Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars

Note: Tired of endless PB+J sandwiches? Give these bars a try instead! I designed them for my friend Alex, the best long-distance runner I know. They are a little more crumbly than a store-bought granola bar, so be careful when eating these on the go—you’ll probably leave a trail of crumbs on the sidewalk and down your shirt. As a bonus, you can find the ingredients in any corner store or food pantry. Any kind of jam or jelly will do—I used blueberry, but grape, strawberry, or any flavor would be tasty. You can use quick-cooking oats if they’re all you have, but I prefer the bite and chew of rolled oats. For a little more crunch along with your chew, you can also substitute a cup of Rice Krispies for a cup of the oats.

makes 12 bars

• butter or vegetable oil, for the pan
• 3 cups rolled oats, or 2 cups rolled
• oats and 1 cup Rice Krispies
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ½ cup jelly or jam
• ¼ cup hot water
• ¼ teaspoon salt

additions

• ½ cup chopped nuts
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• ½ cup chopped dried fruit
• ½ cup honey (instead of the jelly)

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2 Grease an 8- by 11-inch baking pan. If you have a different size pan, that’s fine—it’ll just change how thick the bars are, so you’ll want to adjust the cooking time a little. A larger pan may take less time to cook through and get crunchy, while a smaller pan will take a few more minutes—just keep an eye on it in the oven.

3 Pour the oats into a large bowl.

4 Place a small saucepan over low heat and add the peanut butter, half of the jelly, the water, the salt, and any other additions. Stir until smooth, about 2 minutes.

5 Pour the peanut butter and jelly concoction into the oats and mix until all the oats are coated and you have a sticky mass. Dump the mixture into the buttered baking pan and press it into an even layer. Spread the remaining jelly over the top.

6 Pop the baking dish into the oven for 25 minutes. The bars are done when the edges are toasty and brown. Mmm. Crunchy.

7 Leave the bars in the pan until they cool completely, about an hour, then slice them into 12 bars.