Peanut Butter Popcorn Granola Bites.
Popcorn is one of those foods that I ‘really don’t like,’ until you find me in the movie theater going back to refill my extra-large bucket before the previews are over.
Once I start, I just can’t stop.
I found inspiration for this granola from the kettlecorn ProBar that I bought last week.
I had high hopes for this bar. I was expecting sweet, salty, and crunchy.
Instead, I got slightly dry and crumbly, with a ton of nuts and seeds. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t what I was expecting either – I had desired some light, crunchy carbs.
If I’m going to spend half of my life savings on a bar, I want it to be fabulous.
Of course, I had to make my own since I couldn’t get it out of my mind.
I can be a bit obsessive.
I air-popped some popcorn, but you can definitely use bag-popped as well. I crushed some pieces and left a few others whole. I wanted that big popcorn crunch.
I made a peanut butter glue to hold it all together.
Translation: I made a peanut butter glue and ate half of it before it ended up in the granola. The rest held it together.
It was exactly what I was looking for. A bit salty and sweet, with a light crunch.
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Peanut Butter Popcorn Granola Bites
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups popcorn
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup chopped, dried figs
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine oats, popcorn, wheat germ and figs in a bowl. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, peanut butter, honey, and salt until smooth.
Pour peanut butter mixture over oat mixture and stir to moisten.
Line a baking dish with parchment paper and press granola into it. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating once.
Let cool for 2-3 hours before crumbling granola.
Can you imagine if I felt about veggies the way I feel about popcorn? I’d probably eat 3-4 peppers and a few cups or broccoli before I realized what I was doing.
Or not.
68 Comments on “Peanut Butter Popcorn Granola Bites.”
how in the world do you come up with this stuff? I love it! Your granola recipes are inspired :)
Lady, you just made my morning! And if the peanut buttery glue is anything like that of special k bar glue, I can relate to your consumption of half before mixing!
POpcorn + granola = genius! (btw I think genius is the most used word in my comments in your posts LOL)
Looks fab.
Awesome recipe!
YOU ARE KILLING ME!!! haha…looks amazing!
Wow! Awesomeness! I want to live in your kitchen! Of course I would probably be 30 pounds heavier but at least I would be fat and happy haha!
As soon as I get back, this is what I’m eating.
I love popcorn! I do the granola popcorn too! So sweet and tasty. Love your combination!!! I made caramel last night and my husband asked me if I made it with bacon fat. Um, no, but now I guess I need to give it a go!
Oh my god. This is brilliant!
Niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! This would be like the perfect car trip snack
you need a cook book – or a cooking show! your writing is hilarious & it’s so clear that you have a personality that could really capture an audience… plus your recipes always look freakin’ amazing.
You have no idea how much that made my day. THANK YOU.
I’d watch or read!
Me too!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, I would not even know how to combine ingredients to make granola. What the heck is wheat germ? I keep seeing it in all your recipes and just saying it makes me a little queasy. I think you should do a post on kitchen essentials 101 for people like me who clearly, limit our baking skills to a Tollhouse tube-o-dough.
Oh, wow. WOW. How in heck do you come up with these awesome recipes?! This one’s GENIUS – I never would have thought of it, but it works perfectly.
You seriously need to write a cookbook. Like. Now.
Wei-Wei
Can I just say that this is freakin’ brilliant?!? This one is going to make waves all over blogworld :-)
What a fun idea. :)
YUMMMMM! That is all:)
I about went crazy when I saw this recipe; it looks AMAZING! PB & honey might be one of the best combos ever :)
I am the same way with popcorn. I always say I don’t care for it – but put it in front of me and I can demolish a bag :P I have a sneaking suspicion I could also demolish this recipe – bookmarked! You are slowly taking over my favourites tab :P
This looks freaking amazing! I never *think* of making popcorn but when I do have it…obsessed. haha
these sound really awesome…might actually get me to eat popcorn and really love it! ;)
Um…peanut butter, popcorn and granola? Well they’re just about my most favorite things all mixed up in one fabulously delicious looking treat. Such a genius idea lady!
