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    Home » Dessert and Sweets recipes

    Granola Bars with Peanut Butter (No Bake) | Date Bars

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Make these easy, homemade, no-bake granola bars with peanut butter in less than 20 minutes. This is the healthiest granola bar recipe you will ever make. These energy bars are vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, easily customizable, and perfect for healthy snacking. 

    Check out our popular and easy no-bake peanut butter fudge, energy balls with dates.

    Healthy Homemade Granola Bras with Peanut butter (No Bake) | Energy Date Bars Recipe,

    Jump to:
    • Homemade granola bar recipe (vegan, dairy-free)
    • Peanut butter granola bars Ingredients
    • How to make granola bars?
    • Tips
    • Easy granola bars variations
    • Recipe FAQS
    • More healthy snacks
    • Recipe card
    • User Reviews

    Homemade granola bar recipe (vegan, dairy-free)

    These homemade granola bars or date bars are healthy and prepared using natural sweeteners. These date bars are also a good on-the-go breakfast snack for busy mornings and mid-snack for kids' tiffin box. 

    The holiday season is here, and with lots of sports, gatherings, and travel, I am sure you are looking for some healthy snacks that are not only easy and simple to make but also delicious, portable, and have longer shelf life.

    These no-bake granola bars are made using dates, rolled oats, almonds, peanuts, peanut butter, honey or agave nectar, cranberries or homemade cranberry jam, and a pinch of salt. 

    The best part about making date bars at home is that you can add your favorite ingredients. For example, use pistachios or cashews instead of almonds, hazelnuts instead of peanuts, almond butter or cashew butter, raisins, cranberries, chocolate chips, etc.  All you need is a 9* 9-inch square pan to make this recipe. For thicker bars, use a smaller pan. 

    If you love recipes that use oats, then do check out my recipes for best breakfast granola, crunchy granola using stovetop, healthy bread loaf using oats, oats roti (readers' favorite flatbread), etc.

    Easy Granola Bras with Peanut butter (No Bake, Dairy Free, Vegan) | Healthy Date Bars Recipe.

    Peanut butter granola bars Ingredients

    Dates: Pitted dates, natural sweetener, and best and healthy binding agent. It adds extra fiber to your bars.
    Oats: Use old-fashioned rolled oats. For gluten-free versions, use gluten-free oats.
    Almonds: I roast the almonds and add them to the recipe. You can easily substitute almonds with pistachios or cashews.
    Roasted peanuts: Adds protein and taste.Peanut butter: Fresh peanut butter with a pinch of salt is preferred. But use any nut butter or seed butter of your choice.
    Sweetener: Along with dates for additional sweetness, use honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar.
    Cranberry jam: I use fresh, homemade cranberry jam. You can use cranberries, raisins, or any of your favorite fruit jams.

    See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

    Easy No Bake Granola Bras with Peanut Butter and Dates | Healthy Energy Bars Recipe.

    How to make granola bars?

    Preparation for healthy granola bars

    • Blend the dates in a food processor or blender till it's crushed into smaller chunks. Do not add any water.
    • Dry roast oats with a pinch of salt on a medium flame for 6 to 10 minutes or until they become slightly golden.
    • Dry roast the almonds if you are using the raw ones. Otherwise, ignore this step. Roasted nuts always enhance the taste. 
    • Line a 9 * 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and keep it ready. 

    Mixing all the ingredients to make granola bars

    • Add peanut butter and honey to the pan and warm it on low heat. You can even microwave this in a large bowl. (Just warm is what we need). 
    • Once it is melted, add dates, roasted oats, almonds, peanuts, and cranberry jam, and give it a thorough mix so that everything is well combined.
    • Transfer this to the prepared pan and spread out so that they are uniformly distributed and flattened.
    • I place another parchment paper or plastic wrap on top of it and use a glass to press it down.
    • Cover this with plastic wrap and let it firm up in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes.
    • Cut them into pieces of the desired size. Store in an airtight container. 
    • Serve as needed and enjoy. 
    Breakfast on the go or healthy snacks for kids, post-workout, etc using oats. (Granola bars).

