The Best Dang Granola Bars Ever {EVER.}
The Best Dang Granola Bars EVER are NO BAKE, loaded with oats, nuts, dried fruit, and covered in chocolate.
Okay so these are the Best Dang Granola Bars Ever.
And when I say Ever, I mean EVER. Until I make another one that tops it. But for now puh-leez buh-leeev that these are IT.
I've been living and breathing granola bars for about a week now, which seems like a weird obsession in lieu of the freezing cold weather that we all can't stop talking about. I maybe should have been baking bread or something, but granola bars are WHERE IT'S AT.
Oh. And since we are talking about cold weather... I just realized that it's been a hot minute since I updated you guys on Norma Kitty Jean. If you have no idea who Norma Jean is, just enter her name in the search bar up there. Enough crazy cat pictures to last you a lifetime.
Anyway. There is this kitty who I alternately call 'Porch Kitty' and 'Buddy' because he is my buddy and basically lives on my porch. I think he belongs to the neighbors but we all know how that works out.
Total sucker that I am, I've been feeding this guy for months, made him a little kitty shelter outside, and put old sweatshirts in the dryer for him to snuggle with on cold nights.
Shhhhhhh. I know.
So I started seeing weather reports last week about the freakish cold and I immediately started to worry about my Porch Kitty. Then I got a text message from my mom reading, "Hope your outside kitty will be ok!!!"
And now you guys know where I get it from.
The wind started blowing and it got COLD. Fast. Chad and I were walking in the door and there was Buddy sitting on the steps. I'm sure you know what happened next.
So Buddy aka Porch Kitty aka Norma Jean's Worst Nightmare came in and purred and snuggled Lucy Dog on the couch while she gave me crazy eyes like, "Is this guy serious?"
And the answer is yes. Yes he is so snuggle serious. It all fell apart when Norma Jean figured out there was an intruder.
My girl, diva to the max that she is, HATES this cat. When he was outside she routinely tried to smack his face through the window. Inside she followed him through the house hissing and giving him the stink eye. She was appalled that I thought she should share her food.
She went to hide under the bed. Buddy made the mistake of trying to be friends. Norma Jean smacked him in the face and returned to her sulking under a different bed.
Drama.
So that's your update. Norma hates everyone, does not like to share, and is the Queen of the World.
{but I let Buddy sleep on the couch anyway}
Granola Bars are a drama-free zone. These are no-bake (well... you have to toast the oats but that doesn't count), no fuss, low sugar, drizzled in dark chocolate, stuffed full of nuts and seeds and dried fruit and whatever else you can jam in there.
They are awesome for a snack, perfect for breakfast on the run, will fit in your fanny pack at the gym (but please don't wear a fanny pack. please.), and are pretty much all-around awesome. REALLY the best.
If you don't have lots of food stuffs on hand to put in granola bars (because maybe you all don't hoard almonds, chocolate chips, and dried cranberries like I do), I know a shortcut! Grab a bag of your favorite trail mix. All the nuts and fruits are already in there! Some of them even have M & M's.
I made these granola bars for the Leftovers Club! Leftovers Club was a group of food bloggers that got together to share the inevitable leftovers that come from testing and re-testing recipes.
If you are interested in tips and tricks on treats you can mail [like granola bars!] scroll past this printable recipe.
The Best Dang Granola Bars Ever {EVER.}
The best dang homemade granola bars ever! Stuffed full of toasted oats, seeds, dried fruit, nuts, honey, maple syrup, and dark chocolate. These are a staple around here! The active cook time in this recipe is short but you will need to allow time for the bars to set up.
Ingredients
- 3 cups old fashioned oats (if GF is important to you use certified GF oats)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 - 1 ½ cups dried cranberries (or other add-ins such as raisins or other dried fruits - chopped if you need to, nuts, sunflower seeds, pepitas, chocolate chips; all your favorite things!)
- 5 ounces dark chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and scatter the oats in a 9 X 13 pan. Let them toast, stirring at least once, for about 15 minutes. When they are done they will look slightly golden and you will smell the toasty oats.
- Line a 9 X 9 pan with parchment paper or foil. You want a piece large enough that the sides will come back over and cover the top of the bars once you fill the pan.
- While the oats toast heat the oil in a small saucepan on the stove. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Bring it to a simmer over medium high heat. Stir to make sure the brown sugar dissolves, and turn the heat off.
- Put the toasted oats in a large bowl. Pour the hot liquid over the oats and stir to coat evenly. Stir in all your add-ins. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Fold the parchment or foil over the top of the granola in the pan and PRESS to fill the corners and flatten. Keep pressing and smooth the granola out so that it is even across the pan.
- Let the granola bars set up in a cool dry place for at least an hour. They will set faster in the freezer. I like to make mine in the evening and let them set up overnight.
- Turn them out of the pan onto a cutting board. Peel the parchment or foil away. Slice down the middle and then cut each half into 6 bars. Lay the bars on a clean piece of parchment or foil. Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the sliced bars. Let it set up and ENJOY!
Notes
- grapeseed oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, melted coconut oil -- any will work here. I do not love the flavor of olive oil in this recipe but using what you like matters.
- GOOD dark chocolate makes a difference! The less sweet the better, but you wanna like the taste, so pick your favorite!
- If you are feeling very fancy you can spoon a strip of chocolate onto the parchment, place the granola bars on top, and then drizzle more over the top of the bar. This will give it a chocolate back kind of like a Luna bar.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 321Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 493mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 5gSugar: 27gProtein: 7g
For this month I was partnered with Joanne from Joanne Eats Well With Others which might be full of my favorite vegetarian recipes ever ever in the world. She made me Meyer Lemon Macarons with perfect little feet. So excited.
If you want to know more about mailing treats...
