Crunchy Oat and Honey Granola Bars

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Crunchy oat and honey granola bars are sweet and packed with wholesome ingredients, plus they travel well, making them the perfect contenders for snacks on-the-go or boxed lunches!

Crunchy oat and honey granola bars are sweet and packed with wholesome ingredients, plus they travel well, making them the perfect contenders for snacks on-the-go or boxed lunches!

Crunchy Oat and Honey Granola Bars

Give me all the snacks that are easy to make, easy to pack, and taste really, really great, please. Snacks are just one of those categories of food that it can be easy to get into a rut with… Especially if you have kids, you might have your few staples that you make or pick up at the store, but it’s not necessarily the food you branch out with as often as, say, dinners. But I think we should all be mixing up our snack routines and trying new things!

These crunchy oat and honey granola bars are the perfect way to ease into a creative new snack! They’re reminiscent of Nature Valley bars, but I feel like they don’t fall apart quite as much. The crunch from the baked granola and rice crispy cereal is SO satisfying, too, while the honey and bit of brown sugar give such a delicious, but not too much, sweetness. These would be amazing contenders to add chopped dried fruit or nuts to, so have fun with it!

Crunchy oat and honey granola bars are sweet and packed with wholesome ingredients, plus they travel well, making them the perfect contenders for snacks on-the-go or boxed lunches!

How do you store crunchy oat and honey granola bars?

After the granola bars are totally cool, store them in an airtight container or sealable bag either in the fridge or at room temperature in the pantry. Because these are a drier, crunchy granola bar, they don’t fall apart or go bad quickly at room temp. You can store them at room temp for up to a week, or up to 2 in the fridge.

Are granola bars good for you?

These granola bars have oats and whole wheat flour in them, which are great sources of fiber, and coconut oil, a healthy fat. They also have a bit of brown sugar and rice crispy cereal, which have less nutritional value, but I would say the wholesome ingredients outweigh the simpler ones!

Tips for making the best granola bars:

  • Place parchment paper in your baking pan so that it comes up around the edges of the granola bars. This makes the removal of the bars and cleanup a lot easier!
  • Press the bars down into the pan both before AND after baking to ensure they don’t crumble and fall apart after you cut them.
  • Cut the bars while they’re still warm — it’ll be tough to make clean cuts once they’re cooled and crunchier.
  • Have fun with them! If you like dried apricot, apples, or cranberries, or a certain kind of nut, chop them up and add them to the mixture! You can also throw in chia seeds, flaxseed, or some peanut butter for more nutritional value.

Crunchy oat and honey granola bars are sweet and packed with wholesome ingredients, plus they travel well, making them the perfect contenders for snacks on-the-go or boxed lunches! Crunchy oat and honey granola bars are sweet and packed with wholesome ingredients, plus they travel well, making them the perfect contenders for snacks on-the-go or boxed lunches! Crunchy oat and honey granola bars are sweet and packed with wholesome ingredients, plus they travel well, making them the perfect contenders for snacks on-the-go or boxed lunches!

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Crunchy oat and honey granola bars are sweet and packed with wholesome ingredients, plus they travel well, making them the perfect contenders for snacks on-the-go or boxed lunches!

Crunchy Oat and Honey Granola Bars


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless this Mess
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x

Description

Crunchy oat and honey granola bars are sweet and packed with wholesome ingredients, plus they travel well, making them the perfect contenders for snacks on-the-go or boxed lunches!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup crispy rice cereal
  • 2/3 cup whole wheat or oat flour (make oat flour by blending oats in your blender)
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., and line a 9×13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly spray the parchment with cooking oil.
  2. In a large bowl, add the oats, cereal, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir well to combine.
  3. Warm the honey and coconut oil in the microwave or on the stove until melted and runny. Add the vanilla, and stir to combine.
  4. Add the honey mixture to the oat mixture, and stir to combine well, making sure to leave no dry pockets or chunks.
  5. Add the mixture to the prepared baking pan. Pat down firmly (use wetted hands or the bottom of a measuring cup) to create packed even layer.
  6. Bake until the oats are golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes.
  7. Remove from the oven, and then use the bottom of a measuring cup to press down the bars again.
  8. Let the bars cool for 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, use the edges of the parchment paper to remove the bars from the pan, and place them on a cutting board.
  9. Cut into granola bars (rectangle, square, or whatever you like) while they are still warm (it’s hard to cut them once they have cooled).
  10. Let cool completely, and then store in an airtight container.

Notes

  • Recipe from Five Heart Home.
  • These store great out of the fridge. They also hold their shape really well and don’t crumble easily, which makes them a great candidate for lunch boxes and packing for outings.
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 40

Crunchy oat and honey granola bars are sweet and packed with wholesome ingredients, plus they travel well, making them the perfect contenders for snacks on-the-go or boxed lunches!

Crunchy oat and honey granola bars are sweet and packed with wholesome ingredients, plus they travel well, making them the perfect contenders for snacks on-the-go or boxed lunches!

More granola bar recipes you may enjoy:

You’ll love making these simple homemade oat and honey granola bars and having them on hand for a simple snack for crazy days, outings, or to pack in kids’ lunches!

About Melissa

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6 Comments

  1. The taste was good but mine did not hold together well. Followed the the recipe and baking time and they were definitely crumbly/chewy. I’m baking at a low altitude, don’t know if that makes any difference. Next time I’d bake longer!






  2. I’m on a low fat diet due to gallbladder issues. Could I use powdered peanut butter (mixed with water) in place of the coconut oil? Thanks in advance!