We have been trying some fun new treats and this is a recipe that we found and tweaked quite a bit over the winter. I just happened upon a photo on my camera and then realized I never published the recipe–so today it is up and one of our family favorites. It is really a base recipe that you can add anything to it and they are delicious!b
Below you will find the basic recipe we use and then we add all sorts of different combinations to it.
My kids love mini chocolate chips and peanut butter chips (and I always sneak some flax seeds in there) and I LOVE dried cherries and dark chocolate pieces with slivered almonds.
A couple of recipe tips:
- Mix with your hands sprayed with oil.
- Really push the oatmeal mixture into the pan.
- Let mixture cool before adding the chocolate (it will melt fairly quickly).
- Add more melted chocolate on top of bars if you feel like they aren’t holding together enough.
And here is the basic recipe we use:
Soft and Chewy Granola Bar Recipe
These soft and chewy granola bars make the best after school snacks or are perfect for packing in lunch boxes.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups of old fashioned oats (not quick oats)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 pinch of salt
- Additional Ingredients to add: flax or chia seeds, dried cherries or cranberries, slivered almonds, mini chocolate and peanut butter chips, raisins, other dried fruit
Instructions
- Melt butter, brown sugar, honey in a saucepan. Add vanilla and salt.
- In a mixing bowl, place the rolled oats and any of the other seeds or dried fruit you would like to add ( DO NOT ADD chocolate or peanut butter chips yet).
- Pour sugar and honey mixture onto the rolled oats mixture.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Let cool for about 10 mins then add chocolate chips.
- Place waxed paper in the bottom of a 8x8 pan. Press granola bar mixture into pan.
- Let completely cool before cutting.
