I love to bake, but lack the self-control to have homemade sweets around on a regular basis. (Oh, I’m in the kitchen, it must be time for a snack to hack off another piece of this cake/snitch another cookie/try not to let the kids see that I’m chewing something….) That’s why I’m so into zucchini snack cake and breakfast cookies, since they’re healthier (lower in sugar and more filling, at least!) but still fun to bake. When I mentioned my granola-bar-making woes, one of my readers pointed me to these chocolate chip granola bars from Weelicious (thank you, Lindsay, from the bottom of my heart!), and I’ve been making them ever since!
My three-year-old loves to help make healthy homemade snacks anything with chocolate chips.
These chewy little bars are packed with oats, and – miracle of miracles! – they stay together when you cut them up (and when they go for a ride in your purse!). If I had to compare them to a store-bought bar, they’re similar to Quaker Chewy bars…but to me, the packaged bars are overly sweet but not very flavorful otherwise. The homemade bars are much more complex and interesting – toasty oats, coconut, vanilla, a hint of saltiness, honey and brown sugar – and chocolate! I really can’t overstate how much I heart these granola bars. (Plus: none of the artificial flavors and preservatives.)
Blurry, yet so perfect: the dancer pose, the shirtless baby eating bits of raw oatmeal from the violent stirring, and the dog hurrying over to get her share…
To make the granola bars, you mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, measure and mix the wet ingredients right in the measuring cup, and stir it all together! Line the bottom of a 9×13 pan with parchment paper (I love these parchment sheets from King Arthur, and half of a sheet is perfect here), and then press the oat mixture firmly into the pan. Bake, cool, and cut!
Nobody has to know that hungry grown-ups are allowed to eat 2 of these!
Prep Time:
Yield:
Print
PinIngredients
- 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats)
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded/flaked coconut
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325. Stir oats, chips, coconut, brown sugar, flour, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Melt coconut oil in a measuring cup, add honey, and stir in vanilla. Stir liquid ingredients into the oat mixture until thoroughly combined.
- Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and press the oat mixture firmly into the pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, then cool completely in the pan (they have to be totally cool or they’ll be crumbly when you cut them).
- Turn the granola onto a cutting board and slice into bars (I cut them into 30 small bars, but 20 larger bars works well, too).
Notes
Tweaks I tried and didn’t like: reducing the amount of brown sugar (the bars still tasted sweet enough but lost some of the magical caramelization that helps them stay together); subbing maple syrup for the honey (didn’t glue them together as well); nuts and raisins instead of chocolate chips (the bars were pretty crumbly).
I’ve edited the post to include a baking time of 35-40 minutes instead of the original 40. A few people had mentioned that their bars were crunchier than expected, and in my new oven 35 minutes is better for a chewy texture! If you want to ensure chewiness or you know your oven runs a little hot, definitely go with 35 minutes.
The bars freeze well, so make a double batch and stock your freezer! They also keep at room temperature for at least a week, although they don’t last that long at our house.
Recipe adapted from Weelicious
JP: What are those besides delicious-looking?
Laurie: Chocolate chip granola bars!
JP: Dude. Your sister’s killing it.
Haha!! Yessss. And nut-free!!!
These really are perfect! I’m happy to say that that Bet left some here when I came to stay with the girls for 4 days. By myself. Four gray, rainy days, I might add. When the 3.5-year-old wants a “t’eat” I offer zucchini bread, hoping she won’t remember that there are a few chocolate chip granola bars left. They’re full of flavor and the chewiness is so satisfying…but hard to hide. “What are you chewing, Nonnie?” Inquiring minds want to know.
You’ll have to work on your sneaking skills! I get more practice honing mine than you! ;o)
My oven here is apparently a little hot, and you notice it with baking much more than regular dinner. So these came out a little too crispy. BUT! We put them in ziplock bags with a slice of bread, a la Kirkpatricks, and now they are perfectly chewy!
Genius! I need to make a note in the recipe that you may need to check them sooner, bc this happened to someone else too. Maybe my oven is a little not hot??
Maybe your old oven was a little not hot. Your new oven?? Who knows yet?! Mwahahaha.
Great recipe! I was able to modify it so I could also add nuts for protein and keep them from falling apart.
Great to hear! I would love to know what kind and how much you added!!