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These are the best homemade granola bars out there. My kids LOVE them, and they only have 7 ingredients (Quaker Chewy has 28+). Ditch the mystery ingredients and go natural!
Quick quiz: Which would you rather put in your mouth? Your kids’ mouths?
 Quaker Chewy Granola Bar ingredients:
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 Best Homemade Granola Bar ingredients:
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| GRANOLA (WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS, BROWN SUGAR, CRISP RICE [RICE FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT, MALTED BARLEY EXTRACT], WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED WHEAT, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN AND COTONSEED OILS* WITH TBHQ AND CITRIC ACID ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL WITH NATURAL TOCOPHEROL ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS, DRIED COCONUT, WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, SODIUM BICARBONATE, SOY LECITHIN, CARAMEL COLOR, NONFAT DRY MILK), SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS (SUGAR, CHOCOLATE LIQUOR, COCOA BUTTER, SOY LECITHIN, VANILLA EXTRACT), CORN SYRUP, CRISP RICE (RICE FLOUR, SUGAR, BARLEY MALT, SALT), INVERT SUGAR, SUGAR, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, GLYCERIN, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL*. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF SORBITOL, CALCIUM CARBONATE, SALT, WATER, SOY LECITHIN, MOLASSES, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, BHT (PRESERVATIVE), CITRIC ACID. | Oats
Wheat flour Butter Vanilla Honey Baking soda |
Are you as surprised as I was? There are waaaaay too many mystery ingredients in those packaged bars. Nobody wakes up in the morning and says, “Hey! I think I’ll have a bit of hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils with my breakfast. Plus I’ll be sure to send some with the kids for their snack.”
That’s not the least of my complaints. Most packaged granola bars are made in factories that process nuts–definitely a concern if someone in your family has nut allergies. And, of course, there’s the persistent fact that packaged granola bars are tiny and never contain enough chocolate chips. Ahem. That’s why I’m excited to tell you about this fantastic recipe.
You’re going to love these easy, homemade granola bars. The kids have decided that they’re the best! If you can make cookies, you can make these granola bars. The hearty, healthy oats will help fill you up. Add raisins, chocolate chips, nuts–whatever sounds delicious to you.
Tools Used to Make Homemade Granola Bars
Here are the tools I recommend to make this recipe quickly and easily:
KitchenAid mixer: to mix everything quickly and easily
9 x 13 Pyrex baking dish: please don’t use nonstick baking pans (here’s why)
Mini chocolate chips: smaller chocolate chips means more chocolate per bar–always a good choice.
Best Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla (extra credit for homemade)
3/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon baking soda
Plus 1 cup of add-in goodies if desired: mini chocolate chips, raisins, coconut flakes, chopped dried apricots, dried cranberries, etc. (We like to add mini chocolate chips and chopped walnuts).
Instructions:
Lightly butter a 9 x 13 pan and preheat the oven to 325 F.
Combine the butter and honey in a large bowl and mix well. (I used my trusty KitchenAid mixer and it took just a few seconds.) Add all ingredients except the add-ins and mix until combined. Stir in the add-ins by hand.
Press the mixture into the pan. It’s a little sticky, so it helps to put a few drops of water on your hands and press the mixture in firmly.
Bake at 325 F for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. They won’t look quite done, but will firm up while they cool. After they cool for about 10 minutes, you can cut them into bars.
Store at room temperature in an easily accessible container. They will be gobbled up faster than you can imagine.
As you can see, this is easier than making a batch of homemade cookies. And you can customize the recipe as much as you want!
Want more easy, super-healthy snack recipes?
This fantastic recipe for homemade granola bars is from one of my favorite recipe books, Healthy Snacks to Go.
Healthy Snacks to Go is an ebook that you can buy instantly online here and read on your iPad/phone, or print out for reference.
It has more than 45 natural, healthy recipes for snacks like:
- Wheat Thin-style crackers
- Fruit Roll-ups
- Peanut Butter Kisses
- Easy One-bowl Muffins
Besides all the recipes and tips, it includes 3 bonus sections:
- Basic Snacks Checklist
- Soaking Grains Primer
- Sanity-Saving Lunch Packing Tips
Give it a try—we’ve saved tons of money just by making our own granola bars. We’re trying Peanut Butter Kisses next.
Get Healthy Snacks to Go today and start snacking!
Your family will love these natural, healthy granola bars. And they only have 7 ingredients (Quaker Chewy has 28+). Ditch the mystery ingredients and go natural! As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Best Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients
Instructions
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Do you know how many carbs there are
How long are those bars good in the air tight container?
Do the bars hold their shape after you cut them to eat? Some granola bars fall apart easily, so Im just curious. Btw I found this on Pinterest and wasnt even looking for them. Glad I finally found a good recipe!
I loved this recipe! I have been wanting a good granola bar recipe for a long time now, and this was perfect! My entire family loved them. Thank you so much!
I love these. I add peanuts, coconut and chocolate chips. I halve the recipe and bake them in a muffin tin for a dozen perfectly sized snacks.
These are AMAZING!!!
I don’t see a print button…
This is by far the best homemade granola bar recipe that I have made, however, 2 sticks of butter is way too much saturated fat (even per serving). Have you tried a lighter version yet?
I have no idea what went wrong, they are the perfect consistency and chewy, but they are flavorless! I added my favorites, dried mango, coconut, and cranberries. All have a natural sweetness and the bars literally have no taste. Gonna try it again.
I just had a quick question. How many bars do you get out of one batch? I calculated the calories for this recipe and was shocked so I am thinking your bars are much smaller than I estimated. Also have you ever replaced some of the butter with coconut oil?
