We love granola for breakfast and for snacks, so it’s no surprise that homemade granola bars found their way into our trove of recipes.
Any time I can make something instead of buying it pre-packaged, I give it a try. There’s something about being able to hand pick the ingredients and know exactly what’s going into our food that is very satisfying.
Or maybe I’m just a control freak. Either way, I’m into it!
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Better than store bought
When it came to granola bars, I knew that many store bought versions were pretty much candy bars. Some are better for you than others, but I was confident that homemade was going to be the way to go. Simple ingredients and easy to do – why not?
This recipe is filled with whole grain oats, almonds, pepitas, and tart dried cherries. Mini chocolate chips are optional. I’ll add them when I want the granola bar to be more of a dessert, but I know for some folks they’re a must have.
Recipe steps
Start out by toasting the oats and nuts. This really helps with the texture of the bars, as raw oats and nuts can be quite chewy. Ten minutes in a 350°F oven time gives them just the right amount of crispness and helps bring out their flavor.
Once the main ingredients are toasted, you make a butter-honey-sugar mixture that acts as a binder. Don’t worry, it’s not a ton of sweetness. Just three tablespoons of brown sugar, four tablespoons of butter, and a quarter cup of honey create enough “stick” to hold the bars together.
Melt those ingredients on the stovetop till the sugar is completely melted and pour it over the oat mixture. Stir it all together, then add the cherries and chocolate chips. Stir again, press it into a parchment-line square pan, and put it in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
Be sure to refrigerate!
The refrigerator step is crucial, as the bars need to be very firm before cutting them. Then just lift them out and onto a cutting board and cut them into squares, or any other shape you may like. Also, be sure to peel the parchment off the bottom – it has a tendency to cling.
Breakfast or snack? Yes!
They’re really good and make a great snack or quick breakfast on the go.
They’re also easy to customize with your favorite nuts, dried fruits, and other stir ins, like chocolate chips or coconut flakes.
And, they gift nicely and keep well in the refrigerator or pantry.
Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2½ cups rolled oats, old fashioned, not quick cooking oats
- ½ cup whole almonds (raw and unsalted), coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup pepitas, raw and unsalted
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
- â…“ cup honey
- 3 tbsp. brown sugar
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. fine sea salt
- ½ cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉. Line an 8×8- or 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside. Be sure the parchment paper goes up and over the sides of the pan, as you'll use it like handles to remove the granola bars later on.
- While the oven is heating, mix the oats, almonds, and pepitas on an ungreased baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven for five minutes. After five minutes, give everything a good stir. Continue toasting the mixture for another five minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
- Place the oat mixture in a large bowl and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. When the butter is melted, stir in the honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and sea salt. Increase the heat to medium low and continue cooking, stirring constantly, till the mixture bubbles and the sugar has melted. It should be nice and smooth at this point.
- Pour the butter mixture over the oats and nuts and stir to coat everything evenly. Add the dried cherries and stir again. If you're using chocolate chips, allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes before adding them. You don't want them to melt completely, though a little melting is fine.
- Transfer the granola bar mixture to the prepared pan and press down firmly. Be sure the mixture is evenly distributed and that you give it a solid press with a spatula. This will help ensure the bars stay together. If they're not pressed firmly, they can fall apart.
- Place the pan in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours, or overnight. This is where the magic happens! Thorough chilling is essential to firm bars.
- Once chilled, remove the pan from the refrigerator and lift the entire block of granola onto a cutting board using the parchment paper "handles." Using a sharp knife, cut the block into 16 squares.
- Granola bars may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or in a cool, dark pantry. They keep for 1-2 weeks in the pantry, or 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.