Crispy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars are Wholesome & School-Friendly
Crispy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars are no-bake and easy. This is a nut-free recipe.
To make chocolate chip granola bars gluten-free be sure to buy GF crispy rice cereal (many include barley malt extract) and GF oats.
Granola Bar Tips:
- The coconut in this recipe can be replaced with other seeds or nuts. Try pumpkin seeds or a combination of chia seeds and hemp seeds.
- Try other dried fruit in this recipe too, like apricots, dates or prunes. Be sure to chop them raisin size.
- Looking for more chocolate? Try drizzling the bars with melted chocolate once they have cooled. Let the chocolate harden before cutting
Crispy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Crispy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars are no-bake and easy. This is a nut-free recipe. It’s gluten-free too if you use GF oats and crisp rice cereal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Cookies
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats*
- 2 cups crisp rice cereal*
- ½ cup dried cranberries or raisins
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ⅓ cup butter
- ⅓ cup Crosby’s Fancy Molasses
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a 9”x 9” pan with parchment paper or grease it well.
- Combine the oats, rice cereal, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and coconut in a large bowl.
- Melt butter, molasses and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract (it will sputter).
- Pour hot syrup over the oat mixture and stir to combine. Allow to cool for a few minutes then stir in chocolate chips. Press mixture firmly (and I mean firmly) into prepared pan and ensure it gets right to the edges. Try laying a sheet of parchment paper over top to make it easier to press down.
- Refrigerate until set and cut into bars.
Notes
*Choose gluten-free rolled oats and crisp rice cereal if necessary.
Lynda
I followed this to the letter, apart from adding a splash of maple flavour with the vanilla. They set up beautifully and I found the molasses was perfect (I only buy Fancy). There are so many ways to vary this… cherry flavoured cranberries, sliced or slivered almonds in place of the sunflowers, etc. Definitely a keeper!!
★★★★★
Lisa
Made this it tasty however it’s didn’t harden even. So not sure what I did wrong. I skipped he fruit as I’m not keen on them. I will eat it as it’s tasty
Stephanie Leeyus
This is really goods, You can even add extra nuts or even omit raisins or cranberries. It is a terrific base for a bar – best I have ever used
★★★★
Patricia
These granola bars are overpowered by the molasses flavour. My kids wouldn’t eat them. I would cut the molasses down to half and substitute honey or maple syrup?
Marie-Pierre Lessard
Thank you for your comment Patricia. Yes, you can cut the amount of molasses if you prefer.