These crunchy homemade granola bars are full of peanut buttery deliciousness with just a hint of cinnamon. They’re wholesome enough to have for breakfast yet sweet enough to have for dessert, and they make a great anytime, on-the-go snack. The recipe calls for smooth peanut butter, but feel free to use chunky if you prefer.

By Isa Chandra Moskowitz,

Ingredients

  • ½ cup smooth peanut butter
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup brown rice syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a 10-inch square of parchment paper.
  • In a medium saucepan combine peanut butter, maple syrup, and rice syrup. Heat over low just until smooth, whisking constantly with a fork. Cool slightly. Stir in vanilla. Stir in oats, salt, and cinnamon until combined.
  • Using moist fingers, press mixture into the prepared pan. Bake 18 minutes or until edges are light brown.
  • Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Using the parchment paper, lift out uncut bars. Cut into bars. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Comments (44)

(5 from 20 votes)

Recipe Rating

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PB Granola Bar Lover

Where do you find brown rice syrup? Or what can I substitute for it? This was a favorite recipe for my husband and I. Unfortunately, after COVID, I can’t find any grocery stores that carry it.

Megan Edwards

Hi there, You should be able to find brown rice syrup at health food stores such as Sprouts or Whole Foods in the sweetener aisle, near the honey. If you can't find it there, you can also <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Lundberg-Organi-Organic-Sweet-Dreams/dp/B00DTG9Q52/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=brown+rice+syrup&amp;qid=1696893053&amp;sr=8-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow ugc"> order some on Amazon</a>. Brown rice syrup is great for getting the crispy, crunchy texture you want out of a granola bar so we recommend trying to track some down, but you could also experiment with using more maple syrup in its place and let us know how it goes!

AM

Best healthy recipe we’ve ever had. We made slight adjustments; we didn’t have rice syrup so we used some homemade date paste and we left out the salt &amp; cinnamon. Excellent!

Mike

Did not turn out to be bars. just crumbly oats. something is missing in the recipe

Margaret

These are delicious! I subbed maple syrup for the rice syrup, so all maple. They remind me of the Nature Valley Peanut Butter Granola bars. Mine did have trouble staying together when I cut them. I used Red Bob Mill's Extra Thick oats. Next time I will try quick oats and see if they hold together better.

Mary Tagliarino

Sure wish you had a print button!

Kelley

Under the header, there is the print option.

Mark Bair

Thanks

Morrigan

Delicious! Already on my 2nd batch. I'd suggest tasting before adding salt, though. I assume that different brands of peanut butter have varying amounts of salt; it's nothing against the original recipe. My first batch was a bit too salty.

Annie Browder

I would love to try this recipe I love eating as healthy as possible

Rebekah

Wow, these are delicious. Very easy to make and so, so good. I use Crazy Richard crunchy peanut butter and prefer the little peanuts in it. Awesome recipe!!!

Karen

I make these bars almost every other week and keep them in the fridge. I’ve altered them by adding chopped crystallized ginger, raisins, and sometimes chopped choc chips. I’ve also experimented with reducing the sugars &amp; salt and subbed honey for the brown rice syrup. All good!

MMOm09

I used almond butter, instead of peanut; all maple syrup cause I had no whatever else it calls for; I added 1/4 cup goji berries and somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 cup 100% cacao chips- mixed enough that some melted chocolate was blended everywhere but there were still intact chip pieces, as well: absolutely to die for. Haven’t been able to store any leftovers either of the four times I’ve made it so far.

Deb

These are my go to recipe. I don't use or have the brown rice syrup so I just double the maple syrup. Always a winner for my spouse.

Pat Grieve

Absolutely delicious! I added a few chopped nuts and some coconut flakes. I make these bars often, there are always a box of them in the cupboard. Thanks for the recipe!

Pennie

I made these and they were delicious just as written. My husband loved them also. Thank you for this great simple recipe.

Tracy

If I wanted to add some nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or vegan chocolate chips would I need to alter or add more to any of the other ingredients? Thanks.

Pat

They are so delicious! Can they be frozen?

Carol Ann McCollum

hmmmm... 1/2cup syrup to 1/2cup peanut butter. That seems like a lot of sweetener. Maybe I'd add raisins, currants or ground flax seeds or walnuts/pecans/ peanuts...

Jess

SO easy and positively fantastic. My husband--who likes almost nothing--ate most of this first batch in one sitting. Didn't have rice syrup, so I used date syrup in its place. Love, love, love!

Lisa

Does peanut butter have to be oil free? What brand is recommended?

Mary Lyans

No peanut butter is oil free. Costco organic peanut butter is great. Only ingredients are dry roasted Valencia peanuts and sea salt.

Clean eating

If you want healthy yes.... if it doesn't separate in the jar, they added something... just peanuts and salt if ok for your diet is what you want, same with any type of nut butter) you will need to stir them.

kelly

is there a way to find out the nutritional informaation.. such as calories, fat, cholesterol, sugar etc... for these recipes?

Victoria

Love, love, love these. Highly recommend.

Claire Gardiner

Easy to make and the granola is DELICIOUS (posting again because I forgot to give it 5 stars!!!)

Amy

What can be used instead of the brown rice syrup?

Amy Collins

Could I add dark chocolate chopped up in this recipe?

Claire Gardiner

Easy to make and the granola is DELICIOUS!

Pamela V

Very good. I'm not much of a granola person but this was excellent.

Chelsea R.

I was in the mood for something healthy, and remembered this website from a college course I took last year. Generally, some of the foods here are foreign to me, but when I came across this recipe I knew this was the one I wanted to try. My husband and I are both peanut butter lovers, so I knew it would be a win. The ingredients were easy around the house items, and I just doubled the maple syrup in substitution for the rice syrup. As suspected, my husband and I both loved this recipe and it'll be a good recipe to use for both breakfast and snack.

Linda J Stone

This sounds delicious and I would like to make it tomorrow. Would it tastes as good as it sounds if leave out the rice syrup entirely and just use the quarter cup of pure maple syrup? Thank you for your healthy lifestyle which helps others like me make important changes.

Hal Stevens

These were good. I added some raisins to the first batch I made and am adding raisins and chocolate chips to the batch I am making now. I used agave instead of rice syrup.

Wendy Ferguson

Delicious recipe. Just enough batter to fit perfectly into my Wilton molded shape cookie pan . Gives them a crispy edge. Kid friendly shapes and bite size pieces

Stacey Coia Gabryszek

LOVE this recipe! I couldn't find rice syrup so I used date syrup and it was great.

Holly Patterson

These were delicious! Sweet and chewy, will definitely make them again. I could not find rice syrup so just doubled the maple syrup.

Jana

Very tasty and simple. I try an flex-egg or change a part of the oats against floar for more keeping together. I will report.

Seema

Are these chewy or crunchy?

Em

What can you use instead of brown rice syrup?

Marina

What can I substitute the rice syrup with ?

Viv

All maple syrup works fine.

Liz

Can I just use a little extra maple syrup instead of the rice syrup?

Jennifer Kluender

What can I substitute for the brown rice syrup?

Kathy

Can I sub fruit or date syrup for some of the sugar in this recipe?

About the Author

Headshot of Isa Chandra Moskowitz

About the Author

Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Isa Chandra Moskowitz has been cooking up a vegan storm for decades. She is the author of seven cookbooks, including Veganomicon and Appetite for Reduction. A Brooklyn native, she now lives in Omaha, Nebraska, where she spreads vegan cooking love and does feral cat rescue work.
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