Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars (Easy Recipe)
Made with everyday pantry staples, these chewy chocolate chip granola bars are a simple homemade snack that's easy to keep on hand. They're perfect for lunches, hiking, travel, or whenever you need something wholesome to grab on your way out the door.
Ingredients
- 4 cups quick cooking oats
- 2 cups crispy rice cereal
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, natural
- 1/2 cup sugar, maple or cane
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, for topping
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13 inch pan (or 1/4 sheet pan) with butter or coconut oil. Sometimes I’ll line with parchment paper, which makes it easier to remove for cutting.
- In a large bowl, stir oats and cereal together. Set aside.
- In a medium pot, melt butter, honey, peanut butter, sugar and salt together over medium-high heat. Let it start to bubble. Reduce heat a bit, cook and stir for 2 minutes at a gentle boil. Add vanilla.
- Pour over cereal mixture and stir/fold with a rubber spatula until well combined.
- Working quickly so you do not lose all the heat, press mixture into prepared pan evenly. A little coconut oil or butter on your hands helps prevent sticking. Sprinkle chocolate chips across the top.
- Let sit for five minutes, the warmth of the bars will melt the chips just enough so they stick. Cool in the refrigerator for one hour. Cut into squares or rectangles.
- Store at room temperature, or the refrigerator or freezer in warmer climates.
Notes
If you’re in a warm climate you might prefer to keep granola bars in the refrigerator, or even better for longterm storage, the freezer. That way you can pop one in lunchboxes each morning and they’ll be perfect by lunchtime. You can freeze the bars individually or separate layers with parchment paper, making it easy to grab just one or two at a time.
In our northern climate they are just fine at room temperature. Enjoy!