No Bake Apple Peanut Butter Granola Bars (Printable Version)

Soft, chewy bars loaded with apple, oats, and creamy peanut butter. No baking required—just chill and enjoy this wholesome homemade snack.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
02 - 1 cup crispy rice cereal
03 - 1/2 cup dried apple, finely chopped
04 - 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
05 - 1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional)
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

08 - 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
09 - 1/3 cup honey (or maple syrup for vegan option)
10 - 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

# Directions:

01 - Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, combine oats, rice cereal, dried apple, shredded coconut, chopped peanuts, cinnamon, and salt.
03 - Gently warm peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil in microwave-safe bowl or saucepan until smooth and runny. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
04 - Pour wet mixture over dry ingredients. Stir thoroughly until everything is evenly coated.
05 - Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Press firmly and evenly with spatula or hands to compact.
06 - Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm.
07 - Lift bars from pan using parchment overhang and cut into 12 bars. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • No oven required and they come together in about fifteen minutes of actual hands on time
  • The texture is somewhere between chewy and crisp, exactly what a granola bar should be instead of those sad dry ones from the store
02 -
  • Pressing the mixture firmly into the pan is the single most important step. If you are too gentle here, your bars will crumble apart when you try to cut them.
  • These must be stored in the refrigerator. At room temperature, they get soft and start to lose their shape after about thirty minutes.
03 -
  • Warm your knife under hot water and dry it off before cutting. It glides through the chilled bars so much cleaner.
  • If your honey is crystallized, gently warm the jar in a bowl of hot water before measuring. It will mix much more smoothly with the peanut butter.

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