Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Granola Bites
These little chocolate peanut butter brownie granola bites are amazing! And so, so simple to make. Also, they freeze great!.
My goal this week is to give you a brand new recipe every day that you can make with your kids, by yourself, or hooked up to FaceTime with your momma across the country.
Let’s call it a little baking therapy amid a crazy, crazy world.
Speaking of crazy, today’s recipe is crazy good, crazy easy, and crazy fun. (It’s a GREAT one to make with kids or delegate to the kids.)
A few weeks after I posted those dark chocolate brownie granola bars, my sister marched into my house holding a bag of delectable-looking chocolate somethings and said “I made a PB version of those granola bars you posted AND I made them into little bites AND they are the best things I’ve ever eaten in my life.”
And she was right. I’m giving her all the credit for bringing these chocolate peanut butter brownie granola bites into my life…and now yours. We can’t stop making them!
They are fantastic. The peanut butter makes them ultra-soft, and if you are already a fan of chocolate + PB, these little granola bites are a no-brainer.
So Easy to make
Just like the granola bars from which they hail, the dry ingredients get thrown into a bowl first:
- cocoa powder (unsweetened or Dutch-process)
- coconut (unsweetened or sweetened)
- almond flour (see recipe for substitutions)
- finely chopped almonds (I use toasted slivered almonds and grind them up in my blender)
- quick oats (if you only have old-fashioned oats give them a pulse in a blender or food processor)
Because we are rolling these into balls vs pressing into a pan (which you could also totally do), I like to use mini chocolate chips instead of regular chocolate chips.
You can also leave out the chocolate chips. That makes me sad. But I’ll try not to manage your chocolate chip choices and my emotions surrounding them.
Peanut Butter Syrup
Five simple ingredients go into the syrup that brings everything together.
Applesauce, peanut butter, pure maple syrup or honey, coconut oil (this is actually optional), and vanilla.
You don’t have to use the coconut oil (my sister doesn’t), but I always do because even the small amount called for in the recipe gives these granola bites a slightly fudgy texture. Without it, the texture might be a bit gummy thanks to the applesauce.
But again, my sister loves them with no added coconut oil. I’m the rebel in the family, I guess.
Scoop it out
Mix everything up until it’s evenly combined. It’ll be pretty sticky – similar to the texture of cookie dough.
I use a medium #40 cookie scoop {aff. link} to scoop out the dough into 2-tablespoon size portions.
Sidenote: I haven’t tried it with this peanut butter version, but I’m fairly positive you can forego the individual scooping and press the mixture into a pan like the dark chocolate granola bars and bake that way.
They’ll look a bit messy right when they’re popped out of the cookie scoop, but they roll up quite nicely.
If the batter is too sticky, let it rest for a couple minutes or lightly grease your hands before rolling.
Quick Bake
I only bake them for 10-12 minutes. Kind of like a cookie! Just enough for them to firm up a bit on the outside but remain soft and fudgy on the inside.
You don’t want to overbake or they’ll dry out in the middle.
They’ll lighten up a bit in color as they bake (not as much if using Dutch-process cocoa powder). But rest assured, they are plenty chocolatey.
These little chocolate peanut butter brownie granola bites are just so yummy!
Despite the fact that my sister saves my life on a daily basis doing every day sisterly things, I am forever indebted to her for figuring out how to peanut butter-ize the already fantastic granola bars and make them bite-sized.
The baked and cooled granola bites freeze great (which makes perfect on-the-go snacks). But around here, they really don’t last that long.
