Homemade Chewy Granola Bars (without corn syrup!)
ByEvery homemade chewy granola bar recipe I’ve ever seen includes corn syrup and/or marshmallow cream (not ingredients we feel okay about eating). And every pre-made granola bar I have seen at the store (even the organic ones) have ingredients I don’t like feeding my family.
I finally figured out a chewy granola bar recipe that we like! It’s easy and includes all natural sweeteners and ingredients! These bars are way cheaper than store bought granola bars! Plus you can customize it according to your family’s taste and allergies! They can be easily wrapped individually to take in the car or packed in a lunch!
Now I will say this: I don’t recommend going overboard on these (or any) granola bar. Unsoaked oats can do a number on your digestive system. I just wanted to create a recipe that will help our family avoid the granola bars at the store when we need a quick, grab and go snack to take to soccer games or on trips. I consider these to be “compromise” snacks because of the unsoaked oats, but otherwise, I couldn’t be more thrilled to have finally figured out a yummy chewy granola bar!
Homemade Chewy Granola Bars
1/2 cup peanut butter or sunbutter
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut oil (or another oil of your choice)
1 cup oats
1 cup total of any combination of: sesame seeds, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, mini chocolate chips
In a medium sized saucepan, melt together peanut butter, honey and coconut oil.
Remove from heat and add one cup of oats. Choose your favorite combination of coconut flakes, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, dried fruit and mini chocolate chips, to equal a total of ONE CUP. (I just got out my one cup measuring cup and poured in the ingredients until the cup was full.) Pour in and stir well.
Stir well, then spread mixture into a 8×8 or 9×4 pan.
Chill for two hours, then cut into bars.
Wrap in plastic wrap for a quick grab and go snack!
i am new to cocunut oil (bought some on a reco of a friend the other day), but was supirsed at the textured (not liquid). So to use it in a recipe like this do you heat it first so it is liquid like the other oils I am used to working with, or do you use it in the ‘lard” like state (and measure from that state)? it seems like this would use almost y whole jar if I use it the state it is in in the jar.
i also have sunflower oil on hand, do you know anything about that?
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Laura Reply:
May 16th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
I melt the coconut oil first before adding it to a recipe.
I have sunflower oil on hand too, but I really don’t care for the taste of it, therefore I never use it. :)
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I made the granola bars today and they are yummy! Do you store these in the fridge or in the pantry? I am wondering because my peanut butter needs to be stored in the fridge so I was thinking that the granola bars would need to be too??
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Laura Reply:
May 16th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
I store them in the fridge!
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I made these for my sons preschool shared snack, and they were a big hit! His classmates declared that I was a “good cooker”! I am so glad I found these.
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Yum, the whole family enjoyed these! The bars did turn out chewy and much more moist than my regular recipe (more crumbly). They reminded me of your peanut butter balls, which I also like. Thank you!
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i find the freeze very well,but I found mine were a bit too soft the last time I made them, so this time I left out the oil altogether and they seem to be a better consistency
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I tried these with cocoa and they were so good! I was wondering about trying a cherry, almond, vanilla bar. How would it work if I left the peanut butter out?
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Laura Reply:
June 10th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
I think it should work! I need to try it that way for my peanut allergy boy!
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Jill O Reply:
January 22nd, 2011 at 8:45 am
You could use sunbutter instead of peanut butter.
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Could we find a way to soak the oats I wonder?
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Marsha M Reply:
September 12th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
I tried these with premade granola from this recipe: http://groceryshrink.com/2010/07/homemade-granola-2.html which is soaked. The result tasted good but they were
very crunchy. Next time I may try these with granola that has not dried as much so it will be more chewy. Another option would be to soak and dry the oats before using them in this recipe but I find that too time-consuming.
Also used cashew butter because that’s what I had.
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Oh yum!! I love the simplicity of this recipe!!
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When I added my chocolate chips they all melted! Next time I think I will add the oats and let it cool a little bit before I add the chocolate chips. Although, I’m not complaining they were still delicious!
