happy that your son does too! No need to tell him they’re healthy—your secret is safe with me :) Thanks for taking time to leave your review!
You can eat raw millet or quinoa?
Yes Lindsay! Although, you certainly wouldn’t want to eat a whole spoonful of it, mixing a bit of it into recipes like this one adds nice texture and crunch.
yummy recipe, made them twice now. definitely hold up better with creamy peanut butter (do not hold together with natural type) freeze well. great portable breakfast to go
Alyssa, I’m so happy to hear that you’ve enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for letting me know how it turned out. I really appreciate it!
Oh. Em. Gee. These are sooooooooooo good. I was looking for new ways to eat chia seeds as I used to eat them all the time, kind of forgot about them, and then remembered how tasty and nutritious they are. I was expecting it to taste a little more bland which I was fine with, but I was blown away. They are surprisingly filling as well, and I’m someone who can put away a whole pizza. Thank you!
I am overjoyed to hear this!!! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and taking time to leave this glowing review. It means a lot :)
What is the nutricional information on these? Calories, sugar content, fat per serving? Thanks
Hi Katrina! Regarding nutritional info, this is something that I’ve actually started adding to all of my new recipes, effective late January 2016 (you’ll see it in the recipe box at the bottom). Unfortunately, it’s pretty time consuming, so I’m unable to go back and add it to past recipes. If you’d like the nutritional info for any of my older recipes (or really any other recipe or food), you can actually calculate it yourself for free at myfitnesspal.com (this is how I calculate the new recipes on my blog). I’m sorry I can’t give you the information for this exact recipe, but I hope that My Fitness Pal will be a helpful resource for you.
Katrina- I made these last night and put the ingredients into Fitness Pal and here is what I got:
Total Calories: 3236 Carbs 297 Fat 199 Protein 90 Sodium 816 Sugar 85;
I cut mine into 8 bars so each bar would be approx:
Calories 405 Carbs 37 Fat 25 Protein 11 Sodium 102 Sugar 11
I used approx 1/4 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips as an add on.
***I am sure it varies based on what brands you use and any mistakes I made have made calculating :) but hopefully pretty close to what they might be.
Thanks for sharing your calculations, Christy!
These are so good! And so quick to mix up. Super good for breakfast when I’m in a rush, which I find I’m in more than not. So thank you so much#
I’m so glad you like the recipe, Kendra! Thanks so much for taking the time to share this awesome feedback!
Erin, thank you so much for this recipe! I’m always looking for new healthy granola bars recipes and this one is the best I’ve tried yet. I have to hide them from my fiancé if I want them to last more than 2 days haha!
You’re welcome, Justine! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the bars. Thanks for leaving this awesome review!
These were amazing! I highly recommend baking the quinoa, oats, nuts and chia seed! Made these with crunchy peanut butter and added raisins.
I love these.. will make these more often. My 4 year old son also loved them & had fun making making them too.
I’m so glad you loved them, Genevieve! Thank you so much for sharing your tips and taking the time to leave this awesome review!
My bars wont stick. I’ve used both batches now for just granola. BUT why? i’m confused no one else seems to have the same problem and i’ve followed your recipe to a T. any suggestions?
Hi Jennifer! It sounds like you might need a bit more peanut butter or honey in the recipe. It might just be that your peanut butter is extra thick. I’d suggest adding more liquid ingredients (or fewer dry ingredients) so that the dough holds together. You also might enjoy this recipe for peanut butter no bake granola bars that’s similar: https://www.wellplated.com/peanut-butter-granola-bars/. I hope that helps!
Thanks so much. I figured it out and added more peanut butter and they held and they are awesome. Five star quality!
Woohoo! Thanks for reporting back, Jennifer! I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying them.
I made them tonight ….. they are so delicious ! Yum thank you so much for a healthy bar and for a fraction of the cost of the store bought ones .. no preservatives !! A big thumbs up
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this awesome review!
Hi Erin,
I made them and they were yummy! Even good reviews from family and friends. Thank you so much for the awesome recipe! However after cutting into pieces, they crumbled. Were they supposed to crumble?
Hi Brenda! No, the bars shouldn’t crumble. Different brands of peanut butters vary, so that could be a contributing factor. If you try the recipe another time and they are really crumbly again, you could scrape them back into a bowl and see if you can get them to stick back together with more peanut butter and honey. They shouldn’t be sticky, but they should definitely hold together! I’m so glad to hear they were a hit regardless. :)
I also had a problem with the bars crumbling but they tasted devious. Will use more peanut butter and honey next time.
Linda, I’m glad you enjoyed the taste of these bars! It sounds like you know what to tweak when you make them again. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this feedback!
Just made these last night and tried one for breakfast this morning and they are my new go to granola bar recipe! They tasted amazing and I like that they are healthy. I melted chocolate chips (not too many!) and coconut oil and drizzled it on top. Thanks for a delicious and healthy recipe!
