Granola bars are one of my favorite ways to stave off hunger during an afternoon slump. These Chewy Granola Bars are the perfect pick-me-up! Sweet and satisfying, they wake up your tastebuds!
These chewy granola bars are packed with oats, nuts, coconut, and fruit for a filling and healthy snack or meal supplement any time of the day.
Be sure you use certified gluten-free oats if you follow a gluten-free diet. I like Bob’s Red Mill’s Gluten-Free oats and often order them online if I can’t find them in my local grocery stores.
You can swap out some of the ingredients, but try to keep the same ratios of liquids to dry ingredients so that they will hold together when pressed into bars.
I love that I can completely control the ingredients and add what works for me and my family. You can customize bars for individual tastes if you want, just be sure to label them clearly if you have someone avoiding specific ingredients for allergies.
Line the pan with the parchment paper, leaving the ends hanging over the edges to create a sling. This will help you lift the bars out of the pan when you’re ready to cut them. And butter the parchment to help the bars release more easily!
These bars will be quite sticky so be sure to use parchment paper under your hands when you press and compact them in the pan. Then a 3-hour wait in the refrigerator will help everything hold together when you are ready to cut them up.
I used my large 12-inch chef’s knife to cut these bars. It gave me enough leverage to cut straight down and due to its shape, I could rock it back and forth to cut through with one try. If you have a shorter knife, cut halfway through from one side, spin it around and cut the second half from the opposite side.
I hope you give these Chewy Granola Bars a try – they are so much better than store-bought! And you can control the ingredients, adding what you want and leaving out what you don’t. Custom-made to order!
Hope you are enjoying your long holiday weekend! Happy Labor Day!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments and leave a star rating, I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Chewy Granola Bars:
- Gluten free oats, sliced almonds, chopped pecans, shredded coconut
- Honey, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, cranberries, mini chocolate chips
PRO Tip:
Parchment sheets are much easier to work with and won’t roll up while you’re trying to get them into the pan. I buy mine from King Arthur and they are already cut to fit into a standard half-sheet pan. Perfect every time!
PRO Tip:
Lightly buttering the edges of the pan before laying in the parchment may seem counterintuitive but it will help the parchment stick to the pan more easily and then release the bars later on. If some of the sides of the pan are not covered with parchment, be sure those are well buttered.
How to make Chewy Granola Bars:
- Prepare all the ingredients, chopping what is needed in advance. Butter the sides of a 9-inch square pan, line pan with parchment creating a sling, and butter the parchment!
- Place the oats, almonds, pecans, and coconut on a baking sheet and toast in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 5 minutes, then stir them and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- In a small saucepan, combine the honey, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Warm over medium heat, stirring often, until the butter is melted and the sugar fully dissolved and the mixture is bubbling.
- Pour the honey mixture over the toasted oats and nuts in the large bowl, mixing well. Cool 5 minutes then stir in the cranberries and 1/4 cup of the mini chocolate chips. It’s OK if the chocolate melts a little, they will help hold the bars together.
- Transfer the mixture to the parchment-lined square pan, spreading it out as much as possible. Cover with another sheet of parchment and press down firmly to compact the mixture into an even layer. Press for a full minute to help the mixture hold together. Remove the parchment from the top and sprinkle the remaining 2 tbsp of mini chocolate chips. Cover with the sheet of parchment again and press the chocolate chips gently into the bar mixture.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or you can freeze them for about 30 minutes. When chilled throughout, use the parchment to lift the bars out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Peel back the parchment and use the long knife to cut into about 12 bars.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week. If you are layering the bars, place a sheet of parchment or foil between the layers. You can freeze them, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. For firm bars, serve them cold. For softer, chewier bars, serve at room temperature.
PRO Tip:
To keep your parchment paper sheets flat, store them between your baking sheet pans. They will be ready for you whenever you need them!
PRO Tip:
A trick for clean-up is to immediately after you pour the melted butter/honey mixture over the toasted oats and nuts, add water to the saucepan and either soak it or bring to a boil to dissolve the sticky sugar and honey.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Chef’s knife and 12-inch chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Liquid measuring cups and dry measuring cups
- Baking sheet pan
- 9-inch square baking pan
- Parchment paper sheets
- Mixing bowls
- Saucepan
Gluten-Free Tips:
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume. Be sure you use certified gluten-free oats – I like Bob’s Red Mill’s. If you can’t find them at your grocery store, you can order them online!
Chewy Granola Bars (GF)
These Chewy Granola Bars are the perfect pick-me-up! Sweet and satisfying, they are packed with oats, nuts, coconut, and fruit for a filling and healthy snack or meal supplement any time of the day. Be sure you use certified gluten-free oats if you follow a gluten-free diet.
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups (230g) gluten-free old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 cup (22g) sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup (35g) chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup (21g) sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/3 cup (113g) honey
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick; 56g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/4 cup (50g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt (leave out if using salted butter)
- 1/2 cup (60g) dried sweetened cranberries
- 6 tbsp (65g) mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Lightly butter and line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving the ends hanging over the edges of the pan – this will act as a sling to help you lift the bars out of the pan later. Butter the parchment! If you have edges of the pan not covered by parchment, be sure they are well buttered too.
- On a baking sheet, place the oats, almonds, pecans, and coconut, spreading them out into a single layer. Bake for 5 minutes, stir, then return to the oven and bake another 3 to 5 minutes until lightly toasted. Transfer to a very large mixing bowl.
- In a small saucepan, combine the honey, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt and warm over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the butter melts, the sugar is fully dissolved, and the mixture is bubbling.
- Pour the butter mixture over the toasted oats mixture, stirring well. Cool 5 minutes then add the cranberries and the mini chocolate chips. Stir to blend together. It is OK if the chocolate chips get melty, they will help hold the bars together.
- Transfer this mixture to the prepared pan, spreading out as much as possible into an even layer. Cover with another sheet of parchment, and press down firmly to compact the ingredients, and press for about a minute to be sure they will hold together. Remove the parchment paper from the top. Run a knife along the exposed edges of the pan, loosening the compacted mixture for easier release later on.
- Scatter the remaining 2 tbsp of chocolate chips over the top of the granola bars, cover with the parchment again, and gently press into the top of the bars.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or freeze for about 30 minutes. When chilled, run a knife along the uncovered edges, loosening them again. Then use the parchment sling to lift the bars out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Peel off the parchment and cut into 12 bars. Peel the bars off the parchment.
- Store the bars in an airtight container for up to a week. Place a sheet of parchment between layers if you are stacking them in a smaller container. You can freeze them, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. If you serve them at room temperature they will be softer and stickier. If they are chilled, they will be firmer.
Notes
Be sure to use gluten-free oats (look for the certification on the label) like the ones from Bob’s Red Mill.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Adapted from a recipe on Inspired Taste
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 82Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 185mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 1g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate.
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