Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars

We designed these bars after the ones we lusted after as kids. Chewy granola bars coated in chocolate were obviously the best, so we dip these in a rich chocolate that hardens when chilled and helps hold the bars together. Don’t let this recipe intimidate you; these bars are super easy to prepare. Just make sure you use extra-ripe, soft, squishy Medjool dates. Dates that have been sitting on shelves for a long time won’t work, because when desiccated and hard, they won’t provide enough sticky adhesive power to hold these bars together.

Yield: 6–8 servings

Prep time: 20 minutes | Total time: 1 hour

You’ll need: a food processor

Granola Bars:

½ cup creamy peanut butter (the kind with no oil separation), plus up to 3 tablespoons more as needed

1 tablespoon coconut oil (refined or unrefined)

⅔ cup tightly packed pitted Medjool dates (about 8 large dates)

1 tablespoon agave

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

½ cup crisped rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)

Chocolate Coating:

⅓ cup vegan chocolate chips

½ teaspoon coconut oil (refined or unrefined)

1. To make the granola bars, in a small microwavesafe ramekin, heat the peanut butter and coconut oil in the microwave for 30 seconds.

2. Spoon the warm peanut butter mixture into the bowl of a food processor and add the Medjool dates, agave, vanilla extract, salt, rolled oats, and crisped rice cereal. Pulse until fully combined but still chunky. The resulting mixture should be crumbly but able to stick together when pressed with your fingers. If the mixture is too dry to stick together, add up to 3 additional tablespoons of peanut butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed.

3. Press the crumbly mixture into a medium container or small baking dish (9 × 7 inches is ideal) lined with parchment paper. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper and, using your hands, press the granola mixture into a square or rectangle that you’ll be able to slice into bars. Push down very firmly across the entire patty to shape and ensure that the mixture sticks and stays together. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

4. Just before you pull the granola out of the refrigerator, prepare your chocolate coating. In a small microwave-safe ramekin, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave, heating in 20-second increments and stirring between each until fully melted. (Microwaving for longer than 20 seconds at a time can destroy the chocolate.) Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler on the stove (see the box on page 19). You should have a silky-smooth melted chocolate mixture before moving to step 5.

5. Remove the chilled patty from the refrigerator and coat with the chocolate, using a small spatula or the back of a large spoon to spread. Allow the chocolate to harden slightly (about 30 minutes). Remove the patty from the baking dish and use a sharp chef’s knife to slice into bars. You can make them thick or skinny, long or short, and can make as many as you’d like—it’s up to you!

6. Place the bars on a dish or in a container and refrigerate until the chocolate has fully hardened.

7. Store the bars in the refrigerator until you’re ready to enjoy.

Meal Prepping Tip: If you fall in love with these bars as much as we have, double the batch and freeze some so you don’t have to make them as often. They freeze beautifully after the chocolate has hardened in the fridge.

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