Ditch the store-bought granola bars for good. These Peanut Butter Protein Granola Bars are so simple to make and with just a few simple ingredients. Enjoy them for breakfast on the go, snack time, after school, or anytime you need a healthy snack to give you energy.

I feel like the staple of every kid’s diet is the granola bar. We’ve tried so many in the grocery store from popular brands like Hidden Valley, Clif Zbar, Quaker Oats and others. But what I found was there were a lot of ingredients I wasn’t comfortable with my kids eating like vegetable oils, soy protein, corn syrup, sugar, and corn starch. We personally just get digestive issues when we eat too much processed foods – even those that are gluten free.

Here’s the ingredients in a popular brand of peanut butter chocolate protein granola bars:

Roasted Peanuts, Soy Protein Isolate, Chicory Root Extract, Semisweet Chocolate Chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa Butter, soy lecithin, natural flavor), Vegetable Oils (palm kernel, palm, canola, peanut), Sugar, Corn Syrup, Whey Protein Concentrate, Fructose, Peanut Butter (peanuts, salt), Cocoa, Vegetable Glycerin, Rice Starch, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Corn Starch, Natural Flavor.

So I wanted to come up with a simple recipe that combined our love of peanut butter and chocolate along with some extra protein to give my kids much-needed nutrition as an afterschool snack or anytime they get hungry. These Peanut Butter Protein Granola Bars give a healthy dose of protein (10 grams per bar) and fiber to help give you or the kids energy for a busy day.

Can You Use Any Nut Butter?

Yes, you can substitute the peanut butter in this recipe for your favorite nut butter, including almond butter, cashew butter, and my favorite sunflower butter.

Can You Swap Out Other Ingredients?

You can swap out the chia seeds for flax seeds, or even omit altogether. They help keep the granola bars together and provide an extra source of protein but you can omit them if you prefer.

You can also omit the chocolate chips and the protein powder. This recipe is really customizable.

How to Make These Granola Bars – Step by Step

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and get a 9×9 baking pan ready by spraying it with cooking spray. Gather ingredients together.

2. In a large bowl, mix together 2 cups rolled oats, 3/4 cup peanut butter , 1/3 cup honey, 1/3 cup milk of choice , 1/2 cup protein powder (plain or vanilla), 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips, 2 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/8 tsp salt, until well blended.

3. Pour the granola mixture into the pan, and spread out evenly, smoothing with the back of a large spoon. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until edges begin to turn golden brown.

4. Remove from oven, and let cool for at least an hour, or until completely cooled before cutting. Cut into bars.

Top Tips for Making These Granola Bars

• Opt for gluten-free rolled oats. Not all oats are gluten-free.
• Substitute the peanut butter for your favorite nut butter, including almond butter, sunflower butter or cashew butter.
• Customize this recipe for your taste. Omit the chia seeds and/or chocolate chips and add in your own favorites like flax seeds, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, etc.
• Make a double batch of the dough for this recipe and store in the freezer to bake at a later time.

How to Store and Keep These Granola Bars

You can store at room temperature in a glass container with a lid for up to 3 days. You can freeze leftovers and enjoy them later. I like to put a frozen bar in a lunch box and it’s ready to eat by lunch time.

More Recipes You Might Like

• 10 Delicious Uses For Almond Butter
• Paleo Peanut Butter Cups with Sunflower Seed Butter
• Peanut Butter Protein Bites

Did you try these Peanut Butter Protein Granola Bars? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and comment below to let me know how it went. You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Want More Recipes?

Check out my new book, Gluten-Free, Real Food Recipes for Kids. I wrote this book with YOU in mind. Parents who want to provide kids with wholesome meals without artificial colors, preservatives and other additives. All the recipes are gluten-free – with many options for grain free or Paleo, dairy free, egg free and vegetarian.

What’s Included In This Book

It’s filled with 130+ pages of content and recipes, including:

• Real food nutrition 101
• Detailed information on how to properly soak and sprout nuts, beans, grains and seeds
• A guide on how to spot chemical additives and what to avoid
• Kitchen essentials and cooking tools
• Tips on how to get kids to become better eaters and help in the kitchen
• 70+ gluten-free recipes – such as snacks and appetizers, beverages, condiments and dressings, main meals, desserts and more