Homemade Chewy Granola Bars are a cinch to make from pantry staples. Gluten free and kid friendly, they're a great, low-sugar snack option!
If you have kids, and they’re anything like mine, then you know that they are ALWAYS HUNGRY.
That said, I feel like a total rockstar when can pull out ready made Homemade Chewy Granola Bars as a healthy, chewy, naturally sweet, and satisfying snack when they ask for one.
Even if you don’t have kids, these low sugar, nutrient dense, homemade granola bars totally hit the spot!
Homemade Chewy Granola Bars
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. There’s even a secret ingredient that takes the flavor of these homemade granola bars up 500 notches.
That said, all the secret ingredients are pantry staples so we can whip these granola bars up anytime. Along with Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bars, Maple Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars, Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins, and Cranberry Chocolate Almond Energy Bites, they’re great to have on hand for easy and healthy snacking.
Recipe 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 have not 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 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.
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 so cozy.
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!
Equipment
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
- 1/2 teaspoon scant 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.
Notes
- Store bars in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
HI I was just wondering if I could use another oil instead of the coconut oil?
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.
Darn, I was hoping to find a substitute for the coconut oil as well. Haven’t been able to find it.
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. :-)
I can’t wait to make these this weekend! I am so into granola and just love all the ingredients you have in this!
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!!
It’s hard!! The “dough” is indeed tempting!
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.
I made these the minute I read your recipe. I kept the cherries to half cup then added a half cup chopped choc chips plus a handful of chopped pretzels. Also, since I was low on sesame seeds, I did half ses seeds and half chia seeds.
I’ve made 4 billion granola bar recipes this last 3 months because I decided to stop buying them and the fam has only found one they liked and I didn’t love. But guess what happened with yours? Guess. I betcha can’t. Okay, I’ll tell you… they LIKED them! As in, no complaining liked. Thank you. I’ll be linking your recipe to my blog someday soon and the world will be in granola bar peace for a while.
yum!!! definitely trying these babies out.
I love these! I’ve made a “granola” bar for a long time that is less bar and more cookie. This is a true granola bar. Can’t wait to try – thanks for this post!
Those look delic and healthy!
They look delicious! My current snack of choice is nuts – almost any kind! Nuts and trailmix – I could eat it all day long!
AH! These look so delicious! I think I’m going to try them with blueberries or strawberries.
Oh sheesh – just say “16 servings” – I’m a bonehead! Sorry!
How many servings do you get out of the recipe. I just plugged the ingredients in to spark people’s recipe calculator. If you only cut into 9 bars – they clock in around 350 calories. That seems kind of high – do you consider these meal bars.
Love the idea of the recipe and the ingredient list – trying to figure out how to lighten it up a bit…
One way to lighten it up would be to use agave nectar instead of honey. I haven’t tried it, but I believe you could use less than the amount of honey listed. Agave is sweeter than honey, but has similar taste and texture.
Also, make sure whatever fruit you add is just dried and hasn’t been sweetened/dried in juice/cane syrup/corn syrup.
Also, if you use nuts use raw ones. Don’t get salted and or roasted. That can add the calorie and fat content.
I altered this. I used rolled oats. I used almond slivers, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, and a mixture of blueberries, raisins, and cherries. Nothing had been cooked. The berries had been sun dried.
Had no problem with texture and added about 1/2 extra of oats, 1/3 honey total, did not need to grease anything. They stick together perfectly!. Spectrum Organic Coconut Oil worked great for me.
Hope this was helpful.