Mell, thank YOU for giving the recipe a try and taking the time to leave this awesome review! Your extra chocolate drizzle sounds delicious. :)
I flubbed the recipe and it wouldn’t hold as bars, but the finished product was successfully converted into a hearty, nutty oatmeal so it was far from a failure.
Sarah, I’m so glad to hear you were still able to enjoy the end result! Thanks for giving it a try and reporting back!
I’ve made these twice now and they are very good. I primarily use them as my breakfast. Even though the bars may seem small, they are very filling so you definitely don’t have to worry about being hungry mid or late morning. I stuck to the recipe exactly and chose to use a mixture of mixed nuts, pecans,almonds,cashews,walnuts. Only thing that can improve on, is the nutritional information could be listed. Could probably figure it out myself but I’m to lazy to do that. Lol!
Mike, I’m so glad these bars are a breakfast winner for you! Thanks for taking the time to leave this awesome review!
Thank you for this recipe! it is sooooo good. I was looking for ways to get chia seeds into my partner’s diet. He’s like a whiney kid sometimes about certain foods, and he doesn’t like chia seeds. This is perfect!
YAY! I’m glad you enjoy them, Lily. Thanks so much for taking the time to report back!
I love these bars, everyone that I have given them to absolutely love them. One of these people actually ask for the nutritional facts, does this recipe have a nutritional facts available.
YAY Natasha! I am so happy to hear these were a hit! I calc the nutritional info for newer recipes but haven’t been able to update all of the old ones. You can, however, plug the recipe link in at myfitnesspal.com and calc it yourself for free. I hope that helps!
New to your website, so glad to have found you and this delicious recipe. So easy, so good and so versatile! Really like chia, and the added quinoa in here is just a great bonus. A question, what if I added raw hemp? Thoughts?
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the bars, Susan! I haven’t experimented with adding hemp myself, but you could try it. I hope you enjoy!
Super tasty but unfortunately fell apart when slicing it up. Regardless, we still enjoyed it. I thy I’ll tinker with the recipe to make it more sticky next time.
I’m sorry to hear that these fell apart for you, Emma. I’m happy you enjoyed the flavors, and I hope it goes better next time!
Delicious! Easy! And healthy! Can’t go wrong ?
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Emily! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I’ve been making these bars for 2 years. I absolutely love them! I always toast the dry ingredients and it’s fun mixing up the fruit and nuts for each batch. I store them in the freezer and enjoy them frozen.
I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed them, Julie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I have made this recipe several times and always works out perfectly.
My whole family love these bars. They are delicious.
I am so so happy to hear it, thank you Maria!
I tried this recipe and it came out super dry and crumbly. The stuff just crumbled and broke when I tried to cut it into bars. I substituted maple syrup for about half of the honey; is syrup less sticky? I also used natural peanut butter in the recipe— does it work better with oil/sugar-added PB?
I’m sorry you had trouble with these bars, Greg. Maple syrup should work fine here. Did you use refrigerated natural peanut butter? Different brands of peanut butters vary, so that could be a contributing factor. If you try the recipe another time and they are really crumbly again, you could scrape them back into a bowl and see if you can get them to stick back together with more peanut butter and syrup. They shouldn’t be sticky, but they should definitely hold together!
Had a go with what I had. No nuts or honey so used chopped dates and a little more peanut butter. Love the quinoa and chia, works very well.
Thanks.
Hi David! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This is a great recipe! I made them for my daughter for a midnight (or mid morning) nursing snack. She loved them and I am about to make a double batch for the freezer before I leave for home. These granola bars are absolutely delicious!
Hi Julianne! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I made these for my daughter who just had her second baby. I made the first batch with maple syrup. The taste was great. I made the second batch with honey and they held together much better than the batch with maple syrup, so Inthink future batches will be made with honey . So glad I found this healthy recipe! My daughter loves them for a middle of the night snack when she’s up feeding her baby. Thanks for creating!
Hi Julianne! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Wow these are AMAZING!! This was my first time making granola bars and this recipe was perfectly explained and easy enough to make as a first try. I’ve been looking to get more fiber into my diet and these were perfect and so easily portable too! Thank you so much for sharing, these will need to become a staple for me now!
Woo hoo!
These bars are so delicious! I eat them for breakfast and my 13 year old loves them too! I have made them 3 times now! I added a little extra honey. Nuts and dark chocolate chips are super yummy in them too! Next time I will add some dried fruit. Thank you for the recipe.
Yay! Thank you Melissa!
What are the nutritional values?
Hi Lawny, nutritional information is something I started adding to recipes in January 2016. Unfortunately, it’s a time-consuming process, so I’m unable to go back to all my past recipes to add it. The good news is that you can calculate the calories for free at MyFitnessPal (there are other similar sites too). I hope that can be a helpful resource for you!