We have a history with granola bars.
A long time ago, we shared a cooking failure. The subject was granola bars. They tasted great, but fell apart. So, we sort of gave up and moved on with the thought that one day, we would be ready to give them another shot.
After two years, we’ve picked up where we left off and have now figured out how to make these simple, soft and chewy granola bars. We’re in love. They taste great, are incredibly easy to make and they absolutely do not fall apart (see our tips below).
A Granola Bars Recipe That’s Completely Flexible
We’ve made these many times now and every time, they’ve been just a little bit different. Here, you see whole almonds, dried cranberries and mini chocolate chips. We’ve also used dried cherries, apricots and unsweetened coconut. We’re even thinking about adding pistachios next time.
The possibilities are endless — all you need to know is the base. Oats, butter, honey and brown sugar. After that, add what you like.
Tips for Making the Bars
After a few tries, we’ve found that it’s really important to press the granola mixture into the pan. We’ve actually spent about a minute pressing before — the harder and longer you press, the less chance you’ll end up with granola instead of granola bars.
The honey and brown sugar really helps with keeping the bars together. Chocolate chips added to the mixture help, too. We add some to the granola mixture while it is still warm. You might notice some of the chocolate melts — this is totally okay, it acts as extra glue, holding the bars together. After that, we add more chocolate chips to the top — these don’t melt.
Finally, we like to refrigerate the granola mixture for about 2 hours. This hardens everything and makes it easy to cut the granola mixture into bars. Right out of the refrigerator the bars will be hard since they are cold. Leave them out for an hour and they will warm to room temperature and become a little softer and chewy.
The bars keep at room temperature for about 1 week (if they last that long). Just make sure they are tightly covered or sealed in a container.
Share Your Ideas
I bet you can come up with some amazing ideas. What would you include in your homemade granola bars? We’d just love it if you shared them in the comments below.
You may also like:
- These granola bars were inspired and adapted by Love and Olive Oil’s Cherry Almond Nib Granola Bars Recipe
- Or you could take a look at Smitten Kitchen’s Thick, Chewy Granola Bars (they look pretty awesome)
- We’ve also shared a Homemade Vanilla, Almond and Honey Granola Recipe, which we bet you’ll like, too — it’s so easy
What you need to know. While these are very simple to make, there is a 2-hour wait for the bars to firm up enough to cut. Feel free to add your favorite dried fruit, nuts or chocolate to these – it’s completely up to you. Since we use a 1/3 cup of honey, we like to splurge on higher quality honey.
Equipment you’ll need. You’ll need a small baking sheet, 8-inch or 9-inch square pan, aluminum foil, small saucepan, large bowl, rubber spatula and chef’s knife.
- 2 1/2 cups (230 grams) old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (80 grams) whole almonds, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup (113 grams) honey
- 1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (67 grams) mini chocolate chips
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line bottom and sides of a 8-inch or 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil. Then lightly oil or spray with cooking spray.
- Add oats and almonds to a small baking sheet then bake 5 minutes, stir and bake another 3 to 5 minutes until lightly toasted. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Combine butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla extract and the salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until butter melts and the sugar completely dissolves.
- Pour butter mixture in to bowl with toasted oats and almonds. Mix well. Let cool about 5 minutes then add cranberries and a 1/4 cup of the mini chocolate chips. Stir to combine. (The chocolate chips will most likely melt a little. This is fine, they turn into glue and help to hold the bars together).
- Transfer oat mixture to lined pan then use a rubber spatula or damp finger tips to firmly press the mixture into the pan. (Press hard here, this way the bars will stay together once cooled and cut — We press for about one minute to be extra safe).
- Scatter remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips over pressed granola mixture then use a rubber spatula to gently press them into the top. Cover then refrigerate at least 2 hours.
- Remove block of granola mixture from pan then peel away aluminum foil. Cut into 12 bars.
- Store bars in an airtight container for up to one week. For the softest bars, keep at room temperature. For slightly harder bars, store in the fridge.
