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Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars

Six-ingredient no-bake granola bars bound with peanut butter and honey. Toasting the oats and pressing the mixture firmly is what keeps them chewy instead of crumbly.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats not instant
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter the stirred kind, not natural separated
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips optional

Method
 

  1. Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides so you can lift the bars out later.
  2. Toast the oats in a large dry skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until they smell nutty and turn a shade darker. Pour them into a large bowl.
  3. Combine the peanut butter, honey, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until melted and smooth, then let it bubble gently for 1 full minute — this thickens the syrup so the bars set firm.
  4. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
  5. Pour the hot syrup over the toasted oats and stir until every oat is coated. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes if you are adding chocolate chips, then fold them in.
  6. Scrape the mixture into the lined pan. Press it down hard with the flat bottom of a measuring cup, working from the center outward, until the surface is tight and glossy.
  7. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until completely firm.
  8. Lift the slab out by the parchment and cut into 12 bars with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts.