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Homemade Granola Bars

homemade chocolate chip granola bars

I wanted to link to this recipe recently, and I clicked on over to it only to discover that it was kind of a train wreck. Totally un-printable, with photos intermingled with directions and ingredients.

It was 2009, what can I say? I didn’t know what I was doing! And there was no such thing as a handy-dandy recipe card plugin.

Anyhow, I thought it needed a re-post with a printable version.

granola bar ingredients

Some granola bar recipes employ a method similar to the one used to make Rice Krispie bars, where you make a syrup, pour it over oatmeal and some other ingredients, press the mixture into a pan, and let it cool.

This is not such a recipe…instead, this is more similar to the way you make muffins or cookies. You mix the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients, combine them, spread them into a pan, and bake them.

chocolate chip granola bars

The resulting granola bars are dense and somewhat chewy, kind of like a bar cookie.

They’re very simple to make. You just mix the dry ingredients:

dry ingredients

Mix the wet ingredients:

granola bar wet ingredients

(incidentally, that small whisk is one of my favorite kitchen tools.  So great!)

And then combine them.

Press the mixture into a greased 9×13 pan (you will be sure it won’t spread far enough, but it does! A greased spoon or spatula is helpful.)

Bake ’em for 15 minutes, and you’re done!

If you like your bars a little softer, check them at 12 minutes; they bake surprisingly fast.

A few notes:

  • These freeze nicely, so sometimes I bake two batches, one chocolate chip and one cinnamon-raisin, and freeze some of them.
  • The original recipe called for 3/4 cup of sugar, which is overkill in my estimation, especially with the 1/2 cup of honey. I’ve used as little as 1/4 cup and have still come away with family pleasing results.
  • Whole wheat flour can be substituted for the white flour. I don’t usually do that when I’m making a chocolate chip version, but it works nicely with the raisin type. A 50/50 mix of white and wheat is a good option too.
  • If you want to make a chocolate version, leave out the cinnamon, and substitute chocolate chips for the raisins. Mini chips work really well but you can use either.
homemade chocolate chip granola bars

Homemade Granola Bars

Yield: 18-20 bars
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

This recipe makes hearty bars that freeze and travel well. Super easy, and less expensive than pre-packaged granola bars.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups quick cooking oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup raisins or chocolate chips
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (if using raisins)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup chopped English walnuts (optional)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
  2. Mix oats, salt, raisins/chocolate chips, cinnamon, flour, and walnuts (if using) in a large bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk oil, honey, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla.
  4. Pour wet ingredients into oatmeal mixture and mix thoroughly.
  5. Spread granola mixture into prepared pan, using a greased spatula or spoon to spread evenly.
  6. Bake 12-15 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack, cut into bars, and store cooled bars in an airtight container.

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Jennifer Y.

Tuesday 29th of January 2019

These look fantastic! I am going to make a batch this weekend. I also think it looks like a perfect recipe for a 5 year old helper.

Kristyna

Tuesday 29th of January 2019

You had me at "cookie bar". These look like they would be great to take along camping! However, I don't think I'll wait until camping season to try these out.

I'll bet cranberries and pumpkin seeds would be tasty add-ins as well!

Rebecca

Monday 28th of January 2019

Perfect timing. I just bought some boxes of granola bars today and every time I do, I think about how I’d rather make a non-processed version for our family. But I have yet to find a recipe I love. This one looks super yummy and I’m excited to try it. Thank you!

Karen.

Monday 28th of January 2019

Funny, I just typed out my granola bar recipe for the next church cookbook. It's the melt, stir, press version, and I've learned over many trials that the amount of time the sugar/honey mixture is cooked, and then how long it's cooked after adding peanut butter, dramatically changes the outcome as far as bar texture. Cook it too much too long and it's so hard it's difficult to eat. Cook it too short a time and it falls to bits.

I'll have to give these bars a try when we need something different. :)

Mrs. Picky Pincher

Monday 28th of January 2019

This is perfect! I was just looking for a granola bar recipe this weekend, and couldn't find one I liked. I'm definitely giving this one a spin!

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