When granola started gaining popularity in Indonesia a few years ago, I got curious. Everyone claimed it was a healthy snack—rolled oats, raw honey, dried fruits. But then I realized: most of it was baked. Meaning, those beautiful enzymes in raw honey—gone. Antioxidants from dried fruit—toasted into oblivion. You’re mostly left with sugar and fiber. Store-bought versions didn’t help either—often packed with brown sugar, additives, even trans fat disguised behind a wholesome label. Oh, dear.

Then one slow scroll on Pinterest led me to this frozen granola bar recipe by Love & Lemons—and the rest is history. I’d never even imagined that granola bars could be frozen instead of baked. But here it was: simple, no pretension, truly healthy, and incredibly easy to make. Best part of it: No oven. No mixer. No drama.

Is it good?

It is uh-may-zing! Sweet, salty, nutty, chewy. Think caramel chocolate bars, but with oats and crushed peanuts—soft, satisfying, and kind to your tummy. I snacked on them on a beautiful, purply, slow afternoon... and again late at night before bed. Zero guilt. In fact—ahem—it helped digestion the next morning. 😌

Why I love this recipe

I’ve been baking since I was 6 years old, and believe me, I’ve seen how “healthy” snacks can be loaded with the not-so-healthy. So I made a few intentional tweaks to keep this one clean and honest:

I used wholegrain rolled oats
Raw honey, to preserve the enzymes
Homemade all-natural peanut butter – no salt, no sugar
Crushed peanuts (but I’m switching to kenari next time—my fave!)
Himalayan salt, because... minerals.
Black raisins instead of chocolate chips
I skipped the vanilla (didn’t have any). If you do use it, go for pure, organic, alcohol-free—or leave it out entirely.
Oh! I also added a generous sprinkle of cinnamon before chilling, just because cinnamon is my love language.

And here’s the deeper story..

Since the pandemic, I had to let go of most of my baking equipment. It was a long, winding season. But Alhamdulillah, slowly things are getting better. I finally have my own kitchen again. A stove. An oven. It’s not fully equipped yet—I still don’t own a mixer—but this recipe doesn’t need any of that. It reminded me that beautiful things can still be made with simple tools. And ideas like this, I count them as a form of rahmah—a tender mercy from Allah. Truly, praise belongs to Him for creativity and clarity that solve our everyday challenges.

Frozen Granola Bars

Recipe adapted by Riana Ambarsari
(Original recipe here)

Ingredients:

1 cup smooth all-natural peanut butter (no salt, no sugar)
⅔ cup raw honey
Heaping ½ teaspoon Himalayan or sea salt
2½ cups wholegrain rolled oats
⅓ cup raisins or dried fruit of your choice
3 tablespoons crushed peanuts or your favorite nuts
A sprinkle of ground cinnamon (optional, but highly recommended!)

Instructions:

Line an 8×8" (20x20 cm) or 30x19 cm baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter, raw honey, and salt until smooth.
Add the oats, raisins, and crushed nuts. Stir until it all comes together—it might seem dry at first, but keep going!
Press the mixture firmly into the pan using another sheet of parchment and the back of a measuring cup to flatten.
Sprinkle cinnamon on top if you like. Me, must.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, then slice into bars.
Store in the fridge.