Granola Bars

If you’re looking for a wholesome snack that’s tasty and easy to make, don’t scroll past this delightfully chewy granola bar recipe. While many store-bought granola bars can come loaded with sugary sweets and not much of the healthy, satiating stuff, this recipe calls for a little bit of both—without the seed oils. Loaded with nutritious oats, a touch of natural sweetness from the honey and completely customizable mix-ins, these bars are a delicious treat for an afternoon pick-me-up or for packing in your child’s lunch box for a mid-morning snack.

Ingredients for Granola Bars

• Quick-cooking oats: This heart-healthy grain keeps the bar perfectly chewy and satiating.
• Brown sugar: Replace some of the sugar with pure maple syrup if you’d like a deeper, maple flavor.
• Salted peanuts: The salt in the peanuts helps balance the sweetness of these bars.
• Semisweet chocolate chips: Chocolate chips are delicious in these bars, but you can sub dark chocolate chunks or even dried fruit, if you’d prefer.
• Sunflower kernels: Sunflower kernels give a healthy boost of fat and bright, earthy flavor.
• Butter: You’ll use butter to help with the texture of the bar and to keep the bars from crumbling after baking.
• Honey: Pure honey adds a hint of natural flavor and sweetness.
• Vanilla extract: Sub homemade pancake syrup in place of the vanilla for a bit of extra sweetness, if you’d like.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the mixture

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 15x10x1-inch baking pan by greasing it and then lining it with parchment; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, peanuts, chocolate chips and sunflower kernels. Stir gently to combine. Next, add the butter, honey and vanilla. Stir everything until combined (the mixture will be crumbly at this point). Press the mixture into the baking pan.

Step 2: Bake the bars

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Bake the mixture until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in the pan on a wire rack, then cut into bars. Cool completely before removing from the pan and storing.

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Recipe Variations

• Replace the chocolate: This granola bars recipe calls for chocolate chips, but raisins, craisins or other dried fruits are also a tasty way to enjoy these bars.
• Dip the bars in chocolate: Melt chocolate and dip each bar in the chocolate before transferring to the fridge.
• Get nutty: If you love peanut butter, substitute peanut butter morsels and extra nuts for the chocolate.

How to Store Granola Bars

Once cooled, store granola bars in an airtight bag or container; you can keep them on the counter or in the fridge. These bars can be fairly sticky when stored together, so we recommend storing them with parchment between rows of bars.

How long do homemade granola bars last?

These delicious honey oat bars will last for about a week as long as they’re properly stored. Additionally, you can freeze granola bars for two to three months, as long as you store them properly. To do so, place bars on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Freeze them for a few hours or overnight until solid. Then transfer the frozen bars to an airtight container or bag.

Granola Bar Tips

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Why are my granola bars crumbling?

If you’ve baked your bars for too long (or not long enough!), you risk crumbling upon handling. Another culprit? Too much sugar. Try reducing the brown sugar just a bit and adding a touch more honey. This will result in a chewier texture, keeping the bars together rather than them crumbling before you’ve even taken a bite.

How do I make my granola bars crunchy?

If you prefer a nice crunch to your bar, add egg whites and half the sugar called for in the recipe. This will make for a crunchy, tasty granola bar.

How can you make oatmeal granola bars vegan?

To make this chewy granola bar recipe vegan, replace the chocolate chips with vegan chocolate or with your favorite dried fruit. Swapping in coconut oil or a nut butter for the butter is our next tip, or mix the two if you want a slightly nutty taste.