Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

These healthy granola bars are the ideal portable snack that’s both sweet and salty. Trust us, these homemade chewy chocolate chip granola bars are much better than store-bought!

PREP TIME: 15 mins            COOK TIME: 25 mins                  CHILL TIME: 1 hr

TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 40 mins   COURSE: Snack                         CUISINE: American

SERVINGS: 12 servings CALORIES: 289kcal                    AUTHOR: Lisa Bryan

Ingredients

2 cups quick cooking oats (not old-fashioned rolled oats)

1 cup puffed rice

½ cup roughly chopped nuts

½ cup mini chocolate chips

¼ cup ground flaxseed

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup honey

⅓ cup creamy almond butter (or other nut/seed butter)

¼ cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 325°F/165°C. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, with the paper coming up the sides.

2. Stir the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, puffed rice, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, flaxseed, and salt.

3. Stir the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, stir together the honey, almond butter, coconut oil, and vanilla, until smooth.

4. Mix together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir together until well combined.

5. Press the mixture. Scoop the mixture into the pan and press it into an even layer, using another piece of parchment paper to firmly press the mixture flat. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until barely starting to get a little bit of golden color around the edges for chewy granola bars. For crunchier bars bake 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

6. Firm up. Let the granola bars cool to room temperature in the pan. Then place the pan in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up the granola bars completely. Gently lift the parchment paper out of the pan, and slice into granola bars.