No-bake maple-bacon-peanut butter granola bars are a sweet, salty treat

Whether you’re looking for a breakfast snack or afternoon treat, you’ll love this chewy, nutty, maple-bacon granola bar recipe. (You probably won’t find these in your grocery store!)

Pick these bars for your next breakfast option or afternoon treat. I love them with a glass of cold milk or a cup of hot coffee. Too hot to think about baking? No problem: These no-bake babies are super simple to make.

Keep in mind that these snack bars aren’t quite as firm as the ones you’d pull from the box, but when they’re this good, you won’t mind a few extra crumbs.

No-bake, nutty maple-bacon granola bars recipe

Bacon goes with just about anything, so why not add it to granola bars? You’ll love the bacon bits in this unique, delicious morning treat (which is also tasty as an afternoon snack).

Yields 12

Prep time: 10 minutes | Rest time: 2 hours | Total time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups quick-cook oats
• 2 cups crispy rice cereal
• 3 tablespoons flaxseed meal (ground flaxseed)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds (or peanuts if you prefer)
• 5 strips cooked bacon, chopped, 1/2 sliced reserved to crumble over the top
• 1/2 cup maple syrup plus 2 tablespoons
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• Aluminum foil
• Plastic cling wrap

Directions:

1. Line a 9 x 9-inch pan with a sheet of aluminum foil, leaving a little overhanging the edges, and set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine the oats, rice cereal, flaxseed and brown sugar. Whisk to combine. Add the chopped almond and bacon, and mix.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup and peanut butter. Cream together until smooth.
4. Pour the maple syrup mixture over the dry mixture. Stir until everything is covered and moist.
5. In batches, spoon the mixture into the baking dish. Use a sheet of plastic cling wrap to press the mixture down firmly into the pan. Continue this process until all the mixture is in the pan.
6. Sprinkle with the reserved bacon crumbles, and press them down. Cover with a clean sheet of plastic cling wrap, and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
7. Using the overhanging foil, remove the mixture from the pan. Cut into equal-size bars (you may need to reshape them slightly with your hands), and serve.
8. Refrigerate the remaining bars in an airtight container.

More granola recipes

Millet tahini granola
Earl Grey tea-infused granola
Granola sundae