Made with stevia and brown sugar, Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars are low in sugar, gluten free and oh so delicious.
kids love granola bars in their lunchbox
Made with stevia and brown sugar, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars are low in sugar and they're also gluten-free. I love making snacks like these instead of picking them up at the store. Combining stevia with classic white or brown sugar lets you enjoy the taste and texture of your regular baked goods while reducing the amount of sugar and carbs. I think it works really well in these Cranberry Orange Cupcakes, too!
It's hard to believe that Summer has come and gone. The kids are back in school and we've settled into our structured schedules again. I'll miss sleeping late and having lazy days, but honestly, I really enjoy having a routine that I can depend on. And part of that routine is making school lunches every morning. I'm already trying to come up with new options, so the children don't get tired of the same old thing every day. I created this recipe with that in mind so you always have something to grab and go, or pack for lunch!
What are Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars?
Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars are perfect as a lunchtime treat or an afternoon snack as well. They're made with old-fashioned rolled oats, so they are naturally gluten-free. The combination of oats, sunflower seeds, and almonds provide protein for energy. And they're lower in sugar because I replaced some brown sugar with powdered stevia.
Another great thing about this recipe is that there's no flour. My daughter has Hashimotos (an auto-immune disorder) and can't have gluten, so this is a healthier treat she can actually have.
How to make Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars
- To make these Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars, start by placing your oats, sunflower seeds, and almonds on a sheet pan. Then bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes. This gives them the perfect toasted flavor.
- You just want to toast the oats, nuts, and seeds a bit. You'll know it's done when you see that the almonds have turned a slight golden brown color.
- Meanwhile, heat some peanut butter, coconut oil, and brown sugar on the stove until melted, stirring constantly. Add vanilla and salt, then stir in the stevia and the toasted mixture of oats, seeds, and almonds.
- Press into a greased 7"x11" baking pan. Bake at 300°F for 25 minutes. Let cool.
- Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips and a little bit of coconut oil in the microwave on high. Stir until smooth, then drizzle over cooled granola bars.
Now you can eat them immediately or you can stick them in the refrigerator for a little while, so the chocolate can set.
Either way, Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars are a tasty treat and you'll never miss the extra sugar. They're so good!
Replace half the sugar with stevia
I really like using stevia for baking! I hope you will try it in some of your favorite recipes. As a helpful hint, it works best if you replace about half the sugar in your recipe in order to achieve the proper browning, rising, and caramelizing that only sugar can provide.
You might also like these stevia recipes
- Best Ever Pumpkin Spice Bread
- Rainbow Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
- Low Carb Chocolate Frosted Donuts
- Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Heart
What's your favorite afternoon snack? Let me know in the comments. I love hearing from you guys!
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup light brown sugar (loosely packed)
- ½ cup peanut butter (I used natural peanut butter with no sugar added)
- ¼ cup coconut oil (I used refined so it doesn't taste like coconut)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ cup powdered stevia for baking
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the topping
- ¼ cup chocolate chips (I used stevia sweetened chips)
- ½ teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Spray a 7x11-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, and almonds onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15-20 minutes or until the almonds are a light golden brown. Check the pan at 15 minutes. Watch closely, so the nuts don't burn.
- In the meantime, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, coconut oil, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the peanut butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the stevia.
- Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking pan and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the pan and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into 12 rectangular bars and add topping.
- For the topping, microwave the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds on high. Stir until completely smooth. Heat for 15 more seconds, if needed. Drizzle over bars. They're ready to eat. If you want the chocolate to set, place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Nutrition
All text and images © Lise Ode for Mom Loves Baking. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be accurate. This post may contain affiliate links.
shelby says
These look delicious. I haven't made anything with Stevia before. I'm going to check this out!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
Great healthy snack!!