Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars are chock-full of healthy oats, almonds, dried cranberries, and chocolate chips. Unlike a lot of homemade granola bars, these delicious treats hold together when cut. They're simple to make, and stay soft for up to a week in an airtight container. Granola bars, borrowed from InspiredTaste.net, are the perfect snack to provide you with energy anytime of the day.
Ingredients for Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars
I used the following ingredients: Old-fashioned oats, whole almonds, unsalted butter, honey, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, Kosher salt, dried cranberries, and mini-chocolate chips.
Making the Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars:
I started by lightly toasting the oats and almonds in a 350° F oven for about 10 minutes. Then, I transferred the oats and almonds to a large bowl.
Next, I heated the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until it came to a full boil. I let it continue heating for several minutes until it registered about 220° F on an instant read thermometer.
Then, I poured the syrup mixture over the oats and almonds. I stirred the mixture with a wooden spoon to thoroughly incorporate everything.
I let the granola bar mixture cool for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, I stirred in the dried cranberries and mini-chocolate chips. Because the mixture was still hot, the chocolate chips melted, helping to bind all of the ingredients together.
I transferred the mixture to a 9-inch square pan that I had lined with non-stick aluminum foil. Next, I used a combination of rubber spatula and damp hands to firmly press the mixture into the pan. This is a critical step to ensure that the granola bars hold together.
Finally, I scattered on some additional mini-chocolate chips. I gently pressed them into the top and popped the pan into the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
After 2 hours, I removed the block of granola mixture from the pan, and peeled away the aluminum foil. I cut the granola mixture into 15 bars. They were soft and chewy, and totally delicious. Yum!
Recipe
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Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars (Borrowed from InspiredTaste.net)
Ingredients
- 2-½ cups (8 ounces, 227 grams) old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup (2.5 ounces, 71 grams) whole almonds, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup (2 ounces, 57 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ⅓ cup (4 ounces, 113 grams) honey
- ¼ cup (1.875 ounces, 53 grams) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ cup (2 ounces, 57 grams) dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons 2.3 ounces, 65 grams mini-chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350° F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with non-stick aluminum foil. Lightly oil or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Combine oats and almonds on a large baking sheet with sides. Bake at 350° F for about 10 minutes, stirring once, or until lightly toasted. Transfer to large bowl.
- Combine butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until mixture comes to a full boil. Continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, or until mixture registers 220° F on an instant read thermometer.
- Pour syrup mixture over oat and almonds; mix well. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Add dried cranberries and ¼ cup mini-chocolate chips. Stir to combine.
- Transfer granola mixture to prepared pan; use a rubber spatula or damp hands to firmly press mixture into pan for about a minute. (The harder you press, the more likely the mixture will hold together when cut into bars.)
- Sprinkle remaining 2 Tablespoons mini-chocolate chips over granola mixture. Gently press into mixture with rubber spatula.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove granola from pan and peel away aluminum foil. Cut into 12 to 15 bars.
- Wrap individual bars in plastic wrap; store in airtight container for up to a week.
- Yield: 12 to 15 bars.
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