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Queen of the House Reply:
June 12th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
My chocolate chips melted too, and the whole family thought they were
fabulous! :) They tasted like a great dessert, not a granola bar! :)
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I made these last week and… super yum!!! I read someone else saying they had left out the oil, so I just used enough to coat my measuring cup so the honey & PB would come out easier. I added in mostly peanuts (unsalted dry roast), some sunflower seeds, and a little bit of Easter Sundrops we had left over (those are the all natural M&M look alikes). The kids enjoyed having the chocolate in there, but I think I’ll do all peanuts & seeds next time. It tasted so much like Planters Big Nut Bars!!
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You could also melt chocolate and dip the bars in them, that would make chocolate covered bars. though I haven’t made them yet, so I am just assuming. And the idea of making an almond vanilla bar sounds right up my alley. Please share, alicia, if you make one that is totaly share-able.
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I’ve already made three batches of these bars and my husband and I just love them! I actually only use 1/4 cup honey, and about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, and the texture and flavor is amazing. My cup of add-ons includes craisins, semi sweet chocolate chips, chia seeds, and organic unsweetened shredded coconut. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
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My husband and I LOVE these. I’m a snacker, so they are great to keep around the house. Like some others, I added chocolate chips. If we take these on trips we have to keep them in a cooler because they melt. Any tips for avoiding that?
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Laura Reply:
July 7th, 2010 at 9:13 am
No, I’m not sure…I think we’re just stuck with ooey-gooey granola bars!
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I love this recipe and my kids and husband do too!
I did use 2 cups of oats to make them less sticky and they turned out great.
My kid love theirs with cranberries, coconuts and nuts.
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Probably stupid question… I make peanut butter at home, I can use that one, right?
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Laura Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 10:27 am
Oh, absolutely use your homemade peanut butter! That’s exactly what I use!
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Aline Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 10:30 am
yey!
thanks!
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I tried these yesterday and they were great! I didn’t use coconut oil because the stuff I have does not say it is “food grade”…does it matter? I bought it for homemade lotions and such so I played it safe.
For my cup of “extras” I used flax seed, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, and more oatmeal. I’m definitely making these again, maybe trying to find a way to incorporate cinnamon!
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I was wondering if anyone has an alternative for peanut butter. We have a nut allergy in the family.
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Laura Reply:
September 11th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Have you used Sunbutter before (made from sunflower seeds)? I have one son who won’t eat peanut butter and I’ve used sunbutter for this recipe too – works great!
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I made these today….it took about 10 minutes; seriously. They are soooooo good. I made with chocolate chips from Trader Joes so my little daycare boy that can’t have dairy can have these for snack. Very excited.
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You could probably soak the oats and dehydrate them ahead of time, then use 1 cup of soaked/dehydrated oats in the recipe as written. I’ll confess that I haven’t done it for these specific bars, but I’ve done it for many others and the taste is the same. It does add an extra step, but is worth it to avoid the…digestive issues…IMO. ;)
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I wanted to make these today, but then I found this recipe for soaked granola. It is in the oven right now, and it smells SO GOOD! There is a provision for granola bars here, too. http://healthbeginswithmom.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-to-make-soaked-granola.html
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Any ideas of how to make these w/o peanuts? We’ve got a peanut allergy in house…. Maybe soybutter?
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Laura Reply:
September 15th, 2010 at 7:34 am
I’ve made them using sunbutter before and it works great!
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I’m new to this, not sure what oats are. Groats? Oatmeal? If someone could let me know, it would be super helpful. My husband is FINALLY going to get off of sugar and HFCS, and I need to get some snacks ready.
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Laura Reply:
October 3rd, 2010 at 6:23 am
Yeah, just regular oatmeal…the oats are the uncooked variety, the oatmeal is what it turns into once it’s cooked. :)
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melanie Reply:
October 24th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
“rolled” oats are what you need here
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I have made lots of homemade granola recipes that I like but it has been hard to find granola bars without high fructose syrup or lots of sugar…yeah for this one! I am running in a big race on Saturday and I am so excited to share these with my teammates. I made a chocolate almond batch (I also struggle with the chocolate melting!) and a seeds and craisins mix. The quickness of making these is awesome with my busy schedule. Thank you Laura!