Start with this post on How to Ship Baked Goods
...and then mail someone these Triple Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies.
Made these last night.. put raisins, sunflower seeds & shredded coconut. Came out incredible! The cinnamon in the recipe is just enough to give that extra bit of flavor. Used Trader Joes dark chocolate drizzled on top, perfect amount of sweet and flavor!! One of the few homemade granola bars that I love and are incredible!!!
Thank you so much, Nikki!
How long do these keep
How do you store these? In the freezer? Fridge? Pantry? Looking to make some stuff on weekends for my kids school lunches. Thanks!
One of the reasons I love these bars is that they store in the pantry so well. My husband takes them for his lunch most days, so bars that hold up without refrigeration is important. I'll admit the slab of chocolate on the bottom sure helps to keep it all together. Also, the recipe itself is so versatile that you can literally throw in "all your favorite things." Coconut is one of those favorite things for us! This time I also chopped up 3 dates to replace the brown sugar. Bowl lickin' good! Thanks to Heather for a really nice recipe!
Teena - I love the suggestion with the dates! So glad these work for you! They are seriously STILL my fave.
OK, so I thought I'd respond back on the date granola bars since they were not so awesome. It might not have been the dates. I added a full cup of fresh frozen coconut and it did taste great, but the fresh coconut was too much moisture. It did NOT hold together well. I did cook down the dates with the honey and maple syrup mixture. The dried coconut works fine. Sometimes it's fun to experiment but, in this case, I'm not going to mess with a good thing. And this recipe is a good thing as is. Probably not going to do the date thing again.
Thanks for reporting back Teena!
Hey Molly! I refrigerate mine if I'm worried about melty chocolate, but as long as your pantry is cool and dry that works well, too!
I made these today and we love them!! After reading previous comments, I decided to get the brown rice syrup to be sure they stayed together. I'm glad we made the 60 mile drive to find it! That stuff is incredibly sticky and I had no issues with them falling apart. I love the cinnamon and nutmeg flavor! It will be fun trying new add-ins. They'll taste different every time!
OMG 60 mile drive!!! That is granola bar devotion! Glad these worked out for you 🙂
Next time you need brown rice syrup, I'll send you an Amazon link. Happy snacking!!!
-Heather
I'm hoping to make these but only have chocolate chips on hand. My daughter also has a nut allergy so I could only do raisins etc.
Is it necessary to have a bunch of added things?
Hey Jennifer! Chocolate chips melt a little differently because they include stabilizers, but you should be just fine 🙂 And only add what you like!!
@jennifer, I have a nut allergy too and have sometimes added crushed/broken up pretzels to things for a little bit of crunch. Maybe that would work?
Hi Heather,
I love these granola bars! So easy to make with pretty standard ingredients. Next time I am going to try molasses as suggested in the comments. Oh and I love the chocolate "cocoon" idea!! 🙂
I have a granola bar recipe that I really like to make. It uses sweet potato and ground flax seed.
http://doubletherecipe.com/2016/04/26/homemade-granola-bars/
Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
Thank you Valerie!I'm so glad this recipe was a success for you! Thanks for sharing yours 🙂
These are amazing and I can satisfy my sweet tooth with them instead of with brownies!! 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks so much Ruth!
Are these chewy or crunchy? I'm having a hard time finding a chewy recipe.
They are chewy!
I made these last night, turned out excellent. I put them in the fridge overnight to make sure they would set well. I went to cut them into bars in the morning, and they basically all crumbled..I made sure to press all the ingredients nice and tight together, but they still turned out crumbly..Any ideas or tips? I would like to make these again, but wanted granola bars, not granola.
These were easy to make and everyone commented on how good they were! Great for packaging individually for a bake sale. And gluten free is something we need to be aware of in our circle of friends. I used vegetable oil in the first batch and they fell apart more easily than the second batch which I used Crisco in. It was all good though because I stirred the crumbly bits into the left over melted chocolate and had a chocolate granola mix to snack on!
YUM!!! Thanks so much Dawn!
holy cow!!!!I tried this recipe and doubled it.. I did coconut oil, molasses instead of syrup, and used the Ralphs "texas blend of nuts and dried fruit, I add coconut also. when I made the chocolate drizzle, I added peanut butter..AMAZING!! Thank goodness I made a double batch right off the bat.. within 28 hours, they are almost gone!! these will definitely be a staple in our home. The title sais it all!! Best EVER!!!They seemed to be a little crumbly, but soft.. maybe because of the coconut oil and molasses. I'm going to keep experimenting.. LOVE this recipe!!
Thanks so much for the glowing review, Jo! I LOVE the addition of coconut as well as the peanut butter to the chocolate!
I don't have a 9X9 pan... only an 8X8 pan... any suggestions what I should do??
Use the 8 X 8!! You'll just have slightly thicker bars 🙂
I have a bad sweet tooth and wanted something healthier to eat, so when I saw your recipe, I had to try. Just finished making these and they are THE BEST GRANOLA BARS EVER. I used coconut oil and a TBL. of almond butter, raisins, walnuts and chia seeds. Then spread some dark chocolate of top. Wonderful! Thank you so much!!!!
Oooohhh the almond butter! Good add! Thanks for the feedback Laurel! Glad you enjoyed them!
Great flavor, but the oats just crumbled on the cutting board when I took it out of the freezer. I'll use for granola topping on yogurt, but no way to call this a "bar".
Hello Heather. I love these bars. For some reason when I made them, the chocolate that I drizzled on top set separately from the bars and just fell off. Any ideas?
Hm. Sometimes the kind of chocolate you use can be responsible. For me, I like to slice the bars and then spoon some chocolate onto wax or parchment paper. Then I set the bars on top of it and THEN drizzle over the top. It makes like a chocolate cocoon 🙂 I'm glad you loved these and I hope that helps!