Chewy Granola Bars

These simple (no baking required) Chewy Granola Bars are made with oats, cashews, honey, peanut butter, miniature M&M’s, and chocolate chips.

This recipe copycats store-bought Chewy® granola bars, but they’re so much more flavorful and loaded with great, filling ingredients.

For date-sweetened granola bars, check out this granola bars recipe. For a chocolate-loaded version, try these chocolate granola bars next!

Chewy Granola Bars

I’ve shared before about my family’s affinity for homemade granola bars; I can’t make them frequently enough to ever build up a stockpile. My kiddos practically inhale the entire batch of bars the day they’re made!

The other day, my oldest son had a Chewy granola bar with miniature M&M’s at school and he informed me I’d been holding out on him by not adding M&M’s to the bars I make for them. 

So while I do have a few different granola bar recipes on the site, I decided to make a very basic recipe like you’d find in the granola bar aisle of the grocery store, but, of course, make it a lot tastier. And I’m glad to report the boys gave these two thumbs up and freely admitted they were better than the store-bought ones (and better than all my other granola bar recipes because of the M&M’s inclusion ha!).

Ingredients In Chewy Granola Bars

• Creamy Peanut Butter: Be sure to use creamy peanut butter to make sure you get that smooth consistency.
• Honey: You can also use maple syrup in place of the honey for a different flavor.
• Coconut Oil: Measure the coconut oil while it’s solid.
• Old-fashioned Oats: Makes sure it’s old-fashioned oats, using quick or steel-cut oats will give this a different texture.
• Shredded Coconut: Totally optional but toasting the coconut before adding can add so much flavor.
• Roasted and Salted Cashews: Adjust salt if using salted cashews or peanut butter.
• Mini Chocolate Chips and Miniature M&M’s: Can be substituted with chopped chocolate or other mix-ins like dried fruits or nuts.

Chewy Granola Bar Tips

• Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal. These bars are nearly impossible to get out nicely in an unlined pan. Aluminum foil will also work in a pinch, but parchment paper is the top choice. 
• Adjust the salt. If you use salted nuts in the recipe, you may want to decrease the amount of added salt. Additionally, if the peanut butter used is salted, or you are sensitive to salt, you may also want to reduce the amount.
• Be sure to use old-fashioned oats. Quick oats and steel-cut oats will both create the wrong texture and won’t work properly in these bars — it will end up more like granola than a granola bar.
• Use M&M Minis baking bits as opposed to buying the small tubes of miniature M&M’s. The baking bits are cheaper and easier to find. They can usually be found with other baking chips in the baking aisle of the grocery store.

How to keep granola bars from falling apart

1. Make sure there is enough of the syrup mixture. Make sure to measure the honey and peanut butter to the top of the measuring cup and scoop every bit of it into the pot. Additionally, measure the coconut oil in its solid (not melted) state. Don’t reduce the amount of honey, peanut butter, or coconut oil. Every bit of the syrup is needed to ensure the bars stay together.
2. Coarsely chop the cashews. If the pieces of cashew are too large, they will cause these chewy granola bars to fall apart easier; plus, whole cashews can be overwhelming in a bite.
3. Compress the mixture firmly into the pan. Press the granola mixture firmly into the pan; use the bottom of a 1-cup measuring cup to get leverage in pressing the mixture down.
4. Chill the finished bars. While hot or even warm, the bars will crumble into granola instead of a bar. Make sure the bars are allowed adequate time to set up and harden to ensure they’ll be completely firm. Additionally, Chewy Granola Bars continue to firm up as the oats absorb the syrup mixture.
5. Cut the bars with a large, sharp knife. These bars are more prone to falling apart if a dull knife is being shimmied into the bars. 

