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This chewy chocolate chip granola bars recipe is the ultimate homemade snack. Made with simple pantry ingredients and packed with natural sweetness, they're a perfect grab-and-go treat that you can feel good about eating.
Granola bars have always been a go-to snack in our household. After experimenting with countless store-bought options, I realized homemade is the way to go.
These bars are not only customizable but also free from unnecessary additives. Plus, making them yourself means you get to enjoy the rich flavors of chocolate, honey, and oats in every bite.
Whether you're looking for a quick breakfast, an afternoon pick-me-up, or a snack time treat to pack in school lunches, these bars check all the boxes.
These easy snacks are chewy, satisfying, and so much better than anything you can find in store-bought granola bars.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love These Homemade Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
- What You'll Need to Make Soft and Chewy Granola Bars
- How to Make Chewy Granola Bars
- Expert Tips for Making No Bake Granola Bars
- Homemade Chewy Granola Bars Serving Suggestions
- Chocolate Chip Granola Bars Storage Tips
- FAQS
- More Granola Bar Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love These Homemade Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
- Wholesome ingredients: made with oats, honey, and peanut butter, these bars are free from artificial flavors and refined sugars found in many store-bought versions. You'll find the similar wholesome ingredients in my energy snack and seed bars, and my cherry pepita granola bars.
- Customizable: easily adapt this recipe to suit your taste by swapping in different nuts, seeds, or dried fruits.
- Easy to make: with no baking required, these bars come together quickly and are ready to enjoy after just a short chill in the fridge, just like my carrot oatmeal nut bars.
- Perfect Texture: Soft and chewy with just the right amount of crunch from the chocolate chips.
- Great for Meal Prep: Make a batch ahead of time for easy snacking throughout the week.
What You'll Need to Make Soft and Chewy Granola Bars
You'll need the following ingredients to make homemade chewy chocolate chip granola bars:
- Gluten-Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats: Old-fashioned oats provide a hearty and chewy texture. For crunchier bars, substitute with quick-cooking oats also known as quick oats.
- Crispy Rice Cereal: Adds a little crunch to the bars. Use a gluten-free variety of crisp rice or puffed rice if needed. Note: Rice Krispies cereal is not gluten free, check the label.
- Sesame Seeds: Provides extra texture and a subtle, nutty flavor. Swap with other seeds or chopped nuts like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or finely chopped almonds for extra crunch and richness.
- Hemp hearts: adds a pleasant crunch and nutty taste.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: These work best to distribute chocolate evenly throughout the bars. Regular sized chocolate chips may cause the bars to fall apart.
- Unsweetened Coconut: Adds texture and a hint of tropical flavor.
- Fine Sea Salt: Balances the sweetness.
- Raw honey: helps bind the bars together and adds a natural sweetness. Swap with brown rice syrup for a firmer bar; maple syrup will not hold the bars together as well.
- Peanut butter: Adds creaminess and helps bind the bars together. Substitute with almond butter or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the overall flavor.
See recipe card below for all ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Chewy Granola Bars
- Step 1: Line the Pan: Line an 8-inch square pan with two pieces of parchment paper, overlapping the sides.
- Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the oats, rice cereal, sesame seeds, hemp hearts, shredded coconut, and sea salt. Don't add the chocolate chips yet, they will melt.
- Step 3: Warm the Wet Ingredients: In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, or microwave safe bowl, warm the peanut butter and honey until just melted. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Step 4: Combine Mixture: Pour the peanut butter honey mixture over the oat mixture. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix until everything is evenly coated. Mix in the mini chocolate chips.
- Step 5: Press Granola Mixture: Transfer the granola bar mixture to the prepared pan, press down firmly with the back of a measuring cup to compact. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until set.
- Step 6: Slice and Enjoy: Once set, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment overhang and cut into bars with a sharp knife.
Expert Tips for Making No Bake Granola Bars
- Press Firmly: Ensure the mixture is packed tightly into the pan to help the bars hold together.
- Cool Completely: Allow the bars to cool completely in the fridge before slicing to prevent them from crumbling.
- Customize the Flavor: Add a drizzle of melted chocolate or a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top for an extra touch.
Homemade Chewy Granola Bars Serving Suggestions
- Breakfast On-the-Go: Pair with a banana or yogurt for a balanced start to your day.
- Afternoon Snack: Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea for a mid-day pick-me-up.
- Dessert: Add a drizzle of dark chocolate for an indulgent treat.
Chocolate Chip Granola Bars Storage Tips
- Refrigerator: store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. They will soften slightly at room temperature.
- Freezer: for longer storage, freeze the bars on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then transfer to an airtight container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
FAQS
Homemade granola bars can be a nourishing snack because you control the ingredients. Use whole-grain oats for fiber, nuts or seeds for healthy fats, and just enough sweetener (like honey) to bind. Keep add-ins simple (dark chocolate, dried fruit) and aim for a balance of carbs, protein, and fat so they're satisfying without a sugar crash.
Bars that won't hold together: Not enough binder (nut/seed butter + honey) or the mixture wasn't pressed firmly into the pan.
Too hard or crumbly: Over-baking (for baked bars) or too little fat; add a bit more nut/seed butter or coconut oil.
Greasy texture: Too much oil or nut butter; measure accurately and chill fully before slicing.
Overly sweet: Using lots of sugary mix-ins plus sweetener; choose either chocolate or dried fruit, not both in large amounts.
Uneven mix-ins: Fold add-ins at the end and press the mixture firmly and evenly for consistent bites.
Generally, no. For no-bake bars, soaking makes oats mushy and the bars won't set well. For baked bars, soaking changes moisture and can lead to a gummy texture or longer bake times. If you need a softer bite, use quick oats (or a mix of quick + rolled) instead of soaking, or pulse rolled oats a few times in a food processor to slightly reduce their size.
More Granola Bar Recipes You'll Love
📖 Recipe
Soft and Chewy Granola Bars
Equipment
- 1 8-inch square pan lined with parchment paper
- 1 small saucepan
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup (81 grams) gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup (44 grams) crispy rice cereal weight may very by brand
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons hemp hearts
- ¼ cup (23 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup (45 grams) mini chocolate chips
Wet Ingredients:
- ½ cup (129 grams) natural peanut butter
- ⅓ cup (113 grams) honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square pan with two pieces of parchment paper, overlapping the sides.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, rice cereal, sesame seeds, hemp hearts, shredded coconut, and sea salt. Don't add the chocolate chips yet, they will melt.1 cup gluten free old fashioned rolled oats, 1 cup crispy rice cereal, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, 2 tablespoons hemp hearts, ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, warm the peanut butter and honey until just melted. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.½ cup natural peanut butter, ⅓ cup honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the peanut butter honey mixture over the oat mixture. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix until everything is evenly coated. Mix in the mini chocolate chips.¼ cup mini chocolate chips
- Transfer the granola bar mixture to the prepared pan, press down firmly with the back of a measuring cup to compact. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until set.
- Once set, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment overhang and cut into bars with a sharp knife. Refrigerate.
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Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for 3 months.
- Press Firmly: Ensure the mixture is packed tightly into the pan to help the bars hold together.
- Cool completely: allow the bars to cool completely in the fridge before slicing to prevent them from crumbling.
- Customize the Flavor: Add a drizzle of melted chocolate or a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top for an extra touch.
Braden says
This is my mom's recipe that she's been making for years and I ask her to make these for me all the time, they're so much better than store bought granola bars!
Jacqui Wilson says
Thank you Braden, that's such a sweet comment.
Linda Smith says
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.