About the Author
Joanne
I'm Joanne Gallagher and alongside my husband, Adam, I develop, test and share favorite recipes from our kitchen. I'm completely in love with food and you'll most likely find me covered in flour, chocolate or both.
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These look so much like the classic! Yum!
I look forward to trying this. The combinations are endless. I would add Quinoa, chia seeds, peanut butter or PB2, some chili pepper with candied jalapenos ! These will be great for my long training runs!!!
Can’t wait to try these! I have all of these ingredients on hand. Thinkig of adding peanut butter for the boyfriend. How much should I add and do I need to change the original recipe at all when adding the pb?
We have been thinking about adding peanut butter to the recipe. Try the recipe as is, then add peanut butter — we have not tried peanut butter yet, but we bet it is delicious!
I am so hungry this Soft and Chewy Granola Bars Recipe looks really delicious..thanks Joanne
These are yummy!
Question…… Do they need to be kept in refrigerator once cut?
They will keep longer in the fridge, but we have kept them in an airtight container on the counter up to one week.
I just made these and my chocolate chips melted slightly even though I let the mixture cool for 5 mins before adding the chocolate chips as the instructions state. Is this
Supposed to happen or should I have waited longer before adding the chocolate chips?
Hi Angie — We have noticed some chocolate melts when added to the mixture, which is why we add the extra chips to the top. For the middle, we liked how the chips melted in. Next time, you could try waiting another 5 minutes or so before adding to prevent this.
Ok-I’ll try that next time then. Thanks!
I thought these were great. My kids weren’t big fans, which was funny because they usually love granola bars. They would have benefited from having a lightly oiled pan (maybe sprayed after covering with aluminum) because the foil stuck. I stored them in ziploc bags for a few days, and they tasted great.
Try parchment paper instead of foil. There is also no need to spray the parchment paper. If you are a regular baker parchment is a must.
These were great! I added coconut as well as the cranberries and white choc chips, my boyfriend gobbled them right up.
I was wondering though if there was a healthier alternative? I know they already are quite healthy, though with all the honey and sugars I was just wondering anyone had some different ingredients to make them healthier?
Thanks!
Hi Megan, So glad you enjoyed the bars. Adam and I have been working on a healthier version with less butter and sugar. We found success with reducing the butter by a tablespoon as well as reducing the brown sugar by 2 tablespoons. The bars were a little more dry, but still tasted great. Once we’re 100% happy with the new recipe, we plan to post it on the blog.
For what it’s worth, I substitute butter for Coconut butter when baking and cooking. It isn’t much less fat, but It is plant based fat which is always a bit better, and it tastes great.
Just an idea.
Is the coconut butter a lot more expensive? Where do you get it from?
Coconut Butter or Oil is 100% fat, unlike butter that is only 80% fat the rest being milk solids and water. For this reason it is possible to clarify butter. Coconut Butter/Oil is much better for you though.
Hi! Do these bars freeze well?
Hi Lilith, we wrapped them tightly with plastic wrap and foil. They froze very well.
Thanks!
These turned out great but a bit too sweet for my taste. I will try next time with the lower sugar alternative noted in your comments.
Do you have a nutritional summary for the regular and lower sugar recipes (calories per bar etc)?
Thanks,
Suzanne
These are awesome! I just made some for our weekend plans and they are sure to be a hit with everyone. I love that they can be easily made gluten-free (what I need… and you only need to use GF oats and make sure that your vanilla and almonds are “safe”).
I used coconut oil in place of the butter. The mixture tastes great (yep, I wrote my review after sneaking tastes… before they’ve completely set up)!
I’m also considering making one exclusively out of chopped nuts (no grain). I think that would work very well, as well.
Love that you toast the oats and almonds up front! So excited to have this recipe in my collection!
Sounds like a great recipe; can you tell me the difference between kosher salt and regular salt. Will it affect the results if I use regular salt?
