Fudgey, crunchy, and chewy Chocolate Granola Bars are made with better-for-you ingredients. No baking required!
For a plain version, be sure to check out these Homemade Granola Bars or these date-sweetened, pistachio Granola Bars.
Chocolate Granola Bars
These are one of my absolute favorite snacks to have on hand. In fact, if I had to choose, I’d say these are my favorite granola bars on this site. While I love all the varieties posted, you can’t beat a chocolate-loaded bar like this!
These bars have a deep, rich flavor and such a great texture — the oats make these bars chewy, there’s a “snap” from the hardened chocolate and coconut oil, and finally, a delightful crunch from the Cocoa Krispies®.
These bars are thick and filling. With all the healthy fats in the dark chocolate, almonds, and almond butter, you’ll be amazed at just how satiating these snack bars are!
Below is a list of everything you need to make Chocolate Granola Bars as well as some notes about each particular ingredient — why we use it, possible substitution ideas, or details on the exact ingredient to use.
Ingredients
- Dark chocolate chips. Milk or semi-sweet chocolate also work, but dark chocolate packs the most nutritional punch, providing essential fats your body needs and it’s a powerful source of antioxidants (source.).
- Coconut oil. I don’t recommend any substitutions for the coconut oil, since it will solidify once chilled; that’s important for this recipe.
- Creamy almond butter. The right almond butter makes the biggest difference to the bars. I recommend a slow-roasted and lightly salted almond butter you enjoy eating straight from the jar. (If you don’t enjoy the almond butter plain, you probably won’t love it in these bars, either).
- Honey. Honey is a natural sweetener and is important for structure of the bars, giving them sweetness.
- Salt. Salt helps balance and intensify flavors in these bars. If the almond butter and almonds used are salted, you may want to reduce or entirely omit this ingredient.
- Old-fashioned oats. For the structure of these bars, it’s important to use old-fashioned or rolled oats, not steel-cut or quick ones.
- Cocoa Krispies. This is a fun ingredient that gives these bars a fun crunch and great chocolate-y flavor. If you don’t have them on hand, plain rice Krispies also work, but it goes without saying that they are just less chocolatey. (Cocoa Krispies, by the way, is a trademarked chocolate crispy rice cereal made by Kellogg’s. If you have another brand of a similar cereal, feel free to use it instead.)
- Almonds. I highly recommend slow-roasted and lightly salted almonds; they have so much more flavor without any extra work on your end (no need to toast the almonds ahead of time).
- Miniature chocolate chips. Again, any flavor of miniature chocolate chips work, but using dark chocolate keeps these bars on the slightly-more-nutritious side.
Chocolate Granola Bar tips
- Once you’ve finished mixing all the ingredients, you’re going to think something is wrong — the batter is extremely wet! But don’t be alarmed, because these bars harden up perfectly after about an hour in the fridge.
- To avoid burning the dark chocolate, microwave it and the coconut oil for 30 seconds at a time and stir it for at least 15-20 seconds in between each microwave burst. The mixture is still melting even outside of the microwave from residual heat.
- Line the pan with parchment paper — especially with this recipe! These bars are nearly impossible to remove if they’re not prepared in a lined pan. Foil works as well if you don’t have parchment paper.
- Cut bars with a sharp, warm knife. Using the overhang of parchment paper, I like to pull these chocolate granola bars out and use a very sharp knife to make quick, decisive cuts. In between cuts, run the knife under hot water and then dry before making another cut.
Quick Tip
Store Chocolate Granola Bars in the fridge (and eat them straight from the fridge). The chocolate and coconut oil base will melt quickly in a warm environment or even at room temperature.
More healthy snacks to try
- Healthy Banana Bread with Greek yogurt
- Chocolate Chip Healthy Pumpkin Bread
- Overnight Oats with four different recipes
- Blueberry Oatmeal Bars with an easy glaze
- Peanut Butter Granola with chocolate chips
Chocolate Granola Bar
Equipment
- Baking pan 8 x 8-inch, lined
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup almond butter see note 1
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt optional
- 1-1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
- 3/4 cup Cocoa Krispies or Rice Krispies
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped almonds
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips divided
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal, and set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the coconut oil and chocolate chips. Microwave in bursts of 20 seconds, stirring in between each burst until completely smooth.
- Stir in the creamy almond butter, honey, and salt if desired. Mix until smooth. Add in the oats, cereal, coarsely chopped almonds, and 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips. Stir to combine. Transfer the mixture into the prepared pan and use the back of a wooden spoon to press the mixture evenly and firmly into the prepared baking pan. Top with remaining 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips.
- Cover bars with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until completely firm. Cut into 12 even-sized bars.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Chelsea,
What can I use in place of coconut oil?
Deb
Is there a place where I can check nutrition values for your recipes?
I’d recommend My Fitness Pal! 🙂