Love the combo here! And I am the same way – we’ll go to the movies, my husband will get popcorn and I’ll just get a bottle of water because I don’t want popcorn – and then eat 3/4 of his! :D
You are so funny about not liking vegetables!!
Yum! I’m not a fan of popcorn, but kettle corn makes me taste buds tingle :) And THAT is some good looking Kettle Corn!
I made your Four Layer Cookie Bars yesterday and let me just say I feel like if I weren’t ten pounds heavier today, I think I would be closer to heaven.
Those look so good! Salty and sweet, mmm mmmm!
Dear Jessica,
Thank you for combining all of my favorite foods into one amazing super food. Much appreciated
love,
Madeline
Purely.Evil. Let’s try this with maple cin almond butter!!! mmmmm
I’m not the first and certainly not the last to say it, but the more i read your blog lately, you really should have your own cookbook!!! someone get this girl a book deal, stat!
You are a GENIUS!! The best recipes EVER…
I have NO idea how you think of these things, but they are always so PERFECT! Cannot wait to try this one :)
Heyy! It was nice to meet you last night! That popcorn granola bites looks fabulous!
xo
YUM! What a great recipe/idea!
These look and sounds awesome! I tasty, yet somewhat healthy snack – can’t wait to try it!
Dude, I feel about your blog the way you feel about popcorn. I have a temper tantrum if I can’t read it at work while eating lunch at my desk. Then I get mad at myself for having read through all the archives — it means I either have to read slowly or eat quickly to make the blog last through my meal.
Can’t wait for your cookbook. Once that becomes a reality, I can start eating lunch out of the office while maintaining my deadly addiction to your writing.
I seriously love you.
I love that you thought to cross popcorn & granola. Ingenius!
Oh wow! Those look pretty awesome. Never though to put popcorn in bars
That looks delicious! What kind of camera do you have? It takes fantastic pictures :)
Thank you!
I have a Canon point and shoot that is about 4 years old. I’ll have to double check the make, but I’m pretty sure it’s not available anymore.
Thank you!
I have a Canon S100 – it is just a point and shoot, and about 4 years old!
I feel the exact same way about popcorn so I probably shouldn’t even try making this- I can NOT stop eating until my tummy is beyond full. I also scraped out the inside of a peanut butter jar the other night, so this would be a seriously deadly combination.
Girrrrrrrrllllllllllll….this is sooooo up my alley! I’m making these!
OMG – I’ve been away from the blogging world for a week and come back to find this recipe! How I love you!!!! P.S. I tried to find dried figs at a store a few weeks back and was given lip by the 16-year-old produce attentent with an attitude, who told me they’re seasonal. Where did you find them??
Same thing used to happen to me, up until about a year ago. Now my local grocery store has them mostly all year round, which is scary since they are probably just OLD! But sometimes I find them at TJ’s, too??
I believe their season is late summer-fall, but I am not positive.
How creative!! This stuff would be dangerous for me to make, I know I would have no control around it!! Looks awesome!! :)
I need to come up with a bigger vocabulary so that my comments aren’t just “wow” and “amazing”. Until then… wow! amazing!
I LOVE popcorn these could get me in some big trouble. yum, yum!
Sweet Jesus, I NEED that! I might need to stop visiting this site until I make up my backlog of recipes :D
cooking show NOW! i want those…of course I could make them But I know they wont come out like yours ;)
This looks SO good. Would it be totally sinful to throw in some chocolate chips? And still eat it for breakfast? Yum!
How do you come up with such amazing creations!!!? I am baffled. Wow.
I bet these bars are great!! I much prefer the home made version to the Pro Bars any day. How many bars did you get outta this??
I didn’t make bars, I just ended up crumbling it! So, I’m not sure – sorry!
I CANNOT wait to try these out!! MMM…they sound amazing!
Can I live with you!?!
Those look so good!! Love it! I’ll definitely have to make those for the next get-together that my friends and I have!
I’m the same way with popcorn. I never crave it and think I don’t like it until I dominate the bowl when my hubby makes it, lol.
Those bites look amazing! Popcorn is a great low-cal filler for snack bars. YUM
Jenn