Every afternoon around 3pm I run into the problem of something healthy to snack on. I’d usually just prefer a bag of M&Ms and some Reese’s peanut butter cups and call it a day, but apparently that’s not good for you(who knew?). I went ahead and tried to make a healthy snack since it’s a lot easier and cheaper than finding tasty ones in the grocery store. And wouldn’t you know you can still have your peanut butter and chocolate and eat well, too?

These definitely aren’t fudgy enough to be blondies or airy enough to be cake; that’s why I’d call them “squares” and say they’re the perfect afternoon pick-me-up when you’re not sure what to have. They’re filled with whole grains, peanut butter, and low-fat yogurt so they must be a better choice than anything from the vending machine.

If you want to make these really healthy, swap out the chocolate chips for raisins. Then again if you want to use both I won’t tell anyone.

Peanut Butter Snack Squares

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 9 squares):

• 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour(or regular flour)
• 3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 egg
• 2-4 Tablespoons water
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8×8 baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, and sugar.
3. Add in the peanut butter, yogurt, and egg and beat well.
4. Slowly add in water just until the batter is wet enough for you to stir with a whisk or spatula to mix it.
5. Lastly fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Pour the batter into the greased baking tray. Bake for about 25 minutes until the edges start to brown.
7. Let the pan cool before cutting it into 9 squares. Store sealed in the refrigerator until ready to eat. 

After a few days these start to stiffen up. Just pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds on a low setting and it’ll be just like they came out of the oven again!

The nice thing about Fall and cooler temperatures is that it gets me to use the oven more. During the Summer I’d much rather make ice cream than cupcakes but recently I’ve been using my oven more and more. The kitchen is quickly becoming my favorite room again.

Roasting nuts is something I make time to do every year. You can come up with the most fun flavors using different spices, and they always are a healthier treat, too. A lot of the time I think I like pumpkin pie spice more than pumpkin itself. These almonds have all the right flavors to make you think of Fall in a portable, no-mess snack.

If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, there are plenty of recipes online to make your own. If you don’t feel like looking up a recipe, just toss together cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg to get a range of flavors.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Almonds

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup raw almonds
• 1/2 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tablespoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients until the almonds are coated well.
3. Lay out the almonds on a non-stick baking tray.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes disturbing the almonds halfway through until they’ve roasted to a darker brown. They should still be slightly sticky when you take them out.
5. Let the almonds cool, break any that are stuck together apart, and store them at room temperature.

These are a great snack to leave out at a party. Clean out a mini-pumpkin and serve it in that for something festive.

One of my most popular recipes is the raw/vegan chocolate cake I made last Summer, and every time someone new comments on the post or makes it for themselves and blogs their own mouth-watering photos(I’m looking at you, Texanerin) it makes me want it again.

Well, cake every week is a bit much, even if it’s raw and vegan. But as soon as I finished eating my chocolate chip peanut butter “Larabars” I was thinking of what flavor I could make next, and chocolate hazelnut seemed like the perfect answer.

These are definitely healthy enough to have every day but also can easily satisfy a candy craving. You can use raw or roasted hazelnuts, skin on or off. Roasted will definitely have a nuttier and stronger flavor. To make them truly raw, use cacao nibs in place of the chocolate chips. 

Copycat Chocolate Hazelnut Larabars

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 7 bars):

• 8oz(about 2 cups) pitted dates
• 3/4 cup hazelnuts
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Method:

1. In a food processor, blend the dates until they clump together and form a sticky dough ball.
2. Add the hazelnuts and salt into the food processor and pulse until the nuts are broken into a coarse flour.
3. Transfer all the contents of the food processor into a large bowl with the chocolate chips and massage by hand until the hazelnut pieces and chocolate chips are completely mixed into the dates.
4. Form the dough into equal-sized bars, squares, or balls. Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

OK, it’s no raw chocolate cake with avocado buttercream, but it will definitely satisfy a late-night sweet tooth.

Glad to know I’m not the only one who thinks peanut butter and baked beans are a delicious combination. But I forgot to mention the best part! If you leave a comment on the recipe page on Peanut Butter & Co.’s All Star Recipe Blog you’ll be entered to win a jar of their deliciously sweet Smooth Operator peanut butter.

And speaking of peanut butter…

As soon as I made chocolate almond granola bars I knew I wanted to make a version using peanut butter. What goes better together than peanut butter and chocolate? But when I finally got around to making it, I thought of improvising and using white chocolate; if anything beats peanut butter and chocolate, it’s peanut butter and white chocolate.

White chocolate’s one of those things I don’t like so much on its own but goes great with just about anything. It adds a rich, buttery flavor to these granola bars that make them taste like they’re so homemade you grew the oats yourself.

Want to take these to the next level? Try using PB&Co.’s white chocolate peanut butter.

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 8 bars):

• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup no-stir peanut butter
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 1 cup oats*
• 1 1/2 cups rice crisps cereal*
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

*To make these granola bars gluten-free, make sure these two ingredients are certified gluten-free.

Method:

1. In a microwave or over a double boiler, melt the white chocolate.
2. Stir in the peanut butter and honey until smooth.
3. Add in the oats, cereal, peanuts, raisins, and salt and mix until everything is completely covered.
4. Line an 8 x 8 baking tray with wax paper. Dump the batter into the pan and press down into an even layer.
5. Refrigerate the bars until they’ve hardened—about 20-30 minutes.
6. With a sharp knife, cut the bars in half horizontally and into quarters vertically into 8 2 x 4 bars.
7. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

These were a little more crumbly than the other granola bars I made for whatever reason. Make sure when you cut into them they’re extra cold and you use a sharp knife.