I know a lot of people believe in signs from passed loved ones, myself included. While some may think it’s woo woo, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that since we returned from my Grandma’s services, I’ve been feeling semi-stalked by cardinals.
I kid you not, every. single. time. I look out a window to the backyard, a cardinal lands in my direct view. Not off to the side, not high up in a tree – straight within my line of vision. It’s crazy! My Grandma loved birds, and I have a special, Grandma-related project in the works back there, so I like to think it’s her checking in and saying hello. Even if it’s not, the sightings are a great reminder of her wonderful spirit. :)
Hey, maybe the cardinals have just been trying to sneak a peek at my latest recipe that resembles bird food – Homemade Chewy Granola Bars! Ummm…get your snackatite (snack + appetite – I tried.) ready because these low sugar, nutrient dense, absolutely YUMMY granola bars are off the chain!
Far from the sugary, store-bought granola bars that leave you satisfied for maybe 5 minutes, Homemade Chewy Granola Bars are gluten free, packed with healthy fats and protein, and naturally sweetened with a wee bit of honey. They are SO dang delicious and my kids (and I) gobble them up. There’s even a secret ingredient that takes the flavor of these homemade granola bars up 500 notches.
That said, the secret ingredient, along with all the other ingredients in this recipe, are kitchen staples so we can whip these granola bars up anytime. I’m thinking they’ll become regular weekly meal prep items for us, along with Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bars, Maple Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars, Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins, and Cranberry Chocolate Almond Energy Bites, to have on hand for easy and healthy snacking. With summer break just around the corner, lord knows we’ll need them!
Couple of notes:
- This recipe calls for coconut oil and I do not recommend substituting in any other type of oil. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, and even harder when chilled, (these granola bars live in the fridge or freezer) and help keep the bars together.
- Along the same lines, I haven’t tested this recipe with any other sweetener besides honey. Its thick and sticky texture keeps the bars together.
- I use almonds and pecans in my chewy granola bars though you could most likely use whatever nut or seed you have on hand.
Let’s do this!
How to Make This Recipe
Start by adding almonds, pecan halves, and gluten free old fashioned oats to the bowl of a food processor, then process until all the ingredients are finely chopped. I know I’ve said it 1,001 times, but the only oats I use are from GF Harvest.
Pour the mixture into a large bowl then add more oats, almonds, and pecans, plus dried cranberries or dried cherries, chia seeds and cinnamon.
Over on the stovetop, add honey, coconut oil, and salt to a small saucepan then bring to a foamy bubble over medium heat. Let the mixture foam and cook for 1 minute then remove it from the heat and stir in almond and vanilla extracts.
The almond extract is the secret ingredient in this recipe, by the way. I’m telling you – the subtle, special flavor it adds is craveable.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients then mix well to combine. Scoop the mixture into a foil-lined, nonstick-sprayed 8×8 baking pan then spray the bottom of a glass measuring cup with more nonstick spray and press press press!! The harder you press the better these bars will stick together.
Refrigerate the bars until they’re completely set – a few hours – then lift out of the baking pan using the foil and slice into bars. These bars will soften at room temperature so keep them in the fridge, or wrap in parchment paper or saran wrap and freeze individually. However you eat them them, I hope you love these homemade chewy granola bars! Enjoy!
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Homemade Chewy Granola Bars
Description
Homemade Chewy Granola Bars are a cinch to make from pantry staples. Gluten free and kid friendly, they're a great, low-sugar option for snack time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 1 cup certified gluten free old fashioned oats
- 1 cup dried cranberries or cherries
- 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (no substitutions)
- scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Line a 8x8” baking dish with foil, letting it hang generously over the sides, then spray with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Add 1/2 cup each almonds and pecans, plus 3/4 cup old fashioned oats into the bowl of a food processor then process until finely chopped. Pour mixture into a large bowl then add remaining 1/4 cup oats, dried cranberries, chia seeds, and cinnamon. Chop remaining 1/2 cup pecans and 1/2 cup almonds then add to the bowl and stir everything together. Set aside.
- Add honey, coconut oil, and salt to a small saucepan then bring to a bubble over medium heat, stirring once or twice. Turn heat down slightly, simmer for 1 minute, then remove saucepan from heat and stir in extracts. Pour over the dry ingredients then stir well to combine, and then pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
- Spray the bottom of a measuring cup or bowl with nonstick spray then press firmly into an even layer. The harder you press, the better the bars will stick together! Refrigerate until set, a couple hours, then pull out of the baking dish using overhanging foil and slice into bars using a sharp knife. Store bars in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Rock it. Work it. Love it. Fridays | Peak313 Fitness 04.06.2012
[…] have yet to find a recipe that I don’t like from “Iowa Girl Eats” and these “Chewy Cherry Almond Granola Bars” are NO EXCEPTION! They are fabulous and I definitely had to keep them out of reach because they […]
Jenny 04.04.2012
I saw this the other day and made them today. THEY ARE DELICIOUS. (I modified slightly, based on what I had on hand, used a mix of hazelnuts, walnuts & pecans in place of the pecans, cranberries instead of cherries, and added a few chocolate chunks.)