I hope you love these fun little treats! I can’t wait to give my sis more creative recipe invention assignments. 🙂
One Year Ago: Big Fat Double Dark Chocolate Cookies {Almost Levain Bakery Knockoff}
Two Years Ago: Caramel Oat Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Bars
Three Years Ago: Amazing Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Four Years Ago: Overnight Strawberry Cream Cheese Sweet Rolls
Five Years Ago: Lemon Sticky Buns with Lemony Cream Cheese Glaze
Six Years Ago: Skillet Baked Spaghetti {One Pot, 30-Minute Meal}
Seven Years Ago: Classic Deviled Eggs
Eight Years Ago: Butternut Squash Risotto
Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Granola Bites
Ingredients
Granola Mixture:
- 2 cups (200 g) quick oats (or old-fashioned oats pulsed in a blender)
- 1 cup (114 g) finely chopped almonds (see note)
- ¾ cup (64 g) sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup (43 g) natural, unsweeteened or Dutch-process cocoa powder (see note)
- ½ cup (57 g) almond flour (see note)
- 1 cup (170 g) mini chocolate chips
Syrup:
- 1 ¼ cup (319 g) creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup (113 g) unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup pure maple syrup or honey
- ¼ cup (57 g) melted coconut oil (see note), optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line half sheet pans with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, almonds, coconut, cocoa, almond flour, and chocolate chips.
- In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the peanut butter, applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla. Microwave or heat on low until pourable (don’t overheat). Let it cool if it’s too warm or the chocolate chips will melt.
- Pour the syrup mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until evenly combined.
- Scoop the batter into 2-tablespoon sized spoonfuls (I use a medium #40 cookie scoop) and roll into balls. Lightly grease your hands with cooking spray if the granola mixture is too sticky.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes just until the outside of the granola bites are set. Don’t over bake or the middles might be dry.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe – my sister altered my dark chocolate granola bar recipe for a PB version made into bites and told me I had to make them, love them, and post about them 🙂
Hmmm. I made them without the coconut oil, and they are dry and have a tendency to disintegrate into powder. If I make them again, I will definitely add the coconut oil. In fact, I’m thinking of crumbling them, adding the coconut oil, and reforming them. Probably wouldn’t need to bake.
These are like a healthier, fudgier, more flavorful no bake cookie! Yum! I put this batch in the freezer to take up to girls camp next week.
Another 5 star recipe from Mels! I made these as a snack for my son’s preschool & they were devoured!
We made them yesterday and they are delicious! Suggestions for storing them? Fridge or counter?
Mel – thanks for all the great recipes! I have been a follower for several years and never commented but your recipes are great with easy to follow instructions and we have made so many of them and loved them. My teenager decided he was making dinner every Friday during quarantine (has never been interested in cooking, so this is a win!) and asked where to find good recipes so I sent him to your site…he’s done a great job and everything he’s made has been so good!
Wow, your teen is amazing! I’m struggling to get my 16-year old excited about anything right now during quarantine, poor kid. 🙂 For these granola bites, we store them at room temp AND in the fridge. Basically they’re fine either way. They stay softer out of the fridge, but I like them chilled!
Whoah!!! These are bomb!!!
Thanks, cute Chels!
I loved these and my kids did too. I froze them when I made them a few weeks and was so proud of myself when I choose this for a bedtime snack over candy or ice cream. Probably shouldn’t be that proud but baby steps here…
These look delicious! I’m always looking for healthy treats like this. However we have a nut allergy in our house. Can I omit the almonds? You have similar recipes too…wondering if I can omit almonds in those recipes as well. Thanks! Love your recipes (actually just found this as I was looking up your crockpot steel oats…it’s a favorite in our house)!
Hi Sharon – you can definitely experiment taking out the almonds – it should work fine if the almonds aren’t integral to the texture (like in a recipe where the almonds are grounds up to form the base of a recipe). It’s always best to try to add in a similar “bulky” ingredient to help with consistency if you want to eliminate the almonds.
Has anyone tried freezing these? These look like something good to have on hand for snacks when baby #2 makes her appearance!
I loved these and my kids did too. I froze them when I made them a few weeks and was so proud of myself when I choose this for a bedtime snack over candy or ice cream. Probably shouldn’t be that proud but baby steps here…
I didn’t mean to post that as a reply ♀️ They do freeze great!!