The crystals of Kosher salt are larger and less perfect in shape then regular table salt. This means kosher salt usually takes up more space by volume than regular table salt. Since we only used 1/4 teaspoon for this recipe the same amount of regular table salt should work just fine.
Hi! I haven’t made these yet, but I am wondering if I can substitute the old fashioned rolled oats for some quick oats? They’re all I have in my house! If I were to do that, should I reduce the bake time to offset the decrease in water needed to soak into the oats? Thanks!
Quick oats should be fine. The old fashioned oats lend to a chewier cookie, but the quick oats will still taste great. We do not advise using instant oats, though — they are a much finer texture and won’t make the best cookie.
This did not turn out right. I have granola NOT granola bars, it did not set up, left it in the fridge for over 2hrs. Really not happy that I spent all that time and ended up with granola.
Hi Tina, Not sure why the bars did not set up correctly for you. It is really important you press the granola mixture down into the pan — we spend about a minute pressing. Sorry things didn’t work out!
I followed this exact. I added dried blueberries, flax, slivered almonds and a tiny bit of banana puree. I didn’t add chocolate chips. Holy buckets these were fabulous.
Is it possible to substitute maple syrup for the honey and it still turn out right? I wasn’t sure if the honey was mostly what made it stick together and maple syrup wouldn’t work as well. Thanks!
Maple syrup should work — the brown sugar also helps bind things together.
Yum! Kid just got home from school and he approves!! Didn’t have chocolate chips but chopped some dark chocolate and loved how it melted in. Mixed it up with some salted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and some bee pollen additions.
Any suggestions for what I can use to add more calories and protein?? My son is extremely thin (and also sugar sensitive–meaning he gets hyper from sugars including fructose) so I am always looking to “bulk up” on calories without sweetening things. What could I add without compromising the recipes ability to combine and stick together??
Alternatively, for the rest of us who don’t need the extra calories, what about using Agave? Do you think it’ll work like honey? Thanks!
Hi Alycen, You could add seeds such as flax or sunflower seeds. Agave should work for you (we have never tried it though). Hope that helps
I had the same problem as Tina. It did come out of the foil OK, but when I cut it into bars it crumbled. But granola bars or granola, it tasted great. I did use quick oats. In any event, I’ll try it again once these are gone.
Hi Doug — We’ve never tried quick oats in this recipe and are worried they might be a little drier than old fashioned oats. Glad you liked the taste of everything
I used this recipe and skipped out the almonds. I added 1 cup of rice crispies. After being in the fridge for a few hours, my granola bars were very very hard and only tasted of honey. Any suggestions?
Hi Rachel, The bars really should not have been hard. Depending on the type of honey you the honey flavor can be stronger. You could try using corn syrup or brown rice syrup instead.
One thought is that the bars were too cold? They are okay to keep at room temperature — did they stay hard after warming to room temperature at all? (We like to cool them in the fridge (about 2 hours) to make them easier to cut, but then keep out on the counter after that).
Thanks for the advice. I left out the rice crispies and they were not hard at all. I do think I also left them in the fridge too long. They are turning out great now! I like them and so does my husband, but my children still find them hard, ages 2 and 4. I am still trying to make them a bit softer for them. any suggestions? I love the recipe! We are getting fresh oats from a local farmer now too which is great!
Excellent recipe, just one thing, If I wanted it to last for about 6 months to be shelved what preservatives should I add ?
Perhaps a store bought version would be best if you want a super long shelf life. Or you can freeze them. Saying that sugar is a natural preservative that has been used long before manufactured preservatives. I reckon that this will keep for months in an airtight container. Only time will tell.
Google three fat chicks on a diet and they have an excellent list of natural preservatives, though I wouldn’t trust the last 3. They don’t seem natural enough.
I made a double batch of these for my 5 children and they were great! The kids gobbled them up. I would like to make these for a boys summer camp, but I’ll need 200 bars. I’d like to make a small amount each day and freeze them until the event, but I don’t know how long they will keep in the freezer and still taste great. Any suggestions?
