Granola Bars 5 Ingredient No Bake Recipes

HEALTHY 5-INGREDIENT GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Process dates in a food processor until small bits remain (about 1 minute). It should form a "dough" like consistency. (Mine rolled into a ball.)
• Optional step: Toast your oats (and almonds if raw) in a 350-degree F (176 C) oven for 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Otherwise, leave them raw - I prefer the toasted flavor.
• Place oats, almonds and dates in a large mixing bowl - set aside.
• Warm maple syrup (or agave or honey) and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over oat mixture and then mix, breaking up the dates to disperse throughout.
• Once thoroughly mixed, transfer to an 8x8-inch baking dish or other small pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper so they lift out easily. (A loaf pan might work, but will yield thicker bars // adjust size of pan if altering batch size).
• Press down firmly until uniformly flattened - I use something flat, like a drinking glass, to press down and really pack the bars, which helps them hold together better.
• Cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and let firm up in fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes.
• Remove bars from pan and chop into 10 even bars (or 9 squares // as original recipe is written). Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. I kept mine in the freezer to keep them extra fresh, but it isn't necessary.

NO BAKE GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Stir oats, peanut butter, flaxseed, honey, cranberries, chocolate chips, and almonds together in a bowl; press into a 9x11-inch baking dish, using the back of a spatula to press into a flat layer.
• Refrigerate mixture at least 1 hour.
• Cut into 12 bars and wrap each individually in plastic wrap for storage.

PERFECT NO-BAKE GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Pulse oats in a food processor just until slightly ground. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with flax seeds, then almonds, and finally pumpkin seeds, pulsing just one ingredient at a time.
• Add puffed rice, milk powder, cranberries, protein powder, sesame seeds, chia seeds, and shredded coconut to the bowl; mix to combine.
• Mix almond butter, peanut butter, honey, coconut milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla together in a quart-sized bowl until well combined. Pour wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until well blended. Spread thinly onto the prepared cookie sheet.
• Place in the freezer until solid, about 1 hour.
• Remove from the freezer, dust with oat bran, and cut into 24 bars. Store in a zip-top bag in the refrigerator.