Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
94 comments » 
After I graduated from college I did a short stint at an advertising agency and then I took my first full-time job in the cube-laden world of corporate America. As most young, eager college graduates, I looked at my new opportunity as a mountain of potential. I felt like a bona fide grown up – I got up early every morning, got dressed in my business casual attire, went to meetings, and became better at what I did. Ahh, the enthusiasm of the young buck (in my case, young doe, of course). By the end of my time in corporate America I had a plethora of stomach issues, was getting migraines about once every 7-10 days, and loathed my boss’ voice more than anything in the world. If I got to my desk in the morning and the red voicemail link was blinking (she was notorious for leaving messages at 5am, because she enjoyed working that early), I got nauseous. When I heard the wheels of her little pull-along briefcase rolling down the cube aisle I wanted to hide under my desk. The phrase “going above and beyond” was showing up in my nightmares. Clearly, corporate America had taken a toll on me. The one constant through all of my time spent there? Through the good, the bad, and the ugly?
Chocolate chip granola bars.
I always had a box stashed in my desk drawer just in case I got a case of the hungries and had to rush off to a meeting or needed an afternoon pick-me-up. I loved that they were soft and chewy, and of course that they had chocolate in them. I am honestly not sure if I’ve eaten even one since I stopped working in an office, but they’re the one food that I associate with that time in my life. They got me through some killer afternoons.
Recently, one of my best friends mentioned that she was trying out some of my granola bar recipes to find a homemade replacement for her husband’s infatuation with the same packaged chewy chocolate chip granola bars that I loved. I wasn’t sure that any of them would be an exact match, but lo and behold less than a week later this recipe popped up on Lauren’s blog. I was certain that it was fate and set out to make them immediately so I could report back to my friend on a possible recipe for her. The verdict? These taste pretty much EXACTLY like the ones I lived on for years. They have a tad bit more honey flavor, but aside from that the flavor, the texture, the appearance – a spot-on match. I was astounded, actually! Throw in the fact that these can be whipped up in 10 minutes and require no oven, it’s pretty much a no-brainer to make these instead of going to the store to buy the packaged version!
This recipe is dedicated to everyone toiling away in a cubicle. Make these, keep them at your desk, and enjoy a homemade, non-processed treat when you get a craving in the middle of the work day.
Four years ago: French Bread
Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Yield: 10 bars
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1/3 cup light brown sugar
¼ cup honey
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup crispy rice cereal
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons mini chocolate chipsDirections:
1.Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir the oats and rice cereal together; set aside. In a small saucepan, melt the brown sugar, honey, and butter together over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Pour the melted mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well to moisten all ingredients. Pour the oat mixture into the prepared pan and press down to ensure that the ingredients are tightly compacted in the pan. Sprinkle the top evenly with the miniature chocolate chips and press down on the top lightly with the back of a spoon.
4. Cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours, or until the chocolate chips are set before cutting into bars. Wrap in plastic wrap or keep in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
(Recipe adapted from Lauren's Latest)
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They look great here, Lauren’s looked great, and I’ve been making homemade granola bars for years…the ingredients are better at home and the price is better, too, than buying them. Not to mention…they taste better!
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These look just delightful! I’ve never made granola bars before, but these make me want to change that!
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i eat a quaker oat bar every morning so these are right up my alley!! on my to-make list
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OMG i love these and I must try soon!
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PERFECT! I just made a batch for my kids to try out tomorrow morning. I can’t believe I had all the ingredients on hand! Looks delicious.
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How do you store these and how long do they last you? I’d to love to make these to ship off to my hubs who’s deployed.
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Michelle on February 28th, 2012 at 10:39 am
Hi E, I have storage tips listed in the recipe above. Room temperature for about 5 to 7 days. I think you would be fine shipping them overseas.
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E on February 28th, 2012 at 12:20 pm
Thank you kindly!
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These look exactly like the type of granola bar that I adore, too! YUM!
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These look perfect!
I really should try making granola bars myself, I am sure it’s so much healthier without preservatives. Great recipe!
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Love how easy these are! Chocolate chio granola bars will always be my fav.
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I don’t have any quick cooking oats in the house. Do you think regular old fashioned oatmeal will do? If not do you think toasting it in the oven would help?
