The BEST Easy Homemade Chewy Granola Bars Recipe

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Finally! These are the BEST easy homemade chewy granola bars you’ve been looking for! I searched high and low for a quality granola bar that didn’t break the bank before I gave up and created these. Turns out they are way better and cheaper than any I could find at the grocery store. Filling and packed with super foods, you’re going to love them! And so will your kids.

Scroll down for the recipe card, followed by detailed step-by-step instructions (with photos). And a sample baking schedule.

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Homemade chewy granola bars in pan lined with parchment paper, one granola bar being lifted out by server with wooden handle

Recipe: BEST Easy Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

Homemade chewy granola bars in pan lined with parchment paper, one granola bar being lifted out by server with wooden handle

The BEST Easy Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

Hello Honeycomb
These are the homemade chewy granola bars you've been looking for! They're delicious, filling, and easy to make at home. They're flavorful and packed with nutritious super foods like ground flax seed, chia seeds, and coconut oil. Without fillers or additives, these easy homemade granola bars are only full of wholesome, hearty ingredients.
5 from 7 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 20 bars
Calories 295 kcal

Equipment

  • 9×13 baking pan
  • Large saucepan
  • Spatula
  • Parchment paper
  • Plastic knife
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract (if using homemade, see note)
  • 1/2 cup dry chia seeds
  • 1/2 cup ground flax seed
  • 3 & 1/2 cups quick oats
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325℉. Prepare the glass baking dish by lining it with parchment paper.
  • In the large saucepan, add peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil and melt ingredients together over medium heat. Stir until smooth and remove from heat as soon as everything is melted together.
  • Add salt and vanilla extract to the peanut butter mixture. Stir well. Add chia seeds and ground flax seed to the mixture and stir to combine.
  • Fold in quick oats and chopped walnuts. Mixture will be thick so stir well to evenly distribute everything.
  • Use a spatula to scoop mixture into the prepared baking dish. Press it evenly and firmly into the dish. The more firmly you press, the more your granola bars will stay together once baked.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes. Bake for less time if you want chewier bars or more time for crunchier bars.
  • Leave the baked bars in the pan. Use a plastic knife to press down into the pan to cut the bars into your desired size. Let them cool completely in the pan before removing.
  • Store in an air tight container on the counter for up to a week or store in an air tight container in the fridge for two weeks.

Notes

  • Cut bars slowly and precisely with a plastic knife to get smoother edges. Using a plastic knife keeps crumbs from gathering on the knife and glides through more easily.
  • If using homemade vanilla extract, use only 2 teaspoons.
  • Make sure to mix all ingredients well to ensure even distribution in the bars.
  • Make bars thicker by using a smaller baking pan, or thinner by using a larger one.

These granola bars are a family favorite. Everyone loves them and my toddler will ask me to make “‘nola bars.” And who could say no to that? They are kid-approved and a snack I can truly feel good about giving my little ones.

Tips for Making Granola Bars

  • Mix up the wet ingredients first. This is really important to make sure everything melts together to bind the granola bars.
  • Add the dry ingredients smallest to largest. That means add the salt, then the dry chia seeds, then the ground flax seeds, and so on. This helps keep the mixture easy to stir as you go on.
  • Mix, mix, and mix again. With this recipe, you don’t have to worry about over-mixing. Mix well so every ingredient gets distributed evenly.
  • Press it down into pan FIRMLY. Before baking, this step is crucial for setting the granola bars. It keeps that delicious chewy texture without them falling apart when eating.
  • Slice with a plastic knife. I usually try to avoid tons of plastic in my kitchen, but this is the exception. A plastic knife is THE BEST tool for cutting granola bars with clean edges. I don’t know why, but it works wonders. Just make sure to slice the bars while they’re still hot out of the oven and leave them in the pan to cool.

Key Ingredients

These ingredients are what make this recipe delicious and nutritious. These are wholesome, hearty ingredients, not just fluffy grains and fillers. And with no refined sugar, this recipe is as wholesome as it gets.

Overhead shot of easy chewy granola bar recipe ingredients in bowls and labeled: dry chia seeds, ground flax seed, chopped walnuts, honey, coconut oil, salt, creamy peanut butter, vanilla extract, quick oats

I use organic versions of these ingredients as much as possible. Feel free to customize to your families’ preference and budget. Here’s what I use:

  • Honey. I personally use raw local unfiltered honey for my family. I love the rich taste of raw honey.
  • Creamy peanut butter. The best of the peanut butters, in my opinion.
  • Coconut oil. This is the secret ingredient of these granola bars. More on that later! But I use organic unrefined coconut oil.
  • Vanilla extract. This is KEY. It takes these bars from good to great!
  • Salt. I like Redmond Real Salt the best.
  • Dry chia seeds. It’s important to have dry chia seeds because if they’re soaked, they will make the bars too wet.
  • Ground flax seed. With both chia seeds and the ground flax seed, I get the organic versions from Aldi.
  • Chopped walnuts. I’ve decided one of life’s luxuries I’m going to indulge in is pre-chopped bags of walnuts. But you can buy whole shelled walnuts and chop them yourself. To each their own.
  • Quick oats. Again, I use organic quick oats. Quick oats are softer than old fashioned oats and help create that chewy texture.

