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Homemade Chocolate Chip Granola Bars are so easy to make, you’ll wonder why you ever bought them in stores. They’re super healthy, slightly crunchy with a bit of sweet chocolate in every bite and absolutely delicious!
Table of Contents
Why I Make Homemade Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Do you know off the top of your head how much money you spend on granola and/or nutritional bars for your kids? Take a minute and add it up. I would bet it’s more than you think! Before you say “they’re convenient”, trust me, I get it. On those busy mornings when you don’t have time for breakfast, there’s nothing easier than tossing a bar into your child’s lunch box and another one into your bag. But, a majority of the brands on the market are not as healthy as their manufacturers would lead you to believe and are way more expensive that making them at home.
I got so fed up with what my we were spending on bars, I devoted myself to figuring out how to make Protein Bars myself. I worked so hard at it, I even flirted with starting my own business! These Chocolate Chip Granola Bars are unbelievably delicious, and if you wrap them individually, they’re just as easy to grab when you’re on-the-go as the ones you buy at the market. Plus, you’ll have no problem pronouncing all of the ingredients in these.
The Ingredients
- Old fashioned oats: For these bars we use old fashioned oats (also know as rolled oats) as the base for our bars.
- Whole wheat flour: I use whole wheat because it has more health benefits than all purpose, but any flour you have on hand will work.
- Shredded unsweetened coconut: I know coconut can be polarizing, but you barely taste it in this recipe. If you still give coconut a hard no, you can leave it out!
- Brown sugar: This adds a touch of sweetness to the bars.
- Mini chocolate chips: If you want, you can substitute raisins or other dried fruit for the chocolate chips.
- Kosher salt: A pinch of salt balances out the sweetness.
- Oil of choice: You can use vegetable, canola, avocado or an other oil of your choosing.
- Vanilla extract: Another ingredient that just adds a little sweetness and warmth.
- Honey: The majority of the sweetness in these bars come from naturally sweet honey instead of processed white sugar.
*Exact measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below*
Variations and Substitutions
- Don’t have whole wheat flour? No worries! You can use any flour you prefer. All purpose, a cup-for-cup gluten free flour or even almond flour will work. I use whole wheat because it has more health benefits than all purpose, but use what you have on hand.
- Don’t want chocolate chips? If you’re hesitant to give your kids chocolate chips in the morning or for snack time, you can easily substitute them with naturally sweet dried fruit like cranberries, cherries or raisins.
- Not a fan of coconut? I get it. Sometimes people are just don’t love coconut. You can leave it out completely if you want. I will say, you hardly taste it in these, but do what feels best to you.
Chocolate Chip Granola Bars Recipe Video
How to Make Homemade Granola Bars
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients – oats, flour, coconut, brown sugar, chocolate chips and salt.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients – oil, vanilla extract and honey.
Step 3: Make the granola mixture by pouring the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients mixture and stir thoroughly to combine.
Step 4: Form a large granola slab. Place the granola mixture on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and shape into a rectangle about 13 x 9 x 1 inches thick. Press firmly so that the granola sticks together. Bake for 30-40 minutes in a pre-heated 325°F oven.
Step 5: Allow to cool completely then, using a large serrated knife, cut into 3 x 1 inch bars.
Storage Tips
You can store granola bars in an airtight container or individually wrapped on the counter for up to two weeks or in the refrigerator for up to a month.
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Frequently Asked Questions
I get this question a lot with homemade granola bars. First of all, let the bars cool completely before you try to cut them into bars. Also, using a large serrated knife in a sawing motion (don’t press down super hard) will help you cut them without making them crumble.
This usually happens for two reasons. One, the wet and dry ingredients weren’t incorporating together thoroughly enough. Next time, mix them really, really well so that every piece of the oat mixture gets coated in the honey/oil mixture. Two, when forming the granola rectangle before baking, press everything firmly together so it sticks.
Absolutely! To freeze these chocolate chip granola bars, add them to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 4 months. Just make sure to let them thaw for about 20 minutes before you eat them!
More Healthy Bar Recipes
These Chocolate Chip Granola Bars are delicious, healthy, cost effective and so easy to make! You’ve got to give them a try and let me know what you think by leaving a rating and comment below.
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Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 4 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup chocolate chips (You can substitute raisins or other dried fruit for the chocolate chips.)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable, canola, avocado or other oil of choice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the oat mixture and stir thoroughly to combine.