These are most excellent! I bought almond flour for something else and was so glad to see this recipe calls for it. They whip up fast and taste amazing.
Glad you loved the, Megan! Thanks for letting me know.
OMG, these are the perfect substitute for the chocolate oatmeal drop cookies my mom used to make! Same beautiful flavour without the 2 cups of white sugar! Having to bake them for a few minutes is no worse than having to wait for the drop cookies to set up. I like the added texture of the almonds too. Thanks to you for the original recipe (which I liked as well!) and thanks to your Sis for adding the PB & applesauce! 😉
So happy you enjoyed the recipe!!
These were insanely loved by my whole family and my oober healthy parents even ate them with no regrets. Thanks a million!
Thank you!!
Yum! My 14 year old son made these and I ate about half of them. We didn’t have almond flour so just used regular. So yummy!!! Ours were a little darker than yours because I think the peanut butter was too hot and melted all the chocolate chips, but still extra yummy! Thanks for this great recipe Mel! You are a rock star!
Yay, Jen! Glad you guys liked these!
The kids and I love these! My husband doesn’t like chocolate, so is there something I could substitute for cocoa if I want to make him his own batch?
Oh boy, I’m not sure about that. Possibly a combo of more almond flour and oats to make up for the cocoa powder?
Made this recipe today and they are super tasty! The flavor/texture reminded me a bit of a Larabar (in a good way!). I used all-purpose flour since that’s what I had and left my almonds a little bit bigger (I loved the crunch factor!)
Thanks, Annie!
These are like no bake cookies! Except baked. And so much more delicious because they aren’t so insanely sweet. It was the perfect afternoon snack.
I’m glad you liked them, Julianne!
These are delicious! They take more time than I thought they would to make (mostly chopping things in the food processor) but they are yummy! I added sea salt to the finished product. I have to resist the urge to hoard them all for myself!
Thanks for the review, Ashley!
Made them! Love them! Thanks Mel!
That was supposed to be 5 stars!!!
Thank you so much for letting me know, Heather!
Do you think this would work without coconut, but replace with more oats?
Just saw that this has already been answered/sorry!
What about subbing the coconut oil with melted butter? I don’t have any coconut oil right now but would love that fudgy texture. Thanks for posting this, they look so good!
Yes, you could definitely use melted butter!
These are delicious! I didn’t have almonds, so I substituted finely chopped pecans and that worked great.
My toddlers love these; it’s a great snack or breakfast treat!
Could the almonds be replaced with something? These look delicious!
Another type of chopped nut will work or you could slightly increase the oats or coconut to make up for the almonds if you leave them out.
Any recommendations for a sub for applesauce??
I used baby food I randomly found in my pantry!
If you have coconut oil, you can use more coconut oil OR try upping the peanut butter just a little.
Hi Mel. I haven’t written to you before but I wanted to ask a question about the above recipe (chocolate peanut butter brownie granola bites) and this prompted me to write a long-overdo “howdy do”! First, the question: if you don’t use coconut oil do you substitute another oil or omit it entirely? Thanks!
I wanted to thank you for not only your wonderful recipes (clearly written with accessible explanations etc.) but also your exceptionally approachable style of writing. I am a semi-retired high school English teacher and really appreciate the good use of tone and wanted you to know that yours is endearing! Please keep up your wonderful work as I am appreciating all that you are doing, especially now during our society’s very challenging times.
I’d like to close with this: my husband (of just short of 40 years!) has always been a huge and supportive fan of my cooking and baking and I know how truly blessed I am that he will eat anything so experimenting in the kitchen has always been at the heart of our home. When I discovered your blog and began trying your recipes he was, typically enthusiastic, but it has gone farther than just that. Now, when I try something new, Mike will ask if it is a “Mel’s recipe” which already puts him in a positive, anticipatory place. So I wanted you to know that a “Mel’s recipe” has made it into the vernacular of our home with an extra special meaning. See, you are making a difference! Thank you again for all that you do for all of us and I wish you and your family well as we weather this storm of the virus together. Preparing and cooking food to share as a family will most likely take on an important role like never before. Your friend, Corinne McGue
Corinne! What a lovely, wonderful message to read today! Totally made my day brighter, and that’s important right now with all that’s going on in the world! It kept me from hiding in the bathroom away form my kids. Congrats on your 40-year marriage! That’s amazing! Your husband sounds like a great guy…and NOT just because he likes the recipes you make from here. 🙂 Although that’s pretty awesome, and I’m grateful you shared that with me!
