No Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Granola bars are a snack staple in our house.  My daughter is very picky with snacks but she really likes granola bars.  They are great because they travel well and I can get the 90 calorie granola bars.  I had never thought of making my own granola bars until I saw this recipe from Maria and Josh at Two Peas and Their Pod.  I especially  liked the "No Bake" part!  I surprisingly had all of the ingredients on hand (even the mini chocolate chips!) and had some time one afternoon to make these.  These were really good!  We all enjoyed these and this was even my dessert one night instead of my usual ice cream cone!  This is a great home-made snack and you can make so many different variations with what you have on hand.  The pretzels and rice krispies definitely added a nice crunch and the saltiness of the pretzels mixed with the sweetness of the other ingredients was nice as well! 

No Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel 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
1/2 cup crispy rice cereal
3/4 cup chopped pretzels
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Cut out an 8 x 8 inch square of parchment paper. Place the parchment paper in the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch baking pan.

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. Once bubbling, cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

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

4. Place the bars in the refrigerator and let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Cut into bars and serve.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!