Nothing beats our homemade Granola Bars recipe that takes just 15 minutes to prep, no baking required, and they're healthier and less expensive than store-bought.
We have tons of healthy snacks you'll love, like our Banana Oat Muffins, Fruit Pops, Frozen Yogurt Recipe, or a Strawberry Banana Smoothie!
Chewy Granola Bars are my cure for hangry meltdowns
Chewy Granola Bars are my cure for hangry meltdownsA fridge stocked with ready-made snacks and healthy foods is what gets me through the grind of school-lunch and snack packing! I always try to have some healthy mini muffins, and our veggie bucket stocked with homemade ranch or hummus.
I love that our granola bars recipe is thick and chewy, and they don't fall apart. Customize them with favorite mix-ins like coconut, dried fruit, nuts, peanut butter, etc. If you're looking for an even healthier option, try Granola Bites, or Protein Bars.
How to make No Bake Granola Bars:
Combine Dry Ingredients: Pour oats, Rice Krispies cereal, and flaxseed into a large mixing bowl. Place parchment paper inside an 8 or 9 inch pan, leaving some overhang to pull them out.
Make Syrup: In an extra-large microwave safe bowl add butter, brown sugar, and honey. Microwave for 1 minute, then stir. Microwave again for 1 ½ minutes then remove and stir in vanilla.
Combine: Drizzle syrup over the oat/cereal mixture, gently stirring to coat. Stir in chocolate chips, then pour mixture into prepared pan, spreading into an even layer.
Press: Place another piece of parchment paper on top and press down with our palms, to press the mixture firmly into the pan. Press extra mini chocolate chips on top if you'd like, then refrigerate bars for 1-2 hours before cutting.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Bars will keep in an air-tight container for up to 7 days. Store in the fridge for firmer bars, or at room temp for softer bars.
To Freeze: Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil (or wrap individual bars in parchment paper and store in a freezer safe bag) and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.
Healthy Snack Recipes:
- Chia Pudding
- Applesauce Muffins
- Healthy Banana Muffins
- Healthy Granola
- Instant Pot Yogurt
- Vanilla Protein Shake
- Chocolate Protein Shake
- Garlic and Parmesan Kale Chips
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Recipe
No Bake Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups quick oats
- 1 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)
- 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 6 Tablespoons butter*
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips , or other favorite add-in's
Instructions
- Line 8 or 9’’ square pan with parchment paper, with some paper overhang.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl stir together oats, rice krispies cereal, and flaxseed.
- Microwave Wet ingredients: Add butter, brown sugar and honey to a large microwave safe bowl and cook for 1 minute. Remove from microwave and stir mixture until butter has melted. Return to microwave for 1 ½ minutes. Carefully remove from microwave and stir in vanilla.
- Combine: Drizzle mixture over dry ingredients, stirring gently until coated evenly. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour mixture into prepared pan, spreading into an even layer.
- Press into pan: Place a small piece of parchment over the mixture (or use lightly greased hands) and press mixture firmly into the pan. This is important so they don't crumble when you cut them. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top and press them gently onto the tops of the bars.
- Refrigerate for about 1-2 hours before pulling up on the parchment paper to remove them from the pan and cut them.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for firmer bars or at room temperature for softer bars.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe in May 2015. Updated May 2018 and August 2024.
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To get away from more chemicals I substituted the rice crispies (which are loaded with crap plus bht to boot) with arrowhead mills brown rice puffs. It is just the puffs nothing more! I use the stove top too. I Add pb, chia seeds, nutritional yeast and collagen too. Sooooo good! My kids prefer Lily’s white chocolate chips. Thank you for this easy recipe!
Excellent!
I added 1/2c. flaked sweetened coconut and 1/2c. Craisins.
I used cupcake liners in a muffin pan to make individual treats with no clean-up!
Outstanding! Made it as is, although I think I used the wrong oatmeal…old-fashioned instead of quick cooking. But even with that mistake the bars are delicious. As with just about every recipe I’ve tried from TBFS, this is one is a keeper.
This is the recipe I return to when I want to make granola bars. I reduce the sugar to 1/2 c and add about the same amount of natural peanut butter. They stay together and taste great!
Made these and found them to be way way too sweet. Will make again with 1/2 the brown sugar and honey.
We loved these. My son has a peanut allergy so homemade granol bars are hard to find, as most have peanut butter in them. These were so tasty. My picky eater took a bite and then took 6 bars! He said they were like the marshmallow rice crispy squares. I put in paleo oats and coconut sugar and they were amazing!
A make again treat in our house. Thank you!
If I added peanut butter, would I reduce the butter in the recipe?
I was searching for a homemade version of the granola bars my kids love. These were easy to make, fun for kids to help with, and seriously DELICIOUS. We will be making these again for sure.
Even though I reduced the honey & sugar, these bars were too sweet for me. They also crumbled even though I pressed them into the pan as firmly as possible. I’ll never make these again.
Hi Laura, you can’t reduce the honey and sugar and expect them to stay together (those are the “glue”). Sorry you didn’t like them!
This was easy to make.