No-Bake Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chunk Granola Bars

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I rarely leave home without a granola bar tossed in my bag, but I’m not a big fan of the processed ingredients and refined sugars that are in most of them. So lately I’ve been really into making my own, and when I hit upon some of the great no-bake versions out there, I started tooling around with different flavor combinations to create my dream bar. I’m currently hooked on this new Superfood Chocolate from Aloha and have been dying to use it in a recipe, and since its concentrated nutritional power is best unheated, these no-bake bars were the perfect opportunity! Besides, who doesn’t love a crunchy, gooey granola bar packed with peanut butter and chocolate… especially when it happens to be vegan, gluten-free, and packed full of good-for-you ingredients to fuel you through an afternoon?

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These make for a really fun weekend baking activity, because you can get creative and riff on the recipe using whatever ingredients you have on hand. Got cranberries, almonds, or banana chips? Toss ’em in! Phoebe loves to “help” me make these, so I usually measure out the ingredients for her and let her do the dumping. And since even the chocolate is healthy, I don’t mind her doing some pre-snacking while we prepare them together.

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So let’s just talk about this Aloha Chocolate for a sec, shall we? I got to sample it soon after the launch and was totally blown away, first by its delicious flavor, and second by how chock full of nutritional benefits it is. It’s hard to believe by the melt-in-your-mouth consistency that superfood greens are combined with fair-trade organic cacao in each bar. The ingredients list is all organic and includes coconut sugar, wild blueberries, raw coconut flakes, and cashews (plus greens like spirulina, spinach & wheatgrass!), but really all you taste is the smooth high-quality chocolate.

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The ingredients in these granola bars are so good, no one will blame you if you just toss them all together to make a “trail mix” and don’t get around to actually making the recipe! I’ve been keeping a mason jar in the pantry that’s filled with an antioxidant-rich mix of dried berries, almonds, walnuts, and chopped up pieces of Aloha Chocolate. It’s the perfect treat for mid-afternoon cravings, and has become my favorite traveling companion on my most recent flights.

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I can’t think of a better way to treat yourself than with a piece of really high-quality chocolate (okay, maybe it’s tied with getting a massage), and I’m a big believer that there’s room for a few bites of chocolate in every single day. Regular chocolate eaters report less stress, and isn’t occasionally indulging your sweet tooth an important aspect of just enjoying life? In case you need more convincing, here’s an explanation of the health benefits of cocoa, including lowering cholesterol levels, preventing cognitive decline, and reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems.

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Keep reading for the recipe, and if you give these no-bake bars a try, I’d love to hear what you think – and whether you try swapping in any different ingredients to make your own combination!

*photos by kate stafford