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Do you have to use Coconut oil? I am knew to this…would olive oil work?
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Laura Reply:
November 3rd, 2010 at 3:51 pm
You don’t have to use coconut oil, but I think with olive oil, you may have a hard time with the granola bars staying together. The coconut oil solidifies once it cools, so it works a little better.
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I just made these last week and they’re great! I am going to try making peanut butter soon, but this time I just had Walmart brand PB (I know… tsk tsk!! I bought it for a specific recipe though :P) and they turned out really super sweet (which isn’t all bad :D). Can’t wait to get some peanuts and make my own!
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Thank you for sharing this. we are hosting church tomorrow in our home, so looking forward to sharing with our ‘bros. and sis’. So simple to make and I have the ingredients. Thank you for sharing your recipes and your DETAILED EXPLANATIONS AND PICS. So helpful.
nancy
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Well, I made the granola bars in about 10 minutes or less, I did use less on corn oil and honey. For the add ins – I used unsweetened coconut, some crushed walnuts and chocolate chips to top off the cup. They turned out so good. They do need to stay in fridge – they actually taste better chilled. Hard to stay out of them.
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I use this trick when I want to add chocolate chips to granola bars: Put the amount I want in a cup in the freezer while I make the bars. Then I let the oat mixture cool a bit (5-10 minutes), add the chocolate chips quickly and spread in pan. Most stay together this way.
Thanks for this recipe, Laura!
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Angie Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Good call putting the choc chips in the freezer ahead of time!
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I am new to this site and very excited to try some healthier options for my family. I do work part-time, so quick recipes are a must. This took all of 10 minutes!! I hope my “picky” two year old enjoys it as much as I did preparing it! Thanks for this quick and easy recipe for a beginner like me!
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I made these today and they are great! Thank you for the recipe!
I used 1/2 cup dried cherries and 1/2 cup mini chocolate morsels. I used the tricks Jami suggested above about freezing the morsels and also waiting for the mixture to cool a little before adding the morsels to the mixture. I had very little melting of the chocolate. You don’t want to let it cool too long though because it will start to get firm.
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I made these this weekend for my daughter to take as snacks. I used almond butter since her school is peanut free. I also only used a little coconut oil based on other reviews. For my add-ins I used sunflower seeds, wheat germ and dried cranberries. My daughter loved them and so did I. Great recipe!
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These granola bars are a hit in our home!
Thank you!!!
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Made these today using 10 drops of alcohol-free liquid stevia in place of honey. I also used half cocoa butter & half coconut oil. My mix-ins are flax seeds, cacao nibs, and sunflower seeds. Delicious! Thank you for the recipe! :)
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ive made these twice in 2 weeks :) i like adding crispy rice to it for a little crunch. my bf loves these! thanks so much!
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all of the other recipes that I have seen are baked in the oven… why is this one not baked?
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Laura Reply:
February 6th, 2011 at 6:25 pm
I’m not sure about other recipes, but in order for these to be chewy, they’re best just to be mixed up and refrigerated. Easy!
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i think they will be awesome because i love to make and bake brownies cookies and other types of granola bars and this is a new recipie so it will be FUN!! for me and my children!!!!!!!!!!!!!(i hope soooooooooo……!!!)
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I made these today, and loved them so much, I shared them on my blog (with link backs and full credit of course) thanks so much!!!
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I am so excited about this recipe I plan on making it right away. I have had Kashi chewy granola bars on hand, but they are expensive and I want to stay away from all the soy in them. Thank you so much for this recipe–I know my peanut-butter loving husband is going to LOVE them!
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I made them and LOVE them, but they are all crumbly. I can’t get them to stay together in bar form. Any suggestions?
