When you have five kids, you go through a lot of snacks. And one of our kids is still too little for solid food! We are firmly in the camp of buying the kids’ snacks from Costco because we need bulk amounts. This year, I wanted to commit to making a really delicious homemade granola bar. These granola bars are packed with great ingredients and actually hold their shape. Many granola bar recipes that I’ve tried tend to be too soft, fall apart, or simply not taste as good. Since I’ve made these, my kids as for them almost daily as an after-school snack and if it can pass the test with my kids, it can pass the test with yours!
Here are the yummy ingredients you’ll find in these delicious homemade granola bars:
- Almond butter
- Coconut oil
- Pure maple syrup
- Old-fashioned oats
- Almonds
- Pepitas
- Dried cranberries
- Hemp hearts
- Chia seeds
- Flaxseed meal
- Cinnamon
- Chocolate chips
I know this looks like a lot of ingredients but they add a lot of flavor and nutritional value! In these homemade granola bars you’ll find protein, healthy fats, Omega-3’s, Omega-6’s, fiber, and antioxidants. They’re the perfect snack for adults and kids alike.
After mixing all the ingredients together, you’re going to spray an 8 x 8 square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. Press the granola bar mixture firmly into the pan and let cool in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight. At this point you can remove the bars from the pan and cut and enjoy as is, or you can dip them in melted chocolate and drizzle more on top. They are delicious either way!
I plan to make these healthy homemade granola bars weekly for the foreseeable future because not only do my kids love them, I love them too!
- 1 cup almond butter
- 4 tbsp. melted coconut oil
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup chopped almonds
- ⅓ cup pepitas
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup hemp hearts
- 2 tbsp. chia seeds
- 2 tbsp. flaxseed meal
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- 1½ cups chocolate chips for dipping/drizzling if desired
- Mix the ingredients in a large bowl: almond butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, rolled oats, almonds, pepitas, dried cranberries, hemp hearts, chia seeds, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, and mini chocolate chips.
- Spray an 8x8 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Press the granola bar batter into the pan and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
- After refrigerating, cut the granola bars. From here you can enjoy as is, or melt the remaining chocolate chips to dip the bottoms of the granola bars. You can also drizzle any leftover melted chocolate over the top. Place on wax paper to cool completely for the chocolate to harden.
- Keep the granola bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Enjoy!
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