These Soft and Chewy Granola Bars make the perfect on-the-go snack! They take just 20 minutes to bake and it’s much cheaper to make them from scratch. Packed with oats, nuts, seeds and dried fruit and just the right amount of sweetness, you’ll love these homemade granola bars.
It was only a matter of time before I published a recipe for granola bars. I am a self-confessed granola addict. I make granola every week without fail (although I must admit, I am sometimes tempted by the “posh” granola brands…if they’re on offer as they are often criminally expensive) but I love nothing more than a bowl of crunchy granola with thick Greek yoghurt and fresh fruit. It’s honestly one of my favourite things to eat.
I’m generally a fan of any bake with oats….flapjacks, anyone? Oh, and these oh-so simple oat cookies always go down a treat in my house.
Granola bars are a great on-the-go snack – pop one in your pocket if you’re going on a Winter walk or pack in a lunchbox for an afternoon treat.
ingredient Notes
Please scroll to the bottom of this post to find a printable recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions.
- melted butter helps bind the bars together. You could use peanut butter instead, if you like.
- Rolled oats – not “quick cook” oats. I used a 50/50 mix of jumbo and medium oats, but you could use all medium.
- mixed seeds. You can use any combination of seeds you like – I used pumpkin, sesame, chia and sunflower. Thankfully, you can buy packets of these seeds in most supermarkets these days.
- nuts. I used a mixture of pecans and walnuts. You can use any type of unsalted nut you like. You need to chop them up quite finely so they stay intact when you cut the bars.
- dried fruit. Once again, any combo you like is absolutely fine. If the fruit is on the large side, you’ll need to cut it into small pieces. I used raisins, dried figs, apricots and goji berries because that’s what I had in the cupboard.
- A little plain flour to make a cohesive bar!
- soft light brown sugar adds a lovely caramel note to the bars.
- pinch of salt to balance all the flavours
how to make soft and chewy granola bars
1. Melt the butter, sugar and maple syrup or honey in a pan over a low heat.
2. Remove pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract, followed by the dry ingredients. Stir in the nuts and dried fruits.
3. Transfer the mixture to a greased and lined 20 x 20 cm baking tin. Using the back of a spoon, press the mixture firmly into the tin, making sure you reach all the corners.
4. Bake at 180C/ 160Fan / 350F / Gas Mark 4 for 20-25 minutes, or until the bars are light golden. They will still be a little soft, but will firm up on cooling.
5. Allow the bars to cool down a little before slicing them – they don’t need to be completely cold, but it’s best to let them rest for a while. I usually wait about one hour before cutting them.
granola bar variations
You can go to town here if you want! As long as you stick to the ratios in the recipe, you can use any combination of nuts/seeds/dried fruits you want. Just don’t forget to chop the nuts and fruit into small pieces, or the bars won’t stick together very well.
This recipe is great for using up half packets of ingredients in your cupboard.
Play about with the flavours to switch it up from time to time – white chocolate chips and dried cranberries or cherries, apricot and dark chocolate chips, dried apricots/figs with chopped crystallised ginger are all very good.
storing homemade granola bars
Store the granola bars in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for up to three days.
can they be frozen?
Yes – granola bars certainly can be frozen for another time. Pack the bars in an airtight container and place a piece of baking paper between the bars to prevent them from sticking together. Freeze for up to three months. Defrost at room temperature (no need to place them in the fridge) before serving.
related recipes to try
Soft and Chewy Granola Bars
These homemade soft and chewy granola bars are a quick and easy bake that can easily be adapted with different flavours. They take 10 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to bake, so what are you waiting for? Perfect for lunchboxes, breakfast or an afternoon snack!
Ingredients
- 150g butter
- 150g soft brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 250g medium rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 75g plain (all purpose) flour
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 3 tablespoons mixed seeds
- 2 tablespoons chopped mixed nuts
- 6 figs or apricots, chopped into small pieces
- 25g dried fruit such as sultanas, raisins or dried cherries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/ Gas Mark 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20 x 20cm baking tin with baking parchment.
- Melt the butter, sugar and maple syrup or honey in a large saucepan over a low heat, then remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Stir in the oats, ground cinnamon, flour and salt until fully incorporated.
- Stir in the seeds, nuts and dried fruit.
- Transfer the mixture to the baking tin, pressing the mixture down firmly into the corners of the tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.
Notes
Baker’s Notes: Feel free to add any combination of nuts, seeds and dried fruit you fancy. This recipe is great for using up half packets of ingredients in your cupboard.
Variations: Play about with the flavours to switch it up from time to time - white chocolate chips and dried cranberries or cherries, apricot and dark chocolate chips, dried apricots/figs with chopped crystallised ginger are particularly good!
Storing: Store the granola bars in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for up to three days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 476Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 213mgCarbohydrates: 76gFiber: 6gSugar: 47gProtein: 6g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.