Chewy Granola Bar Variation Ideas

• Nuts: Pretty much any coarsely chopped nuts will work in these Chewy Granola Bars. You can use a single variety of nuts or a combination of several different types of nuts (as long as quantities remain consistent — 3/4 cup total of nuts in these bars).
  • If you aren’t a fan of cashews, try one of these other ideas: pistachios, almonds (whole or slivered), walnuts, pecans, peanuts, or hazelnuts
• Chocolate chips: For healthier bars, dark chocolate chips can be used instead of the semi-sweet chocolate chips listed in the recipe.
• Peanut butter candy: Try some Reeses’ Pieces® or maybe even some Heath® bits to substitute for the M&M’s.
• M&M’s: For healthier bars, the M&M’s can be left out, no other changes necessary!
• For thinner bars, use a 9×9-inch baking pan, and for thicker bars use an 8×8-inch pan.
• Use a different nut butter: Swap out the peanut butter for almond butter, cashew butter, or another nut butter. Depending on the type used, you may need slightly more of it (almond butter tends to be slightly drier than peanut butter). You’ll know you need more if the mixture is crumbling and not coming together nicely. Add additional nut butter slowly; use 1-2 tablespoons at a time.
• Swap the sweetener: Switch maple syrup for agave nectar or honey.
• Switch out the oil: While I don’t recommend any other oil besides coconut oil (which hardens again when chilled– unlike other oils), you could use unsalted butter instead of oil.

Chewy Granola Bar storage

Wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap and then keep the wrapped bars in a larger container or resealable plastic bag in the fridge — perfect for on-the-go snacks! We do prefer these bars straight out of the fridge.

Chewy Granola Bars will stay fresh for up to a week when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. 

To freeze: Space the bars on a lined plate or tray in the freezer. Once they’re firm (about 1-2 hours), individually wrap each bar and transfer to a larger airtight bag or freezer container. They’ll last up to 6 months in the freezer.

To thaw: Simply pull one out and let it stand for about 30 minutes. You could also pop them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.

More nutritious snacks

• Blueberry Oatmeal Bars with dried blueberries
• Oatmeal Energy Balls with dark chocolate and coconut
• Peanut Butter Protein Shake with frozen banana
• Peanut Butter Granola with chocolate
• Overnight Oats with four different recipes!

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5 from 2 votes

Chewy Granola Bars

By Chelsea Lords

Made with oats, cashews, honey, peanut butter, miniature M&M's, and chocolate chips, these no-bake Chewy Granola Bars are simple and delicious.

Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes minutes

Chilling Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 38 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 bars

Equipment

• Baking pan 9 x 9-inch or 8 x 8-inch

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• ▢ 1/2 cup honey
• ▢ 2 tablespoons coconut oil measured while solid
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt see note 1
• ▢ 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• ▢ 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• ▢ 3/4 cup roasted and salted cashews
• ▢ 6 tablespoons mini chocolate chips divided
• ▢ 6 tablespoons mini M&M's divided

Instructions 

• Line an 8 x 8-inch or 9 x 9-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
• Add the peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil together in a medium pot. Cook, over medium heat, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Bring to a simmer (just below boiling, but don't boil) and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool for 3 minutes. Then stir in the salt and vanilla.
• Coarsely chop the cashews and add them to the syrup mixture along with the oats and coconut. Stir until fully combined, then set aside to cool slightly for about 15–25 minutes. Once it reaches room temperature—though a little warmth is fine, as it helps the bars stick together—stir in 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of M&M's, mixing until just combined.
• Transfer the mixture from the pot into the lined pan. Press the mixture very firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan. Use the bottom of a 1-cup measuring cup to press the mixture down. Once evenly and firmly pressed, sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons M&M's onto the tops of the bars and gently press. Cover the pan and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Using the parchment paper overhang, lift the bars from the pan and cut them into individual bars. We typically cut out 12 bars.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: If you use salted cashews in the recipe, you may want to decrease the amount of added salt. Additionally, if the peanut butter you use is salted, or you are sensitive to salt, you may want to reduce the amount. Add slowly to personal preference.

Storage: Wrap each cut bar individually in plastic wrap and store in a container or zipper-top bag in the fridge for up to a week, perfect for on-the-go snacks. For longer storage, freeze the bars on a lined plate until firm, then wrap each one and transfer to a larger airtight bag or container, where they’ll last up to 6 months. To thaw, let a bar sit for 30 minutes or microwave it for 10–15 seconds.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 282mg | Potassium: 345mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 22IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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