These delightful granola bars are loaded with all the good things. Seriously, they’re an explosion of flavor and texture. They’re gooey and chewy from the honey, yet crispy and crunchy from the pretzels, peanuts, and rice cereal. They’re irresistibly sweet and salty and combine chocolate and peanut butter for two flavor pairings the whole family will love. The sweetness of the honey and M&Ms is counterbalanced by the saltiness of the pretzels and peanuts.
These addicting granola bars are easy to make at home and taste so much better than store-bought ones. Unprocessed and full of real ingredients, these homemade granola bars are packed with protein, carbs, and natural fats to keep you full, healthy, and happy. They make for a great school, work, or anytime snack and can also pass for breakfast.
Makes 18 bars
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Pretzel Granola Bars
2½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup peanuts, roughly chopped
¾ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup chopped pretzels
¾ cup crispy rice cereal
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
⅔ cup honey
⅔ creamy peanut butter
¼ cup light brown sugar
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
½ cup mini M&Ms
Directions
Peanut Butter Pretzel Granola Bars
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 10x15-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out, then spray the paper with non-stick cooking spray.
On a large baking sheet, mix together the oats, peanuts, and sunflower seeds. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes, and then dump into a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped pretzels and rice cereal to the bowl and mix well to combine.
Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
While the oats are toasting, combine the butter, honey, peanut butter, brown sugar, and salt in a small saucepan on low heat. Stir until the butter and peanut butter are melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Pour the honey mixture over the oat mixture in the bowl and mix well until all ingredients are well coated with the honey mixture. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, and then add the M&Ms and mix well. (Make sure the mixture is cool. Otherwise, the M&Ms will melt.)
Dump the mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer using wet hands.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool completely (about 3 hours) before cutting into 18 bars.