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Michelle on February 28th, 2012 at 10:39 am
Hi Lori, Unfortunately regular old-fashioned rolled oats won’t work – they are a bit too large/thick/chewy in texture.
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Ronda on May 7th, 2013 at 4:39 pm
Just pop them in a food processor for a few seconds…perfect!
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From someone slaving away at a desk right now – thank you for sharing this recipe! These are so easy and would definitely cheer me up on a dull afternoon.
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I love when I come across fabulous recipes and realize I already have 80% of the ingredients in my cupboards
I’m also tempted to add in some peanut butter, as pb & choc granola bars are my favorite!
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Michelle on February 28th, 2012 at 10:40 am
Do it! YUM!
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Sandy on February 28th, 2012 at 11:23 am
I was thinking the same thing. Do you think you can just add the PB or do we need to substitute it?
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Melanie on February 28th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
From other various recipes I’ve seen that add PB, it’s usually substituted for half of the butter or something along those lines. I’d think you’d have to do something pretty strange to mess up a simple recipe like this one.
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Michelle on February 28th, 2012 at 11:18 pm
Hi Sandy, I would sub out half of the butter for peanut butter, and you could add some peanut butter chips.
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I want to try this, I am going vegan for lent (my religion requires this) so I think these will be great with earth balance too.
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Coming to you live from my cubicle…thank you.
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I meant to make granola bars in September – an attempt at making super awesome homemade snacks for oldest to bring to preschool for snack… it never happened. I’m totally giving this a shot sometime!
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Ugh I know that feeling with the blinking red light – I always dreaded it so much. Glad you’ve found something that makes you happier
These granola bars are on my to-do list too, yours look great!
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These are perfect!! This is a great snack to take to work! I totally love this!!
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I’m putting these on my to-make list right now! Granola bars was one of the foods that got me through five years of grad school
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I’m laughing in my cube as I read this. It’s all so true. Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks!
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these look great! planning on making a batch this weekend.
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You all have made me so glad not to be in the corporate world. The stay-at-home world gets a little dull sometimes but at least I don’t hate facing the day. Thanks for helping me to think about the other side.
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I can *TOTALLY* relate to this! I’ll be making these this weekend!
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Looks delicious! would have to try!
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I never knew it was that simple. prefect for a afternoon snack for my girls!
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These are such a healthy snack and they sound easy to make too. Lucky for us that you’re not in the cube-laden world anymore.
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Your recipes always end up in my pinterest! Looks great!!
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These look perfect! I love granola bars; adding Rice Krispies to my grocery list right now!
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I’m so excited to try these! One of my kids is allergic to nuts & coconut and it’s become increasingly difficult to find them at the store without either.
Thank you so much!
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Isn’t it funny how we hold onto certain stimuli from stressful times of our lives? I can’t look at purple low-calorie Gatorade outside of work, because it’s what I drink on particularly hot and stressful days to keep me alive. Working on getting away from that job..
These granola bars look fluffy and wonderful. I have never ever tried to make them homemade!
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Back when I was working in the Actuarial Field I also lived off granola bars…actually being a stay at home mom it is still my go to snack (just finished eating one). This looks so easy to make and I much prefer to make at home since I know what is going in. Pinned this & will be trying them out soon. Thx for sharing!
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i made these once i saw them on lauren’s blog and my kiddos LOVE them! we like the oatmeal raisin version she has on there too! yummy!
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Yummy! I used to eat Quaker Chewy Granola Bars every afternoon. I haven’t bought granola bars in a long time. Looks like I can make them myself now! Hurray!
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I need to actually make these. I’ve got a bunch of bookmarked recipes and need to stop being lazy! I’m sure once I make them, I’ll never buy Trader Joe’s version again!
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Aw, thanks for the kind thoughts to those of us still toiling sitting on our bums at a desk all day
These almost make up for the pain of it!
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Never knew that corporate world is America is same/worse than that in India ! I have 2 kids and they love choco chip granola bars.Now I can make them at home with the help of your recipe..yayy !
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Saw these on her blog too and made them right away. Mine were a crumbly mess=( They taste wonderful though and my roommate decided it made a great cereal. So I followed his advice and had a bowl full covered in milk. Yum! I’ll have to try making them again with a bit less butter and little more cooking time. At least I know if that doesn’t work I’ll have a delicious bowl of cereal in my future=)
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These are now filed under “Make Immediately”. Yum!! My kids will think I’m a rockstar! Thanks!!
