Granola bars are often my afternoon pick-me-up or mid-morning snack whenever I nanny. I head to the pantry, grab a Chewy granola bar, enjoy the chocolatey chip goodness, and tell myself that it is a healthy snack. In reality, those bars are filled with a bunch of ingredients--some that I can't even pronounce. Check out the list of ingredients from Chocolate Chip Quaker Chewy granola bars:
This inspired me to make homemade chocolate chip granola bars. This way I know exactly what goes in to the granola bars and in turn what goes into my body! I really love this part about baking and cooking.
This recipe is a combination of ideas from my mom's granola bar recipe and my favorite food blog "Smitten Kitchen." Check out her recipe here https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/06/chocolate-chunk-granola-bars/
Ingredients (makes an 8x8in pan of granola bars)
- 1 & 2/3 cups quick rolled oats
- 1/3 cup oat flour (or quick oats blended or processed until finely ground)
- 1/3 cup almonds (blended or processed until finely ground)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chocolate chunks (I used mini chocolate chips)
- 1/3 cup almond butter or your desired nut butter
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp. butter melted (3/4 stick)
- 1/4 cup corn syrup (can substitute honey or maple syrup)
- 2 tbsp. honey
How to make it
- preheat oven to 350 degrees
- in a blender or food processor combine 1/3 cup quick rolled oats and 1/3 cup of almonds and blend until finely ground
- combine 1 & 2/3 cups quick rolled oats, 1/3 cup finely ground quick rolled oats (or oat flour), 1 cup finely ground almonds, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and 1 cup chocolate chips in a medium sized bowl
- set aside dry ingredients
- in a separate bowl combine 1/3 cup almond butter,1 tsp. vanilla extract, 6 tbsp. melted butter, 1/4 cup corn syrup, and 2 tbsp. honey
- stir wet ingredients until well combined and until texture is smooth
- combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients in medium sized bowl and mix until well combined and until chocolate chips are evenly dispersed
- line an 8x8 in square pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper (criss crossing them in order to create flaps to lift the granola bars out of the pan when they are done baking)
- coat parchment paper with a non-stick baking spray
- transfer granola mixture into pan, and spread it until flat and evenly dispersed (I recommend rinsing your hands with water in order to prevent the mixture from sticking to you hands)
- bake granola bars for 25-30 min at 350 degrees in oven
- remove from oven and let cool before cutting (can place in freezer or fridge to speed up cooling process and making the cutting process easier)
- cut granola bars into desired sizes
- store at room temp. in sealed container for 1 week, or store in freezer until needed
Finished product
For next time...
I am super happy with how these granola bars turned out. Next time I might double the recipe because an 8x8 pan of granola bars doesn't last as long as you would think! Also, these granola bars last well in the freezer, so you can enjoy them at a later date. I look forward to trying out new mix-ins in my granola bars. For possible ideas, see below :)
Variations
The possibilities are endless when it comes to these granola bars. As I mentioned above, if you want to avoid using corn syrup, you can substitute maple syrup or honey. That being said, my mom has been making granola bars for a while, and she thinks using corn syrup is necessary in order to prevent the granola bars from crumbling. Also, you can use your desired nut butter in your recipe. For a peanut butter chocolate flavor, peanut butter would work great! You could also switch up the type of nut used. Some other ideas include walnuts, cashews, and peanuts. Lastly, feel free to mix in dried fruits, chopped nuts, chia or flax seeds, and whatever else you think sounds good.
All in all
These granola bars are a great snack option if you want to avoid eating those ingredients that you can't even pronounce, and if you want to know exactly what you are putting into your body. They are a great addition to any packed lunch, and could even pass by as a healthy dessert. I can't wait to try out new variations of these granola bars. Enjoy! Happy weekend friends.
Thank goodness for my curious assistant!