Granola Bar Recipe

A few weeks ago, I started craving the granola bars I ate as a kid. They had a chewy texture, a sweet, oat-y flavor, and pockets of mini chocolate chips. These days, I don’t keep packaged snacks around the house, but I always have old fashioned oats, nuts, and seeds in my pantry. I might not have had the exact granola bars I was craving on hand, but I could make homemade granola bars that’d be even better!

Fast forward to now, and I’ve made this granola bar recipe more times than I can count. It’s a breeze to make, and the bars are fantastic. They’re chewy, sweet, nutty, and studded with just the right amount of chocolate chips. Filled with wholesome ingredients like oats, pepitas, and nut butter, they’re healthy enough to pass for breakfast, but they’re also a perfect afternoon snack.

You won’t believe how easy it is to make this homemade granola bar recipe! Here’s what you need to do:

First, stir together the wet ingredients – the cashew or peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract, and salt.

Second, fold in the dry ingredients – the oats, chocolate chips, and pepitas. The mixture might seem dry at first, but keep stirring! Everything will be fully incorporated in no time.

Next, press the bars into a parchment-lined baking pan. Scoop the mixture onto the bottom of the pan, and cover it with another sheet of parchment paper. Firmly press the mixture to the sides of the pan with your hands. Then, use the back of a measuring cup to smooth and flatten the tops of the bars.

Finally, chill! Transfer the pan to the fridge, and allow the mixture to chill for one hour before you slice and eat the bars. That’s it!

If you love this chocolate chip granola bar recipe, try one of these oat-y treats next:

Homemade Granola Bars

These homemade granola bars are a quick and delicious, and naturally gluten-free! If you want to change the mix-ins, see the post above for my tips on how to do it. These are on the sweet side, if you’re looking for a less-sweet treat, try these Energy Balls.

Prep: 5min

Ingredients:

• 1 cup very smooth creamy natural peanut butter or cashew butter
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Heaping 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2½ cups whole rolled oats
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips*
• 3 tablespoons pepitas or crushed peanuts or cashews

Instruction:

1. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and salt, until smooth.
3. Add the oats, chocolate chips and the pepitas (or nuts). The mixture might seem dry at first, but keep stirring and it’ll come together. Stir to combine and press firmly into the pan. Use a second piece of parchment paper and the back of a measuring cup to help flatten the mixture. Chill for at least 1 hour, then slice into bars.
4. Store bars in the fridge.

Soft and Chewy Granola Bars

These homemade granola bars are so much better than what you can buy at the store, especially since you can substitute for your favorite dried fruit or nuts. While these are very simple to make, there is a 2-hour wait for the bars to firm up enough to cut. Feel free to add your favorite dried fruit, nuts or chocolate to these – it’s completely up to you. Since we use a 1/3 cup of honey, we like to splurge on higher quality honey.

Prep: 20min

Total: 30min

Yield: Makes 12 bars

Nutrition Facts: calories 220, Protein 3.8g, Carbohydrate 32.9g, Fiber 3.1g, Sugar 19.6g, Fat 8.2g, Saturated Fat 3.7g, Cholesterol 10.2mg

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups (230 grams) old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup (80 grams) whole almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup (113 grams) pure honey
• 1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (65 grams) mini chocolate chips

Instruction:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottom and sides of a 8-inch or 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
2. Add the oats and chopped almonds to a small baking sheet, and then bake for 5 minutes, stir and then bake another 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla extract and the salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until butter melts, the mixture is bubbling and the sugar completely dissolves.
4. Pour the butter mixture into the bowl with toasted oats and almonds. Mix well. Let cool about 5 minutes, and then add the cranberries and a 1/4 cup of the mini chocolate chips. Stir to combine. Some of the chocolate chips will melt a little. This is fine, they turn into glue and help to hold the bars together.
5. Transfer the oat mixture to the prepared pan, and then use a rubber spatula or damp finger tips to firmly press the mixture into the pan. Press hard here, this way the bars will stay together once cooled and cut — We press for about one minute to be extra safe.
6. Scatter the remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips over the pressed granola mixture, and then use a rubber spatula to gently press them into the top. Cover then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or freeze for about 30 minutes. Remove the block of granola mixture from pan then peel away the foil or parchment. Cut into 12 bars.
7. Store granola bars in an airtight container for up to one week. For the softest bars, keep at room temperature. For slightly harder bars, store in the fridge. Bars will keep in the freezer for up to three months when wrapped well.

How to Make Soft and Chewy Homemade Granola Bars

FAQ

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