Are you looking for a good granola bar recipe?
This recipe won’t disappoint.
These delightfully chewy granola bars include all the goodness of everyone’s favorite Quaker granola bars, but without the corn syrup, refined sugar, and long list of artificial ingredients. So if you’re looking for a good granola bar recipe…
It’s staring you in the face. 🙂
Unless you are extremely tall or your computer is low to the ground.
Then it’s staring you in the belly button.
It even looks like a face. See the eyes and the nose? Those would be made out of chocolate chips. Yes, a chocolate chip face.
Are you jealous?
I am!
Oh, to live life with a chocolate chip face…
Quaker Style Chewy Granola Bars
(Can be gluten-free)
- 1 cup rolled oats (for all substitution notes, see nutrition link below)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup rice crispies (brown, white, or gluten-free)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp oat flour (see recipe instructions below for an easy substitution) 55g
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or veg oil (See nutrition link below for notes on a fat-free version.)
- 1/4 cup agave (Honey will also work, but not for strict vegans.)
- 1-2 packs stevia (up to 1/16 tsp uncut) or 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar or extra liquid sweetener
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp applesauce (banana would probably work as well, or pumpkin!)
- Ideas for the add-ins: mini chocolate chips, chopped raisins or other dried fruit, shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, etc.
Unless you’re doing the no-bake option, preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all dry ingredients and mix very well. (If you don’t have oat flour: simply grind rolled oats in a food processor to make oat flour. Be sure to measure the correct amount of flour for the recipe after grinding, not before.) In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Stir wet into dry and use another sheet of parchment (or wax) paper to squish evenly-coated mixture into a parchment-lined 7×5 pan (or double the recipe for a bigger pan). Squish very, very hard, with a can or something heavy. Either fridge until firm (the no-bake option is firmer if you use coconut oil), or cook 18 minutes, then squish very hard again. Cool in the fridge for at least ten minutes before cutting into bars.
These bars can be stored at room temp, but if you use coconut oil they’re best kept in the fridge. Or they can even be frozen. The bars thaw very well. Other homemade granola bar recipes:
(Click on the photos to see the recipes.)
Do you wish you were taller?
Or shorter? Or are you happy exactly the way you are? I’m 5’5, and I always wanted to be taller when I was growing up. But now I actually like my average height. My grandpa used to say that you’re tall enough as long as your feet touch the ground. How are grandparents so wise? 🙂
I finished off my last batch so I made some more of these today (yes I’m that obsessed) and they turned out just as amazing as the first. This time I added walnuts, peanuts, cacao nibs and raisins and they were delicious. These bars are easily going down as my most favorite recipe of all time.
By the way, this is completely random but I just feel the need to say that I am so incredibly FED UP with the crap you get from some people. I stumbled across a forum where posters were saying mean things about all the “big bloggers” and it made me so incredibly angry. I just hope you realize that they’re jealous. Seriously Every. single. one of them is. The bloggers are jealous that you get so much blog traffic,The ED sufferers are jealous that you are thin and don’t have an ED, the bakers are jealous that you’re a GENIUS and the all around haters clearly have way too much time on their hands. You rock Katie, I hope those people don’t get to you.
Thanks, Haylee. That really means a lot to me. Yes, I know the forum you’re talking about. I used to check it sometimes, out of curiosity, when I first found it. But they were basically saying the same things over and over, so I got bored. I really don’t know why they even think I’m popular enough to bother writing about… it’s not like I’m a celebrity! But there are so many people saying things about me on the internet nowadays (both good and bad), and I don’t even have time anymore to read the good things :(.
These look great! I’ll have to try these soon.
I have a question for you. Being such a big blogger and all, do you ever wish that people didn’t comment? I’ve just been curious. I’ve always wanted to know since I don’t know if I’m being more of a bother more than anything by commenting on big blogs. Anyways just curious, have a good day Katie!
I love comments. They make me feel more sane… like I’m not talking to myself ;). Honestly, I do know what you’re talking about with some big bloggers seeming to blow off their commenters. If a blogger doesn’t want comments, he/she should turn them off! I appreciate every single one! 🙂
just whipped these puppies up a while ago–top notch! added the 1/4 cup of rice krispies + to even out the wet/dry ratio in my batch and some chopped almonds/sf seeds. they’re just a little on the sweet side for my snacking taste but still completely acceptable as dessert. thanks!
Does anyone else have an issue with the bars being too crumbly? I absolutely love the flavor, but I want them to hold together better when I pick one up to eat it. I used maple syrup instead of agave and am wondering if that made them not sticky enough?
Sorry, I haven’t tried them with the maple so I really can’t say!
Thank you for including all the variations! These look wonderful. I’m definitely going to try the no-bake when it’s too hot to cook.
Good bars— just waaaaay too sweet. I used honey. Next time omit stevia and cut honey.
Thanks for your feedback, Jenn. It’s so hard to list sweetener amounts, since everyone’s tastes are so different. Honestly, I find that to be one of the most difficult things when creating a recipe, and as often as possible I’ll say “sweeten to taste.” But then people yell at me that I haven’t given specific amounts! 😕
Hi Katie,
Just wanted to let you know I made these twice so far and they are SO good! The first time I used maple syrup instead of agave, whole wheat pastry flour instead of oat flour, 1 tbsp of ground flax and about a 1/3 cup of various mix-ins (no rice crispies), they came out perfect and held together really well.
Second time I used date paste in place of agave or syrup, flax, 3 tbsp raw almond butter in place of oil and puffed amaranth in place of rice crispies, again with 1/3 cup of mix-ins. They came out great, a little softer than the original version but still held together perfectly.
Thanks for testing!! I love the idea of the puffed amaranth :).
Thanks for another great recipe Katie! I made these GF using Bob’s Red Mill GF oats / oat flour / Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal. I also replaced 1/2 the oat flour with whey protein powder. (I have a 5 year old self-declared vegetarian – so I’m ALWAYS striving for more protein in his diet.) I made them in a double batch and they are simply wonderful. Next time I think I’ll use my jelly roll pan and rolling pin instead of a pyrex to make them easier to smoosh!
I tried this recipe over the weekend, and I am ADDICTED to these bars! I make mine with dried cranberries, chocolate chips, and a little cinnamon.
I’ve been busy dreaming up more flavours to try them with! Thanks Katie!
I made these last night!!!! So good- I add unsweetened cocoa powder, chopped dates and chopped almonds.