I ran for the bus every single day that I worked in a corporate office. I’d scuffle down the block in my heels, hot coffee in one hand and a grab-and-go breakfast like these no bake Trail Mix Peanut Butter Granola Bars in the other, silently praying that the bus was behind schedule. This was my Monday through Friday for four straight years.
You would think that after one year of stressed-out suit sprinting that I would have learned to leave the house earlier, let alone after four years, but it never happened. No matter how early I woke up, I always left the house at the same time: exactly three minutes before Bus #6 passed my stop.
Five minutes would have afforded me a leisurely stroll, but noooooo. I apparently lived for the adrenaline of running in a pencil skirt. If you haven’t worn one lately, imagine jogging with your thighs strapped together with a thick rubber band. Then make that rubber band dry clean only and not at all stretchy. It’s like that, only worse.
What did I learn instead? To store my heels in a box underneath my desk, instead of wearing them in (easier to run in flats) and to make sure I always had a stash of no-bake peanut butter granola bars at the ready. I might be late, but at least I wouldn’t be hungry.
If you find yourself rushing in the morning, struggle to find time for a healthy breakfast or snacks, have picky eaters to feed, or a bus of your own to catch, this trail mix peanut butter granola bars recipe is for you. Because they’re a no bake recipe, they take only a few minutes to make, are made from simple ingredients, and can last for weeks, so you’ll always have them at the ready. Plus, they are super yummy, filling, and healthy too!
Peanut Butter Granola Bar Ingredients — A Triumphant Trio
The base of these peanut butter granola bars is the trifecta of peanut butter, oatmeal, and honey. It’s classic, delicious, and universal. I’m betting you have all three in your pantry right now, just waiting be transformed into these soft, chewy peanut butter granola bars. If you want to, you can even use the trifecta to make Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bars or Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Energy Bites.
Once you have the base of the peanut butter granola bars mixed together, it’s a chose your own adventure of flavors. This peanut butter granola bar recipe is an ideal way to use up odd bits of leftover dried fruit, nuts, and chips you have hanging around. I opted for chocolate chips (I mean, is chocolate ever really optional?), dried cranberries and raisins, pumpkin seeds, and whole almonds.
The combination of the chocolate chips with the fruit and nuts reminded me of my favorite camping trail mix. It’s salty, sweet, and irresistible.
One of my favorite things about the no bake peanut butter granola bars is that they stay soft and chewy for as long as you can keep yourself from eating them (ours never hardened). They also have a long shelf life. You can store them in your refrigerator for a few weeks or freeze them for several months.
Recipe Variations
I tested a few different versions of these trail mix peanut butter granola bars, each with varying amounts of peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil. All were duly devoured, but today’s recipe is my favorite. It has just the right amount of sweetness, and the coconut oil helps the bars hold their shape.
- Peanut Butter Lovers Granola Bars. You can certainly swap the coconut oil for extra peanut butter if you’re a big fan. (Or try these Vegan Protein Bars or Peanut Butter Protein Bars)
- Swap the Nuts and Fruits. Feel free to change out the nuts and fruits for any flavors you love or have on hand. Unlike Bus #6’s departure time, this peanut butter granola bar recipe is very flexible and forgiving!
More Protein-Packed Bar Recipes
- No Bake Peanut Butter Chia Healthy Granola Bars
- Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
- Salted Chocolate Almond No Bake Granola Bars
- Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Orange Almond Healthy Granola Bars
- Cranberry Almond Granola Bars
Tools Used to Make These Bars
- 8×8 baking pan
- Parchment paper (I love these pre-cut sheets)
Trail Mix Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter*
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cupold-fashioned oats gluten free if needed
- 3/4 cup crispy rice or other puffed grain cereal, whole grain if possible (I used this one)
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup mixed dried fruit I used 1/4 cup raisins and 1/4 cup reduced-sugar dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup mixed nuts and/or seeds, I used a mix of toasted pumpkin seeds and almonds
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips dairy free if needed
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on two of the sides like handles. Generously coat the foil or paper with baking spray. Set aside.
- In a microwave-safe bowl or a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the honey, peanut butter, and coconut oil. Melt gently and stir until smooth and combined. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, cereal, flaxseed, cinnamon, and salt, then stir in the dried fruit, nuts/seeds, and chocolate chips. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the top, then stir until the ingredients are evenly moistened.
- Scoop the mixture into the prepared baking pan, then with a spatula or your fingers, press into an even layer. If the mixture is too sticky, lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the top, then press on its surface. Place the bars in the refrigerator to set, at least 2 hours or overnight. Once fully chilled, remove the bars from the pan with the foil or paper “handles,” then, using a very sharp knife, slice into bars. Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator or freezer for later.
Notes
- *I used Jif Creamy Natural Peanut Butter, which does not need to be stirred at room temperature. If you use a different brand or formula, you may need to alter the amount of liquid/oats/salt to suit your desired taste and texture. This recipe is flexible and forgiving, so feel free to adjust as needed.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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I made these in my son’s preschool class today as our weekly cooking project and they LOVED it! They loved measuring all of the ingredients, watching the coconut oil “disappear” into the warm pb and honey, showing off their “super strong muscles…SEEEEE?!?” when it came time to mix everything together, and of course the teachers and parents loved that they got to enjoy a healthy snack after naptime today. Thank you for a(nother) fabulous recipe!!!!
Rachel, that sounds like a wonderful activity! I’m glad the recipe was a hit.
I made this recipe and it is excellent, especially adding one’s own substitutions. However, you can leave the bars in the refrigerator for a month and they will still fall apart when taken out and attempted to be eaten when they become warm no matter how pressed together. I found that if the pan is baked on low temp (200-250) for about 20 minutes, then cooled and cut and put into little individual plastic bags, that they become crispy, are much easier to eat without a spoon and keep well in the fridge until they are all consumed.
Thanks for sharing your notes! I’m glad to hear you enjoy the bars.
Loved these! But found them a tad too sweet. Is there a way to lower the amount of honey and still be able to have them stick together?
Hi Anna! You can swap some of the honey for extra peanut butter. So glad you loved them!
This is a definite keeper with my family and I have made three batches in the last week! The recipe is so easy to make and is easily adaptable to fit more or less ingredients.
I’m glad to hear this recipe is a hit, Karen! Thanks for taking the time to share this review.
I have made these No Bake Trail Mix Peanut Butter Granola Bars again and again ! Minus the trail mix, Peanut butter tastes great with dates and that’s what mine are made with along with Kashi puffed cereal. And I’m using brown rice syrup since I found honey made it too sweet for me. These bars are easy to make often and wonderful to snack on when I’m looking for just little something to tidy me over until dinner. Thank you for this recipe and for your website !
Thank you for sharing this kind review, Lia! I’m so happy this recipe was a hit!
Do you think it would be ok to add few scoops of whey protein powder in the mixture?
Hi Vicky! I have not tried to add protein power to these, but it should turn out fine. I hope you love the recipe!
Could I substitute peanut butter by tahini? Not a big fan of peanut but wondering if tahini will still give the sticky factor? Thank you Monique
Hi Monique! I’ve only tested the recipe with peanut butter, but you could experiment with it. If you decide to try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
My go-to bar recipe! So so good…love that I can mix it each time depending on what I have. Thank you!
I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed them, Alana! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
These granola bars are sooo good. The whole family loves them.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Brittney! Thank you for sharing this kind review!