Granola bars have pretty much saved my life a few times.

Okay, okay.

That statement might have been just a little dramatic.

But really.

Sometimes I get super hungry and there won’t be any actual edible food options available anywhere in the vicinity…

Besides the tasty granola bar tucked away in my purse.

I come prepared people.

Because I tend to feel faint when there is no food residing in my stomach.

And fainting in public is not too fun.

There’s one problem though.

Granola bars (energy bars, protein bars… what ever you want to call them) tend to be a wee bit expensive.

Especially the ones that taste good and actually have some substance.

So, in order to save a few dollars (or just reallocate money to happy hour) you can whip up a batch of 5-ingredient no-bake bars yourself!

And they are customizable.

Which is pretty awesome in case you want to switch things up.

These bars are filled with creamy, nutty peanut butter, fiber-rich rolled oats, sweet honey, fragrant vanilla extract and some milk to pull everything together.

You could use almond butter instead of peanut butter.

That would be really yummy too.

I use nonfat milk, but almond milk would make these suckers dairy-free.

And maple syrup in lieu of honey would then turn this whole snack situation into a vegan affair!

Plus they’re naturally gluten-free.

Before you start to freak out because all of the above is sounding too “healthy,” let me tell you that these bars are indeed healthy, but also very delicious.

P.S. Crumble one up on top of a bowl filled with tangy yogurt and fresh fruit. Wow!

P.P.S. Drizzle some melted semisweet chocolate over these treats before freezing for a real, well, treat.

P.P.P.S. I used a new jar of lightly roasted and salted creamy organic peanut butter (Santa Cruz brand).