Easy Homemade Granola Bars

Granola bars are a great snack for home or to pack in a lunch bag or snack bag. We have cycled through many different brands. But the favorite in our house is by far these homemade bars. I like them because the ingredients are few and simple. My kids like them because they’re tasty and they are loaded with mini chocolate chips. An added bonus is they can be frozen so you can make a bunch of them in advance and keep them on hand.

You will need ...

Quick-Cooking Oats, 4 Cups
Crispy Rice Cereal, 1 1/2 Cups (I used cocoa flavored but unflavored works well, too)
Packed Brown Sugar, 2/3 Cup
Honey, 1/3 Cup
Maple Syrup, 2 T
Vanilla Extract, 2 tsp
Butter, 5 T
Mini Chocolate Chips, 1 1/2 Cup

NOTE: a false bottom pan works best with this as you can just push up on the bottom to remove the bars once firmed up. If you do not have one, line the baking pan with enough parchment that there is an overlap on opposing sides. Then, use those overlaps as handles to pull up the bars out of the pan.

Step One

Step Two

In a heavy bottomed pot, combine butter, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup. Cook on medium low heat, stirring occasionally. Once all ingredients are melted and combined, remove from heat. Usually 3 – 5 minutes.

Step Three

Step Four

In a greased and parchment lined baking pan, pour in the mixture. Use a spatula to spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Gently pat down to compress the mixture. This will help it to stay together.

Step Five

Sprinkle on the remaining chocolate chips. Gently pat them in using the spatula.

Step Six

Step Seven

After the bars have set, remove them from the pan. Run a butter knife or metal spatula along the edges to loosen them.

Step Eight

Using a large knife, cut out the bars. Press down gently to cut (versus dragging the knife through it). This helps to keep the bars in tact.

Step Nine

To store the bars, I like to keep them in the fridge. So, I cut up pieces of parchment paper and place each bar in a parchment square, then into an airtight container. The parchment will help to keep the bars from all sticking together. If you will be sending these to school, you could wrap them individually in plastic wrap.

These bars hold their shape best when they are slightly chilled. They will last on the counter in an airtight container for about a week. Storing them in the refrigerator will help them to last for about a month. Freezing them will help them to keep for several months. Enjoy!

The Mom Touch