I’ve been a traveling machine lately.
Every few weekends there has been a trip on my schedule. Either I’m gone or my fiancé is, and occasionally we both get to go somewhere together (but I’m not telling you when that happens…I watch Dateline! I know that creepers wait for that kind of thing then rob your empty home…joke would be on them when they stumble into my literally empty apartment! Muahahaha… wait, just don’t steal my mixer!).
With all of this travel, I’ve become a master at packing meals and emergency snacks. I always bring my own, because I’d rather be prepared than find myself in a bind, hungry, and surrounded by junk. Also, I like to send my fiancé on his trips with my healthy snacks, because I want to know that he’ll reach for those first instead of hitting the drive-throughs.
Homemade granola bars are an awesome, easy-to-pack snack. They travel well and provide good, clean energy. Mine are gluten-free and vegan. I love that when you make your granola bars, they truly are only the ingredients you choose to put in them. No surprises.
I used my new favorite coconut-based finds (above), but you can use your favorite ingredients in yours!
Peanut Butter Granola Bars (no-bake)
(makes 12 granola bars)
2 ½ cups old fashioned oats
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3 Tbs. coconut butter (or unsalted butter)
2 Tbs. coconut peanut butter (or creamy natural peanut butter)
2 Tbs. brown sugar
¼ cup agave nectar (or honey)
1/3 cup chopped dried banana* (Trader Joe’s Bananas Flattened, approximately 3 bananas)
¼ cup dry roasted, unsalted peanuts, chopped
optional: peanut butter chips, to decorate with
*You can use dried banana chips or freeze dried bananas, but they will have a different texture. The Bananas Flattened have the texture of “fruit leather.”
~Line an 8×8” baking pan with parchment, overhanging. Set aside.
~Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. Combine the oats and coconut and pour onto the baking sheet in an even layer. Bake 8-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oats become fragrant and the coconut starts to become golden. Pour the toasted oats and coconut into your mixing bowl.
~To the oats and coconut, add the chopped dried banana and peanuts.
~In a small sauce pan over medium heat, combine the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and agave. Let it come to an easy boil and stir until the brown sugar is dissolved. Take off the heat and pour over the oat mixture.
~Stir all of the ingredients until completely combined. Pour the mixture into your lined 8×8” baking pan. Press down firmly to compress the bars in an even layer (I like to place a layer of plastic wrap over the top of the bars and press down as hard as I can to compress the bars).
~If you’re going to decorate the bars with the peanut butter chips, scatter a few over the top of the granola bar pan and then press down again so they stick into the bars.
~Let cool completely (about 2 hours in the fridge) before lifting the bars out by the parchment and cutting into 12 bars (one cut down the middle, then turn and cut in 6 even segments). Wrap the bars individually with plastic wrap to store or take for snacks! Enjoy!
While these look fantastic, I’m more jealous about the TJs bananas LOL. I would give anything if they’d put in a TJs here!
Oh I know! I go every time I’m in St. Louis visiting my parents! I’d love one close by. And congrats on running the LR Half! I ran it last year with my dear friend and loved it! Go you!!
homemade granola bars are always the best!! and you can never go wrong with a pb-banana combo!
Totally! Couldn’t agree more 🙂
Yum! Pinned for later
Thank you! Enjoy!
mm mmmm… I wouldn’t say the PB chips were optional.. They look too good!
You’re so right! That was very silly of me. They are essential! 🙂
These look perfect!! Love that EB coconut PB! Also, super-duper wish we had a TJ’s here. And yes, I just realized that I used way too many foodie abbreviations here.
I have never bought dried bananas but may have to swing by TJ’s just for those. Yum!
these look yummy! I also love no bake stuff and peanut butter and banana. great recipe!
Ahhh, it’s been MONTHS since I’ve made any granola bars! I made my first ones over the summer and had a great time coming up with new flavor combos…I did a peanut butter chocolate chip, but I can’t believe I didn’t think to add banana! Yum! I’ve seen those flattened bananas at Trader Joe’s before but I was afraid to try them since I thought they might be too sweet (dried banana chips are waaaaaaaay too much for me). And I seriously absolutely freakin’ LOVE you for using that coconut peanut butter! It is my FAVORITE!
How’s that coconut spread? Is it hard like coconut butter or more soft like regular butter? I’ve been wondering.
PS, gorgeous photos m’dear…as always! 😉
Thank you thank you my love!
The coconut spread is pretty hard in bc you keep it in the fridge, but its easy to soften up so you can cream it like butter (it doesn’t just liquify at room temp like coconut oil).
The bananas are pretty amazing! I think the flavor is intense but not sweet! I love that there’s no added sweeteners!
Mmm… must add chocolate chips to the next batch! 😉
this is so awesome! i love PB. love. it. and granols hasn’t come out of my kitchen on so long… i feel a craving coming on. 🙂
Oh my goodness gracious girl, these look AWESOME! Too bad I’ve never seen that PB or PB chips near me #fail… I’d be eating both by the spoonful if I had them 😛
sounds healthy and packed with flavor!
Thank you! They definitely are!
Mmm, these look so so delicious, and so easy! Love that they’re no bake. Pinned!
I’ll have to try this.
This is an awesome recipe. We have recently started using coconut palm sugar in place of brown sugar. It has a carmely taste that would probably go well with this recipe.
We don’t have a Trader Joes here but it would be worth a trip across the border to pick up some of their flattened Bananas:)
I just made these granola bars and they were awesome! Didn’t have any dried bananas on hand so I omitted and subbed some sliced almonds and used almond butter instead of peanut/ coconut butter. They are great! I love your website but I’m just curious where I can find nutritional information?
These bars look good! I always make peanut butter granola bars, but never added bananas. That’s a great idea! 🙂