What’s the secret ingredient to the BEST chewy granola bars?

IT’S COCONUT OIL. (Read about some potential health benefits of coconut oil here.) Once cooled, it solidifies and keeps the bars packed together along with the peanut butter and honey. These bars are also dairy free and gluten free (if using certified gluten free oats). They’re easy to whip up and make a bunch at once! I will often make a double batch to keep in the fridge so we always have a healthy on-the-go snack.

Chewy Granola Bars Instructions: Step-by-Step

  1. Preheat oven to 325℉. Prepare the glass baking dish by lining it with parchment paper.
  2. In a large saucepan, add peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil and melt ingredients together over medium heat. Stir until smooth and remove from heat as soon as everything is melted together.
  3. Add salt and vanilla extract to the peanut butter mixture. Stir well. Add chia seeds and ground flax seed to the mixture and stir to combine.
  4. Fold in quick oats and chopped walnuts. Mixture will be thick so stir well to evenly distribute everything.
Grid of four photos of large metal pot with ingredients being progressively added and mixed in

5. Use a spatula to scoop mixture into the prepared baking dish. Press it evenly and firmly into the dish. The more firmly you press, the more your granola bars will stay together once baked.

Grid of two photos side by side, on left parchment lined baking pan with granola bar mixture poured in, on right parchment lined baking pan with granola bar mixture pressed down with spatula

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Bake for less time if you want chewier bars or more time for crunchier bars.

7. Leave the baked bars in the pan. Use a plastic knife to press down into the pan to cut the bars into your desired size. Let them cool completely in the pan before removing.

Granola bars in parchment lined baking pan cut into squares with plastic knife

Optional Add-Ins

You could also try some fun add-ins to give this easy homemade granola bar recipe your own personal twist! Add-ins to try:

  • Chocolate chips
  • Dried fruit like cranberries or raisins
  • Coconut flakes
  • Other nuts like pecans or peanuts

How to Store Homemade Granola Bars

Store in an air tight container on the counter for up to a week or store in an air tight container in the fridge for two weeks. To take on the go, you can put them in a storage container or reusable food storage bag.

Homemade chewy granola bar on serving utensil in front of blue striped kitchen towel and baking pan of granola bars

This is a snack you can feel good about, both for your health and for your budget! These easy homemade chewy granola bars are quick to make and easy to whip up larger batches to keep for later. No more unhealthy cheap granola bars OR overpriced healthy granola bars from the store. We love these and I know you will too!

Leave me a comment when you make these! They’re popular for a reason and I’d love to hear how your family enjoyed them.

Pin to save for later!

Homemade chewy granola bars in pan lined with parchment paper, one granola bar being lifted out by server with wooden handle with text overlaid that reads Easy Homemade Healthy Chewy Granola Bars, healthy snack for kids

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51 Comments

  8. 5 stars
    We tried this recipe and they are amazing! Such a great easy snack with all good ingredients. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  9. These look aahhhhmaaazing! I’ve been trying to find a granola recipe that my kids will like and I can make in no time and I think this is the one! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  16. 5 stars
    These granola bars never last long in our house. They’re the perfect snack to bring on a hike or trip to the park. Ask me any questions in the comments and I’ll answer them as soon as I can!

    Reply

      1. saved this! to make later today. these look so yummy and healthy. I love recipes with honey instead of sugar. thank you!

        Reply

  21. I love homemade granola bars for quick healthy snacks! I am definitely going to try these! They look so good and I love that they don’t have any refined sugar!

    Reply

  23. 5 stars
    Ah, what a fantastic recipe! I love granola bars but hate to spend the money on the healthy ones. And I sure don’t want to buy the sugary ones from the grocery isle. This is such a great recipe with healthy ingredients and easy to make! Just perfect for what I’m looking for! Thanks for sharing this!

    Reply

  24. 5 stars
    My family’s new favorite snack! This recipe is fantastic because not only are the bars truly so tasty, it can be so easily modified to whatever I’m wanting to throw in there as well as how it can be baked. I’ve done these as a no-bake and they’re still SO yummy. Definitely toddler-approved. Thank you so much for sharing!!

    Reply

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