Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars
Tired of endless PB+J sandwiches? Give these bars a try instead! I designed them for my friend Alex, the best long-distance runner I know. They are a little more crumbly than a store-bought granola bar, so be careful when eating these on the go -- you’ll probably leave a trail of crumbs on the sidewalk and down your shirt. As a bonus, you can find the ingredients in any corner store or food pantry. Any kind of jam or jelly will do -- I used blueberry, but grape, strawberry, or any flavor would be tasty. You can use quick-cooking oats if they’re all you have, but I prefer the bite and chew of rolled oats. For a little more crunch along with your chew, you can also substitute a cup of Rice Krispies for a cup of the oats. Makes 12 bars
Ingredients
- butter or vegetable oil, for the pan
- 3 cups rolled oats, or 2 cups rolled oats and 1 cup Rice Krispies
- 1/2cup peanut butter
- 1/2cup jelly or jam
- 1/4cup hot water
- 1/4teaspoon salt
- additions
- 1/2cup chopped nuts
- 1/2cup shredded coconut
- 1/2cup chopped dried fruit
- 1/2cup honey (instead of the jelly)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease an 8- by 11-inch baking pan. If you have a different size pan, that’s fine—it’ll just change how thick the bars are, so you’ll want to adjust the cooking time a little. A larger pan may take less time to cook through and get crunchy, while a smaller pan will take a few more minutes—just keep an eye on it in the oven.
- Pour the oats into a large bowl.
- Place a small saucepan over low heat and add the peanut butter, half of the jelly, the water, the salt, and any other additions. Stir until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Pour the peanut butter and jelly concoction into the oats and mix until all the oats are coated and you have a sticky mass. Dump the mixture into the buttered baking pan and press it into an even layer. Spread the remaining jelly over
- the top.
- Pop the baking dish into the oven for 25 minutes. The bars are done when the edges are toasty and brown. Mmm. Crunchy.
- Leave the bars in the pan until they cool completely, about an hour, then slice them into 12 bars.
Excerpted from Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day by Leanne Brown (Workman Publishing). Copyright © 2015. Photographs by Leanne Brown and Dan Lazin.