Peanut Butter Granola Bars {No Oil, No Butter}

I’m kind of on the fence about most granola bars.  If I’m being honest with myself, 90% of the times I eat granola bars it’s because I wanted a cookie but didn’t have one.  Also, whenever I eat those super crunchy granola bars, I end up with crumbs in my cleavage.  I mean, I’m all for saving a li’l snack for later, but crumby cleavage is SO not the business.

Plus, most granola bars aren’t that healthy, they’re kind of lame-tasting, and I usually end up crying because I want a real cookie, and because I’m hungry since my boobies just ate half of my snack.

But then I invented a granola bar that changed my mind and my life.  Minus, the life part, because c’mon, it’s just a granola bar you guys.

This bar has NO oil or butter and it’s not too bad on the sugar front either.

It’s super peanut buttery without being too sticky — you won’t look like a dog eating these, I promise!  The applesauce cuts through the richness, but you can’t really taste the apple flavor.  The sunflower seeds add crunch to the chewy texture of these little bars of goodness.

Trust me.  These bars will revolutionize your granola bar-eating experiences.

Peanut Butter Granola Bars {No Oil, No Butter}

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Course Snacks

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup unpacked brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 2 heaping cups old fashioned oats
• mix-ins if desired — I used sunflower seeds, but you could also add almonds, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips (<< omg now I’m pissed I didn’t add butterscotch chips)

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Mix the peanut butter, brown sugar, and honey together until smooth. Stir in the applesauce, the oats, and the mix-ins.
• Press into a parchment-lined 8×8 pan (a bigger pan is fine too, just decrease cooking time). Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cooking time with depend on pan size and your oven. The bars are done when the edges start to look cooked through. The bars will still have a wet look when you take them out. Don’t fret — let them sit and cool for forty-five minutes, then slice into 9-12 squares.
• Enjoy!

Keyword granola bars, healthy, homemade, no butter, no oil, Peanut Butter