Make my easy no-bake Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars perfect to pack in school lunches or enjoy as an after-school snack. These homemade granola bars are made in minutes and contain only a few ingredients. I have even included ways to make this Chocolate Chip Granola Bar recipe both gluten and dairy free.
If you love the store bought granola bars, you will love making my Chocolate Chip Granola Bars recipe at home. They only require 8 ingredients, and can be customized to any dietary need (think gluten and dairy free). Plus, you will know exactly what are in the bars. If you have a child who likes to cook in the kitchen you can even get them involved. This is the perfect beginner recipe for them. Just know, that you will need to help them with the stove top portion.
Table of contents
Why this recipe works…
My kids love to enjoy a Chocolate Chip Granola Bar in their lunch box or as an afternoon snack. Not only do you know exactly what are in the granola bars, but kids can help make the snack.
- Granola bars are perfect for lunch boxes.
- Easy to make with just a few ingredients that are mostly found in your pantry.
- Makes roughly 18 granola bars (not enough for everyone to enjoy a few and not too many that everyone will be sick of eating them).
- Multiple variations so you can mix up the toppings and add dried fruits and nuts!
Ingredients
- Oats – Quick cooking oats work best for this recipe. However, I have made this recipe with rolled oats and they worked fine as well. Same goes with oats that have gluten or gluten free oats. They both work!
- Butter – I like to use unsalted butter.
- Honey – Any flavor honey works, just know if you use a flavored honey your bars might take on some of that flavor. I.e., strawberry honey, blueberry honey, orange blossom, etc.
- Brown Sugar – I like the richness the brown sugar gives in this recipe.
- Vanilla Extract – You will want just a little vanilla extract that you will mix in towards the end of the caramel cooking process.
- Chocolate Chips – Since these bars aren’t that large in size, you will want to use mini chocolate chips. Dairy chocolate chips or non-dairy chocolate chips like Enjoy Life brand will work.
Directions
Line a square baking dish with foil so that the foil hangs over the edges. This is so you can easily remove the granola bars from the dish.
Using a large bowl, stir oats and rice krispy cereal together. Set aside.
Next, in a small pot you’ll want to melt the butter, honey, and brown sugar together over medium-high heat until it comes to a bubble. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 2 minutes until the mixture starts to stick to the back of your spatula. Turn the heat off the burner and stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
Pour the butter mixture over dry ingredients. Mix until well incorporated.
Grease the aluminum foil in the baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Pat down with a spatula so that they are even in size. Top the granola bars with mini chocolate chips and press down lightly *remember your granola mixture is going to be warm so your chocolate chips might start to melt on top.
Let the granola bars cool in the refrigerator for one hour.
Once the bars are cool and have mostly hardened, remove from the refrigerator. Use a sharp knife and cut into 1-inch rectangles. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You’ll notice in these photos that the bars have extra oats on the parchment and not necessarily cut clean. This is because I had cut them around the 30 minute mark.
FAQs
Here are a few of the frequently asked questions I have received in the past when making no bake granola bars.
For the most part, homemade chocolate chip granola bars are healthier then the store bought. They are not filled with any preservatives and you know exactly what you are putting in them.
The calorie count in granola bars all depends on what brand and/or ingredients you use to make the homemade granola bars. My recipe is about 111 calories per granola bar. This is a rough estimate from an automated nutrition calculator.
You can make homemade granola bars gluten free by including gluten free ingredients like gluten free oats. I suggest using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats.
If you are finding that your granola bars are not sticking together it could be one of two reasons. The first reason would be that you did not let your caramel mixture cook long enough. The mixture should be thick and stick to the back of your spoon without sliding off quickly. The other reason could be that you did not refrigerate your bars before cutting into them. I have found that one hour in the refrigerator is the perfect amount of time to let them set but still be able to cut through them.
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks when making chewy granola bars.
- Refrigerate – I have made these dozens of times. I have found that the only way that they stick and work is if you refrigerate the bars for at least an hour. Cut them, then store the remaining granola bars in the refrigerator.
- Oats – I have used both quick cooking oats and old fashioned oats. I find that quick cooking oats work better, but the old fashion will do.
- Add Other Toppings – You can also add in sliced almonds or dried fruit to the granola bars. The sky is the limit as to what you can put in them.
- Additional Health Benefits – Sneak in ¼ cup of Forti-Flax ground flaxseed into the oat/krispies mixture.
- Gluten Free – Make these granola bars gluten free by using gluten free oats. I love to use Bob’s Red Mill brand.
- Storage – Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Cutting Equal Pieces – If you are worried about cutting the bars into equal pieces you could use a ruler to help guide you to ensure you cut the bars in equal sizes.
After School Snack Recipes
If you are looking for after school snack recipes here are a few more of my favorites.
If you love oats, you will love these other recipes…
If you make this no-bake granola bars recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!
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Chocolate Chip Granola Bar
Equipment
- Stove Top
- Refrigerator
Ingredients
- 2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 1 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a square baking dish with foil so that the foil hangs over the edges. This is so you can easily remove the granola bars from the dish.
- Using a large bowl, stir oats and rice krispy cereal together. Set aside.
- Next, in a pot you'll want to melt the butter, honey, and brown sugar together over medium-high heat until it comes to a bubble. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 2 minutes until the mixture starts to stick to the back of your spatula. Turn the heat off the burner and stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
- Pour the butter mixture over dry ingredients. Mix until well incorporated.
- Grease the aluminum foil in the baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Pat down with a spatula so that they are even in size. Top the granola bars with mini chocolate chips and press down lightly *remember your granola mixture is going to be warm so your chocolate chips might start to melt on top.
- Let the granola bars cool in the refrigerator for one hour.
- Once the bars are cool and have mostly hardened, remove from the refrigerator. Use a sharp knife and cut into 1-inch rectangles. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Refrigerate – I have made these dozens of times. I have found that the only way that they stick and work is if you refrigerate the bars for at least an hour. Cut them, then store the remaining granola bars in the refrigerator.
- Oats – I have used both quick cooking oats and old fashioned oats. I find that quick cooking oats work better, but the old fashion will do.
- Add Other Toppings – You can also add in sliced almonds or dried fruit to the granola bars. The sky is the limit as to what you can put in them.
- Additional Health Benefits – Sneak in ¼ cup of Forti-Flax ground flaxseed into the oat/krispies mixture.
- Gluten Free – Make these granola bars gluten free by using gluten free oats. I love to use Bob’s Red Mill brand.
- Storage – Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
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Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
these granola bars are classic and perfect!!
Katie says
Yes and so easy to make!