No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod 

 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups quick oats
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1.      Line 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper.

2.      In a large sauce pan, add butter, brown sugar, honey and peanut butter. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture starts to bubble. Cook 2 minutes, remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.

3.      Stir in the oats and crispy rice cereal. Stir until well coated. Pour into the prepared pan. Press the mixture firmly into the pan. Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips over the top and gently press into the granola bars with your hands.

4.      Cool bars completely before cutting (if desired, refrigerate at least 30 minutes to make cutting easier). Store at room temperature or in the fridge (they are chewier, but a little crumblier at room temperature, but that is how I like them best).

***You can substitute ½ cup chopped pretzels for ½ cup of the rice crispies for a sweet/salty combo—my favorite!

***If you like, you can omit the brown sugar and use a total of 1/3 cup honey instead.