Need the most delicious homemade granola recipe? I’ve got you covered with these peanut butter banana chocolate chip granola bars, and I’m sharing some of my favorite road trip snacks, and there’s a giveaway, such a fun post today!
I love homemade granola bars. I love combining different ingredients and the hearty flavors that one can create at home. Anyone who has ever made granola bars at home will tell you that they are 10 times better than anything one could image buying at the store.
One can get carried away adding in healthy ingredients though, and then be left with a pan of super healthy granola bars that one just doesn’t even want to look at. That has happened to me quite a few times. They’ll be so over the top healthy (and taste that way) that when offered offered are quickly declined. Granola bar making is definitely an art. You want the right taste, the right texture, the right ingredients.
With these granola bars, I think I have perfected the art.
They’re chewy (no more breaking of teeth trying to take a bite, I like to use bananas and mash them with a fork), they have a little crunch (from the crispy rice cereal used) and they have the perfect balance of sweet and tart (from the chocolate chips and dried cranberries). These bad boys are so good, they’re the granola bar I make for road trips, and ones that I get requests for!
As I was thinking about what I all wanted to prepare for an upcoming road trip, I came home and realized it was my Door to Door Organics delivery day, yay, those are always fun days. Door to Door Organics delivers organic produce, right to your door (clever name, right?) and is something that saves me oodles of time each week. As soon as I saw the box, it reminded me that not only do they have produce, but they also have all kinds of other organic pantry items and groceries.
I perused their selection and found not only all the ingredients to make my granola bars, but also many great road trip snacks! Here are some of my favorites-what are some of yours?
Do you want to try the wonderful Door to Door Organics service? Two lucky winners will each receive a $50 gift certificate! To enter simply comment letting me know what your favorite road trip snack is, and make sure to fill out the widget after commenting. Winners randomly chosen 6/14/2015
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The next time you’re looking for the most delicious homemade granola bars, look no further than these peanut butter banana chocolate chip granola bars!
- 2 bananas, ripe and mashed
- 2 Tbs honey (I use Clover honey)
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2¼ cup oats (rolled oats, quick cooking)
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup walnut halves/pieces
- ½ cup dried cranberries (you could also used dried cherries)
- Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a bowl microwave peanut butter, honey and vanilla for 30 seconds.
- In another bowl mash bananas with a fork.
- Combine bananas and peanut butter mixture and stir, then add in the brown sugar and stir.
- Next, add in the remaining ingredients and stir to combine, it may be a little hard to stir. I like to fold the ingredients together (folding under and over with a spatula).
- When everything is mixed together spread it into the prepared baking dish and flatten the top so that it is even.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown, you may need to bake for a few more minutes (I've had to bake these all the way up to 30 minutes one time).
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely, then, using a sharp knife cut into 20 bars.
- These granola bars store really well in the freezer. Simply individually wrap them in plastic wrap and put in a freezer bag and remove when ready to enjoy, or store in an air tight container in the fridge.
This post has been sponsored by Door-to-Door Organics, thank you for supporting the brands that make the Sweetphi blog possible, as always, all thoughts and opinions are mine alone.
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I love having nut mixes and granola bars for car trips…and of course a little chocolate!
Just that little bit of chocolate makes road trips that much better, right? Thanks for the comment 🙂
If you don’t have rice crispys what could be substituted?
Hi Tara, I would suggest using a combination of more oats and nuts (probably 2/3 cup oats, 1/3 cup nuts) or you could use another type of cereal. Hope you enjoy
Phi
I think I will be making these granola bars for the grandkids. I know they will love them; me, too. I’m a big fan of nuts for a road trip…they keep you full longer so you don’t eat so much other junk food (like chips or Funyuns :D)
I think your grandkids will love these! And nuts are always a great choice for road trips 🙂
I love snap peas and peanut butter trail mix 🙂
Oh how unique, snap peas and peanut butter trail mix? I’ve never heard of that one before, definitely sounds interesting!
I love bringing raw almonds, Medjool dates and coconut water on road trips! 🙂
Those sound like amazing road trip snacks, super healthy too 🙂
Cherry Lara Bars, grapes, and lots of coffee!!
I’m the same way – lots and lots of coffee 🙂 Also, cherry Lara bars are one of my favorite flavors, that and the apple pie ones are my two top faves 😉
cheetos. and grapes.
I loooove cheetos! I always forget I love them, but if I didn’t bring snacks with me and I go into a gas station, that is exactly what I’ll grab 🙂
Looks so delicious! Can you use crunchy peanut butter? Also can you use the mixed nuts (pecans, peanuts, pistachios, etc) ? Leave out the cranberries? Sorry, I’m just trying to use what I have on hand. Lol
Hi Laurie,
I totally have substituted different things in this recipe to use what I have on hand and have had them come out great. I’ve used almond butter instead of peanut butter, so I assume crunch peanut butter would be a-ok. Also you can use mixed nuts and leave out the cranberries – obviously they might taste a little different depending on what you add/leave out, but I’m sure they’d still be delish! I’d love to know how you like them and what you ended up substituting!
Phi
We’re going on a small roadtrip this week. I’m making them right now and I’m sure they will be amazing! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
You’re so welcome, I’d love to know how you liked them!
I have old fashion oats not the quick cooking kind is that going to mess up the outcome of the granola bars?
I think you should be a-ok with old fashion oats 🙂 Let me know how they turn out for you, I think you’re going to love them!
My husband is in his 3rd year of residency for medicine so I always try to have healthy snacks on hand. I made these last night with some modifications so I could use the ingredients that I had. I used 3 cups of old fashioned oats, a mixture of chopped walnuts and chopped macadamia nuts, and a mix of dried blueberries and dried cherries. They came out delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
My husband has a mountain biking trip and he wanted me to go buy him some energy bars, but I am going to make these instead! They’ll taste way better ?
Why thank you! Hope your hubby enjoys them 🙂
I also didn’t have the rice cereal so I substituted with cinnamon Chex crushed up. Perfect! Thank you for the recipe!
So happy to hear those substitutions worked for you Carla, thank you for your comment!
Thank you for this recipe… I have always loved energy bars but never thought I could make them at home. Just took a batch out of the oven and can’t wait for it to cool down! This is going to be my go to and favourite granola bar recipe 🙂
Awww, thank you so much for the comment Shirley, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I love these granola bars! Thanks for the recipe 🙂 do you know about how many calories/fat are in these bars?
I’m so glad you like the recipe Erica, thank you for commenting. I do not know the calories/fat, but I bet it would be easily figured out by entering the ingredients in one of those nutrition apps 🙂
I just made these and they are fantastic! I used fresh cranberries (left over from Thanksgiving) and maple syrup, not honey, and they turned out great! Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you so much for that awesome feedback, so glad you liked them – and I love that you made them with fresh cranberries!