    Tips

    • Once you transfer the mixture to the baking pan, press it down as firmly as possible.
    • The oats will need some time to absorb moisture from sweeteners and nut butter. So chill it for atleast 30 minutes before you cut them.
    • Once you slice, store them in an airtight container or wrap each slice in plastic wrap or parchment paper.
    • Based on the sweetness of dates and peanut butter, adjust the honey in the recipe.
    • Cranberry jam can be substituted with your favorite fruit jam or, dried cranberries or raisins.

    Easy granola bars variations

    • Dried fruits: add raisins, blueberries, cherries, and figs if you love dried fruits.
    • Toasted coconut flakes enhance the flavor of your granola bars.
    • To make it even healthier, you can add chia seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin, or sunflower seeds.
    • For flavor, add almond or vanilla extract.
    • To make it kid-friendly, add chocolate chips.
    • To enjoy it during the fall or holiday season, you can even add a pinch of cinnamon and pumpkin spice.
    • Add almond butter or cashew butter instead of peanut butter.
    • Instead of almonds, you can use walnuts, pecans, cashews, or pistachios.

    Recipe FAQS

    Are granola bars healthy?

    Granola bars made at home are always healthy. You know the ingredients that go in. Adding sweeteners like date makes it rich in fiber, vitamins, and iron. They are suitable for energy but not weight loss. Best snack for kids' tiffin box, post-workout, or during your long flight travel.

    How do you store homemade granola bars?

    Storing them in an airtight conatiner or wrapping them in wax paper or plastic wrap is the best way to store which keeps them fresh for a longer time.

    How do you get granola bars to stick together?

    Ingredients like dates, honey acts as binding agent or glue that sticks everything together.

    More healthy snacks

    • Easy energy balls with dates or dry fruit laddu (ladoo) on a plate.
      Healthy Energy Balls Recipe | Dry Fruit Laddu | Dates ladoo
    • Easy and savory sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner
      Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
    • Easy Cinnamon Flavored Crispy Granola in a White Bowl.
      Healthy Homemade Granola
    • Best, quick and easy apple bites recipe (Apple appe, paddu, paniyaram), healthy apple snacks.
      Apple Bites | Apple Paniyaram | Quick Apple Snack

    Did you like this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

    Recipe card

    Healthy Homemade Granola Bras with Peanut butter (No Bake) | Energy Date Bars Recipe,

    Granola Bars with Peanut Butter (No Bake) | Date Bars

    Kushi
    Make these easy, homemade, no-bake granola bars with peanut butter in less than 20 minutes. This is the healthiest granola bar recipe you will ever make. These energy bars are vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, easily customizable, and perfect for healthy snacking. 
    5 from 14 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 8 minutes mins
    Resting Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 18 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast, Desserts, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 15
    Calories 206 kcal

    Equipment

    • 9*9 inch square pan

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ½ cups Dates pitted
    • 2 cups Rolled Oats
    • ½ cup Almonds
    • ½ cup Roasted peanuts
    • ⅓ cup Peanut butter
    • ⅓ cup Honey / Agave nectar / Maple syrup
    • 3 tablespoon Cranberry jam / Dried cranberries
    • ¼ teaspoon Salt

    Instructions
     

    How to make granola bars? (Energy Bars)

      Preparation for healthy granola bars

      • Blend the dates in a food processor or blender till it's crushed into smaller chunks. Do not add any water.
        1 ½ cups Dates pitted
      • Dry roast oats with a pinch of salt on a medium flame for 6 to 10 minutes or until they become slightly golden.
        2 cups Rolled Oats, ¼ teaspoon Salt
      • Dry roast the almonds if you are using the raw ones. Otherwise, ignore this step. Roasted nuts always enhance the taste.
        ½ cup Almonds
      • Line a 9 * 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and keep it ready.

