Soft and chewy granola bars made from scratch. If you love Quaker granola bars, this recipe is just what you need. Perfect for lunch boxes, after school, or even breakfast on the run.
We all love the classic chewy texture. It’s made with ingredients you can pronounce! I even have a great no-bake granola bar recipe.
Chewy granola bars packed with wholesome ingredients are perfect for on-the-go eating. Mix up the mix-ins to make them just the way you like. Awesome homemade breakfast bars.
No need to buy boxed snack bars when you can easily make homemade healthy bars instead. Did you know you can make homemade muesli too?
Haven’t you always wondered about ingredients? The mysterious scientific names are on labels. Do you ask yourself ‘how good is this for me”?
When I was a kid Tang was the popular drink at the time. Even the astronauts drank it in space. At least that is what they told us in the commercials. If it’s good for the astronauts it’s good for us, right?
It was like a science experiment in a glass. You add this orange powder to water, give it a mix, and viola, you have orange juice. Who needs fresh orange juice when you can have this? Today we are all about wholesome, natural ingredients.
Healthy Granola Bar Ingredients
I promise you can pronounce all of these! Be sure to read the suggestions/recipe tips listed below.
- wheat berries
- flaxseed
- oatmeal
- almonds
- quinoa flakes
- cocoa
- applesauce
- vanilla
- spices
- dried cranberries
- unsweetened shredded coconut
Once you try this easy granola recipe you will want to make more great granola bars. Here are a few to try:
- Holiday Granola makes the perfect food gift for the holidays.
- This Artisan Granola Dust is the perfect topping for yogurt and more.
Homemade Chewy Granola Bars From Scratch
If you have never made granola bars from scratch, let me tell you they are super easy. Whether you choose the baked or no-bake versions, you will have healthy snacks in no time. Homemade does not mean hard.
My mom and Baba made everything from scratch. Perhaps it was because when I was a kid, there were not as many options in the grocery stores. Yes, there were cookies, cereals, chocolate bars, and potato chips. Certainly not to the extent they are today.
My philosophy is “Food doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to taste good”. Pure, simple ingredients create wonderful, tasty results.
Full instructions are in the recipe card below. The rundown of this making these homemade soft and chewy granola bars is:
- Prepare your baking pan.
- Dry ingredients in one bowl.
- Wet ingredients in another bowl.
- Combine the ingredients.
- Place in a baking pan, and bake.
- Cool and cut into bars.
Suggestion/Recipe Tips
Take this granola bar recipe and change it to what you have to work with, or what you like to eat. Whatever you have, just use it.
- Swap out the flaxseed for chia seeds or hemp hearts.
- Change the almonds to walnuts, or any nut you like. Pumpkin seeds are an excellent choice.
- Use raisins instead of cranberries. Dried blueberries are wonderful too. Chocolate chips always work for me.
- I used large flake oatmeal, but regular oatmeal will work.
- Applesauce can be plain or flavoured, homemade or store-bought. I used sweetened since I have not added any additional sugar to this recipe.
- For the spice, I used a chai blend, but use cinnamon, nutmeg, or your favorite blend.
- I like unsweetened shredded coconut. Feel free to use sweetened if you like. Both will give you that chewy texture. If you love chewy coconut recipes, you need to give these easy no-bake chocolate coconut drop cookies a try.
- If you like things sweeter, add a bit of honey or maple syrup to the mixture. You can decide on the amount.
- Wheat berries can be replaced with whole wheat flour, especially if you are not combining the dry ingredients with a blender.
- Quinoa flakes can be replaced with oat bran or additional oatmeal.
I placed all my dry ingredients in a blender. This creates a finer texture. You can mix everything by hand. The texture will be a little different, but the taste will be the same.
You might consider chopping the nuts and dried by hand before adding them to the mixture. If the ingredients are too large, the bars tend to fall apart.
Store in the fridge. They will last for about a week. You can also freeze these bars. Thaw before eating. Just leave them on the counter for about 20 minutes.
Looking for more healthy snack ideas? Give these a try:
Homemade Chewy Granola Bars
Ingredients
For the Dry mix:
- ¼ cup wheat berries (you can use whole wheat flour if you wish)
- ¼ cup flaxseeds
- ¾ cup old fashioned oats
- ½ cup whole almonds
- ¼ cup quinoa flakes
- 2 tablespoons cocoa
For the Wet mix:
- 1 ⅓ cups applesauce (I used strawberry flavoured) (homemade or bought)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon chai seasoning blend spice (you can add any spice you like here)
Add Ins:
- ½ cup cranberries (and a bit to sprinkle on top)
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (and a bit to sprinkle on top)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.Spray an 8×8 inch baking dish with cooking spray, and line with parchment.
