Note: A Pantry Basic is anything we normally use and have in our pantries that most people buy from the store- and some (like me!) didn’t even know could be made at home! See more pantry basics here.
After trying a million granola bar recipes..
Hey, wait a minute- we’re not going into that again, are we?
OK, no- since I’ve already gone on about the myriad of granola bar recipes I’ve tried over the past year, I’ll just cut to the chase:
Here is the baked granola bar that I make when I want a nutritionally dense, hearty bar that’s great to take hiking and camping.
It’s also the one I make when I don’t have crispy rice cereal and granola to make the chewy no-bake bars.
Which isn’t to say I don’t like these- no I LOVE them! They are just sweet enough and are flavorful and full of possible variations- I feel great feeding these to my family. And even though they are baked they are still chewy, and these bars seem to stay fresher longer at room temperature than the no-bake variety, a plus for vacations.
But they do take just a bit longer, so I find myself going to the no-bake variety if I have all the ingredients.
All this is to say- I like having two go-to recipes for granola bars. I hope you’ll try both and let me know if you also like the versatility of having two recipes.
These baked bars are a combination of a recipe I’ve had in my files for many years and Kitchen Stewardship’s recipe.
Start by creaming butter, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla.
Add rolled oats, whole wheat or spelt flour, flax seed meal, and baking soda. Mix to combine.
Stir in 1 cup total of add-ins (I’ve used 1/3 c. mini chocolate chips- I think 1/2 c. is too many- and 1/2 c. flax seeds here).
Pat into a parchment-lined (or greased) 13″ x 9″ baking pan.
Bake at 325 degrees for 18-20 minutes, until just browning around the edges. Cool about 10 minutes on a rack.
Score into bars while in the pan and then let them cool completely before storing in an airtight container or packaging in individual baggies.
Baked Chewy Granola Bars
- 1/2 c. butter*
- 1/4 c. coconut oil (or use all butter or more coconut oil, if you prefer- just equal 3/4 c. total fat)
- 1 c. honey (I also like 1/2 c. honey + 1/2 c. maple syrup)
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 4-1/2 c. rolled oats
- 1 c. whole wheat or spelt flour
- 1/4 c. flax seed meal
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 c. TOTAL add-ins (favorite flavors: 1/3 c. chocolate chips** + 1/2 c. sunflower seeds; 1/2 c. dried cranberries + 1/2 c. chopped almonds; 1/2 c. raisins + 1/2 c. chopped peanuts)
*For a peanut butter variation, use 1/2 c. peanut butter and 1/4 c. butter or coconut oil.
**It’s your choice to use 1/2 c. chocolate chips, I just think it’s too much, so I lessen the amount.
- Line a 13″ x 9″ pan with parchment (or grease lightly) and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Combine the butter, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla in a large bowl and cream together well. Add the oats, flour, flax meal, and baking soda and mix well. Stir in the add-ins.
- Transfer to prepared pan and firmly press mixture evenly.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the edges are just browning. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then score into bars (I like to do 18- 6 x 3 – for traditional bar size) before letting cool completely in the pan.
- Remove from pan, cutting through bars as needed and store in air tight containers or baggies in the fridge or freezer. These are good at room temperature, too (which is nice for vacations and hikes), but I usually stick them in the freezer for longer storage.
Makes 18 (or more) bars
-Jami
This is linked to Fun w/Food Friday, Frugal Fridays, and Saturday Nite Special.
I believe a cottage can be anywhere or anything (condo, ranch, farmhouse) as long as you have a "cottage mentality" which puts people above things, celebrates imperfections, embraces simplicity, and finds joy in everyday life. Thanks for joining me!
Jami,
I think you are one shining star of a blogger that I really am glad I am getting to know through your posts. Thank you for your recipe this morning…I have a high school son who is working at learning to cook and this is a perfect recipe for him to try. Looks yummy. We will be trying these next week and I will link back over to your post.
Oh, these look really, really yu mmy. I was telling my father about these the other day. We like a particular brand of organic granola bars, but they are bit spendy. So now we can make them ourselves at home. These look really, really good
Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather 
Barb- You sweet thing! Thank you.
I’ll be waiting to hear how they work for you and your son!
Heather- Let me know which recipe you try and is most similar to the store-bought one you like!
I have a VERY similar recipe that I make (slight changes to ingredient amounts, but same ingredients) and we absolutely LOVE them! I was fortunate to stumble on the recipe early in my quest for “The Perfect Granola Bar”, that I never thought to keep looking for something different. I’ve never thought to make it with maple syrup – now I’m going to have to make a batch tomorrow to give that variation a try!
One of our favorite ways to have them is a white chocolate chip/mini chocolate chip combination. They’re a bit more “dessert-y” that way, but sometimes that’s what we’re looking for – a little sweet something without eating a cookie,brownie, or piece of cake. And because I make them frequently enough, it helps keep the super sweet sweets (cookies, etc) out of our house…Lord knows my hips don’t need those! I also love that my kids love them too. They actually request that I make them, and that is music to my ears – that they crave something healthier!!
Thanks for the variation ideas, and Happy Cooking!
These look delicious! I’m going to have to give them a go. Saw you over on Funky Junk – you might consider also sharing with the recipe hop: http://ceodraiocht.wordpress.com/decidedly-healthy-or-horridly-decadent-blog-hop/
Thanks!
Maggie
Shannon- Yeah, I wish I had found them earlier, too.
And my kids like the chocolate chip variation best, too, I think!
Maggie- Thanks! I’ll check it out…
these look good! I would like to try them because healthy ones are so expensive to buy.
yum – must try . i was just thinking about homemade granola and where in the world to start!!
What a great idea to make your own granola bars. I have a severe allergy to sesame and never buy them in the store because I worry that they may contain tiny sesame seeds. I will definitely try your recipe.
Thank you for your comment on our kitchen cabinets. Yes, it’s a big difference without those small cabinets on both sides of the window, and we don’t even miss the storage.
Kinga