Description
Homemade chocolate chip granola bars deliver a delightful crunch with balanced sweetness and nutty undertones. Packed with wholesome ingredients, these bars offer a satisfying snack perfect for quick energy boosts you can enjoy anytime.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ½ cups (595 ml) old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup (120 ml) mini chocolate chips
- ½ cup (120 ml) dried fruit or chopped nuts
- 1 cup (240 ml) crispy rice cereal
- ½ cup (120 ml) peanut butter or almond butter
- ½ cup (120 ml) honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60 ml) brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Pan Preparation: Line a baking pan with parchment paper, allowing excess to hang over edges for effortless extraction.
- Base Blend: Thoroughly mix rolled oats and crispy rice cereal in a large mixing bowl, creating a textural foundation.
- Syrup Creation: Gently melt peanut butter, honey, and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring continuously until the mixture becomes a smooth, glossy liquid with gentle bubbling.
- Flavor Enhancement: Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract and salt, ensuring complete integration of aromatics.
- Ingredient Fusion: Pour warm syrup over dry ingredients, using a spatula to coat every morsel uniformly, creating a cohesive mixture that binds completely.
- Mix-in Incorporation: Fold chocolate chips or alternative ingredients gently into the cooling mixture, distributing them evenly throughout the granola base.
- Compression and Setting: Press the mixture firmly into the prepared pan, creating a compact, uniform layer. Refrigerate for one hour to solidify the bars completely.
- Portioning: Extract the set granola block using parchment paper overhang, then slice into precise rectangles or squares with a sharp knife.
- Storage: Preserve the granola bars in an airtight container, maintaining optimal freshness at room temperature for up to a week or refrigerated for extended preservation.
Notes
- Perfect Pan Preparation: Line the baking pan meticulously with parchment paper, ensuring edges extend slightly for hassle-free bar removal and clean cutting.
- Control Syrup Consistency: Heat peanut butter, honey, and brown sugar slowly, stirring continuously to prevent burning and achieve a smooth, glossy binding liquid.
- Prevent Crumbly Texture: Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan, compacting ingredients to ensure bars hold together without falling apart when sliced.
- Smart Storage Strategy: Keep granola bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or refrigerate for longer preservation and firmer texture.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Breakfast
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 170
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg