No Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars With Dried Cranberries Pepitas Recipes

Steps:

• Line an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. I like to use a long piece with the sides sticking out so I can use them as "handles" to lift out the bars later on.
• In a large bowl, mix together the oats, pepitas, cranberries, and chia seeds.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the peanut butter and 1/2 cup brown rice syrup.
• Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix well with a wooden spoon. If the ingredients aren't quite sticking together, add a little more brown rice syrup, stirring after each addition, until they do.
• Pour into the baking dish and press flat with your hands. The more firmly you can press, the less likely they are to be crumbly!
• Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm. Lift from baking dish and cut with a sharp chef's knife. Store, refrigerated, in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Steps:

• For the filling: Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with some butter.
• Using a stand or electric hand mixer, mix together the butter and chunky peanut butter until smooth. Stir in the sugar a cup at a time.
• Add the vanilla wafers to a food processor and process until they are in crumbs. Then add the crumbs and mini chocolate chips to the peanut butter mixture. Spread it evenly into the buttered pan and set aside.
• For the frosting: Using a double boiler or a microwave, melt the chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then pour over the base. Spread the frosting out evenly and sprinkle over the chopped peanuts. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, then cut into 20 bars.