I Tried it and I Liked it: 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Bars

Another Pinterest find! This recipe comes from Savoring the Thyme. The bars are actually the brainchild of yet another blogger, but when I went to her site I couldn't find the bars....so....here's the recipe:

5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Granola Bars (Yield 12-16 granola squares)
4 cups rolled oats
2 tablespoons chia seeds (these are optional, I just love the texture they give)
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
3/4 cup natural peanut butter, melted
1/2 cup brown rice syrup (honey works too!)

add ins!
chocolate chips
wheat germ
flaxseed
dried fruit (I made some with cherries!)
other nuts
seeds
coconut

Preheat over to 350.

In a large bowl, combine oats, chia seeds and peanuts. Add brown rice syrup (or honey) and mix to combine. Add melted peanut butter and mix until moistened. This works as a perfect, simple granola bar, but you can also throw in any add-ins at this time. Fold them into the dough. You may need to get in there with your hands and work the granola dough! If dough is still too dry (this can depend on your ingredients) add more peanut butter or syrup (or honey) 1 tablespoon at a time until moistened.

Press dough in a greased (non-stick spray) 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes.

These would also work as a great no-bake granola bar, but I liked how they came together and the chocolate chips melted as they got warm. If you want to make no-bakes, simply press the dough into the pan and refrigerate for 60 minutes.

[caption id="attachment_650" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Breakfast is served!"][/caption]

My Notes: Personally, I don't have chia seeds, so didn't use them. Also, this bar was pretty crumbly so I dumped it into a bowl and the boys ate it that way. You could totally pour milk over it, if you wanted. Crumbly-ness didn't bother us one bit, but if you are looking for a bar that you can slice and take with you, this one isn't it. Oh, and I added chocolate and white chips and a bit of cinnamon. Hubby and Kid rating: 4.5 stars!