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Laura Reply:
April 11th, 2011 at 3:58 pm
I’d say next time add fewer dry ingredients. There probably wasn’t enough peanut butter, honey and coconut oil to keep it all together in nice chewy bars.
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Jackie, this recipe goes together very much like the ‘no bake cookies’ we loved as children. The trick with those is boiling the liquid part for almost exactly one minute. If it’s boiled a shorter time the cookies end up really gooey (yum!), and longer, the cookies crumble everywhere. Hope that helps.
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Has anyone ever tried tossing the oats with some yogurt first and letting them sit overnight to “soak” them? (It’s better for your stomach) Then following the rest of the recipe?
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Laura Reply:
May 24th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
I haven’t tried this, but I think it’s a great idea!
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Making mine right now with craisins, chocolate chips and sliced almonds. It’s looking very tasty!
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Why are raw oats bad for your stomach? I make some no bake cookies with oats and was wondering if I should stop eating them a lot?
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Laura Reply:
May 24th, 2011 at 2:57 pm
Not everyone is the same with this, but I find oats very hard to digest (cooked or raw). If they work okay for you, you probably don’t have anything to worry about!
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Courtney Reply:
May 24th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
Oh okay. Thanks for replying back! I find if I eat those cookies
a lot they actually help me to..um…go to the bathroom better. Lol!
I just wanted to make sure they weren’t harmful or anything. :)
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Yum! I can’t wait to try these! And can I just say “thank you” for a granola recipe that does NOT call for Canola oil or condensed milk? Have you ever made regular granola from this recipe, or do you always make them into bars?
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Thank you for this recipe! My husband and I are avoiding processed carbs (mostly flours, sugar, and corn too) and want to find a healthy snack. This seems to fit the bill. Thanks again!
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I can’t believe no one else has asked this – can I use butter instead of the coconut oil?
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Laura Reply:
June 1st, 2011 at 1:02 pm
Well, you can use butter, but they won’t set up as well and might be a little bit gooey. :)
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alyssa Reply:
June 8th, 2011 at 10:56 am
I use butter instead of coconut oil, but I do add a bit more
oats to the mix. And I use less honey. I guess I changed the
recipe a bit! ;) I think that helps them to not fall apart,
along with storing in the fridge. I’m still experimenting to
find what we like best!
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Here’s a variation with a Middle Eastern flair. Using the same ratio of ingredients, substitute:
Tahina for peanut butter
Date honey (syrup made from dates) for bee honey
Olive oil for coconut oil
Tahina has the same consistency as peanut butter. You can also try half tahina and half peanut, sunflower seed, or almond butter.
Try soaking the oats in yoghurt or juice for 2 to 24 hours (in fridge) before making the granola to break down the indigestible parts of the oats. If you use sweetened yoghurt or juice you should use less honey otherwise the granola bars will be too sweet.
Thanks, Laura, for your recipe!
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Hey there. Just stopping by to let you know I {finally} made these the other day. I chose to use the old-fashioned style oats, and a whole cup of mini chocolate chips….
Oh my goodness, these things are scrumptious! And I love finding recipes that allow me to use my coconut oil.;) My bars are very chocolate-y and don’t look anything like yours in the pics, probably because I added so much chocolate, but they are really good. I store them in a ziploc bag in the fridge.
Thanks again for the recipe! They were so quick & easy to make, I’ll be making another batch soon!
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These are soooo good! I quadrupled mine when i made them today!
Also so easy:)
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HI!
I am super excited about trying these out, but I have a quick question. We’re not a big fan of peanut butter at my house and I’m not located near a place to purchase sun butter. Is there anything I can substitute while I’m waiting to get some sun butter?
Thanks in advance!
P.S. I can’t begin to tell you have helpful you have been as my family and I begin our quest of eating more real food. We’re picking up our wheat grinder this week. Thanks for everything!!
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Laura Reply:
July 6th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
You could use extra coconut oil or maybe some regular butter with the coconut oil to see if that works. :)
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