Description
These Healthy Granola Bars are a delicious and nutritious snack made with natural sweeteners, nuts, oats, and dark chocolate chips. Easy to prepare and perfect for on-the-go energy boosts, these bars are baked to achieve your preferred texture, whether soft or crispy.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons peanut butter or almond butter
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or almonds
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make removal easier.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the honey, peanut butter (or almond butter), and sea salt. Stir thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and well incorporated.
- Add Dry Ingredients: To the wet mixture, add the rolled oats, finely chopped nuts, and dark chocolate chips. Stir carefully until all ingredients are evenly mixed together.
- Press and Bake: Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish and press it firmly and evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for about 18 minutes if you prefer soft granola bars, or 20 to 22 minutes for crispy ones.
- Cool Before Cutting: Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the granola bars cool completely in the pan for 20 minutes. This helps them set properly before cutting.
- Remove and Slice: Gently lift the bars out of the pan by pulling up the parchment paper edges. Slice into 8 to 10 bars along your desired size lines.
- Final Cooling: Allow the sliced bars to cool fully before eating or storing to ensure they hold together well and the texture is optimal.
Notes
- You can substitute walnuts or almonds with other nuts like pecans or cashews as preferred.
- For a nut-free version, substitute nut butter with sunflower seed butter and omit nuts.
- Adjust baking time to achieve preferred bar texture: less time for chewy bars, more for crispy bars.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
- Using parchment paper makes removing the bars from the pan much easier and helps avoid breakage.