This easy, tree nut-free, homemade chewy chocolate chip granola bars recipe makes chewy and crunchy bars to power up your day. They’re the perfect pre-and post-workout snack for a healthy wholesome energy bite.
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Why I love these granola bars
Ever look at the sugar content of commercial energy bars? Many of these pre-packaged snacks are loaded with refined sugar and fillers. Making your own no-bake chewy chocolate chip granola bars will give you power over what is in your snack with just a few nutrient-dense ingredients and no baking required. The inspiration for this recipe came from Angela Liddon’s cookbook, Oh She Glows Every Day, where she showcases a collection of delicious vegan recipes.
Noteworthy ingredients
Gluten free old fashioned rolled oats: adds a chewy texture to the bars. Oats are loaded with soluble fibre called beta glucan, which is shown to reduce LDL total cholesterol, support a healthy microbiome and help to balance blood sugar.
Crispy rice cereal: adds a little crunch.
Sesame seeds: adds crunch and a healthy amount of protein, calcium, zinc and antioxidants.
Hemp hearts: are a nutrient-dense powerhouse. These tiny seeds contain high levels of protein, potassium, fibre, vitamin K and iron to power you through your day.
Dark chocolate mini chips: are better than regular sized chocolate chips to help bind the ingredients together. Loaded with antioxidants, it's hard to pass up a sprinkling of chocolate in your bars.
Unsweetened shredded coconut: adds a nice texture and a mild coconut flavor.
Sea salt: bumps up the taste and flavor of all the ingredients.
Raw honey: helps to bind the ingredients, adds a little sweetness and a boost of antioxidants.
Peanut butter: also helps to bind ingredients, and adds protein and healthy fats to the granola bars. Use organic store bought or make my homemade peanut butter recipe.
Unrefined coconut oil: keeps the healthy granola bars from crumbling.
Vanilla extract: enhances the flavor of the other ingredients and adds a subtle vanilla flavor.
Common questions about these granola bars
The raw honey and peanut butter work really well to bind the ingredients together. Make sure to follow the measurements in the recipe as they are balanced to have enough wet and dry ingredients to hold the bars together.
To keep your chocolate chip granola bars sticking together, make sure to weigh your ingredients for accuracy. Also, press the granola firmly in your pan to compress everything together. And finally, make sure to refrigerate your bars before and after you cut them. The cold will keep them firm and intact.
Yes, you can definitely swap in different seeds or nuts. You can also swap the peanut butter for another nut butter, tahini or sunbutter. The chocolate chips can be replaced with dried fruit like cherries, cranberries, blueberries or goji berries. Brown rice syrup is the perfect vegan swap for the honey. Just make sure to swap out for equal measurements so the bars hold together well.
It helps to add a square of unbleached parchment paper on top of your granola in your baking dish to prevent it from sticking to your hands. Press down with your hand, making sure to get into the corners. You can also use a mini rolling pin or jar to roll it flat and firm. Or, try a small cutting board or small book to press it down firmly.
How to store granola bars
These bars are best stored in the fridge in an air-tight container with layers of parchment paper between the bars. They can also be individually wrapped in parchment. The bars will keep in the fridge for one week and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 25 squares 1x
Description
This easy, tree nut-free homemade chewy chocolate chip granola bars recipe makes chewy and crunchy bars to power up your day. They’re the perfect pre-and post-workout snack for a healthy and wholesome energy bite.
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free old fashioned rolled oats (105 grams)
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal (50 grams)
- ¼ cup sesame seeds (35 grams)
- ¼ cup hemp hearts (35 grams)
- ¼ cup dark chocolate mini chips (45 grams)
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (20 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt (1 gram)
- ⅓ cup raw honey (120 grams)
- ¼ cup smooth roasted peanut butter (60 grams)
- 1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil (15 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 grams)
Instructions
- Prepared dish: line a square 8-inch pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper, laid each way to overlap all four sides of the pan.
- Mix: in a large bowl, mix together the oats, rice cereal, sesame seeds, hemp hearts, chocolate chips, shredded coconut and sea salt.
- Warm: in a small pot over low heat, warm the honey, peanut butter and coconut oil until just melted and mixed well together. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Combine: pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined and there are no dry patches.
- Prepare: pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Place a square of parchment paper on top of the granola and press down to compact the mixture. You can use a small rolling pin, board, or your hands to ensure the bars are tight and compact.
- Set: place the dish in the fridge for 30 minutes or the freezer for 10-15 minutes to allow the bars to set before slicing.
- Slice: with a sharp knife, slice the bars into 25 squares.
Notes
- Keep bars refrigerated so they don't soften and lose firmness.
- Separate the layers of bars with parchment paper, or wrap each bar individually with parchment.
- The bars can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for 3 months, then thawed in the fridge.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 5 min
- Category: snack
- Method: blend
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 83
- Sugar: 5.5 g
- Sodium: 30.4 mg
- Fat: 4.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.5 g
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: tree-nut free granola bars, chewy granola bars, granola bar recipe, tree-nut free, chocolate chip
Linda Smith
I love these squares! So delicious and nice to know they are a healthier option to the sugary protein bars you see in the store.