peanut butter granola bars: ultimate energy bars ::::
Growing up, I learned that peanut butter could sustain a grown man for almost an entire workday without needing a lunch break. This dogma was well supported by my father, eschewing breakfast cereal and turning to toast topped with peanut butter, a dab of mustard, and a sprinkling of sugar. This was the food of the busy man, the one with college classes to teach and research to attend to.
I couldn’t help but wonder as a child how my father started eating his favorite breakfast. He told me that it was an accident in his youth when making his familiar but boring butter-and-peanut butter sandwich: some wayward mustard in the butter dish and an aptly placed knife. The sprinkling of sugar was a remedy for peanut butter sticking to the roof of his mouth. He still remembers his peanut butter-mustard creation as a pivotal point in his life. It changed his breakfasts forever.
I tasted this strange, serendipitously-created concoction of my father’s, liking it mostly for the shock it brought to my relatives and friends parents’ faces when I asked for the ingredients in which to assemble it. “You want mustard? And the peanut butter?” my aunt repeatedly asked me one morning when we visited one Christmas. “Are you sure?” She paused and eyed me before she glided into her pantry and fetched the items. And then she watched, an increduous look upon her face, me make and eat my dad’s signature dish. My friends’ parents thought it was heresy, this nut-mustard combo, and probably silently questioned if I was doing some appetite-stimulating drugs with their upstanding daughters.
No, it wasn’t drugs, it wasn’t just being a smart-ass, it was actually thinking outside of the box and trying something new that had me eating this peanut butter toast with a mustard kick. Since then, I’ve found that peanut butter cookies are much more fun to make and pleasing to a suspicious friend’s parent. You throw in my go-to grain oatmeal and I am happy to eat it daily.
When I found this recipe for a peanut butter and oatmeal bar cookie, it sounded like a great combination. When I first tried it, I followed Giada’s recipe exactly, using sweetened peanut butter and regular chocolate chips. However, in my adaptation here, I’ve used unsweetened peanut butter and cacao nibs as I like my oatmeal cookies less sweet than most recipes assume. I think the honey and brown sugar provide enough sweetness without the unsweetened peanut butter seeming oily or bland. These are great wrapped up for a snack during the day, or as a quick breakfast. Maybe, if I’m feeling nostalgic and a little sassy, I’ll squirt a little mustard on top. Or not.
This is my belated Fathers’ Day post. Thank you, Dad, for being you: a little sweet and a little vinegary.
- Cooking spray (or neutral oil)
- 1 egg white *
- ½ cup chunky or creamy unsweetened peanut butter (Be sure to mix in the oil on top as much as you can before you measure out what you need.)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup (1-stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- ¼ cup slivered or roughly chopped almonds, toasted **
- ⅓ cup cacao nibs
- Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray an 8 x 8-inch nonstick baking pan with vegetable cooking spray (or lightly oil).
- Lay a piece of parchment paper in the pan, allowing the excess paper to hang over the sides. Spray the parchment paper lightly with cooking spray (or lightly oil).
- In a medium bowl, using a hand beater, beat the egg white until frothy. Stir in the peanut butter, brown sugar, and honey. Add the melted butter, oats and almonds. Stir to combine, then add the cacao nibs.
- Using a rubber spatula, spread mixture into the prepared baking pan, pressing lightly to form an even layer. Bake until the edge of the mixture begins to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 1 hour. Cut into 1½-inch squares and serve. These are great with vanilla ice cream.
8 COMMENTS
Oh, your dad is SUCH a character!
He likes to tell bad jokes, too.
This bars look unbelievable!!!! Plus they are made with cacao nibs one of my favorite food (and one of the healthier!)
Peace
Mike
Thanks! They are great for dessert or breakfast — you choose.
I don’t know whether it’s just me or if everyone else encountering issues with your blog. It seems like some of the written text in your content are running off the screen. Can somebody else please comment and let me know if this is happening to them too? This may be a issue with my web browser because I’ve had this happen before. Cheers
If the browser is old, sometimes this happens. I discussed this with a friend who does coding and he suggested trying to look at the site in another browser and a newer one. Let me know if this helps.
I make these bars twice a week! I have recently started using this as a base recipe and started adding some other ingredients since I eat so many of them! I have a mixture of ancient grains (quinoa, teff,amaranth, etc) and I cook 1/2 cup. I add 1/4 cup to each batch, along with some chia, flax and even cacao powder to make them chocolate! I have dabbled with coconut oil, and vanilla flavored non gmo corn syrup for the sweeteners.I did have to double the egg white due to the extra ingredients. The base recipe is AMAZING and so versatile! It has been nice to change up the flavors. WONDERFUL!!!!
Also, any of the “crumbs” that are left taste great mixed into yogurt!!
Aren’t they great! I love your variations!