- Using a blender, combine the dry ingredients (wheat berries, cocoa, oats, quinoa flakes, flaxseeds and almonds). Blitz until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Place this mixture in a bowl.
- In a bowl combine the wet ingredients (applesauce, vanilla, & chai spice).
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, and combine well.
- Add the cranberries and coconut, and mix to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the baking dish, and spread evenly in the dish.
- Sprinkle with additional cranberries and coconut.
- Bake for approximately 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven, and let cool in pan.
- Once cool, remove from pan and place on a cutting board. Cut into 12 (or whatever size you like).
Kristen Chidsey
I love bars where you can pronounce everything 🙂
Homemade & Yummy
HAHAH…yes I love not having to look up ingredients on the web.
Manju | Cooking Curries
I always love a good homemade granola bar and this one has everything I love. The applesauce in this is genius!
Homemade & Yummy
Yup it works well, and keeps them nice and moist.
Lynne Curry
I’m adding this recipe to my collection of homemade granola bars I have to try. For some reason, I keep thinking about making granola bars for my kids but not following through on it. I bet they would love a chewy version. Homemade everything is definitely the best.
Homemade & Yummy
These are perfect for lunch boxes and after school snacks.
Kylee
I love anything with Chai spices. The warmth in it lends itself well to pretty much everything! I could so get behind these granola bars!
Homemade & Yummy
Chai works so well in many recipes, and this is no exception.
Giselle Rochford
I’m a lot more conscious of what’s in my food now than I was 10 years ago. I also get worried when there are a tonne of ingredients on labels that I’ve never heard of/can’t pronounce but from the research I’ve done, quite a few of the more scientific names aren’t actually chemicals, just the scientific names for regular, naturally occurring ingredients. Not sure why companies feel the need to do that though. Life would be so much easier if they used layman’s terms on the nutrition panel lol
Homemade & Yummy
Yes we really have to read labels, and have access to a dictionary too.
Anne Murphy
I like the idea of using a chai spice blend! I”d never thought of using that in baking, but it sounds delicious! And yes, I make most things from scratch, and have for years.
Homemade & Yummy
I love chai…so I try to add it whenever I can. Such a great flavour.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
I get very excited when I can transform anything that is store bought and make it with whole some ingredients with no additives and call it ‘made from scratch’. I always get a look from my friends when I say it, but it gives me this satisfaction that I am feeding the right things to my young boys. I love your bar and this is something I would try. I have made the no bake version of granola bars, but this looks very doable!
Homemade & Yummy
Yes I have made the no bake as well. These are so nice and chewy…and simple ingredients for sure.
Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.)
I don’t always make my own but I am a careful label reader and the granola bars I buy contain only a handful of (pronounceable) ingredients. These look good and I love that they are a blueprint for experimenting with ingredients and flavours.
Homemade & Yummy
Perfect way to experiment in the kitchen.
Hanady | Recipe Nomad
I am just like you about changing a recipe. I used to be a recipe follower to a T but I found it so much easier and sometimes tastier to deviate and add my own touches! These oatmeal bars look so yummy that I don’t think I’ll change a thing!
Homemade & Yummy
Thanks so much. Hope you give them a try.
Jacqueline (PiperCooks)
“From scratch” is my favorite saying. So is “I can *make* it!” My kids tease me about it. haha. Wonderful recipe!
Homemade & Yummy
Thanks. Hope you give them a try.
Kathy McDaniel
It always drives me crazy and makes me nervous when I can’t pronounce or even know one of the ingredients in my food. I am all about simple, homemade, nutritious and delicious. This recipe is perfect! Will be making it for my boys.
Homemade & Yummy
Hope they enjoy them….perfect to take to school. They travel well.
Dene' V. Alexander
If I have the option to make something from scratch or store bought, scratch wins every single time!! Hands down!!
Homemade & Yummy
Totally agree…especially when it is this easy.
Sarah James @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed
You are so right about homemade is best, so many products labelled healthy have added extras in I’ve never heard of let alone spell or pronounce. Your granola bars look delicious and I like how they’re so easy to make too.
Homemade & Yummy
Simple nutrition is best for sure.
The FoodOlic
Ok, I confess I’m always scared of desserts and bars because of their fat, sugar and flour contents but this post really is an eye opening one! None of the unhealthy usual stuff in there! I’ll definitely try it out! Plus it looks irresistible!
Homemade & Yummy
HAHAH…yes simple nutrition is so good.
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife
Wow – Tang! I shudder when I think how much I drank that stuff as a kid. These granola bars are packed with so many good for you ingredients. Love it!
Homemade & Yummy
HAHAH me too!! I know I couldn’t drink it now.