Peanut Butter and Cranberry Granola Bars

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2 min read
Summary

Peanut Butter and Cranberry Granola Bars take a little time to bake, but once they’re done, oh boy! These tasty treats (yes, they taste like a special treat!) are fit to keep you energized for long hours with protein-packed and fiber-rich nuts, seeds, and nut butter. Cranberries add both antioxidant power and delightful flavor contrast.

Yields8 ServingsPrep Time15 minsCook Time50 minsTotal Time1 hr 5 mins

Peanut Butter and Cranberry Granola Bars

Ingredients

 ½ cup raw almonds
 ½ cup raw pecans
 ½ cup raw walnuts
 ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds or pepitas
 ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
 2 tbsp flax seeds
 2 tbsp sesame seeds
 2 tbsp flax meal
 3 tbsp water
 ¼ cup maple syrup (or date paste, link in Chef’s notes)
 ¼ cup organic peanut butter (creamy or crunchy, unsweetened)
 ¼ tsp salt (optional)
 ¼ cup cranberries (naturally sweetened, unsulfured)

Directions

1

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2

Spread almonds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, and sesame seeds out evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through baking.

3

Add flax meal and water to a small bowl and stir to create a flax egg. Set aside.

4

Once the nut mixture is finished cooking, let cool slightly before adding to a food processor. Pulse several times until the nut and seed mixture is coarsely chopped. Leave the oven on at 300 degrees F and set aside the parchment-lined baking sheet.

5

Transfer the nut and seed mixture to a large bowl. Add maple syrup, peanut butter, salt, if using, and cranberries. Stir to combine.

6

Fold in the flax egg.

7

Line an 8x8” baking dish with the parchment paper from the baking sheet. Press the mixture into the baking dish so that it presses up against all sides and edges.

8

Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

9

Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before removing the bars by lifting the parchment paper onto a cutting board.

10

Cut into 4x2” bars (this works well with a pizza cutter if you have one, otherwise a sharp knife will work). You’ll have 8 bars total. Separate them so they’re 1” apart and place them, with the parchment paper, on the baking sheet. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.

11

Remove from the oven and allow to cool before enjoying them!

Chef's Notes

Substitutions
Substitute another dried fruit for the cranberries.

Instead of peanut butter, use almond or cashew butter.

Substitute a seed butter, like sunflower seed butter, in place of the peanut butter.

Whole Food Sweetener
Use date paste in place of maple syrup.

Nut-Free
Substitute more pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds in place of the almonds, walnuts, and pecans. Replace peanut butter with sunflower butter.

Prep Ahead
Roast the nuts ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four weeks before making these.

Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days or refrigerate for up to two weeks. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Ingredients

 ½ cup raw almonds
 ½ cup raw pecans
 ½ cup raw walnuts
 ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds or pepitas
 ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
 2 tbsp flax seeds
 2 tbsp sesame seeds
 2 tbsp flax meal
 3 tbsp water
 ¼ cup maple syrup (or date paste, link in Chef’s notes)
 ¼ cup organic peanut butter (creamy or crunchy, unsweetened)
 ¼ tsp salt (optional)
 ¼ cup cranberries (naturally sweetened, unsulfured)

Directions

1

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2

Spread almonds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, and sesame seeds out evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through baking.

3

Add flax meal and water to a small bowl and stir to create a flax egg. Set aside.

4

Once the nut mixture is finished cooking, let cool slightly before adding to a food processor. Pulse several times until the nut and seed mixture is coarsely chopped. Leave the oven on at 300 degrees F and set aside the parchment-lined baking sheet.

5

Transfer the nut and seed mixture to a large bowl. Add maple syrup, peanut butter, salt, if using, and cranberries. Stir to combine.

6

Fold in the flax egg.

7

Line an 8x8” baking dish with the parchment paper from the baking sheet. Press the mixture into the baking dish so that it presses up against all sides and edges.

8

Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

9

Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before removing the bars by lifting the parchment paper onto a cutting board.

10

Cut into 4x2” bars (this works well with a pizza cutter if you have one, otherwise a sharp knife will work). You’ll have 8 bars total. Separate them so they’re 1” apart and place them, with the parchment paper, on the baking sheet. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.

11

Remove from the oven and allow to cool before enjoying them!

Peanut Butter and Cranberry Granola Bars