I always get nervous when teachers leave comments letting me know they are current or past teachers (many of them like to correct my grammar – haha!). But thank you for your kindness.
Now as for your question, if you don’t have coconut oil, you can leave it out or use melted butter or another type of neutral oil (wouldn’t recommend olive oil or a strong flavored oil like that)
I agree with Corinne—“Mel’s Recipe” has become a thing in our household as well. Whenever I try a new recipe my husband and daughters ask if this is a new Mel’s recipe. We all (all 8 of us) love you! Actually, it has become a thing with my sisters-in-law and mother-in-law as well. “Oh, is this a Mel’s recipe?”
It’s the same in my house, too! Mel’s recipes are the best. 🙂
Thanks you guys for making me feel like a million bucks today!
these look gluten free? true?
As long as the oats are sourced gluten-free, then yes, the little granola bites should be gluten free.
These are in the oven right now and I’m sure they are going to be amazing. But right now I’m dreaming up other uses for the peanut butter mixture (before it gets mixed with the oats)- I want to pour it on everything. I’m thinking it could make for a really decadent pancake topping?
Mary,
Yes, these are inherently gluten free as long as each individual ingredient is (certain brands can sometimes vary with their additives or manufacturing equipment contamination). Oats are by nature GF but cannot be assumed GF unless the packaging says so (the way they are grown, processed, etc will give them a small amount of gluten unless specifically avoided). Depending on how ultra-GF you need this to be, you can end up with a totally gluten-free product or just a mostly-gluten-friendly product according to which ingredients you used. Hope this helps.
Could you sub canola oil for coconut oil ( which I don’t have)?
I think you probably could – or you could try melted butter if you have it.
These look and sound delicious! I’m out of coconut would these be worth it to try without it? I’ll definitely be trying these the full recipe way once things calm down cuz I love coconut but I’m all out and have no desire to go to the store right now!
Yes, you can totally make them without! Just increase the oats by 1/2 cup.
I love you for posting something new every day this week! I’ve been surviving the quarantine boredom by baking something new everyday. Yesterday I made your lemon blueberry cake and it was fantastic even made with powdered eggs. I’m going to make everything you post this week. Today’s recipe looks amazing,. Can’t wait to make them!
Oops. My phone confused me. Sorry for the comment in the reply.
No worries, Melissa! Well, the every day plan is definitely the goal, but based on how today’s going, haha, it might not be a new recipe every day but I’ll try! Love that you made that cake with powdered eggs (and that you even had powdered eggs on hand!!)
If I wanted to leave the coconut out, would I need to up the oats a little bit?
Yep, just increase the oats by about 1/2 cup or so.
It’s very touching that you are taking this opportunity to spread light and joy in the world around you through your well loved and dependable blog. I am looking forward to trying this recipe very soon. If you don’t have the time to juggle it all and can’t post every day this week, just know that you have already done so much to uplift many of us with your humor, compassion and food blogging skills. ❤️
You’re so sweet, Bridget! And I probably shouldn’t have made those promises…looks like I might be on the every other day plan! 🙂
Do you think the Kirkland Brand Creamy Peanut Butter will work okay? Or is there another brand you would recommend?
Definitely worth a try!
This recipe made my morning a little bit brighter. Thanks, Mel.
Thank you, Georgia!
I’m low on the coconut. I was thinking if replacing it with freeze dried strawberries? Think that would work Mel? Thanks for all your awesome recipes.
I think that would be a delicious variation!