School will be back in session before we know it! Packing lunches can be one of those boring tasks that can easily be made special with a little extra planning. Homemade Granola Bars are super easy to make, great to pack in lunches, are healthy and definitely less expensive then buying them at the store.
These Granola Bars with Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips have been on my to-do list since I spotted them over at Eat at Home last year.
Not only are these perfect to pack in lunchboxes, they are great for an after school snack, before a game or even pack them in a picnic.
Today though, we are chatting about packing a lunchbox. I bet your kiddo would love to open up his lunchbox and see this…
During a recent trip to Walmart Headquarters, I chatted with the folks from Kraft about Back to School Lunches and how to keep them fun yet simple.
My boys often have Peanut Butter & Jelly on their waffles, but I had never thought about making them into little sandwiches. You can find a large variety of frozen waffles at Walmart. I think the mini waffles would be perfect for these sandwiches, but to save a little money, we simply used regular size waffles, toasted them, spread on Peanut Butter and Jelly and made them into a sandwich. Then for easier handling, I cut the waffle sandwich into 4 pieces.
This Bento Lunchbox is one of the coolest ones I’ve seen! The bottom section is collapsible for easy storage, but expands to hold your sandwich. There are 9 pieces total and the blue section you see with the food is a freezer tray, making it super easy to keep the food cold. It’s made by Cool Gear and sold at Walmart, in the housewares area near the other lunch containers.
Along with the Peanut Butter and Jelly Waffle Sandwich and Granola Bar, I packed some grapes and Kraft cheese that I cut into cubes.
Looking for more Lunchbox Ideas? We shared 4 easy and fun recipes last year!
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Homemade Granola Bars with Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chips
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 24 bars 1x
Description
Your family will love these granola bars filled with peanut butter and chocolate. Don’t tell them they are healthy though. Recipe from PocketChangeGourmet.com
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed firmly
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 cups quick cooking oats
- 1 cup wheat germ {found in the cereal aisle near the granola}
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 13×9 or 10×15 pan with cooking spray
- In a large bowl, combine oil, brown sugar, egg, peanut butter, milk and vanilla
- Add dry ingredients except chocolate chips and mixture well
- Stir in chocolate chips
- Spread evenly into pan
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
- Cool and cut into bars
- Wrap in plastic or resealable bag for lunches
Notes
Original recipe from Eat at Home
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Linking to…Gooseberry Patch
