No Bake Granola Squares.

Evidently yesterday (January 24th) was National Peanut Butter day! I didn't know it existed but I definitely eat PB on the daily so I didn't miss out on the celebration, haha...

Let me take you back to summer, because if you're like me this is what it looks like outside (minus the snow falling):

As opposed to:

Anyway, my friend B came into town a couple of times and we had this ritual of swinging by The Heritage Amish Bake Shoppe on the way to the beach to stock up on goodies for the day. We would vary our choices, but the one thing we bought EVERY SINGLE TIME were their homemade granola bars... delicious peanut butter bars chock full of seeds, nuts, and reese's pieces! Oh my were they good, especially while sitting with your feet in the sand and sipping on ice cold water.

Ever since then my quest for a "copycat" recipe has ensued. I've tried many and none really fit the bill so I started combining elements from different recipes until I found a combination I was happy with! So now you get to enjoy my hard work!

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 No Bake PB Granola Squares
gluten free, dairy free, with subsitutions (sunbutter) can be nut free 

• 2 cups oats
• 1 cup PB (I use chunky) - you can use any nut butter you'd like
•  1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup dark choc chips
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• ...additional add-ins: I sprinkled cinnamon to taste, added a handful of pumpkin seeds and a handful of sunflower seeds*

*You can add whatever you like: alternate nuts, dried fruit, etc. if the batter doesn't hold due to the number of add-ins add a tablespoon of peanut butter/teaspoon of honey until it sticks.

1. Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. I used my kitchen-aid.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Poor batter into pan and flatten (mine didn't fill the whole pan so I just focused on one side and made a clean edge).
3. Place in freezer for 45min. Remove from freezer and place parchment paper on a cutting board. Using a knife cut the bar in half, then cut down into squares (I had 16). You can wrap in plastic or parchment paper. I store mine wrapped in plastic, inside a gallon ziplock - in the freezer.

They are very satisfying and perfect for post-workout or a midday energy boost!

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Excuse me while I snack on this and dream about warmer weather... 

-Tay