Trail Mix Bars Recipe
These Trail Mix Bars are a delicious and nutritious snack combining oats, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and chocolate chips, all held together with a natural peanut butter and honey mixture. Perfect for an energy-boosting treat, they are easy to make with no baking required, and offer a balanced blend of textures and flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- ½ cup puffed rice cereal
- ¼ cup ground golden flaxseed (not whole)
- ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
- ⅓ cup dry roasted and lightly salted peanuts (chopped small)
- ⅓ cup raw pecans (chopped small)
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted natural peanut butter (fresh and pourable)
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp flakey salt
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Pan: Line your baking pan with parchment paper allowing it to overhang on the sides for easy removal later, and set it aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, puffed rice cereal, ground flaxseed, peanuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries. Stir well to mix all dry ingredients evenly and then set aside.
- Melt Wet Ingredients: Place a small pot over medium heat. Add peanut butter, honey, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and flakey salt. Whisk continuously until the mixture is melted and smoothly combined without boiling.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the warm peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients in the large bowl.
- Mix Thoroughly: Stir until all dry ingredients are fully coated with the wet mixture and everything is evenly distributed. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature to prevent melting the chocolate chips in the next step.
- Add Chocolate Chips: Once cooled, gently fold in the dark chocolate chips so they are evenly spread without melting.
- Transfer to Pan: Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan.
- Press Evenly: Place a fresh piece of parchment paper on top of the mixture and use a spatula to firmly press the mixture down into an even, tightly packed layer that reaches all edges of the pan to ensure the bars hold together.
- Refrigerate: Remove the top parchment paper and refrigerate the pan for at least 4 hours or until the bars are completely set and firm.
- Slice and Store: Lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang and transfer it to a cutting board. Slice into 12 bars. Store them in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to one week, and enjoy chilled.
Notes
- For best results, use freshly opened natural peanut butter that is still pourable to ensure easy mixing.
- Press the bars firmly into the pan to help them hold together and prevent crumbling.
- These bars are best stored in the fridge due to the peanut butter and honey mixture.
- You can substitute dried cranberries with other dried fruits like raisins or chopped apricots.
- To make it vegan, substitute honey with maple syrup or agave nectar.
- For extra crunch, add more nuts or seeds as preferred.
Keywords: trail mix bars, no bake bars, healthy snack, peanut butter bars, energy bars, homemade trail mix, easy snack bars, oats and nuts bars
Find it online: https://thehungrymason.com/trail-mix-bars-recipe/
