These homemade Oat and Honey Chewy No-Bake Granola bars are so quick and easy to make and so delicious you may never buy granola bars again. Plus, you can totally customize them with your favorite add-ins, flavors, and toppings!
These granola bars are my latest snack obsession! They’re sweet and chewy and kind of like a cross between a granola bar and a Rice Krispies treat! The best part is that this is an excellent base recipe for making tons of different flavored granola bars. The possibilities are endless!
Granola bars are the ultimate wholesome on-the-go snack. Throw one in your purse, bag, briefcase, or lunch box, and you’re ready for when those hunger pangs hit. I’ve always liked the chewy ones better than the crunchy ones myself, which can sometimes be a little dry and crumbly.
If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that I love making homemade versions of store-bought items. These homemade granola bars are one of my most favorite make-at-home items ever! They’re super easy. I know exactly what’s in them. They’re less expensive than store-bought, and they taste so much better than any granola bar I ever bought!
You are going to love how quick and easy this recipe is – everything comes together in less than 10 minutes! Then all you have to do is let them sit in the fridge for a bit to cool and firm up.
Honestly, there really is no reason to buy granola bars when you can make them this fast and this delicious right in your own kitchen! You might even have all the ingredients you need to make these RIGHT NOW!!
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED:
- Cooking spray
- Quick-cooking oats
- Crispy rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)
- Butter
- Honey
- Brown sugar (I use light, but you also could use dark)
- Vanilla extract
HERE’S A QUICK LOOK AT HOW TO MAKE OAT AND HONEY CHEWY NO-BAKE GRANOLA BARS:
TIPS AND TIDBITS:
To make sure you get bars that hold together nicely:
- Use quick-cooking oats. If you use regular old-fashioned rolled oats, it’s likely that the bars won’t stay together well and the texture won’t be right. I know because I tried it.
- Mix the oat mixture and the honey mixture together very well so that everything is coated. You don’t want any dry spots.
- Press the oat mixture down into the pan firmly with a spatula or the back of a spoon so it very compact.
I store these granola bars individually wrapped in plastic inside an air-tight container. You can store them either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. They will get a bit hard in the fridge, but will soften up as they come to room temperature again.
I love these granola bars as is. They are simple, sweet, and delicious. However, this is a fantastic base recipe for creating your own customized chewy granola bars using your favorite add-ins, flavorings, and toppings such as dried fruits, nuts, seeds, coconut, cinnamon, peanut butter, chocolate chips, etc.
If you want to add chocolate chips, don’t stir them in if you want them to stay whole because the hot liquid will melt them. Once you press the oat mixture into the pan, sprinkle the chips on top and then gently press them down with the back of the spoon so they adhere to the bars.
I’ll be posting some variations soon!
I hope you try this recipe for Oat and Honey Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
Oat and Honey Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar (I use light brown sugar, but you could also use dark brown sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Lightly spray an 8×8-inch pan or baking dish with cooking spray. Place a piece of parchment paper in the pan that will cover the bottom and come up two of the sides (so you have "handles" to easily lift them out of the pan later).
- In a large bowl, combine the oats and the crispy rice cereal.
- Place the butter, honey, and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter is melted and the mixture comes to a boil.
- Immediately reduce the heat to low and simmer vigorously, stirring constantly, for two minutes.
- Turn off the heat, and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the hot honey mixture over the oat mixture and stir well to combine. It's very important that all of the oat mixture is coated with the honey mixture. You don't want any dry spots as this will prevent your bars from holding together.
- Place the oat mixture into your prepared pan and press it down firmly with a spatula or the back of a spoon until it is very compact. You don't want it to be loose at all as this will prevent your bars from holding together.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until cooled and firm. Remove from the pan and cut into 12 bars.
- To store, wrap each bar individually with plastic wrap and store in an air-tight container. Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Notes
-
- If you store these in the refrigerator, they will get a bit hard, but they will soften up once they come back to room temperature.
- This is a fantastic base recipe for making your own customized granola bars using your favorite add-ins, flavorings, and toppings (dried fruits, nuts, seeds, coconut, cinnamon, peanut butter, chocolate chips, etc.). Don’t stir chocolate chips into the oat mixture as the hot liquid will melt them. Instead, sprinkle them on top once the oat mixture has been pressed down into the pan, then gently press them down with the back of a spoon so they adhere to the bars.
Recipe slightly adapted from Brooklyn Farm Girl.
If you made this or any of my other recipes, take a photo and tag @nowcookthis on Instagram and hashtag it #nowcookthisrecipes.
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