These granola bars are so easy to make and your kids will love them!
Christina with FoodApparel checking in. So, my kids who used to be the BEST little eaters have recently gotten really picky. Ugh. They suddenly don’t want to eat their broccoli, oatmeal, nothing. It’s killing me! I want to make sure they are getting good food, but it’s been a challenge.
But you know one of their favorite foods? Granola Bars. The ones in the store though are so full of hydrogenated something or other that I just cringe a little bit when I buy them. Enter these homemade granola bars to save the day!
I have a few different homemade granola bar versions. All of them I love. The reason I really love these that I’m sharing with you today is that they are really kid-friendly (meaning, they will, in fact, eat them) and you most likely have all of the ingredients already in your cupboard. I mean, not that you don’t always have full pitted dates and flax seed lying around, right? 😉 So, puffed rice is a bit of a filler, yes, I’ll admit, but these bars are packed full of fiber from the oats, so I consider it an overall win!
These are simple – puffed rice cereal, quick oats, brown sugar, honey, vanilla (optional). That’s it. Oh, and chocolate chips, of course, for the chocolate lover in me! (But, really you can do it without the chocolate chips – then just consider them “Oats and Honey” granola bars. Voila!) You can throw in some other stuff if you’d like, but you can also keep it this simple and get the job done.
These come together really fast, but then you do need to let them set for just a little bit (I put them in the fridge for just enough time to set) so that they cool down and stick together well. However, unlike some other versions for no-bake granola bars that are floating around on the web, you DO NOT need to keep them in the fridge after you make them so that they stay together. Granola bars in the fridge? Well that’s just……weird.
Give these a try! Your kids (and their friends) will LOVE EM!
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Easy No-Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups quick oats must be quick oats
- 1 and 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips for topping
Instructions
- Before starting, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, waxed paper, or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine oats and rice cereal. Stir until combined.
- In a microwave safe bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, honey, and vanilla.
- Microwave for 30 second increments, until melted together.
- Pour liquid mixture into oat mixture and still until combined.
- Pour all of mixture into lined baking sheet. Press down and in until compacted into a rectangle. (To avoid sticking on your hands, you may want to "grease" them with a little bit of butter.)
- If using chocolate chips, sprinkle on top and lightly press down.
- Place in fridge for about 15 minutes, or until cooled and set. (Don't leave for TOO long or they will become very hard and may be difficult to cut.)
- Remove from fridge and cut bars with a sharp knife or flat-edge pastry cutter.
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
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Blair says
My boys LOVE granola bars, too! Especially those chewy chocolate chip bars from the store. These look like a perfect (better) substitute!
Jenn - a traveling Wife says
I don’t have any kids, so can I make these for myself!? 🙂 They look amazing.
Kimber says
Well, I will let you in on a little secret… I only make things “for my kids” that I want for myself ha! Of course, and thanks so much for stopping by!!
Tia says
How long can they be kept in a container for?