OH YUM!
Jen 04.02.2012
I made these last night. OMG! I can’t stop eating them! Thank you so much for yet another great recipe! It was my first experience with coconut oil! I was freaked out at first that it was a solid :) I also loved the addition of the almond extract – delicious!
Darlene 03.29.2012
Okay, so they are in the pan, and I am waiting for them to set up. Have only “licked the bowl”, but, heavens, I am not sure i can wait for them to set up! The stuff left in the bowl was SO GOOD!
che 03.28.2012
These are amazing. I am trying to go totally soy-free, and all the store bought granola bars have soy – but I won’t even miss them with this recipe!
nicole 03.28.2012
These sound delish! I was hoping to not use honey as a binder. Do you have any ideas to reduce it at least? I can’t have too many sweets, even the natural kind. Thus, I will be reducing the fruit as well. I’m not sure how well an egg would work, if I baked them for a bit..?
Iowa Girl Eats 03.29.2012
You could try using medjool dates processed in a food processor as a binder?!
Tiffany Miller 03.27.2012
Oh my goodness. These are so crazy good. I just pinned it on Pinterest and will be letting my blog peeps know about it shortly. I’ve done a few posts on Coconut Oil and all it’s amazing benefits…I’m doing another post on Friday. See if you can get un-refined Virgin Coconut Oil…it’s more expensive but even better for you! I use Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil…I buy it on-line. Thanks so much for sharing!!! Go Cyclones!
Yula 03.27.2012
Hi Kristin,
These are unbelievably delicious! Any idea of how long I can store them in the freezer? I’m thinking of making 2-3 batches to last awhile
Iowa Girl Eats 03.27.2012
Oh good – glad you liked them! I bet they’ll last a few months in a good freezer bag!
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[…] coconut butter, coconut milk DOES taste coconutty – although not in an in-your-face pina colada kind of way. […]
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[…] https://iowagirleats.com/2012/03/20/homemade-chewy-granola-bars/ […]
lovecooking 03.25.2012
Made two batches of these tonight and I can’t wait until they are set! My kids and I loved them :) I made a batch with raisins for the kids and a batch with cherries for me and the hubby. I used an 8×8 pan, made one batch and laid wax paper over it and dumped batch #2 on top. Can’t wait! Also, the lady at Trader Joe’s said, “Gosh, we have sold a lot of nuts and dried fruit today!” I wondered who else was making these!
carol 03.24.2012
HI I was just wondering if I could use another oil instead of the coconut oil?
Iowa Girl Eats 03.24.2012
Unfortunately I don’t think so. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, whereas other oils are not, and it helps keep the ingredients together.
Darlene 03.25.2012
Darn, I was hoping to find a substitute for the coconut oil as well. Haven’t been able to find it.
The Weekend Dish: 3/24/2012 | Brown Eyed Baker 03.24.2012
[…] Homemade Chewy Granola Bars (Iowa Girl Eats) I am currently addicted to homemade granola bars, and these sound so fantastic. I love the variety! […]
Julie 03.24.2012
Looks amazing! By the way, the picture where you’re pouring the honey in is hilarious. I don’t know why but that little bear looks like he’s holding on to his head. :-)
Friday Faves | Ready Set Feast! 03.23.2012
[…] Iowa Girl Eats has ruined my taste for store-bought granola bars with these homemade ones […]
LuAnne 03.22.2012
I can’t wait to make these this weekend! I am so into granola and just love all the ingredients you have in this!
dona 03.22.2012
1 question, how do you keep from eating all of this delicious, hot, gooey mess? It took every ounce of self control I had to put them into the pan. Glad I went back and looked at the serving size. I would have cut the pan into 4 bars. Cant wait to taste them!!
Iowa Girl Eats 03.22.2012
It’s hard!! The “dough” is indeed tempting!
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[…] make it creamy instead of crumbly. I also made Chewy Granola Bars from Iowa Girl Eats (recipe here). This is surprisingly my first attempt at granola bars! I’m waiting for them to cool off in […]
Tracy 03.21.2012
These look great! My snack of indulgence at the moment is Teddy Grahams. I buy them for my twins, but I end up eating them all. UGH. They’re just mini cookies. I need to lay off them. STAT.