Peanut Butter Granola Bars

As promised, and because you've asked so nicely, here's my granola bar recipe...

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 C butter
• 1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (I think I forgot this, this time)
• 3 C rolled oats (quick oats or regular)
• 1 C wheat bran
• 1 Cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 Cup peanut butter (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325; Grease 10x15 (jelly-roll) pan.
2. In large bowl, mix oats, bran, baking powder, and salt.
3. In medium pot, melt together butter, brown sugar, and vanilla.
4. Pour butter mixture over dry ingredients and stir to completely coat.
5. Dump mixture into pan and press evenly into prepared pan
6. Bake 20 minutes at 325.
7. Melt 2/3 Cup peanut butter in small saucepan
8. When bars come out of oven, slowly drizzle peanut butter over bars; then using a large bent spatula spread peanut butter in a thin coating over the bars.
9. Cool overnight in refrigerator, then cut.

Notes:
Steps 7 & 8 are optional. If you like peanut butter, which my husband lives for, you can do this, but it's not necessary.
Last year when my husband was suffering with reflux on a daily basis he practically lived off of these granola bars. At that time, I was making 2 batches every week to keep him satisfied.



For more recipes using whole grains, visit the Ultimate Recipe Swap.



This recipe was originally published on July 28, 2008 on my old blog.