No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars.

The first thing you should know about me is that I never follow recipes. Like ever. The second thing you should know about me is that I love peanut butter.

This last summer I went through a serious granola phase. I ate about 3 batches this summer, what's a batch you ask? Think 4 quart sized bags per batch. I must have switched to another breakfast food at some point, because I found some leftover granola in my freezer (yes it was still good, I promise!) So I decided to add it to my granola bars.

I found a ton of great looking recipes on Pinterest but, in the end, I decided to take no one's advice and make my own.

And they turned out fantastic. Super peanut buttery, chewy and chocolaty. Perfect. But then I remembered....  I  forgot the rice krispies!  Ugh! I'm still bummin' about this. You see, I hate rice krispies with milk. They're soggy and bland and all the sugar I put on top to make them taste better sunk  to the bottom of the bowl. Great, warm sugary milk.... just what I wanted for breakfast. Anyway, I had about 2 cups left over from making rice crispy treats (which I'm obsessed with) that would have been perfect for these! But they're still in my cupboard, forgotten, sad day. These are great granola bars, even without the extra crunch the rice crispy's would have added.  

Dump and stir.

`

Pour and stir.

Spread evenly. I didn't have enough to fill the pan so I have what a geometry teacher might call a granola quadrilateral. 

Ingredients:

1 c slivered almonds

1 1/2 c granola (recipe below)

1 c coconut

3/4 c chopped walnuts

1/2 c wheat germ 

1 c rice crispy's 

2 1/2 c rolled oats (not quick cooking) 

1 - 1 1/2 c peanut butter, divided

1/2 c butter

1/2 c honey 

1 T cocoa 

1/2 c chocolate chips, divided 

Mix first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Melt  peanut butter (reserve one heaping tablespoon), butter, honey, and 1/4 c chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Whisk in cocoa to melted peanut butter lava.  Mix the dry and wet ingredients in a large bowl and spread in a thin layer in a cookie sheet. Melt the rest of the chocolate chips and peanut butter and spread thinly over the bars. Pop these baby's in the freezer for 1 hour to chill (or chill over night). Cut into bars and enjoy.