Yummy (& Easiest) Peach Pistachio Granola Bars!

I LOOOOVE granola!

Where do you stand on granola? I basically am helpless in front of a bag of the good stuff. Whether eating it out of hand or in (multiple) bowls with milk, that delicious combination of crunchy-chewy, sweet-salty is like kryptonite to me. I’ve accrued several delicious recipes over the years ( here, here and here!), but I rarely make them due to this lack of self-control.

granola BARS to the rescue!

But a granola bar? I don’t know if it’s because they are more “single serving”, or more filling, but a good granola bar recipe satisfies that particular craving without having me go off the rails. And these little beauties are hands-down my new favorite!

Homemade granola bars are a snap to make, keep beautifully and are a perfect answer to the morning rush, midday slump or pre-dinner hanger we all experience!

what ingredients are in peach pistachio granola bars?

You can scroll down to read about all the ways you can change up this recipe – it’s super versatile! – but here’s what I used:

oats

pistachios

wheat germ

honey

almond butter

vanilla extract

brown sugar

cinnamon

egg white

dried peaches

how do you make them?

I think we can all agree that most granola – and granola adjacent – recipes are quite simple. And this one is no exception.

You’ll start by toasting the oats and pistachios in the oven. I love to do this as it really brings out more flavor to both of these ingredients, and you’re turning the oven on anyway!

While the mixture is cooling, use a rubber spatula to combine the rest of your ingredients in a large bowl – I like to reserve some of the diced peaches to put on top before baking, but this is purely optional. Add in the oats/pistachios, transfer to a square pan and bake. Cool and cut into bars!

let’s talk substitutions!

In addition to being simple, granola recipes are super adaptable. There is almost no component of this recipe that can’t be switched up , to meet dietary needs, personal preferences or avoiding a trip to the grocery store by using what you’ve got on hand! Here’s how you can easily switch up this recipe:

• make it gluten free – I happened to have a jar of wheat germ in the fridge, but you can absolutely eliminate it if you are going gluten free. And of course you want to make sure that your oats are certified GF
• make it vegan – I love the use of the egg white to help bind the ingredients together but it is not critical to this recipe, so if you’re on a vegan diet just leave it out!
• swap out the almond butter – any seed or nut butter can be used in place of the almond butter. My personal favorites are tahini and peanut butter but anything you like – cashew butter, sunflower seed butter – will work!
• switch up your sweetener – another easy substitution. Again, I personally love to use honey here but if you like you can swap it for 2/3 cup maple syrup and it will be just as delicious!
• use a different oil – one thing I don’t love about many granola recipes is the large amount of oil often called for. The almond butter in this recipe provides a healthier (and more flavorful!) alternative, and drastically reduces the amount of oil needed. I typically just grab whatever is easy, and have used coconut oil, sunflower oil and canola oil with equal success.
• pick your favorite fruit – I LOVE dried peaches – and the flavor combination of peach and pistachio is one of my favorites. But by all means use what you love – dried apples, cherries, dates, figs, or even a combination of a few!
• get creative with mix-ins – granola is a great way to use up small amounts of ingredients you may have left over. so yes, chop up that bar of dark chocolate, toss in a handful of chia seeds or fold in some white chocolate chips. It all works!

a few more tips!

You’ll notice there’s no salt in this recipe – that is because I used salted pistachios and almond butter that contains salt. If you’re using raw nuts and/or unsalted almond butter add in 1/4 teaspoon of kosher or fine sea salt to the ingredients.

Once the granola bars are cooled and cut you’ll want to properly store them to maintain the freshest results. I like to wrap each bar in plastic wrap – this makes them easy to toss in a purse or lunchbox and keeps them the freshest. You can keep the wrapped bars in a sealed container or ziploc bag at room temperature but I like to store them in the freezer. They thaw quickly and stay fresh so much longer that way.

Granola bars for the win! Whether served up with a cup of coffee or after dinner with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, please let me know if you make this recipe (and how you switch it up!)!