- Place granola mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet and shape into a rectangle, about 13 x 9 x 1 inch thick. Press firmly so that the granola sticks together.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely, then cut into 3 x 1 inch bars.
Notes
- Storage: Individually wrapped, the bars will remain fresh for several weeks.
- To Freeze: To freeze these chocolate chip granola bars, add them to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 4 months. Just make sure to let them thaw for about 20 minutes before you eat them!
- Don’t have whole wheat flour? No worries! You can use any flour you prefer. All purpose, a cup-for-cup gluten free flour or even almond flour will work. I use whole wheat because it has more health benefits than all purpose, but use what you have on hand.
- Don’t want chocolate chips? If you’re hesitant to give your kids chocolate chips in the morning or for snack time, you can easily substitute them with naturally sweet dried fruit like cranberries, cherries or raisins.
These turned out delicious!!! Followed the recipe except I replaced the canola oil with coconut oil and baked them for 30 minutes. I was wondering if anyone has tried freezing them? Do you think freezing them would work? Thank you for this great recipe!
I made these but replaced the canola oil with only 3T of butter. I also skipped the coconut, but used 1/4 cup sliced almonds and 1/4 cup sunflower seeds and did 2 cups rolled oats and 2 cups steel-cut oats.. Mine turned out great. They stayed in bars. They were a crunchy granola bar rather than chewy. Why is so much canola oil needed? Would it make the granola bars chewy instead of crunchy?
The coconut adds flavor, but you can definitely leave it out!
I have a coconut allergy. Is the shredded coconut necessary? Is there anything you could recommend as a replacement?
I halved the recipe and used coconut not canola oil. The bottom and edges of my bars burned by 25 minutes. Still cooling….
Make peanut butter chips, or actual chopped peanuts instead?
You can replace the chocolate chips with dried fruit or nuts! I’m not sure the peanut butter would be thin enough to coat everything like the oil does.
These look delicious. I would love to make “PB&J” granola bars. Do you think it would work to replace the oil with peanut butter and the chocolate chips with dried fruit?
[…] chocolate chip granola bars that are healthy enough for Mr. Cam to eat! I got the recipe from Weelicious and for my first time they turned out pretty […]
I make these granola bars all the time! In fact, gave them out as holiday gifts this year and they were a huge hit!
What I’ve learned, line the pan with parchment paper then pour the granola mix on and flatten. After taking them out of the oven, you have to wait for the bars to be absolutely cooled down before you cut them up. At least an hour. (if you can wait that long 😉 ) Otherwise you will have a crumbly mess.
Cocunut oil is an awesome oil to use instead of canola oil.
I made these today and they came out great. I read through all the comments below and took the advice of others and cut down the cooking time to about 25-30 minutes. Then I let them cool completely (about two hours on the counter) before cutting them. They were a tiny bit crumbly at the edges, but definitely far from falling apart. Will definitely make again! Oh, and I subbed the coconut for dried cranberries. Sweet and tart perfection!
I wonder if your problem is that you’re using a 9×13 pan? They are meant to be cooked on a cookie sheet – I think they might bake differently in a cake pan… Also, I bake them for only 26 minutes (Somehow 25 isn’t enough, but 27 is too much… can you tell I’ve made them enough times??) I always make these in the evening and let them cool on the counter overnight. The tend to crumble less around the edges when they have a good 8 hours to cool.
Theresa, I had problems too with it crumbling, but now that I’ve made the recipe several dozen times, here is what works for me: mix everything VERY thoroughly and patiently, and then mix a little longer. I press the mixture very firmly into a slab-shape on a silpat-lined sheet, bake, and then let cool until it is completely room-temp. I am then able to just cut it directly on the silpat. There is a little crumbling on edges, but the bars themselves stay together. I found, with my oven, it only takes 25 minutes to bake. Bake too long, and it got too dried and crumbly. Hope this helps. My family adores this recipe!
Sorry, I forgot to mention- that as granola crumbles it tastes absolutely delicious! My kiddos have loved adding this to their yogurt- although my daughter, has been searching out the chocolate chips 🙂
I don’t know what went wrong. I followed the recipe exactly and it crumbled. I tried a second time, following several reviewers advice of pressing the mixture into a 13 x 9 inch pan, baking for 25 minutes and allowing it to cool in the pan. It still crumbled, not as much as the first time- but still unable to eat as granola bars. We saved the crumbles to top our yogurt, but I’d really love to find a recipe that we can make. Any advice?
I’d like to make these but I don’t have coconut. Will they turn out okay with out it? Do you think I could sub the oil for butter?