Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
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These chewy, crispy no-bake chocolate chip granola bars are easy to make — and they put all those store-bought bars to shame.
Chocolate chip granola bars are a staple in my pantry, but between my husband, my kids, and my kids’ hungry friends, I can’t seem to keep enough of them in the house. So I figured it was time to try and make them from scratch, and maybe even sneak in some health food. After many trials, I finally cracked the code and came up with a version that puts all those store-bought bars to shame. What’s more, they’re no-bake and take only ten minutes to make.
Table of Contents
“My kids rated these infinity out of ten. And my husband, the man who once left a 3 Michelin star restaurant proclaiming he’s ‘had better’ said these were delicious!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
- Butter: Adds richness and helps bind the ingredients together.
- Brown Sugar: Provides sweetness and contributes to the chewy texture.
- Honey: Acts as a natural binder and adds sweetness.
- Vanilla: Enhances the flavor profile with its aromatic essence.
- Quick-Cooking/Instant Oats: Serve as the base for texture and substance.
- Crispy Rice Cereal: Adds crispiness and lightness to the bars.
- Sliced Almonds: Introduce nuttiness and extra crunch.
- Flax Meal or Wheat Germ: Offers additional nutritional value and helps with binding.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: Provide little pockets of chocolatey goodness throughout the bars.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the butter, brown sugar, and honey in a large pan.
Bring it to a boil, then let it bubble over low heat for a few minutes to thicken slightly.
Off the heat, stir in the salt and vanilla extract.
Then add the oats, crispy rice cereal, almonds, and flax meal (or wheat germ).
Fold the mixture with a rubber spatula until evenly combined.
Transfer the granola bar mixture to a 9 x 13-inch pan lined with aluminum foil.
Press the mixture lightly with a rubber spatula to flatten, then sprinkle the chocolate chips over top. Use the spatula to press the chips firmly into place and compact the mixture into the pan as much as possible. (The reason you don’t mix the chips in is that they’ll melt.)
Place the pan in the refrigerator for 1-1/2 -2 hours, until the bars are cool. Then use the foil overhang to lift the bars out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut into rectangles.
Keep the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator; if you have to stack them, be sure to use parchment paper or foil in between the layers, otherwise, they’ll crumble and stick. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s important to stick with quick-cooking oats which are rolled oats that have been coarsely chopped. Regular old-fashioned oats are too coarse and chewy for this recipe and cause the bars to fall apart. If you don’t have any quick-cooking oats in your pantry, you can make your own by pulsing regular oatmeal in the food processor a few times.
Sure! Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you have to stack the granola bars, be sure to use parchment paper or foil in between the layers; otherwise, they’ll stick together and fall apart. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Before serving, move them to the refrigerator to thaw.
Yes, these bars offer great versatility. If chocolate chips aren’t your thing, you can opt for raisins or cranberries. Similarly, if almonds aren’t to your taste or if you are dealing with a nut allergy, swap them out for unsalted sunflower seeds. While oats and rice cereal are essential, you have plenty of freedom to substitute other ingredients as long as you maintain the wet-to-dry ingredient ratio.
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Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
These chewy, crispy no-bake chocolate chip granola bars are easy to make — and they put all those store-bought bars to shame.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Heaping ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups quick-cooking/instant oats, such as Quaker Quick 1-Minute Oats (do not use regular old-fashioned oats)
- 1¾ cups crispy rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ cup flax meal or wheat germ
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips (or to taste)
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large pot, combine the butter, brown sugar and honey. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Add the oats, rice cereal, almonds and flax meal (or wheat germ) to the pan and fold with a rubber spatula until well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press down lightly with a rubber spatula to even out. Sprinkle the miniature chocolate chips over top, adding more or less to suit your taste, and press down firmly with the spatula so the chips stick.The mixture should be tightly compacted in the pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator for 1½ - 2 hours to cool.
- Use the foil overhang to transfer the uncut bars to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut into rectangles. Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you have to stack them, be sure to use parchment paper or foil in between the layers, otherwise they'll stick together and fall apart.
- Note: If you are substituting dried fruit for the chocolate chips, mix it in along with the other ingredients as opposed to sprinkling over top.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The granola bars can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, move them to the refrigerator and store there.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 bar
- Calories: 187
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Sugar: 12g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Sodium: 21mg
- Cholesterol: 11mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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My son gave these 12 out of 10 !