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These sound great and simple to make but… I almost ashamed to admit that I’m not a big chocolate fan. Do you have a recipe that would use peanut butter in it? Maybe just switching the choc chips with peanut butter chips would work? I’m giving it a try this weekend. Thanks.
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Michelle on February 28th, 2012 at 11:21 pm
You could definitely swap out the chocolate chips for peanut butter chips, and exchange half of the butter, and maybe a little of the honey for peanut butter.
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Ah corporate American, isn’t it lovely?! If these bars got you through it, I need some ASAP! They look incredible. Chewy granola bars are my fav, must try!
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These bars are so good!
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Sweet! My family loves these things but with three kids a box doesn’t last long at all!
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Ah… adding chocolate chips just makes these perfect. Gorgeous clicks M!
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I made these last night with cinnamon and raisins instead of chocolate chips. They smelled wonderful, however I’m having problems getting them to set. Tried to take them out of the pan this morning and they’re falling apart. Any suggestions?
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Michelle on February 29th, 2012 at 10:31 am
It sounds like they may not have been packed down enough. I used the back of a spoon to really press the mixture into the pan. Once they were cool I was able to loosen one side of the pan and pull the whole pan of granola out in one piece and then cut. I would try refrigerating or freezing briefly before trying to cut.
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I used to keep a granola bars in my cube too! Thanks for recipe!
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oh yum, I need to try these! I can’t believe they taste like the store-bought ones, I haven’t found any that come close!
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I made these last night and just tried them and I have to say – DELICIOUS! I didn’t have mini choc-chips so I just used regular and they were fine. They were SO easy and quick. A new favorite!
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I too am toiling away at my entry-level job and can so relate to loathing hearing the sound of your boss’s voice! I totally need a granola bar like this to get me through. Your blog is wonderful by the way. I check it at least once a week!
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These look amazing Michelle! Love your packaging, too!
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.com/
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Oh my gosh. These are so good. Just had my first bite!
Since I don’t use quick oats, I put old fashioned oats in the blender and pulsed a few times. It worked perfectly. Also, I crushed a 70% chocolate bar (I didn’t have any chocolate chips) and put on top.
And..you are right….you really need to push the dough down and you won’t be disappointed.
Thanks again for your recipes. Always the best!
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I made a batch last night and experiemented with old fashioned oatmeal. I put my rolled oats in my food processor and pulsed it a few times to break it up a bit. I then followed your directions. My son loves them and is walking out the door this morning with a fistful on his way to school. It’s a hit!
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I just made these, and they are addictively delicious and so easy! Thanks Michelle.
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Michelle, Now I’ve done it. My son shared his granola bars with the crew team….it’s now a request for all their regattas!
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This has definitely got to be one of the most useful recipes yo have at hand! Thanks a lot!
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This a a fantastic recipe….incredibly easy, delicious and using ingredients I always have on hand. This is the perfect thing to send with my son in the morning when he leaves for school. A true winner!
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Passed the husband test!! He loves these things right out of the box, and was very skeptical. Quick, easy and yummy, and about 75 cents for 16 bars out of my 6×9 pan. Yay!
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Boy do these look amazing.
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FREAKING A. Forgot the vanilla extract. Waiting for them to cool. Hope they turn out okay.. :c
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I was wondering were the chips milkchocolate or semi sweer
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Michelle on March 31st, 2012 at 7:51 pm
Hi Alexa, Semisweet.
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I just made these and they are perfect! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. It’s so simple I’m going to have my kids make the next batch.
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I want to eat healthier and also be conscious of calories. Any idea as to if the calories would be the same as store bought bars or less?
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Michelle on April 16th, 2012 at 6:08 pm
Hi Kim, I haven’t figured out the caloric content of these bars, but I think there are some sites where you can put in ingredients and quantities and get the nutritional info. For comparison sake, it would all depend on what store bought brand you are looking at!
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Love, love, love these! I have made them several times but they never stay together so I throw them in the freezer and they get hard and I eat them frozen. Not sure what my problem is though with getting them to set. I’ve tried using less butter and really packing them down. Could I be using the wrong Oats and that is what is causing my problem? I have the big thing of Quaker, Is that right? Thanks BEB!
