Apr 15, 2012
I have always loved Quaker’s granola bars, Nature’s Valley’s honey oat bars and obviously, candy bars. Unfortunately, after eating any of those I would feel guilty and then get hungry again in no time. I wanted to make my own healthy snack to have on hand, one that was as sweet as a candy bar, yet keep me full all morning.
First, I thought: oats.
Then I thought: peanut butter.
Peanut Butter Granola Bars! Sounded pretty good to me 😉
But then I thought: sugar.
Peanut Butter & Jelly Granola Bars! The sound of that made my sugar-obsessed body jump with joy.
I didn’t have any jelly on hand, so I just added a bunch of raisins and dried cranberries. It’s a funny thing, I always used to hate dried fruit but now I’m starting to love them. Raisins taste like mini orbs of concentrated sugar and cranberries taste like those Welch’s fruit gummy snacks I always used to buy. So I added those super sweet (yet healthy) fruits to the mixing bowl so I could omit any other forms of sugar.
And what did I get? Granola squares with outstanding peanut butter flavor and the sweetness level of jelly. A delicious, comforting, portable snack that will remind you of your childhood PB&Js.
Healthy Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Squares
-
Line an 8×8″ brownie pan with parchment paper both ways.
-
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together the oats, raisins, cranberries, and salt.
-
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together almond milk, peanut butter, and stevia extract. Then, whisk in the erythritol, then the protein powder.
-
Dump the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold together. Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan and flatten it out.
-
Freeze overnight and slice the next day. Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge.
Nutrition Facts
Healthy Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Squares
Amount Per Serving (1 Granola Square)
Calories 310
Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 150mg7%
Carbohydrates 39g13%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 11g12%
Protein 19g38%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Whoa, 19g of protein?? That’s sure something you’ll never see on a Quaker’s bar! Perfect as a healthy breakfast, a lunch box treat, a yummy snack and a guiltless dessert.
Enjoy!
.
With love and good eats,
.
– Jess
.
