Homemade PB&J Granola Bars

Homemade PB&J granola bars are an easy to make snack that the whole family will love! They taste just like the store bought ones, but are healthier and a fraction of the price.

Grab and go snacks are life around here. I love having something convenient to grab that’s healthy for me because it makes me less likely to grab something less healthy and start mindlessly eating.

This weekend we decided to jump into potty training with little A and I knew that would mean we’d need lots of snacks and already prepped food. We got a bunch of Pirate’s Booty, fruit (we made a delicious fruit salad with it), and some Chocolate Lucky Charms as a treat(did you know this was a thing?! I had no idea until a week ago. They’re amazing!). I also made some blueberry oatmeal muffins and peanut butter and jelly granola bars to have on hand.

I love making homemade granola bars because not only are they crazy easy to make, but they’re also healthier than the typical store bought (and less sugar and additives!). Little A also loves helping make these…and of course, taste testing.

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup PB2 powdered peanut butter (or regular peanut butter – if using regular peanut butter, skip the water)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup honey (or agave)
• 1/2 cup strawberry jam

Equipment

To make this recipe you’ll need an 8×8 baking dish, parchment paper and a food processor.

How to Make PB&J Granola Bars

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and a 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.

In a small microwave safe bowl, combine the PB2 and water until it becomes thick. Set aside

In a food processor, pulse the rolled oats until they become a flour-like texture (about 30 seconds)

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, almond milk and vanilla.

Add the honey into the PB2 bowl and microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Pour the honey and PB2 mixture into the oat mix, and mix together until a dough forms. Cut the dough into 2 balls.

Place 1 of the balls in the baking dish with parchment paper and press to flatten the dough (I like to use extra parchment paper to help the dough from sticking to my hands). Spread the strawberry jam evenly on the granola, and then cover with the remaining dough.

Bake the granola bars for 22 minutes and then allow 10 minutes to cool. Cut into 16 pieces and enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

Recipe Tips

• PB2 can be swapped out for regular peanut butter or sunflower butter. If you’re using a regular nut butter (and not a powdered one) skip adding in the water.
• This recipe is great with any type of jam! I like strawberry best, but grape or raspberry would also be delicious.
• I like my granola bars to be similar to store bought ones so do a full layer of granola on top. If you want them to be more like a crumble, you can do less granola on top by sprinkling it around and put the remaining dough into the bottom layer.
• To make the dough flat I like to use a little extra parchment paper and lay it on top and then press to flatten. I find the parchment paper helps keep the dough from sticking to my hands and helps it spread more evenly.

What is PB2?

PB2 is a powdered peanut butter that’s made with real peanuts, but has less fat than regular peanut butter. I love using it in baking and smoothies because it provides all the delicious taste of regular peanut butter but saves some calories. I buy mine at Target, but it’s also available on Amazon.

Calories and Nutritional Information

Nutritional values will vary depending on the brands of ingredients you use and any substitutions (like swapping out PB2 for peanut butter). My Fitness Pal has a great recipe builder to calculate nutritional info.

Serving Size 1 bar

Number of Servings 16 bars

Calories 97 – Total Fat 1 grams – Saturated Fat 0 grams – Trans Fat 0 grams – Unsaturated Fat 1 grams – Cholesterol 0 milligrams – Sodium 15 milligrams – Carbohydrates 20 grams – Fiber 2 grams – Sugar 9 grams – Protein 3 grams

How to Store Leftovers

Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

To freeze, allow the granola bars to completely cool and then wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to eat, defrost them 24 hours by place them in the fridge.

More Snack Recipes

If you like this recipe, you’ll love these other healthy snack recipes:

• Apple Cinnamon Muffins
• Lemon Blueberry Bread
• Crispy Chickpeas (Airfryer)
• Chocolate Chip Banana Bars
• PB&J Energy Balls (No Bake Recipe)
• Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

PB&J Granola Bars

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Peanut butter and jelly granola bars are an easy to make healthy snack that kids and adults will love! They're made with only a handful of healthy ingredients are an easy treat to make

Ali

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 22 minutes minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 37 minutes minutes

Equipment

• OXO Good Grips Freezer-to-Oven Safe 2 Qt Glass Baking Dish with Lid
• Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Food Processor & Vegetable Chopper with Bowl Scraper
• Non-Stick Parchment Paper

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup almond milk or milk of choice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup PB2 or peanut butter – if using peanut butter, skip the water
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup honey or agave
• 1/2 cup strawberry jam

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and a 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
• In a small microwave safe bowl, combine the PB2 and water until it becomes thick. Set aside
• In a food processor, pulse the rolled oats until they become a flour-like texture (about 30 seconds)
• In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, almond milk and vanilla.
• Add the honey into the PB2 bowl and microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Pour the honey and PB2 mixture into the oat mix, and mix together until a dough forms. Cut the dough into 2 balls.
• Place 1 of the balls in the baking dish with parchment paper and press to flatten the dough (I like to use extra parchment paper to help the dough from sticking to my hands). Spread the strawberry jam evenly on the granola, and then cover with the remaining dough.
• Bake the granola bars for 22 minutes and then allow 10 minutes to cool. Cut into 16 pieces and enjoy!

Notes

• PB2 can be swapped out for regular peanut butter or sunflower butter at a 1:1 ratio. If using peanut butter or sunflower butter, you can skip adding the 1/4 cup of water.
• Leftovers can be served warm or room temperature

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