- Calories 227
- Caloriesfromfat 40%
- Protein 7.4g
- Fat 10g
- Satfat 1.5g
- Carbohydrate 29g
- Fiber 4.1g
- Sodium 160mg
- Cholesterol 13mg
Peanut Butter Cranberry Go-Bars
Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Dan Becker
Loaded with good-for-you ingredients, these not-too-sweet bars still taste like a treat, and they'll withstand cold, heat, and being stuffed in a backpack or pocket. Natural peanut butters vary from brand to brand in terms of spreadability; we prefer Laura Scudder's Old Fashioned Nutty Peanut Butter, because it makes a moister, chewier bar.
How to Make It
Step 1
Line a 9- by 13-in. pan with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang on the 9-in. sides, and coat with cooking-oil spray. In a large bowl, stir together oats, oat bran, flax seeds, flour, baking powder, salt, peanuts, cranberries, and figs until well blended.
Step 2
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together peanut butter, milk, egg, honey, lemon zest, and lemon juice until well blended.
Step 3
Add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture and beat until completely blended. Scrape dough into pan and, with wet fingers or a rubber spatula, pat to fill pan completely and evenly (dough is sticky, so you may need to wash your hands a few times). Chill dough until firm, about 30 minutes.
Step 4
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300°. Invert pan onto a work surface, lift off pan, and peel off plastic. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut straight down lengthwise through middle, then crosswise to make 16 bars, each 1 1/2 in. wide. Place bars about 1 in. apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Step 5
Bake bars until lightly browned and somewhat firm to touch, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Step 6
Make ahead: Store airtight up to 2 weeks or freeze.
Step 7
Note: Nutritional analysis is per bar.
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Hiker14's Review
These bars taste good but don't hold together very well. I made them to send to my daughter in college and have a feeling they'll be all crumbs when they arrive. Maybe another egg would bind the ingredients together better?
CindyW's Review
These were just really not tasty.
LaurasBox's Review
We love these bars. I mix up the dried fruit and juice, apricot nectar is our favorite. I also put them into a cold oven, turn on the oven, and leave them for only 20 minutes. Cool for 5 then place in snack size ziplocks, this gives a bar that is more moist. We keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
nanceee's Review
my whole wheat was a little flat,but since there was only 1 cup left, I used it up. Subsituted the lemon for lime, the peanuts for almonds, dumped in more crazins and....um......oh yes, I ground up the oats a bit. I thought this was a keeper recipe. I've had 4 with a glass of milk. YUM!
conandmiasmom's Review
I threw this out! YUCK. They were completely dry, despite using white whole wheat flour and an extra 1/4 cup of milk, and tasted inedibly chewy and saw-dusty,
Don't waste these great ingredients in such a horrible bar.
bluelupine's Review
Terrific! I use ground flax, almonds instead of peanuts and tried almond butter, but liked pb better. I skip the lemon altogether. Added maybe a teaspoon oil & used fresh ground pb, a skosh of vanilla (and a handful of coconut on occasion). Mmmmm!! These store & freeze very well and are sturdy enough for travel in a backpack. Totally versatile and tasty! Update - I've been using an over-full measure of finely chopped prunes instead of figs and like the recipe even better - keeps them moist.
honucooks's Review
Yum- a great alternative to purchased protein bars. I used dates for figs as other reviewers. Next time I'll try with almond butter, almonds, and maybe apricots and/or sour cherries.
ZebaZeba's Review
Delicious and easy. For dried fruits I used raisins and dates. I substituted 1/4 cup milk for 1/4 cup peanut butter. It was a little too peanut buttery for me.
I will make it again with all kinds of nuts and fruits.
Sedonasooz's Review
These turned out really well. A little on the dry side with good substance. Healthy tasting (which I like), not like store bought icky sweet stuff. Only changes I made were almonds for peanuts and dates for figs. Nice recipe that you can mix/match according to what you have on hand. They also kept well - great for hikes, lunch bag etc.
seaside725's Review