No Bake Granola Cakes

 

I am always seeking recipes that make good quick snacks for the kids. I like things that will make enough snacks for a week, so I don’t have to stress about what to give the kids during the long stretch between lunch and dinner. When I saw these no bake granola cakes on Prevention RD’s blog, I knew I had to try them. I loved that the recipe could be easily modified for things that I already had in my pantry. There are endless variations for this recipe. My advice would be to use things that you like and have on hand. There is no need to stress about the specifics.


For example, the recipe in Prevention RD’s blog calls for almond butter, but I used peanut butter instead. Peanut butter has higher oil content than almond butter, so I cut back on the amount of oil that I added during the melting phase. I also made the no bake granola cakes irresistible by adding ¼ cup of chocolate chips. From there I just added some pantry staples that I had on hand like pumpkin seeds, oats, peanuts, and dried cranberries. The no bake granola cakes came out wonderful. They reminded me of no bake cookies that my college cafeteria used to serve only these were probably much healthier.

Ingredients (makes 12) modified from Prevention RD

½ cup smooth peanut butter
1 tbps honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp coconut oil
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup peanuts
¼ cup almonds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
2/3 cup old fashioned oats
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg

Special Equipment

Muffin tin and paper liners

Directions

1. In a small saucepot combine the peanut butter, honey, vanilla, oil, and chocolate chips. Heat the mixture until melted and smooth.

2. Meanwhile, combine all the other ingredients together in a large bowl.

3. Add the peanut butter sauce to the oats mixture. Mix well.

4. While the mixture is still warm, place the granola in the paper lined muffin tins. Make about 12 equal sized cakes. Press the cakes together firmly.

5. Refrigerate the cakes for 3 hours. Serve cold. The cakes will keep for one week in an air tight container.

Posted on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday,Tuesday Blog Hop, Tutorial Tuesday, Somewhat Simple