Making granola bars is currently my favorite pass time. These are so easy and even more delicious. There is just something about the way that the chocolate coated crunchiness tastes and I can’t get enough of it.
These dark chocolate peanut butter granola bars take about 10 minutes to bring together and once they are chilled, you have a custom made batch of your own granola bars to enjoy for days to come. That sounds like something I will be doing for the foreseeable future…
Let’s get them started…
To get started, gather 3/4 cup of dark chocolate chunks, 1/2 cup of refined coconut oil, 1/3 cup of honey, 2/3 cup of smooth peanut butter, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 2 cups of oats, 1 1/2 cup of cocoa krispies, 1 cup of roughly chopped almonds, 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of peanut butter chips.
This combination of crunchy elements is one of my all time favorites. The oats have to be included, because after all they are the OG of granola bar components. The almonds add a little healthiness to the mix (they are full of healthy fats, fiber and protein). The mini chocolate chips are adorable, the peanut butter chips are my newest obsession (have you tried my dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookies yet?) and then there are the cocoa krispies…
The first bite of those cocoa krispies is so… much… fun!
Snap, crackle, pop and chocolate!
In a small sauce pan, combine 1/2 cup of refined coconut oil and 3/4 cup of dark chocolate chunks and place it over medium heat. Once the coconut oil begins to liquify, starting whisking consistently and as soon as you see the chocolate begin to melt, remove the sauce pan from the heat and continue to whisk until all of the chocolate has melted.
Add 1/3 cup of honey and 2/3 cup of peanut butter into the melted chocolate and whisk until everything is combined and in liquid form.
Combine the dry ingredients and place them in a large bowl. Pick a bowl that is big enough to combine the melted chocolate mixture with all of the dry ingredients.
Pour the melted chocolate mixture in with the dry ingredients and mix… mix… mix…
Once everything is combined, transfer the mixture into a parchment lined 8″x8″ dish and press the chocolatey granola mixture down firmly to compact everything together.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
Once the mixture has fully chilled, use the parchment paper to remove the chilled granola from the pan and place it onto a cutting board.
Cut the 8″x8″ square in half using a very sharp knife and then slice each half into bars.
These granola bars are so fun! The chocolate and the peanut butter flavors are both really bold, yet well balanced. The almonds are nutty and chewy, the oats soak up so much flavor and those cocoa krispies are so light and crunchy. Just perfect.