Q: How do you make these peanut-butter-dipped granola bars? Specifically the peanut butter coating. I searched the internet to no avail. I wasn't sure if it was more like fudge or or something else. Thanks!
Sent by Stephen
Editor: Stephen, we'd start out by making some homemade granola bars, like these copycat NutriGrain bars and then dip the finished, cooled bars in melted peanut butter candy coating (like this). Not the most nutritious snack ever, but fun to try!
Readers, any other advice?
Related: Make or Buy? Granola Bars
(Image: Stephen via email)
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Link to the coating is redirecting to the nutrigrain bars.
That coating has always reminded me of the yogurt in yogurt-dipped pretzels. Perhaps you could find a recipe for that and add in some peanut butter till it's a roughly equivalent taste/texture?
If i were making them I guess I would just mix in PB with melted white choco and see what happens. I pick white chocolate becuase when it cools it'll harden up a little. Great question!
http://www.amazon.com/Gourmet-Peanut-Butter-Chips-Baking/dp/B0010SIRU6
Stephen, I'm a confectioner and you can use a technique I see often in candy making. You'd make the granola bars then add the following product to tempered white chocolate or candy coating (ick), that's usually how the manufacturers are making the coating, with peanut butter flavoring not actual peanut butter:
http://tinyurl.com/6rqaje4
Which is why you'll often see 'peanut butter flavor' listed in the ingredients. Note that these oils are VERY highly flavored, just a tiny bit will give you the flavor, if you overdo it you'll want to toss out the whole batch so best to start with the smallest amount and build your way up to the ideal volume of oil for the flavor profile you're seeking.
And oops! I fixed the PB coating link -- but here it is again too.
the secret ingredient is chemicals. You're welcome.
Or you could just continue buying them from Aldi. You're not going to be able to make them yourself any cheaper,
I thought I saw a recipe for nut-butter coatings on a blog somewhere (can't remember where). I believe the recipe was simply nut butter of choice and coconut oil, heat, combine, dip, and leave to cool/set.