I used coconut oil and they turned out amazing! Making them again this afternoon 🙂
I’m so glad I’ve found a homemade granola bar recipe that tastes so good! I made these last night with raisins (and added a little bit of cinnamon), and I can’t wait to try them with other mix ins. Thank you for helping me eat healthier :).
On this, my 100th time making these, I have to say thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I make these once a week so both my boys can bring them to school for a snack, and my pre-verbal 8 year-year-old says “snack bar, please” with impressive clarity. These are the best!!
How long do these keep?
So, do these babies hold together? The last recipe I tried was delicious, but quickly crumbled to just granola as soon as they were touched!!
Could you use peanut butter for the butter or add peanut butter. I really want some protein in the bars. Thank you!
I saw you could do half, I was just wondering if a full substitution was too much. Thanks again!
I add protein powder when I make them!
Thanks so much!
I’m not a fan of honey. What could I use as a substitute?
Sugar, turbinado, sucanat, rapadura, maple syrup…
I’ve made these at least a dozen times and they are great! I always make 2-3 batches at a time, cut, wrap and freeze them. I stick them in my kids’ lunch boxes and they are thawed by snack time. Thanks for the recipe!
P.S. if you have a lot of dry add ins, try putting in a little more butter and/or honey so they don’t get dried out and fall apart. I don’t have this problen because I add in raisins so they add in moisture, but if you only put in chocolate and nuts, they might be too dry. Just a thought 🙂
I made these last night but substituted 1 cup coconut oil for the butter, added a teaspoon of sea salt and a teaspoon of cinnamon. They are delicious! My add ins were chocolate chips and walnuts.
The key to homemade granola bars not crumbling apart, from my experience, is to let them cool for 10 minutes and then press them. I use a thick beer glass and roll/press until nothing gives. Then let them cool and cut them.
I just made these with raisins, pomegranates, cherries, and sunflower seeds they are really good but for some reason they are falling apart. How can I fix this for next time?
Thanks for sharing your recipe on Wildcrafting Wednesday!
Love that I can make these nut free for our house! Thanks for sharing this on Tuesday Greens!
I’m trying to cook more things at home rather than buy them, these sound great!!! I’d love if you come link up over at Feed Me Friday!
This recipe sound very good and nutritious. I try to cook healthy when I can, but I admit I get lazy and love “quick” stuff. Pinning ;-D
I just made these and really enjoyed them! I made them with mixed nuts and raisins. I made these exactly as stated, but they don’t seem to be sticking together too well. When I cut through them to make the bars, the add ons seem to have fallen out. Is there something I can do differently next time to get everything to stick better? Thanks!
Doin’ this today, and am gonna try half butter and half coconut oil. Thanks so much for sharing!
I’m definitely going to try these, but how come there is no granola in your granola bars? 😉
um, the combination of these ingredients IS granola….
My last attempt at Copycat Chewy Bars was horrendous! lol. I’ve been wanting to make my own granola bars for a while now & I’m really excited to try this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing this at the Tasty Tuesdays link party! I just wanted to let you know that I’ve just featured this via G+ and I’m now following you on Fb, Pinterst & Twitter!
Do you think this would work with coconut oil instead of butter?
Absolutely!
Thank you for your submission on Nourishing Treasures’ Make Your Own! Monday link-up.
Check back tomorrow when the new link-up is running to see if you were one of the top 3 featured posts! 🙂
this recipe sounds great. are these crunchy or chewy? if crunchy, can you advise on how to make them chewy? thanks! 🙂
These are chewy, unless you overcook…and then they’re crumbly. (Ask me how I know.)
I’m a grandma & when I know the kids are coming I’m stuck for some types of healthy treats besides fruits & store bought items, this is really easy & I’ll give it a try, having them help make them will be fun!
Show and Tell Saturday is LIVE at Sassy Little Lady! I’d love to have you come join the party!
http://www.sassylittlelady.com/blog/show-and-tell-saturday/show-and-tell-saturday-3
Kathie
We have been buying the box you have pictured, and I have been looking for a recipe, thanks for sharing.
Stopped by from the Living Green Tuesday Link Up.
Great how you showed the difference between the commercial granola bars and your own… it is really disturbing. Thanks for sharing this with us on foodie friday.
Nice post, they look so easy to make, and so good to eat. andi
Yes, this would be so useful for our kids’ school lunchboxes -gotta try it and will check out the ebook. Thanks for the tip!
Thank you for sharing this recipe, I like how you started your post. stopping by from Market yourself link party
Thank you for sharing his recipe! I have been looking for one that is natural without corn syrup and this looks great! Can’t wait to try!
Just curious do you think other types of flour (not wheat) would work? I have Celiac Disease and cannot use wheat flour. I normally use rice flour, almond flour, or fava bean flour.
I used Jules Gluten Free Flour blend in mind and it worked great. I actually thought they tasted like oatmeal cookie bars myself- but that’s not s bad thing for me! I also used Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips as an add in.
I used almond flour and they came out great!
Glad you like them! We’ve added in 1 cup of mini chocolate chips with the last few batches (and reduced the honey to 3/4 cup). So yummy and they satisfy my chocolate craving.
Leslie, I haven’t tried to freeze them but I’m sure if wrapped tightly they’d be fine. They don’t last long enough to freeze!
HI! Great recipe. My only problem is that they aren’t really staying together that well. Do you have a suggestion or does reducing the honey help?
Can you use quick oats?
Have you ever tried to free these? I am not sure we would go through a whole batch before they would go stale. But perhaps we could freeze them individually and get them out as we need them?
Thanks so much for the recipe! We made these this morning and the whole family loved them!
Love it! Thank you, I’ve been wanting a good granola recipe and this looks perfect. I will be trying this very soon 🙂