Have you read the ingredients label of some store bought granola bars? It is insane! I can’t even pronounce some of the things in there. But let’s be honest, that’s the case with a lot of packaged foods.
My goal as a mom is to give my daughter as many whole foods as possible. These granola bars have ingredients that we all know and love. And they are a hit with my daughter.
I love a lot of “stuff” in my bars. So I added chocolate chips and dried cranberries to the mix. I was surprised by how much I loved the chocolate and fruity flavor combination in one bar.
Ingredients:
* 4 cups old fashioned oats
* 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
* 1/2 cup shredded coconut
* 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 cup chocolate chips
* 1 cup dried cranberries or cherries
* Pinch of Kosher salt
* 1/2 cup grapeseed oil (you can sub canola or another alternative for grapeseed oil)
* 2 teaspoons vanilla
* 1/2 cup honey
Directions:
* Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
* In a large bowl combine oats, flour, coconut, brown sugar, chocolate chips, dried fruit and salt.
* In a smaller bowl, whisk oil, vanilla and honey until combined. Mixture should be smooth.
* Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. Toss until all the dry ingredients have been coated.
* Place the mixture onto the lined baking sheet and shape into a large rectangle. It should be around 9×13 inches and an inch thick.
* Bake for about 35-40 minutes, until the granola starts to brown.
* Cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then cut into small bars using a sharp knife.
Little A had to get in on the action too.
Enjoy!
These look so yummy, Tiffany! And I agree, some of the stuff at the store is scary. Most of it, actually. I love Little A’s shirt too, super cute! It’s good to know these are a hit with her, if they pass a toddler’s approval they must be awesome!
Yum! Great recipe. I love chocolate with fruit, too. I can’t wait to try these out. Little A looks like a natural. 😉
Ohhhh Tiffany I have to make these! Thanks for the recipe!
Can’t wait to make these! We never buy granola bars anymore but I love a good chewy bar! My boys will be all over this little kitchen activity! Thanks for sharing!! (Oh–and I too love lots of *goodies* in my bars!)
I hope the boys like them. Little A really loved them. Mine turned out a bit more crunchy so if you bake them less they will be more chewy.
I love granola!! I can’t have any of these ingredients, but they sure do/look sound delicious !:)
Sounds and looks fabulous my friend! I love that you got Little A involved in the making of them. Wonderful!!! Do you store them in the fridge?
Thanks for sharing.
xoxo
these look absolutely delish! i love the addition of cranberries to the granola bars along with chocolate, always gotta have chocolate
Tiffany! I’ve been feeling so frustrated that my husband ever brought those granola bars into our house because JR tried them like once or twice and now that’s mostly all he wants to eat minus a few other things!!! This sounds like a great alternative!
Oh no! I hope you can get him off of them. So many bad ingredients in there. Definitely try these. I’d maybe even cook them a little less and that will make them a bit more chewy for him. Good luck Brittnei!
I’ve tried several granola bar recipes lately but they turn out very dry. This recipe looks like it’s about the same, but with oil. I’m hopeful that this recipe will be the one that we love. The pictures look great! Thank you for sharing with the SHINE Blog Hop this week!
I hope they turn out for you Sarah. If you bake them a few minutes less I think they’ll be a bit more chewy. Good luck!