Strawberry Freezer Granola Bars

I mentioned something about a new version of my Frosty No-Bake Granola Bars last week… I actually didn’t go into the kitchen to try to make a new version, I just put these together and then realized they were very similar, thus the name freezer granola bars.  These were actually inspired by a sandwich/toast we’ve been enjoying lately.  Instead of peanut butter and banana we’ve been doing peanut butter and strawberries(when we have them).  You’ve gotta try it, it’s so good 🙂

I did make these into bars at first.  They’re good, but I almond prefer them pushed into muffin tins.  Much less messy than cutting them into bars, although I did try to cut my bars too soon and they fell apart a little.  Just make sure to freeze them for long enough and they’ll be fine to cut through with a sharp knife.

These actually make a hot cup of tea bearable for me on a hot day 🙂

Speaking of hot day, it’s actually c0oled down here today!  Thank goodness!  I didn’t realize it until after I started my 8 loaves of bread(and I was a bit scared of how hot our house was going to be later!).  I know it’s still killer hot in so many places though, so I hope you’ll enjoy these bars.

Like I mentioned with the original bars, these don’t exactly travel well.  These aren’t very good once thawed, we all prefer them straight out of the freezer before they even start to warm up.  Maybe if they were right beside an ice pack they might make it till break time?  Let me know if you try it 🙂

Just a quick but important note… In response to a survey I did a while ago I’ve opened up the comment on all my old posts.  I had them closed to reduce the amount of spam, but I realized that I would much rather hear your opinions on the recipes after you’ve had a chance to make them.  I would love it if you could go back to any recipes you’ve tried and leave a comment with what you thought of it or with helpful tips for anyone that will try it in the future.  You can use the search bar in the sidebar or look through the recipe index (which I’ll try my best to update soon, since it’s been a while!)  Thank you so much!

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Strawberry Freezer Granola Bars

Makes 20-24 bars

• 3/4 C peanut butter
• 1/3 C honey (maple syrup or brown rice syrup for vegan)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 large bananas, well mashed
• 1/3 C ground flax
• 3 C old fashioned rolled oats (make sure to use gluten-free oats, if needed)
• 3 C crispy/crunchy cereal
• 2-3 C fresh strawberries, chopped
• 1/2 – 1 C chocolate chips

Prepare a 9×13 pan by lining it with plastic wrap or parchment or wax paper.  Or prepare two muffin tins with paper liners.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter, honey, vanilla, mashed bananas and ground flaxseed.  Mix well and add the rolled oats and cereal and stir until incorporated.  Add the strawberries and chocolate chips and gently stir them in.  Press the mixture into the 9×13 pan or divide the mixture between the muffin cups and press down well.  Once the mixture is packed well, place them in the freezer and freeze completely, 4-6 hours or overnight.  Remove from the 9×13 pan and slice into bars.  Individually wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer or simply remove from the muffin tin and place in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag to store in the freezer.

Notes:

Instead of peanut butter try your favorite other nut butter such as almond butter- for nut-free try sunflower seed butter.

To make these vegan, use your favorite other liquid sweetener such as maple syrup, brown rice syrup, agave, etc.

I used a crispy brown rice cereal, but it does not stay crispy after the bars are frozen.  If you want some change in texture I recommend choosing a very crunchy cereal, for example, grape nuts would maintain their crunch even after the bars are frozen.

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