6-Ingredient Peanut Butter Bars

Is homemade better than pre-packaged?

That depends. A lot of the pre-packaged bars and snacks are full of ingredients that may not be the best for your health. Sure, you can enjoy a candy bar every once in awhile and still stay on track with your health and wellness. But, if you want to enjoy them a little more often, a homemade version could be the answer.

These 6-Ingredient Peanut Butter Bars are an easy snack to have a around. The Payday candy bar has always been one of my favorites! However, once I starting cleaning up my nutrition I don’t eat them very much any more.

If something has a super long shelf life, that usually means there’s some sort of preservative to make it last longer. These preservatives aren’t healthy for your body in large amounts. Again, balance is everything so once in awhile is completely fine.

When following an 80/20 type of anti-inflammatory diet like I do, the goal is to eat more whole and organic foods while still allowing some of the things you want. I’ve found that making a few homemade snacks and treats can help you have the control of what goes into the foods you eat, while also enjoying them at their freshest point.

Diet preferences

There are a lot of ingredients that can be inflammatory for different people and many even have allergies to certain foods. Each person is different. That being said, if peanuts are one thing you stay away from because of allergies etc, you could easily substitute the peanut butter for almond or sunflower butter.

For me peanuts and dairy are fine, but I try and avoid gluten as much as possible. Over the course of your wellness journey you’ll find what works for you. I love experimenting with swapping ingredients to see what tastes best while still following my preferences.

The whole goal of doing things 80/20 when it comes to nutrition is not to have an “all or nothing” mentality (obviously excluding those with certain allergies who have to avoid specific ingredients). Instead it’s more of eating clean 80% of the time and allowing the other 20% to be whatever you want.

The whole point of doing this is not to feel deprived from your favorite foods, and never putting associating foods as good or bad. This will NOT help you reach your goals! When you feel like you can eat anything you want, just in moderation, you will have a much more successful path towards a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE.

Balanced nutrition

How can you make a healthier version of your favorite sweet treat? By making it homemade and deciding what part you want to be healthier and what part could be the 20% whatever you want.

These 6-Ingredient Granola Bars satisfy both of those. I really try and stick to whole ingredients without preservatives or unnecessary additives.

If I do buy things pre-packaged I try and get whole ingredients and organic when possible. There are good brands out there, you may just have to look a little deeper.

The homemade challenge

When you check out the ingredients of the Payday candy bar it contains: peanuts, sugar, corn syrup, skim milk, vegetable oil (palm and sunflower), salt, carrageenan, and mono and diglycerides.

This recipe is inspired by the Payday, but eliminates some of the bad stuff. Especially the extra oil and sugar. If I can have something that’s just a little bit better for me then that’s a win. I understand convenience is hard to turn down, but I challenge you to look at what items you buy and figure out a way to make some yourself.

I have found this challenge to be kind of fun. To see what I can make is pretty rewarding. The goal is to always move forward and get better. I hope ten years from now I’m even better than I am now with all the things I’m always learning.

I have always had a sweet tooth, ever since I was young and would watch my Mom as she made the most amazing desserts. She was THE BEST teacher I could have! She taught me how to cook and bake. I was definitely inspired by her get creative in the kitchen.

Recipe tips:

-For this recipe I used Pretzel sticks but you can use whatever type you like. I found the sticks broke up easier. Just make sure to crush them down enough because you don’t want big pieces sticking out, and don’t crush them too much because you don’t want pretzel powder.

-If you are being more health conscious you can use an organic brand of pretzel. Just make sure you find one that has as little ingredients as possible.

-If you or anyone you know has a nut allergy you could easily substitute a sunflower butter for peanut butter and sunflower seeds for peanuts.

-One of the main things to remember with this recipe is that it doesn’t have preservatives or other ingredients to hold it together. Instead the peanut butter and honey are your binding agents. If you leave them out at room temp too long they could start to fall apart. It is best to keep them in the fridge or freezer to make sure they stay together. I feel that’s a small inconvenience to have a healthier snack.

-Sugar is still sugar but if you can substitute for a healthier one that’s best. If you check out the glycemic levels of different sugars you will find they all spike your blood sugar differently. Sugars like honey are lower on the glycemic index which makes it a better choice than corn syrup.

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I hope you enjoy these 6-Ingredient Peanut Butter Bars! Every once in awhile it’s fun to make a snack or dessert that doesn’t involve a stove or oven. These no-bake granola bars are so quick, easy and delicious! If you want another sweat treat that’s easy to swap ingredients then be sure try my Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie RECIPE.

Follow me on Instagram @motivate.educate.repeat or use the direct link HERE. This is where I share all of my tips and tricks about living a healthy lifestyle while following the 80/20 rule. I would love to connect with you!