The sweet n’ salty snack bar of your dreams is here! These no-bake Popcorn bars are sure to delight any taste buds. Vegan, gluten-free, and easily made no sugar added!
Another day, another peanut butter recipe because it’s my favorite food….ever. 😉
Peanut butter is just superb. Whenever I get asked what one food I couldn’t go without is, my answer is simple. Not a day goes by that I don’t eat it or crave it. It’s my ultimate desert island food.
As much as I love spreading peanut butter on stuff as a topping or, let’s be real, spooning it out of the jar, I also love baking with it as well. As evidenced by this and these.
No Bake Recipes for the WIN
Another amazing use for it? NO BAKE recipes! It’s texture is just so perfect for binding ingredients together…and let’s face it, anything tastes better when mixed with peanut butter (well, most things…)!
So with a BAKED peanut butter dessert already shared this week, I thought it was time to go the NO BAKE route for you all. Since the weather is getting colder here, I almost forget that some of you live in areas of perpetual heat and don’t like turning on the oven as often as I do. This is where no-bake recipes shine!
They’re easy to make, require no electricity or ovens, and are pretty fun to put together too! With a fresh jar of peanut butter in my cabinet (my FAVORITE kind of course!) and the best of the best ingredients from my friends at Bob’s Red Mill, I went to town mixing and combining until I created some sweet n’ salty snack bars of deliciousness.
These babies are sweet. They’re salty. They have amazing texture. And they are PERFECT for an easy, healthy snack to take on the go. They’d even be great for passing out at your kiddos school (if they’re not peanut free of course!) or making for a your next holiday party.
No Bake Sweet n’ Salty Popcorn Bars
No Bake Sweet n’ Salty Popcorn Bars
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 9 large bars 1x
- Category: Sweet Snacks
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
2 cups of Bob’s Red Mill quick rolled oats
2 1/2 cup popped popcorn, slightly crushed
1/2 cup Catalina Crunch Honey Graham Cereal (or another honey flavored cereal)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Crazy Richards Creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup maple syrup (or date syrup, for a no added sugar option!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Hu Kitchen dark chocolate gems
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine popcorn, cereal, oats, and salt.
In microwave safe bowl, combine peanut butter, syrup, and vanilla extract. Microwave for 1 minute and then whisk together until smooth.
Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until evenly combined. Line an 8×8 baking square with parchment paper and press the batter into the baking dish. Make sure it’s a tightly packed, even layer!
In a small microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate gems (heat for 30 seconds and then 10 second intervals until fully melted). Drizzle chocolate over the popcorn bars. Chill in freezer for at least 30 minutes. Remove from fridge, cut into 9 bars, and serve! Store in the refrigerator.
The combination of hearty, chewy rolled oats and crunchy popcorn makes these bars so satisfying. The syrup and peanut butter compliment each other for the ultimate sweet n’ salty flavor…and the maple syrup can even be swapped out for date syrup to make these no added sugar! WIN.
Like me, I think you’ll be obsessed with these bars! I think between my dad and I (both peanut butter obsessed!), we went through the whole pan of them in about 2 days. No shame in our sweet n’ salty snack game! 😉
Do you prefer peanut butter in sweet or salty recipes?
What’s your favorite sweet n’ salty combination?
Do you prefer no-bake or baked treats?
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27 responses to “No Bake Sweet n’ Salty Popcorn Bars [gluten-free + vegan option]”
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I LOVE the story of George Washington Carver and this story about the peanut.
‘Washington looked at him incredulously but allowed Carver to continue.
“He told me, ‘separate the peanut into water, fats, oils, gums, resins, sugars, starches, and amino acids. Then recombine these under My three laws of compatibility, temperature, and pressure. Then, the Lord said, ‘then you will know why I made the peanut!”
Washington laughed nervously, obviously skeptical at Carver’s suggestion. Finally, with much anxiety he asked the humble scientist if God always gave him the right answers.
With a broad smile Carver replied, “Let me put it this way: The Lord always provides me with life changing ideas. Not that I am special. The Lord provides everyone with life changing ideas. These ideas are quite literally a treasure from the Almighty. It is up to each of us however, to choose and dig for the treasure.”
Within ten days George Washington Carver had “discovered” more than 300 uses for the peanut. One trip to that special place in the woods to talk with God not only enhanced race relations at the time but also fundamentally changed the agricultural industry as we know it today. All because he listened to and felt the spirit of God in his life.
In Zechariah 4:6 it says, “So he answered and said to me: ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
I think it’s so cool how the peanut has become such a well loved and useful legume, and it makes some of the BEST goodies.
Such a lovely story!!
OMg, these loook AMAZINNNNNGGGGG! I am so into popcorn anything right now.
Thanks Jamie!! I think you’ll LOVE these!!
Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner Party!
Thanks so much Helen!
TOTALLY my kind of snack. I may just be a bit popcorn obsessed 😉
Thanks lovely!!
What a fab idea, I will have to try this out. #BrillBlogPosts
Thank you Naomi!!
This looks delicious! We just started the Whisk It Wednesday Link Party and thought you might want to share there too! Thanks, Carrie
Thanks Carrie!
Thank you Carrie! Glad you liked the recipe!
Yum such a good idea adding popcorn to puffed wheat squares!
★★★★★
Thanks so much! Let me know if you try them!
these sound amazing I love to take treats like this on car rides in winter to both enjoy and have along if any trouble comes up
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These look yummy! Have saved the recipe. 🙂
#brilliantblogposts
Thank you! Enjoy!
These look incredible! I’m always looking for healthy (not-to-mention, no bake) options for snacks. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe with us at Merry Monday this week!
Thanks Marie!! I hope you try these!
[…] Honey PB Popcorn Bars […]
[…] Sweet and Salty Popcorn Bars from Healthy Helper // We love a no-bake option for days when our kitchen energies are uber-low. “These babies are sweet. They’re salty. They have amazing texture. And they are PERFECT for an easy, healthy snack to take on the go.” […]
Oh yes! Love these. Great take on rice crispie bars. My daughter would especially love these xxx #WhatsForDinner
Thanks so much Kate!! Hope you guys give these a try!! 🙂
These sound delicious – I’ve saved the link to come back to this and try it out at some point.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Cheryl!! Hope you try them!
Thanks for sharing at the Lazy Gastronome’s What’s for Dinner party. I hope you have a fabulous weekend!