Chewy No-Bake Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars
Soft and chewy no-bake granola bars that combine the classic flavors of peanut butter and strawberry jelly with crunchy peanuts.
Happy New Year friends, it’s Kelly from Life Made Sweeter back again! Hope you all enjoyed the holidays!
Did you indulge in lots of sweets? Even though it was very tempting, I managed to sneak in only a few treats despite all the chocolate I was around.
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Since most people are trying to make healthier food choices once January hits, I wanted to share one of my favorite lighter snacks I turn to once that sugar craving hits.
These Chewy No-Bake Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars are super easy to whip up and contain no butter. We use coconut oil, honey and peanut butter along with rolled oats, quick oats and oat flour.
You get all your favorite flavors of the classic PB & J in a soft, chewy granola bar with crunchy peanuts. The flaxseeds add a healthy dose of fiber, but are also completely optional.
These are great snacks to make ahead of time for the week. They’re best straight from the fridge as they tend to soften up at room temperature — keep them chilled and grab one when you’re hungry or wrap them up and pack them into your lunch cooler so you can enjoy a healthy and satisfying snack when you’re on the go!
They have an intense peanut butter and jelly flavor, so just be sure to use your favorite brands. You can even leave out the strawberry jelly filling if you’re not a fan or use your favorite nut butter that you like instead.
I make different variations of these granola bars every week depending on what I have in my pantry. They’re easy to customize so you can have fun swapping out the peanuts for your favorite nuts, dried fruit and even chocolate chips! They can even be gluten free depending on the oats and oat flour you use.
These bars make a fun and delicious snack that the entire family will love!
Chewy No-Bake Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- ⅓ cup honey
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp or a tiny pinch of salt **, (optional and use only if your peanut butter is unsalted)
- 1 ½ cups old fashioned oats*
- ½ cup quick oats*
- ⅔ cup of oat flour*, (You can grind your own in a food processor. Use gluten free oats if gluten is a concern.)
- 2 tsp of ground flaxseeds, (optional)
- ⅓ cup of peanuts
- ¼ – ⅓ cup strawberry jelly for filling, (plus more for drizzling, optional)
Instructions
- Line an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper or foil sprayed with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil to a large pot over medium low to medium heat. Stir continuously with a spoon until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt**.
- Add rolled oats, quick oats, oat flour, and flaxseeds; stir until combined. Press half of the oat mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spoon the jelly across the top of the oat mixture and spread evenly. Spoon in the remaining half of the oat mixture pressing down and flattening with a spatula or your hands.
- Sprinkle the tops with peanuts or chocolate chips if desired. Press down firmly so the nuts will stick to the surface.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm and set. Remove from the fridge and cut into bars or squares. Store bars in the refrigerator, either in an airtight container with wax paper separating the layers, or individually wrapped in plastic wrap.
- For the jelly drizzle, scoop jelly into a small zip-top bag and cut off one corner. Pipe in desired pattern across granola bars (If jelly is too thick to pipe, microwave the amount you need in a small bowl for a few seconds first). Return to the fridge until jelly is set or enjoy immediately.
Notes
Did you make this?
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You may also enjoy these other healthier treats from Life Made Sweeter:
Stuffed Almond Joy Energy Bites
Healthy Cherry Banana Dark Chocolate Muffins
hi, can jelly be substituted by jam? what is pb&j pls?
Jelly and jam are essentially the same thing. Jam has chunks of fruit, whereas jelly does not. pb&j means peanut butter and jelly. 🙂
SWOON! These are fabulous, Kelly!
I just made these. So yummy!!! I’m a huge pb&j fan so I knew this one would be a winner for me!
That’s wonderful, Nicole! So glad to hear you made them and thanks so much for coming back to let us know you enjoyed them too 🙂
These are so fun, Kelly! They would be perfect for my grab and go breakfasts!
They totally would, thanks so much Mallory 🙂
My son would love these! They will be great for his after school snack.
I know my kids would devour these too! Kelly sure nailed this recipe!
Thanks so much Veronica and Amber 🙂
LOVE these Kelly! Such an epic combination!
Kelly is genius when she creates recipes! I too am in love with these granola bars!
Thanks so much Ashley!
I love all recipes Kelly shares! These healthy bars will make a great breakfast or snack 🙂
Kelly does an amazing job at creating unique and tasty recipes, that’s for sure!
Thanks so much Mira! 🙂
Another fabulous recipe from Kelly!! love that she made PB & J in a soft, chewy granola bar and YES to the ground flaxseed!! woot woot!!
Kelly did an amazing job! Such gorgeous bars! Can’t wait to try them myself!
Thanks so much, Alice! So glad you like them 🙂
Love Kelly’s recipes! Can’t wait to give this a try. The sweet and salty combination is one of my favorites!
Oh Kelly totally nailed it! Such a fun treat! I too love salty-sweet combos!
Same here, I can’t resist the sweet and salty combo either. Thanks so much Michelle 🙂