Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars

I joke with my husband that when the boys are older, I may have to move my bed into the kitchen. As they get older it seems like all they want to do is eat…ALL.THE.TIME!

We aren’t made of money so going out and spending a bunch of money on pre-made foods and snacks are not the answer. Instead, I opt for recipes that allow me to cook big batches of food at once so the boys have plenty of food to snack on. That way I am not spending all my time in the kitchen.

Take my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars as an example. A 6 pack box of store bought granola bars will cost you about $3. That’s 50¢ per serving. While that doesn’t sound terrible, at my house that box could be gone in 2 -3 days! I can whip up a batch of granola bars and for about the same amount of money, I get 18 bars! My recipe takes very little time and you have a week’s worth of snacks.

This recipe is also open to customization. Skip the chocolate and opt for raisins and nuts or maybe add in pretzels and dried cranberries. The options are endless! I change it up based on what I have on hand. The recipe below is what my boys love best.

jeb-lunchboxThe best part is that you can store them in a Ziploc® brand bag or container and then pop them in the lunchbox as you need them. They are ready when you need them and you are looking at about 16¢ per serving…a fraction of the price of the store bought version!

Look for the NEW Ziploc® brand bags with Easy Open Tabs when you shop at Publix. The bags come with an added tab, making them easy to grip and open. They also feature three distinctive colored tabs for easy organization:

  • Ziploc® brand Storage bags with Easy Open Tabs feature a  pink tab
  • Ziploc® brand Freezer bags with Easy Open Tabs feature a  blue tab
  • Ziploc® brand Sandwich and Snack bags with Easy Open Tabs feature a  green tab

You are sure to find a size for all your storage needs!

Remember you have a chance to win a $50 Publix gift card plus a big Ziploc® gift pack. Be sure to take a minute to enter my giveaway before it ends tomorrow (8/27 at 11pm.)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars – Easy Back To School Recipe
Author: Michelle
Ingredients
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 cups granola
  • 1 cup Rice Krispies cereal
  • 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter chips
Instructions
  1. Combine the granola, coconut and Rice Krispies in a large bowl and set aside.
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar with the honey and butter.
  3. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
  4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 minutes 15 seconds (set a timer!)
  5. Pour the mixture over the granola/coconut/cereal mixture and fold to evenly coat with the sauce.
  6. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch ungreased baking pan and press firmly to evenly fill (I place another 9×13 pan on top and press down as hard as possible)
  7. Allow to cool for 2 -3 minutes (or your chocolate chips will melt)
  8. Gently press the chocolate and peanut butter chips onto the top of the granola.
  9. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to set.
  10. Cut into bars.
Notes
[i]Adapted from [url href=”http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/no-recipe-zone-recipes/no-bake-chewy-granola-bars” target=”_blank”]Rachael Ray[/url][/i]

The post is brought to you by the folks at Ziploc®. All comments and opinions are my own.