Healthy Chewy Granola Bar Recipe
This granola bar recipe is perfect for school lunches (nut free!), breakfast-on-the-go, or a late-in-the-day, healthy snack. Made with chocolate chips, raisins, toasted oats, shredded coconut and held together with a date, honey, maple and vanilla mixture. Makes a 9 x 13-inch pan.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups rolled oats I use a mixture of quick rolled oats and large steel cut rolled oats, but you can use either or a combo
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips semi-sweet or milk chocolate
- 3/4 cup golden raisins or cranberries
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup liquid honey
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup pitted dates ~ 10 dates
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- On a large baking sheet, toss oats and coconut and spread out evenly. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, giving them a gentle stir midway through, until lightly browned and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
- Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment and set aside.
- In a food processor or blender, combine honey, maple, dates, and vanilla until the dates are mostly blended -- think smoothie consistency.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled oats/coconut, chocolate chips, raisins, date mixture and salt. Stir until well combined.
- Tip into a prepared baking pan and use a flat spatula to firmly press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan. It should feel firm and compact. Bake for 25 minutes at 300 degrees. Let cool for a minimum of 45 minutes before cutting into bars.