No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars (gluten-free)

These gluten-free No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars are the ideal snack! They are a perfect balance of sweet & salty and remarkably healthier than conventional bars. These granola bars are full of nutrient-dense ingredients like collagen protein, coconut oil, flax meal and chia seeds and SO darn good!

Jump to:

• Better Than Store-Bought!
• Ingredient Notes
• How To Make No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars
• Recipe Tips
• Related Recipes
• 📖 Recipe

Better Than Store-Bought!

We all love a sweet granola bar, but did you know most conventional granola bars are more comparable to candy bars than something considered a nutrient-dense and macronutrient balanced snack.

These granola bars are far superior, more filling and more nutritious than store-bought granola bars. Because they contain all three macronutrients (carbs, protein and fat) they are more calorically dense than a traditional granola bar that is made with oats and bound with a sugary syrup.

More calories is not necessarily a bad thing. The fat present in these bars make them more blood sugar friendly. The carbohydrate in conjunction with the protein and fat slows the release of glucose in to the blood stream to prevent large blood sugar spikes. This makes these bars a more satiating snack and prevents you from getting hangry 30 minutes after your snack.

Additionally, these bars use collagen powder to give them a protein boost. Collagen is an important and under-consumed component of our diets. The specific amino acids present in collagen protein support the integrity of soft tissues like skin, the GI tract and organs!

Ingredient Notes

• Old fashioned oats - Avoid quick oats in this recipe and select gluten-free oats if needed.
• Shredded coconut - Make sure to select unsweetened coconut.
• Flax meal - Flax meal is just ground flax seed. It is important to use ground flax seed vs. whole seeds because the body is not able to break down whole flax seeds.
• Chia seeds - Chia seeds are mostly just for a nutrient boost in this recipe. If you need to substitute this ingredient, you can use a different type of seed like hemp or sunflower seeds.
•  Creamy peanut butter - Select unsweetened peanut butter with ingredients that are just peanut butter and salt for best results.
• Refined coconut oil - Unrefined coconut oil can also be used if you don't mind a slightly more coconut-y flavor. If you are not sensitive dairy you could also substitute grass-fed butter in the granola bars.
• Maple syrup - Honey or date syrup can be used to replace maple syrup.
• Vanilla extract - Use pure vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla for best results.
• Collagen protein powder - I don't recommend replacing collagen with another type of protein powder because it will not measure the same. Be sure to use unflavored collagen protein powder.
•  Chocolate chips - You can use any flavor of chips you'd like that goes well with peanut butter! I really like to use butterscotch. For a lower carb option, try Lily's Stevia Sweetened Baking Chips.

How To Make No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars

These tasty granola bars are so easy to make, here's how:

1. Mix together the dry ingredients, except for the collagen, in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a separate microwave-safe bowl, melt the coconut oil in the microwave. Add peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla to the bowl with the hot, melty coconut oil and whisk together the mixture until it is smooth and creamy. Using a rubber spatula, fold peanut butter mixture in to dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Slowly sprinkle in collagen while stirring to avoid clumping. Stir until there are no lumps or streaks of ingredients and a dough begins to form.
3. Line a bread pan with parchment paper. You can use chip clips to hold the parchment in place. Pour oat mixture in the pan and spread out evenly using the rubber spatula. Press the mixture firmly using another piece of parchment paper until the oat mixture is packed tightly and flat.
4. Press in about 2 tablespoons of roughly chopped peanuts to the top of the oat mixture.
5. Place the bars in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until they become solid.
6. Place the chocolate chips and ½ teaspoon coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 15 second increments. Stir after every 15 seconds and continue to microwave until the chips are completely melted.
7. Remove the hardened mixture from the pan by grabbing the sides of the parchment paper. With a spoon drizzle the melted chips on of the granola bars. Sprinkle with sea salt and place back in freezer for 5-10 minutes to allow the drizzle to harden.
8. Once the drizzle is solid, slice in to 8 bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days . You can wrap the bars individually in plastic or in foil or store in a container separating layers with parchment paper. Bars will need to be kept cold to maintain shape.

Recipe Tips

Allow To Cool Properly

These bars are not entirely solid at room temp so they need some time in the freezer to solidify. Fifteen minutes usually does the trick. They need to be formed and solid enough to slice.

Mix Dry Ingredients In While The Wet Ingredients Are Still Warm

Once coconut oil is melted, immediately mix in the other wet ingredients (PB, vanilla, maple syrup) to create a smooth mixture. While this mixture is still warm, add in the dry ingredients. This will help everything blend more easily.

You can also make this recipe on the stove top. To do so, melted the coconut oil first. Once the coconut oil is completely melted, add in the remaining wet ingredients and stir. Then stir in the dry ingredients (saving the collagen for last). Mix until a dough forms, then add the collagen while stiring.

Store In The Fridge

If these bars are kept at room temp, they will crumble. Be sure to store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Related Recipes

• Protein Overnight Oats
• Chai Spiced Protein Balls
• Peanut Butter Chia Protein Balls
• PB&J Protein Balls
• Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Apple Crisp
• Flourless Almond Butter Cookies

Did you try these No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars? I would love to see your creations! Take a photo and tag me on Instagram or leave a photo comment on Pinterest.

Feel free to leave a comment and a rating below. Feedback is always appreciated! 😊

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