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Michelle on April 17th, 2012 at 2:10 pm
Hi Jessica, Quaker Oats make two different types of oats – old-fashioned traditional rolled oats, and quick cooking oats. The old-fashioned style oats are cut larger and thicker; if you’re using these that’s probably why they’re not setting. Make sure you use the quick cooking variety, which are smaller and thinner.
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Ooh wonderful! I’m going to have to make my husband a care package of these to take to work. Chocolate chip granola bars are his favorite!
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I didn’t have any puff cereal so I chopped up some raw almonds in a food processor as a substitute. Delicious, thank you for the recipe. My family will be enjoying these all week.
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I made these but had a problem…they fall apart. Taste is good but not something you could hold and eat…am I doing something wrong??? I used the standard square pan to make them.
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Michelle on June 4th, 2012 at 9:59 pm
Hi Asiya, Did you use quick oats, or the “old-fashioned, traditional rolled” oats? The old-fashioned oats are significantly larger than quick oats and can cause the mixture to be crumbly and not stay together as well.
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Asiya on June 4th, 2012 at 11:25 pm
I used quick oats to make these.
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Just made these…didn’t have rice cereal but added shredded coconut and slivered almonds…the batter was amazing!
can’t wait til the bars are set!
Thanks!
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So i just made a batch but used the homemade gronala i made yesterday and just added a tablespoon of peanut butter, then when i mixed it i added mini marshmillows ..as my girls called them and chocolate chips…. I hope it works.
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Yum! I made these yesterday, sent one with my kindergartener for lunch, and ate half of one (a sample) this morning. They are very good, but I should have pushed down harder before letting them set, they are bit fall apart. But still so delicious that there will be no complaints. I like being able to make these as a treat instead of buying hem!
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Hi, could I male several batches of these and keep them in the freezer, just take out what we would use in a week? I have a foodsaver so it would be airtight too. (would vacuum sealing help them last longer when kept at room temp?)
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Michelle on October 30th, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Hi Erin, You could certainly store these in the freezer, that would definitely work! Vacuum sealing them would keep them fresher longer at room temperature, but I actually think they’re better in the fridge for longer periods of time – they won’t get as soft.
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I don’t have crispie rice cereal, but I do have Special K.. Does anyone know if I can substitute it and use the Special K? Thanks!
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My family absolutely loves these bars! Have you ever tried to make them with less sweetener? Would you leave out some of the brown sugar or some of the honey? I am trying to make them healthier. I have subbed coconut oil for the butter, and replaced 1/4c. of the oats with flax meal and they turned out great. I just would like to cut down on the sweetener and wasn’t sure the best way to do it. Thanks!
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Michelle on February 10th, 2013 at 2:42 pm
Hi Elizabeth, You could substitute some of the honey with unsweetened applesauce, if you’d like.
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I made these the other day and they turned out perfect! They have a pretty strong honey taste though and my husband doesnt like honey. What can I use instead?
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Michelle on February 10th, 2013 at 2:45 pm
Hi Tina, You could try agave nectar, molasses or maple syrup (or a combination of them).
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These granola bars are amazing! I took your advice for the peanut butter by doing 2 T. butter an 2 T. peanut butter and it turned out great! I found on Google how to use old fashioned oats instead of quick oats and it mentioned to put the old fashioned oats into the food processor and grind them down just a little bit. It worked out perfect and my granola bars are very tasty!
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My husband like your friends is also in love with the boxed chewy chocolate chip granola bars. They seem to be getting more expensive in stores so I set out to find a recipe to make our own. Thanks for this!
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My 4 yr old is “addicted” to the “other” chocolate chip granola bars. I cannot wait to make these for him! I don’t have all the ingredients, or I’d be making them right now. So many variations… chocolate chips and the teensy mini marshmallows for s’mores, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips and craisins, butterscotch chips, english toffee chips, yum!
I ran this recipe through My Fitness Pal and it came out to 183 cals/serving without using name brands. That’s not bad! I think most of the bars I usually get are 100-150. So a few more, but it’s worth it for the healthier/non chemical ingredients.
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I’m a vegan and I was wondering if I can substitute vegetable oil for the butter? They look great!
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Michelle on June 9th, 2013 at 9:16 pm
Hi Faye, Vegetable oil might cause them to have too much of an oily texture/taste. You may want to try coconut oil (in solid form).
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