Description
These Healthy Granola Bars are a delicious and nutritious snack made with toasted oats, nuts, seeds, honey, and peanut butter, offering a perfect balance of chewiness and crunch. They’re easy to prepare, baked to perfection, and enhanced with mini chocolate chips for a touch of sweetness, making them an ideal homemade treat for any time of day.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup roughly chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, or a mix)
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds or pepitas (or additional chopped nuts)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (or dried fruit or nuts)
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Coat: Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat it to 325 degrees F. Line an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper so that two sides overhang like handles, then generously coat the pan with nonstick spray to ensure the bars won’t stick.
- Toast: Spread the oats, chopped nuts, sunflower seeds, and coconut flakes on a rimmed, ungreased baking sheet. Toast in the oven for about 10 minutes until the coconut is lightly golden and the nuts are fragrant and toasted, stirring once halfway through. After toasting, reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
- Stir: While the oats mixture is toasting, heat the honey and peanut butter together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until the mixture is smooth and fully combined. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt to flavor the mixture evenly.
- Combine: Once the toasted oat mixture is done, carefully transfer it immediately to the saucepan with the peanut butter mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir everything together thoroughly until well coated. Allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes before stirring in the mini chocolate chips; adding them immediately would cause them to melt.
- Press: Scoop the combined mixture into the prepared baking dish. Use the back of a spatula to press the bars into an even, compact single layer. You may use a sheet of plastic wrap against the surface to prevent sticking while pressing with your fingers, then discard the plastic prior to baking.
- Bake: Bake the granola bars for 15 to 20 minutes at 300 degrees F. For chewier bars, bake closer to 15 minutes; for crunchier bars, bake around 20 minutes. While still warm in the pan, use a non-damaging knife to score the bars into your desired sizes (commonly 2 rows of 5 bars). Do not remove them from the pan yet, and let them cool completely in the pan to set.
- Cut: Once completely cooled, lift the bars out using the parchment paper handles and place them onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut fully along the scored lines, separating the bars evenly. Pull apart and enjoy your homemade healthy granola bars!
Notes
- For a nut-free version, substitute nuts with additional seeds like pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
- You can swap mini chocolate chips for dried fruit such as cranberries, raisins, or chopped apricots for a healthier twist.
- Store the granola bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, or refrigerate to extend freshness.
- Pressing the mixture firmly into the pan helps the bars hold together better after baking.
- Adjust baking times slightly to achieve your preferred texture between chewy and crunchy bars.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
