Homemade Chewy Granola Bars
These easy, no-bake homemade chewy granola bars are far superior than the store bought in both taste and quality!
How to Make Homemade Chewy Granola Bars
These are a very easy, no bake granola bar!
Start by combining the crispy rice cereal and rolled oats in a medium sized bowl.
In your saucepan, add the brown sugar and honey.
Take it over to the stove and heat it over medium-low until the sugar dissolves. Make sure you stir it constantly so it does not stick or burn. It will make a gritty, scratching noise until the sugar dissolves. Once that sound goes away and the mixture is nice and smooth, you can remove it from the heat.
To that mixture, add the peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir to combine.
Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir well to coat.
Now you can add whatever mix-ins you’d like. Chocolate chips, M&M’s, mini marshmallows, raisins, cranberries, coconut flakes, nuts, etc. If you add anything that could melt, like chocolate, you need to move sort of quickly so they don’t melt.
Whatever dish you choose to put these in, a baking dish, casserole dish, etc., spray it with non-stick cooking spray or thinly coat it with coconut oil or butter.
Pour your mixture into the prepared dish.
Wet your fingers and use them to press the mixture into the dish. The trick to having a firm, chewy granola bar is to really push down hard. The more air you remove from the bar, the better they will hold up. Press hard and when you don’t feel anymore give when you push, they are well compressed.
Place in the fridge or freezer for roughly 30 minutes to help the bars set up. Personally, I like to cut the bars while they’re still warm but that’s up to you.
These should stay well at room temperature in an air-tight container for 3-5 days, over a week in the refrigerator, and over a month in the freezer!
Homemade Chewy Granola Bars
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- Small saucepan
- casserole dish
Ingredients
- 2 cups crispy rice cereal
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup mix-ins chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, coconut flakes, etc.
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the crispy rice cereal and rolled oats.
- Add the brown sugar and honey to a small saucepan.
- Heat over medium-low heat just until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Combine the peanut butter, vanilla and salt with the warm mixture in the saucepan.
- Pour over the dry mixture and combine.
- Add your mix-ins and stir to distribute throughout mixture.
- Spray your casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray or coat with a thin layer of coconut oil, butter, etc.
- Pour mixture into prepared dish.
- Wet your fingers and use them to press the mixture into the dish. Press down hard until they feel firm.
- Place in fridge of freezer for roughly 30 minutes to help them set.