Super Easy and No-Bake, this Chewy Granola Bar Recipe is loaded with almonds, pecans, honey, and chocolate chips. They are the perfect healthy on-the-go breakfast the whole family will enjoy! They taste just like your favorite store bought chewy granola bar but even better!
On-the-go breakfasts and snacks make life so much easier! Try my easy Chocolate Energy Balls for an added boost to your day, and my Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches can be premade and stocked up for months!
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The Best Chewy Granola Bar Recipe
Mornings can be really tough, and on those days when you have no energy…what do you do for breakfast? These Chewy Granola Bars are always my go-to! My daughter is obsessed with store bought granola bars so I thought why not make our own! They take just 15 minutes to throw together, and this is also a no-bake recipe so once you’ve mixed the ingredients together you just pop the bars in the fridge to firm up. SO easy! This is also a fun recipe to get the kids in the kitchen and help you make these. They can pick there favorite add ins! See my suggestions below.
These granola bars keep really well for up to a week, making them perfect for meal prep. You can serve them for breakfast or as a snack. They’re also perfect for kids lunch boxes or you can keep them at home for them to munch on after school.
My favorite part of this recipe is that I know exactly what is going into these bars. No strange ingredients, just healthy wholesome ones…plus a little chocolate!
If you like this recipe then you’ll love my Oatmeal Smoothie Recipe or my Energy Bites!
Ingredients in this Chewy Granola Bar Recipe
- Oats: I use old-fashioned rolled oats in this recipe. Quick oats can also be used.
- Almonds & Pecans: Add a great crunch to the bars. If you don’t have any almonds or pecans on hand feel free to substitute cashews or walnuts.
- Honey: Sweetens the bars and helps to bind them together.
- Unsalted Butter: Melted butter helps to get a chewy texture. You can take it a step further and brown the butter before adding in the rest of the ingredients for added flavor.
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds a bit of sweetness and a hint of caramel flavor to the bars.
- Vanilla: I add lots of vanilla extract for flavor!
- Salt: I love the sweet and salty combo! You can also sprinkle these with a pinch of sea salt.
- Chocolate Chips: I use mini chocolate chips however regular chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips would also work! You can also omit the chocolate if you prefer.
How to make this Chewy Granola Bar Recipe
Making your own granola bars at home is a lot easier to make than you think!
Toast the oats and nuts: The first thing I do when making these bars is toast the oats, pecans, and almonds in the oven for a couple of minutes until golden brown and nutty.
Melt the wet ingredients and sugar: Next, I melt butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan.
Mix it all together: I toss the honey mixture with the oats and chocolate chips.
Press and chill: Press the granola mixture into a 9 x 9 pan lined with aluminum foil. I like to refrigerate these for 2 hours to help them firm up.
Slice and eat or store: Lift the aluminum up out of the pan and then slice the granola into 12 bars. The bars can be stored in the fridge for up to a week!
Tips for Success
- Line the pan with foil or greaseproof paper before pressing in the granola mixture. This makes cutting the bars much easier, and cleanup is a breeze!
- Make a double batch if you have a lot of mouths to feed or you can freeze half for later.
- Toast the oats and nuts! Don’t skip this step! It makes the world of difference and can bring stale nuts back to life.
- Save some chocolate chips to sprinkle on top before pressing the bars into the pan. It looks good (it is chocolate after all) and we eat with our eyes. When something looks particularly tempting we savor it more!
- Make sure to really press down the bars before refrigerating. This helps them stay together!
How to Store Homemade Granola Bars
- Store these chocolate chip granola bars in an airtight container or individually wrapped in plastic wrap. Keep them in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freeze them in an airtight container or individually wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 6 months. Thaw completely before eating.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this chewy granola bar recipe healthy? This particular recipe is pretty healthy, loaded with lots of oats and nuts. Plenty of fiber and a little protein to keep you going.
- How do you make granola bars not fall apart? In this recipe, the granola bars stick together because of the honey and the sugar. It melts and then sticks to the oats, keeping everything intact. Then, as the bars are set in the fridge, they firm up as a solid chocolate chip granola bar. Also making sure to really press the bars down in the pan before refrigerating makes a big difference too!
- Can I add anything else in? Absolutely! These chocolate chip granola bars are fully customizable. Here are a few suggestions:
Hemp Seeds
Chia Seeds
Flax Seeds
Walnuts
Cashews
Dark Chocolate Chips
White Chocolate Chips
Peanut Butter Chips
Shredded Coconut
Raisins
Craisins
Here are more breakfast recipes to try!
- Copycat Kind Granola Bars
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
- Easy Breakfast Cookies
- Almond Joy Energy Balls
- Healthy Baked Oatmeal
- Coconut-Pecan Chocolate Chip Granola
- Energy Balls
Chewy Granola Bar Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9 x 9 pan with foil. Lightly spray with cooking spray.Add the oats, almonds and pecans to a baking sheet and bake until golden brown and toasted, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Turn oven off.
- Meanwhile add butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla and salt to a small saucepan. Stir until just melted and the sugar dissolves.
- Pour the butter into the oat and nut mixture, mix well. Allow the mixture to cool for 5-10 minutes before folding in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and firmly press the mixture down with a spatula. This is important to making it stay together.Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to firm up.
- Lift up the bars out of the pan by grabbing the sides of foil.Cut into 12 bars and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Did you make this?
I’d love to hear your feedback! Leave a review and make sure to share your pictures on social media! Don’t forget to follow @thechefsavvy.
Dave
Thanks for this and your other snack bars. I like these for when I bike or kayak but hate paying the $$ for the packaged units.
Nathan
Hi Dave,
I’m so glad you enjoy them!
Thanks you for trying them out and for commenting!
Nathan
Melissa
I love this recipe. It remains chewy and it stays together. It is also not too sweet or dry. I follow the recipe measurements exactly regarding the oats and liquids and sugar. I change up the nut and chocolate mix by using the almonds but other things as well. I just am very careful that the other items are in the same measurement. For example I put in a mix of sunflower and sesame seeds to equal the pecans. Small cut up dried fruit to equal the chocolate chips. I also add pepitas with the sunflower and sesame. Dried cranberries, papaya, dried pineapple… the options are endless just don’t change the amounts. Fabulous keeper recipe for my family!
Kelley Simmons
So glad you enjoy this! I love your mix ins!
Emily
“Healthy”? These are way way too sweet (I did not use chocolate). And they fell apart when I tried to cut them. 🙁
Kelley Simmons
So sorry to hear this! Did you wait until they cooled in the fridge for two hours? That makes a huge difference. As well as spraying the foil with cooking spray and using the foil to lift out the bars.
Kim
Good recipe to follow I had granola to use up and I added peanut butter
Chelsea Thompson
We double this recipe and I make some with chocolate chips and some without. I think they’re too sweet with the chips. I’ve also made variations with walnuts, rice crispies cereal, and cheerios. I saved this recipe and never looked back. We love it. Definitely toast the oats.
Kelley Simmons
Yah so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe!!
Katie
LOVE this recipe and it’s a household staple. We don’t add the chocolate and I use a nut mill to coarsely grind almonds, pecans and walnuts before toasting with the oats to make it a little easier for my toddlers to chew.
Kelley Simmons
What a smart idea! I will have to give that a try! Thanks so much for sharing Katie!