Crunchy Peanut Butter Granola Bars

I previously made these Crunchy Granola Bars and they were a hit with the family, however the amount it made was a lot and I knew I needed to make a smaller batch. So while I worked on making a smaller batch I also worked on a peanut butter variety. The result is a delicious peanut buttery crunchy granola bar.

I will say reducing the ingredients and baking the bars in a 9x13 instead of a sheet pan made the bars slightly thicker and not quite as crunchy, but still just as delicious and crunchy.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup whole almonds
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375º F.
2. Line an 9x13 baking dish with aluminum foil.
3. In a large bowl combine the oats and oil until well mixed and oats are evenly coated with oil.
4. Spread the oats out into an even layer on the prepared baking dish.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
6. Remove the oats and reduce the oven temperature to 300º F.
7. Place the nuts into a food processor and process until coarsely chopped.
8. In a small saucepan combine the honey, brown sugar and 3 tablespoons peanut butter. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
9. In a large bowl, with a rubber spatula, stir together the oats, nuts, honey mixture and 1/4 cup peanut butter until everything is evenly coated with the honey mixture.
10. Spray the foil in the baking dish with cooking spray.
11. Spread the oat mixture on the prepared baking dish spreading it into an even layer. Spray the bottom of a measuring cup with cooking spray and firmly press the oat mixture into the baking dish, creating a firmly packed even layer.
12. Bake until golden brown, about 35-40 minutes.
13. Cool in the baking dish, on a cooling rack, for 10-15 minutes, then cut into bars. Make sure you cut all the way through and then allow the bars to cool completely.
14. Do not wait longer than 15 minutes to cut the bars as they harden up significantly as they cool and you will have a very difficult time cutting them into bars.
15. Store the bars in an air tight container on the counter for up to 2 weeks.

Enjoy!!!

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 181
Total Fat		9g
Saturated Fat		1.1g
Polyunsaturated Fat		1.6g
Monounsaturated Fat		2.9g
Trans Fat		0g
Cholesterol		0mg
Sodium		31.7mg
Potassium		17.5mg
Total Carbohydrates		22.9g
Dietary Fiber		2.3g
Sugars		10.2g
Protein		4g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0.1%
Calcium 0.6% Iron 5.8%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.