Nut Butter Granola Bars
Homemade chewy granola bars packed with nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and bound together with peanut butter and honey. These wholesome bars make a perfect nutritious snack that can be stored for up to a week.
Ingredients
- •2 cups raw nuts (such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, and/or blanched hazelnuts)
- •½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
- •3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- •2 cups old-fashioned oats
- •1¼ cups dried fruit
- •¾ cup unsalted or low-salt natural peanut butter
- •⅝ cup honey
- •2 tsp kosher salt
- •2 tsp vanilla extract
- •1 large egg white
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast nuts pumpkin seeds on a rimmed baking sheet until golden brown or slightly darkened in color, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and let sit until cool enough to handle.
12 min
- 2.
Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Lightly oil 13x9" pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on both long sides. Lightly oil parchment.
5 min
- 3.
Add 1 cup oats to nut mixture in food processor and pulse until nuts are a sandy consistency and no whole oats remain. Transfer to a large bowl.
5 min
- 4.
Pulse any dried fruit larger than a raisin in food processor (no need to wipe out) until about the size of chocolate chips. Transfer to bowl with nut mixture. Add remaining 1 cup oats and stir to combine, breaking up any fruit that is stuck together. Add remaining 3 Tbsp. oil and stir to coat. Add peanut butter, but don't stir it in; set aside.
10 min
- 5.
Bring honey, salt, and vanilla to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat (it will bubble up). Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it is foaming vigorously and smells like caramel, about 3 minutes.
3 min
- 6.
Immediately pour honey mixture over peanut butter in reserved bowl (it will melt the peanut butter). Stir to combine, making sure to aggressively break up any clumps.
5 min
- 7.
Using a fork or small whisk, lightly beat egg white in a small bowl to thin out. Add to oat mixture and mix until egg white is no longer visible.
3 min
- 8.
Scrape oat mixture into prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer. (Be sure to really compact the mixture into the pan-it helps to use the bottom of a heavy glass or metal measuring cup.)
5 min
- 9.
Bake granola bars until deep golden brown and no longer sticky or wet, 30-35 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then lightly score into 16 long rectangles (1 cut lengthwise and 7 cuts crosswise will make bars that are about 61/2x1"). Let cool completely in pan, then use parchment to hoist bars out onto a cutting board. Using a sharp chef's knife, cut along marks to separate bars.
35 min
- 10.
Do Ahead: Bars can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.