      Mixing all the ingredients to make granola bars

      • Add peanut butter and honey to the pan and warm it on low heat. You can even microwave this in a large bowl. (Just warm is what we need).
        ⅓ cup Peanut butter, ⅓ cup Honey
      • Once it is melted, add dates, roasted oats, almonds, peanuts, and cranberry jam, and give it a thorough mix so that everything is well combined.
        ½ cup Roasted peanuts, 3 tablespoon Cranberry jam
      • Transfer this to the prepared pan and spread out so that they are uniformly distributed and flattened.
      • I place another parchment paper or plastic wrap on top of it and use a glass to press it down.
      • Cover this with plastic wrap and let it firm up in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes.
      • Cut them into pieces of the desired size. Store in an airtight container.
      • Serve as needed and enjoy.

      Notes

      • Once you transfer the mixture to the baking pan, press it down as firmly as possible.
      • The oats will need some time to absorb moisture from sweeteners and nut butter. So chill it for atleast 30 minutes before you cut them.
      • Once you slice, store them in an airtight container or wrap each slice in plastic wrap or parchment paper.
      • Based on the sweetness of dates and peanut butter, adjust the honey in the recipe.
      • Cranberry jam can be substituted with your favorite fruit jam or, dried cranberries or raisins.

      Granola Bars Variations

      • Dried fruits: add raisins, blueberries, cherries, and figs if you love dried fruits.
      • Toasted coconut flakes enhance the flavor of your granola bars.
      • To make it even healthier, you can add chia seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin, or sunflower seeds.
      • For flavor, add almond or vanilla extract.
      • To make it kid-friendly, add chocolate chips.
      • To enjoy it during the fall or holiday season, you can even add a pinch of cinnamon and pumpkin spice.
      • Add almond butter or cashew butter instead of peanut butter.
      • Instead of almonds, you can use walnuts, pecans, cashews, or pistachios.

      Nutrition

      Calories: 206kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 5gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.001gSodium: 87mgPotassium: 253mgFiber: 3gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 22IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg
      Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

      Note: We originally posted these no-bake energy bars or granola bars in Nov 2016. It has now been modified in Sep 2023 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.

      More Dessert and Sweets Recipes for a Sweet Tooth

      • Moist chocolate chip banana bread | banana loaf cake | sweet bread for breakfast, snack, or gift.
        Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
      • Fruit Salad (Best & Easy) with a mix of seasonal fruits and honey lemon dressing for all occasions.
        Fruit Salad Recipe (Fresh & Easy)
      • Ladoo (laddu) - best and easy, traditional Indian sweet (mithai) for festivals & special occasions.
        Best Ladoo Recipes | Traditional Laddu Recipes
      • Almond Biscotti Recipe - Twice-Baked Italian Cookies. Perfect for holidays, or with coffee or tea.
        Almond Biscotti Recipe - Twice-Baked Italian Cookies

      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Stephanie@ApplesforCJ

        November 06, 2016 at 5:39 pm

        5 stars
        These granola bars sound really good. I love the fact that they're gluten free with no refined sugars 🙂

        Reply
        • Kushi

          November 06, 2016 at 11:13 pm

          Thank you Stephanie 🙂

          Reply
      2. Angela - Patisserie Makes Perfect

        November 06, 2016 at 5:49 pm

        5 stars
        These look great, perfect for my afternoon slump at my desk as work.

        Reply
        • Kushi

          November 06, 2016 at 11:14 pm

          Thank you Angela 🙂

          Reply
      3. Platter Talk

        November 06, 2016 at 6:47 pm

        5 stars
        Thanks for helping me keeping a promise to eat more cranberries and whole grains! Lovely, easy recipe.

        Reply
        • Kushi

          November 06, 2016 at 11:14 pm

          Thank you 🙂

          Reply
      4. Amanda

        November 06, 2016 at 6:48 pm

        5 stars
        Yum! I'll have to make a batch for my grandparents for Christmas. Pinning.

        Reply
        • Kushi

          November 06, 2016 at 11:15 pm

          Thank you Amanda 🙂

          Reply
      5. Nagasri

        November 07, 2016 at 2:23 am

        5 stars
        simple and looking delicious

        Reply
        • Kushi

          November 07, 2016 at 8:20 pm

          Thank you Nagasri 🙂

          Reply
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      5 from 14 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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      Hi, I'm Sridevi! I am a Software Engineer by qualification, a full-time Food Blogger by passion, a self-published Author, and a happy person two kids (monsters) ago.

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