Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

Make the Almond Butter and Honey Binder

Combine the honey, almond butter, and coconut oil in a small saucepan.

Mix well and bring to a boil. As soon as the first few bubbles start forming, stir the mixture nonstop.

Tip! If the mixture becomes too hot, briefly lift the saucepan from the heat while stirring to prevent it from burning on the bottom.

Boil the mixture for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously. It is ready when it thickens slightly.

Combine the warm honey mixture and date caramel in a large mixing bowl.

Add the cooled oat-and-seed mixture to the date caramel mixture.

Mix until all the dry ingredients are evenly incorporated.

Let the mixture cool completely to room temperature, then add the chocolate chips.

Tip! Let the mixture cool completely before adding the chocolate chips. If it is still warm, the chocolate will melt throughout the bars.

Press and Chill the Bars

Line a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and coat it with nonstick cooking spray.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Press it firmly into an even layer, making sure it reaches every corner.

Tip! I have two pans of the same size, so I use the second pan to press the granola mixture firmly and evenly into the first one. It works perfectly.

Refrigerate the bars for at least 2 hours.

Once the mixture is cold and firm, remove it from the pan and cut it into 18 bars or squares.

Store the bars in the refrigerator to keep them firm.

At room temperature, the bars soften and may bend or break apart more easily, although they should not crumble.

I love sending these bars in my girls’ lunchboxes as the perfect pick-me-up snack!

Enjoy!

More Homemade Snack Recipes

For more homemade snacks, try my Cashew Energy Balls, Granola Cookies, or Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Why You’ll Love These Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

I wanted a homemade chewy granola bar made with recognizable ingredients instead of the long ingredient lists found in many store-bought bars. These bars combine oats, seeds, almond butter, date caramel, honey, and semisweet chocolate chips in a satisfying snack my girls love.

I was on a mission to make a delicious homemade granola bar without butter. After testing about eight versions, I finally nailed the texture and flavor.

Not only are they delicious, but the texture is exactly what I wanted. They are crunchy yet compact and chewy—but not in a gummy-bear kind of way. Instead, they are soft and tender. It won’t hurt your jaw to chew on these!

These bars are also made with recognizable ingredients: flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, oats, almond butter, coconut oil, dates, vanilla extract, almond milk, salt, honey, and semisweet chocolate chips. That’s it!

Enough of the sales pitch, though. Let’s make these delicious bars!

How to Make Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil.

Place the dates in a bowl, pour the boiling water over them, and let them soak for 10–15 minutes.

Tip! This process of rehydrating the dates is called reconstitution. It works on all dried fruits and helps them get soft and plump.

While the dates are soaking, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the oats, hemp seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds.

Bake these dry ingredients for 10 minutes. Halfway through baking, give them a quick shimmy shake to help them toast evenly.

Once the dry ingredients are done baking, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely to room temperature.

Make the Date Caramel

Drain the dates and discard the water.

Place the dates in a food processor with the vanilla extract, salt, and almond milk.

Process until the mixture is soft and resembles a thick caramel.

Tip! You can leave the date caramel slightly chunky if you would like bits of dates throughout the bars. I recommend processing it until creamy because that helps the ingredients stick together better.

Make the Almond Butter and Honey Binder

Combine the honey, almond butter, and coconut oil in a small saucepan.

Mix well and bring to a boil. As soon as the first few bubbles start forming, stir the mixture nonstop.

Tip! If the mixture becomes too hot, briefly lift the saucepan from the heat while stirring to prevent it from burning on the bottom.

Boil the mixture for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously. It is ready when it thickens slightly.

Combine the warm honey mixture and date caramel in a large mixing bowl.

Add the cooled oat-and-seed mixture to the date caramel mixture.

Mix until all the dry ingredients are evenly incorporated.

Let the mixture cool completely to room temperature, then add the chocolate chips.

Tip! Let the mixture cool completely before adding the chocolate chips. If it is still warm, the chocolate will melt throughout the bars.

Press and Chill the Bars

Line a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and coat it with nonstick cooking spray.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Press it firmly into an even layer, making sure it reaches every corner.

Tip! I have two pans of the same size, so I use the second pan to press the granola mixture firmly and evenly into the first one. It works perfectly.

Refrigerate the bars for at least 2 hours.

Once the mixture is cold and firm, remove it from the pan and cut it into 18 bars or squares.

Store the bars in the refrigerator to keep them firm.

At room temperature, the bars soften and may bend or break apart more easily, although they should not crumble.

I love sending these bars in my girls’ lunchboxes as the perfect pick-me-up snack!

Enjoy!

More Homemade Snack Recipes

For more homemade snacks, try my Cashew Energy Balls, Granola Cookies, or Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.