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I love granola bars, they make me happy. They are easy to pack into lunches, they are a nice sweet treat, and most of all, they are a sanity savior. Sadly, commercial granola bars are the equivalent of junk food. Sigh. Oh, I know it, I don’t pretend that putting a granola bar into my kid’s lunch is in any way, shape or form a healthy choice. No matter what, granola bars are a sweet treat, no matter how you dress them up, but you can make them slightly healthier.
To do that, I need to show you how to make homemade granola bars yourself!
This recipe – while I did treat it up with mini M&M’s – is a very good base granola bar recipe. You can go endless ways with this, with various tasty possibilities.
How to Make Homemade Granola Bars
- Line a 9×13 pan with tinfoil or parchment paper.
- Combine the butter, brown sugar, and honey in a medium-sized pot. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat: stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the sugar mixture over the oats/rice krispies and fold with a rubber spatula until well combined. Spoon into the
- prepared pan and press down lightly.
- Sprinkle the M&M’s over the top and press firmly into the tops of the bars. Make sure that the bars are tightly compacted in the pan.
- Let set on the counter: do NOT refrigerate, it dries the bars out!
- Remove the bars using the edges of the tinfoil and place them onto a cutting board.
- Cut into rectangles. Store the bars in an airtight container on the counter. These will last up to 5 days, an entire school week!
Healthy Homemade Granola Bars
What I love is that these shriek TREAT!!! when the kids see them at lunch. I’m ok with the ingredients: a few mini M&M’s on top is just enough to impress the kids. The rest is honey, sugar, butter, oats, and Rice Krispies, putting these in the same category as a cookie, but longer burning in little tummies for the rest of the school day thanks to the oats. Remember that while the butter makes this recipe have higher calories, there is NO corn syrup or additives! I would rather use butter than corn syrup!
- You can’t use any hearty oats, it will be too tough to chew, so you have to use quick oats.
- You CAN sneak in a tablespoon or two of flax, or hemp hearts if wanted, without sacrificing taste or texture.
- You can also press your choice of toasted nuts into the top as well if your school doesn’t have a nut policy, or keep them for snacks at home. Play around with the base recipe and see what healthy ingredients you can sneak in there.
It also makes 2 dozen bars, which is a money saver as well. That’s four boxes of commercial granola bars (usually filled with corn syrup and endless other ingredients) that you just made. And they are easy, you guys, so so easy to make. This will honestly take 10 minutes out of your day, perhaps on a Sunday before the school week begins. You can make half a pan of one flavor, and half a pan of another by pressing different ingredients into the top.
Slice and wrap them up and store them at room temperature for up to a week; they will absolutely toughen up in the fridge.
Happy baking everyone!
Karlynn
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Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup salted butter
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup honey
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups quick-cooking/instant oats
- 3 1/2 cups of Rice Krispies
- 1 cup mini M&M’s
Instructions
- Line a 9×13 pan with tinfoil or parchment paper, leaving overhang over the edges.
- Place the oats and rice krispies into a large mixing bolw, set aside until later.
- Combine the butter, brown sugar and honey in a medium sized pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat : stir in the vanilla .
- Pour the sugar mixture over the oats/rice krispies and fold with a rubber spatula until well combined.
- Spoon into the prepared pan and press down lightly.
- Sprinkle the M&M’s over the top and press firmly into the tops of the bars. Make sure that the bars are tightly compacted in the pan.
- Let set on the counter : do NOT refrigerate, it dries the bars out!
- Remove the bars using the edges of the tinfoil and place onto a cutting board.
- Cut into rectangles. Store the bars in an airtight container on the counter. These will last up to 5 days, an entire school week!
Nutrition
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Boopster says
A fail for me. Tasted way too sweet & like honey flavored Rice Krispie treats & didn’t bind.
Janet Nilsson says
Any hints to bind them better? I also followed the recipe, just subbed unsalted butter for salted butter. they did not hold together?
Janet Nilsson says
I also followed the recipe, just subbed unsalted butter for salted butter. Mine were also crumbly. Any hints to bind them better?
KeneahBertrandRice says
I have been searching for a home made granola bar for my children who have peanut allergies. This sounds promising. Next time I go to the grocery store I am getting the supplies to make these.
heather penberthy says
Hello Kitchen Magpie FromAnother Edmontonian. now living in Sask. anyway tried your recipe. I added coconut @ alil peanut butter. I also baked them for 15 min. they held together nicely tasted great. you said to play around with it and let you know. didn’t hurt;/// made them nice//// with a lil added crunch,
Cindy Nickerson says
Not veru healthy…just saying. Leave off the M&M’s for sure.
Mary P Hoffman says
They look tasty and bright!!
Sherry Wentland says
I made these this week and they tasted fantastic but we’re so crumbly! No way they stated in shape! What did I do wrong?
Banana Head says
I’ve been baking for about 26 years. Cooking for about 10. I have plenty of experience…but NO. These did not turn out at all. Have read and re-read the instructions and I followed them to a T. They did not harden and are basically still as soft as when I made them. What a waste of time and money.
Angela Johnston says
I love how you incorporate your vintage Pyrex! Love the recipe too!
The Kitchen Magpie says
It’s so awesome to use! It’s some of the best bakeware out there!
Tanya Frewin says
Ooh. I’ve been wanting to try to make our own granola bars. Will have to try this this week!
The Kitchen Magpie says
They are SUPER EASY. I’m really happy with how the recipe turned out!!
Kimberly J. Stonehouse says
Going to try this recipe today
The Kitchen Magpie says
Let me know what you think!
I Choose Healthy says
What’s wrong with corn syrup?
The Kitchen Magpie says
Nothing, in moderation. In kids lunches daily, maybe not so much.