Hi Bold Bakers!
Some of my favorite recipes to create are homemade versions of things you typically buy. From homemade cereal like my Bran Flakes Cereal recipe to Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches, no matter what it is, it’s always better homemade. My Homemade Granola Bars recipe is no exception. These quickly baked granola bars are the perfect portable snack packed with flavor, crunch, and chew, but with no mystery ingredients.
Homemade recipes are just better. I’ll prove it.
Why Do Granola Bars Need To Be Baked?
While some granola bars are no-bake, like my No-Bake Granola Bars recipe, my Homemade Granola Bars are the opposite.
The reason I chose to make a baked granola bar recipe is not just because I absolutely love the toothy crunch and toasty flavor of the oats, but because the baking process helps them hold together without the use of too much liquid sweetener.
These bars start by combining a bit of honey, maple syrup, and brown sugar in a pan with butter. This forms a little bit of a sticky syrup that goes a long way. After making the syrup in a large deep pot, I go right in with lots of oats, shredded coconut, chewy dried cranberries, and chopped almonds. From there, this mixture gets pressed into a small sheet tray and baked until golden brown.
After coming out of the oven, I cut these into perfectly portioned bars — but it doesn’t stop there. In true Big and Bold fashion, I dip them in chocolate. They are sure to get you through the extra-long afternoon!
Are These Good For You?
While granola can be a great source of fiber and protein, it’s worthing noting that bars can also have a lot of sugar. With that in mind, it’s good to enjoy this healthier choice in moderation as you would with any sweet snack.
What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Chewy Granola Bars
- Baking tray and parchment paper
- Medium saucepan
- Spatula
- Wire rack
- Measuring cups
How To Make Granola Bars
Here’s how you can make homemade granola bars (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below):
- Preheat the oven and line the baking tray with parchment paper.
- Combine butter, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Simmer until sugar has dissolved.
- Remove from heat and fold in oats, salt, coconut, dried cranberries, and almonds using a spatula.
- Transfer to a baking tray and press down the mixture with a spatula into one even layer.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Lift the whole sheet off the tray and cut it into bars.
- Dip each bottom part of the bar into melted chocolate. Allow the bars to set the chocolate side up on the rack.
- Drizzle remaining melted chocolate on as a garnish. Allow setting.
Why Are My Granola Bars Sticky?
This can happen if you don’t allow the syrup base of the bars to properly come together. To avoid this, I suggest letting the butter melt all the way, then add in the brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup. Don’t be tempted to over stir this mixture, either. Just allow the sugar to naturally dissolve.
After the sugar has dissolved, allow this to simmer over low heat for just a few minutes. This should yield the perfect result! If your granola bars are coming out a bit sticky, it may also mean they need to be baked longer, as after baking they should be crunchy on the outside and hold together on the inside.
Why Are My Granola Bars Too Crunchy?
While on the one hand, you don’t want your homemade granola bars to be too sticky, you also don’t want them to be too crunchy either. To make sure they come out just right, I suggest you bake them for the exact time in the middle rack of the oven, allowing them to toast up evenly.
Another trick to getting them to the perfect texture is to really press the oat mixture down into the lined pan before baking the bars. This will compact the oats and all the mix-ins, making sure that the whole mix bakes and toasts up evenly from corner to corner.
What Can I Add To My Baked Granola Bars?
I love the combination of coconut, dried cranberries, and almonds. All topped off with chocolate this is heavenly. However, my granola bar recipe is wonderful to get creative with, from raisins and other dried fruit to whatever mix of nuts, like sunflower seeds, you have on hand, you really can’t go wrong here.
If you are looking to make a slightly less sweet granola bar, feel free to leave out the chocolate too! And if you’re looking for an even sweeter granola bar, toss in mini chocolate chips for chocolate chip granola bars.
How Long Do Granola Bars Last?
If they’re sealed in an airtight container at room temperature, granola bars have an expiration date of about a week. But they won’t necessarily go bad after a week’s time. While safe to consume after a week, they’ll just be a little stale.
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Full (and printable) recipe below!