Hi Anne — The bars do freeze well. To freeze them, package in an airtight container (or bag) with as little empty space as possible. If you have a vacuum sealer, this is a great time to use it. The bars should keep up to 3 months. When you go to use them, let them sit on the counter overnight.
Hi, this is a great recipe. I used extra-dark brown sugar, because that’s what I had. I then added cinnamon, all spice , ginger and raisins to create ginger nut granola bars. I will replace the honey for molasses next time. My kids love that strong ginger bread flavour. And I doubled the recipe cause we don’t buys these things any more and I didn’t really fancy making them again in two days.
Thanks for a great website
I made these last night. I added wheat germ, apples, walnuts and cinnamon instead of the suggested additives. FABULOUS! Going to make another batch today. Many thanks for sharing! Also,instead of using a spatula to press it down, I covered it with wax paper and pressed it. down by hand.
I have made this recipe twice now since we have been looking for a healthier alternative to packaged granola bars. The first attempt we found them way to sweet and sugary. I made them again this evening and completely omitted the brown sugar and just sweetened with honey. It was the perfect amount of sweetness with the coconut and cranberries. Because I left out the brown sugar, it made less liquid in the mixture so I added in some coconut oil and they were moist enough. Im wondering if coconut oil could completely replace the butter?
Great adaptations, Amanda! Yes, other readers have been able to replace the butter with coconut oil.
These look fab! I used frozen mini chocolate chips and they didn’t melt much. Mine are in the fridge right now so I can’t say how they turned out but the sampling was delicious! I did, however, have a hard time getting the chocolate chips on top to sink into the bars. Anyone else have this problem? Maybe because they were frozen? Thanks for this yummy recipe. Will be multiplying future batches for sure!
looks wonderful. do you think that coconut oil would work instead of butter? My daughter has a dairy allergy but other than the butter these sound perfect for her. i’m wondering if you ever tried w/out butter. thanks.
Hi there — Other readers have used coconut oil with success.
Made these today and they were absolutely brilliant. I used walnuts and dried cranberries and they were delicious and so quick and easy to make. These will become a family favorite – great for picnics – Many thanks
Thank you so much for this recipe! At our local stores trail mix is on sale, so we separated nuts and fruits, added them, and it tasted delicious. Ours were very soft though, not like granola. And they stay together I am just afraid of trying to take them hiking or to school. any suggestions? Did I not cook the butter and sugar mixture enough?
If it is really warm outside, the bars will not hold together as much as if they were a little cooler. One way to get around this is to individually wrap (tightly) then transport them. As long as the sugar dissolves you should be fine.
I used old-fashioned oats, bran cereal, slivered almonds, chopped pecans, coconut, corn meal and wheat germ for the basic mix. I substituted coconut oil for the butter. It came out tasting wonderfully. However, while it set up all right and cut reasonably well(without chilling), the bars are very brittle and not fit for travel. Since I have added extra schtuff into the recipe, shall I increase the syrup by, say, half; or perhaps allow the mixture to marinate a few minutes longer before baking?
Hi there — a little more of the syrup (half sounds right) might help you here since you did add a few more ingredients than the original recipe. Just to clarify — the only time you should be baking is to toast the oats/nuts before mixing with honey syrup. Hope that helps!
Thanks for sharing this recipe and tips. It’s important to press the granola mixture into a pan for it to stick together. Thanks again.
My husband and I both love these! I have made them lots of different ways. I added cranberries and white chocolate chips to mimic a favorite cookie recipe. I also added half a tsp of cinnamon, as the cookie recipe has cinnamon and I think it makes the recipe. Delicious! A little too sweet with white chocolate mixed in, but the next time I just put them on top and it was perfect. The only time the bars turned into granola was the time I added Oreos and puffed rice. My baby needed to b changed while I was cooking the brown sugar mixture, and when I came back to the stove it was boiling up really high. I used it anyway, and the bars crumbled instead of cut. Since then I am careful not to overcook.