The whole family loves them.
Would it work if I substituted maple syrup for the honey?
So glad your family likes them! Yes, you can use maple syrup in place of the honey.
I like to make things a couple of times before I review them. These bars have turned out amazing both times and they freeze beautifully. Even my oat hating daughter likes them! My sons love them. These are a firm favorite in our house.
Just had to let you know how much we are enjoying these! Have made them twice now and everyone in my family says, “Mmmmmm” every time they bite into one and adds, “These are the best granola bars in the world!” And, this is my husband and 3 young adults, lol! I agree. You always have the best recipes! PS If you dampen your hands with water and press down on the bars, it packs easier than using a spatula and it won’t stick to your hands. This works with Rice Krispie treats as well. 😊👍
These granola bars are phenomenal! I generally leave the nuts out so I can send them to school but add in extras like unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut, cranberries or currants or goji berries, and chia seeds. My boys won’t eat store bought granola bars anymore! Thank you so much for the recipe Jenn – your recipes are now my go-to for almost everything and I did order your cookbook as well and I haven’t tried a recipe in it (or from your site) my family hasn’t loved.
Love these! I’ve tried many many granola bar recipes, this one is the best: chewy, holds its shape, school-friendly (I left out the almonds) & delicious! Thank you!
Love these granola bars! One question: sometimes when I make these, they turn out chewy, and other times they are much harder and more brittle. I’m sure it’s a result of how long I cooked the sugar-honey-butter mixture. I have a candy thermometer: what temperature/stage should I aim for to keep it soft and chewy? 240F/soft ball stage?
Hi Kelly, glad you like them! Yes, I would agree that the texture is likely a result of how long you’ve cooked the sugar/honey/butter mixture. Unfortunately, I’ve never taken the temperature so I don’t have an answer for you. Next time I make these I will take the temperature and update the recipe. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Wow, these are really delicious! Followed your recipe exactly. On half the bars, I sprinkled a bit of cinnamon and sugar instead of chocolate, and both sides were delish!
These are amazing! However, they’re a tad to sweet for me. What can I reduce without compromising their structure? Also I used hemp seeds instead of almonds so my toddler could chew them better and it worked perfectly! Thanks so much!
Glad you liked them! To decrease the sweetness, you could reduce some of the honey and/or brown sugar and replace with peanut or almond butter. Hope that helps!
Okay, I will give that a try on my next batch and I will let you know how it goes! Thank you so much for getting back to me!
These were scrumptious. My teen son invented a great variation. Line the pan with parchment and carefully spread an even, thin layer of creamy peanut butter over that. Put in the freezer while making the granola mixture. (The spreading is a bit tricky, but worth it.) Take out, smush the granola mix firmly on top and chill in the fridge for a couple hours to equalize the temperatures of the two layers. Turn out onto a large cutting board, peel away parchment, and cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator to keep the peanut butter a bit firm.
Another excellent recipe! You are awesome ❤️ I did use less honey and could even have used less. I actually only had old fashioned oats and they worked great! Also didn’t have Rice Krispies so I used Trader Joe’s Ohs and they were super. Thank you for always giving us the very best recipes!!!
So glad you enjoyed them! 💓
Best home made granola bars ever!! They taste like cookie dough, and are perfectly chewy!!
Hi Jenn,
I love your website and recipes, thank you for always posting such great ones!
I’ve made these granola bars a few times and they are awesome, but I’d like to try to make them a bit healthier, especially since we are all eating more and moving less… Is there any way to remove the butter (I’ve been using coconut oil, which works great) and the sugar? I see that you have another granola bar recipe that uses dates and nut butter which I would love, but it still has a fair amount of sugar and butter. Can I replace the butter and sugar with dates and nut butter, and maybe banana and leave out the butter/sugar? If so, what would be the right proportions?
Thanks in advance for your advice!!
Hi Ruth, So glad you enjoy the recipes! I know it would be really nice to make these healthier but I don’t think they’d hold together without the fat and sugar. Rather than adjusting this recipe, I think your best bet is to use the other granola bar recipe you mentioned — you can replace the coconut with more oats if you like, and sub out the almonds and blueberries for chocolate chips. I think you could get away with reducing the sweetener a bit on that one (maybe by 1/4 cup?) but any more than that, I worry it would impact the bars. Hope that helps!