These Homemade Chocolate Chip Granola Bars are soft, chewy and so much better than store-bought! Easy to make and packed with simple, wholesome ingredients like oats, almonds, and honey, these granola bars are a healthy and delicious snack any time of day. Perfect for breakfast, an afternoon treat or a kid-friendly snack, they’re bound to become a family favorite.
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As a busy mom of four, I know the struggle of finding wholesome and delicious snacks that the whole family will love. Enter, soft and chewy homemade granola bar lovers! This quick and easy granola bar recipe yields more than a dozen bars jam-packed with toasted oats and almonds, studded with mini chocolate chips and loaded with flaxseed meal (hello, omega-3’s!).
These granola bars are the perfect solution for any parent on the go or anyone looking to satisfying those midday cravings. Keep reading for my easy and kid-approved recipe that will elevate your snack and school lunch game and keep your family fueled throughout the day.
To make these granola bars gluten-free, simply use certified gluten-free oats and ensure all other ingredients are gluten-free.
- Old-fashioned oats: Oats are the backbone of these homemade granola bars, providing a hearty texture and a good dose of fiber. I love using old-fashioned oats for their chewy consistency but if you prefer a softer bar, you can use quick oats.
- Sliced almonds
- Flaxseed meal: If this is sounding like a foreign ingredient in your world, have no fear. It’s simply whole flaxseeds that have been ground into a fine powder, and best of all, it can be purchased at most major supermarkets. Flaxseed meal takes the place of flour in this recipe and provides the chewy texture that I crave in the softer varieties of granola bars.
- Mini chocolate chips: Just like store-bought chocolate chip granola bars, I like to use mini chocolate chips in my DIY granola bars.
- Brown sugar: Adds just the right amount of sweetness.
- Honey: Acts as both a sweetener and a binding agent. Maple syrup also works really well in this recipe.
- Canola oil: Keeps the bars moist and adds a subtle richness. Melted coconut oil is a great alternative.
- Egg whites: Help bind the ingredients together, giving the oat bars their chewy texture.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Ready to kick those store-bought granola bars to the curb? Preheat your oven, grab the oats and get ready to snack on soft and chewy granola bars, packaging not included.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- Toast the oats and almonds. Place onto a baking sheet and bake until lightly brown. Transfer to a mixing bowl, let cool, then stir in the flaxseed meal and chocolate chips.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients. Mix the brown sugar, salt, honey, vegetable oil and egg whites. Add to the dry ingredients, mixing to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Press it firmly into an even layer.
Pro Tip: It’s important to firmly press the oat mixture into the prepared pan. The more compacted it is, the more likely your bars will retain their shape.
- Bake. Bake until the granola is dark golden brown on top, then let cool for a couple of hours.
- Slice. Transfer the parchment sheet and granola rectangle to a cutting board, then slice into 16 bars.
Homemade Granola Bar Tips
There are a few key tips to whipping up the best homemade granola bars:
- DON’T underbake the granola. We’re looking for a dark golden color to guarantee the ingredients have bound together.
- DO add in any other preferred mix-ins, such as dried fruits, coconut or crystallized ginger.
- DON’T rush the cooling process. It’s important to allow the bars to cool in the pan for a full 2 hours so that they hold their shape post-slicing.
- DO tell yourself that you’re “only going to eat one granola bar” and then eat three and rationalize the added servings were providing “additional health benefits.” (Been there, done that. President of that club.)
You can make so many swaps with this baked granola bar recipe and they’ll turn out great. Here are some ideas:
- Add nut butter. Taking inspiration from my peanut butter granola bars, you can add any nut butter to this recipe! Peanut, almond, sunflower or cashew butter would all be great.
- Add a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg.
- Use any nuts. Instead of sliced almonds, try chopped cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or chopped walnuts.
- Add dried fruit. Dried raisins, cranberries or chopped dates would all work well.
To keep your homemade granola bars fresh and easy to grab on the go, simply wrap them individually in parchment paper or wax paper. Beeswax wraps work great, too. This not only prevents them from sticking together but also helps maintain their soft and chewy texture. Once wrapped, pop the bars into an airtight container or resealable plastic bag and store them at room temp. They’ll keep for up to a week.
They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Just let them thaw at room temperature for a few minutes before enjoying.
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup flaxseed meal (See Kelly’s Notes)
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 large egg whites, lightly whisked
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and line 13×9-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang on the two short sides of pan. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray.
- Spread the oats and almonds on an unlined baking sheet. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the oats and almonds to a large bowl and let them cool completely. Once cooled, stir in the flaxseed meal and mini chocolate chips.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, salt, honey, vegetable oil and egg whites. Pour the mixture over the oats, stirring until it’s well coated.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, and using wet hands or a flat spatula, firmly press it into even layer. (See Kelly’s Notes.)
- Bake the granola for 30 to 35 minutes until dark golden on top. Remove the granola from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 2 hours.
- Using the parchment paper overhangs, transfer the granola onto a cutting board and slice it into bars.
- Store the granola bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Kelly’s Notes
- Flaxseed meal is ground flaxseeds, and it can be purchased in the baking aisle of most major supermarkets. If you can only find whole flaxseeds, grind them to a fine powder in a spice grinder or blender.
- It’s important to firmly press the oat mixture into the prepared pan. The more compacted it is, the more likely your bars will retain their shape.
- These bars can be kept at room temperature for 1 week, or in the freezer for up to a month.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Technique inspired by Good Housekeeping. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
I made these the other day and they are delicious. I pressed as hard as I could and let them cook the right 2 hours but I may not have cooked them long enough because they are not staying together. I can’t wait to try them again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Teresa! It’s also important to firmly press the granola mixture into the prepared pan. The more you compact it before baking, the more likely your bars will retain their shape. I look forward to reading your results next time! :)
Can i use coconut oil in place of canola oil?
That works!
I make these all the time, they are SO GOOD. I can’t wait to try your peanut butter version!
I hope you enjoy the peanut butter version just as much, Jane!
Hi Ms. Kelly, i love the oatmeal bars,although they were a bit crumbly. I noticed it was a bit watery before i baked it. Maybe I’ll reduce the honey. They’re so yummy even without almonds. I added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder,coz i love cinnamon and it worked..Thanks a lot..
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Julie!
hi! I can’t find flaxseed meal. How can I substitute it? Thank you and greats from Buenos Aires, Argentina
Hi there, Laura! You can use ground up oatmeal in place of the flaxseed meal. Hope that helps!
Hello Kelly! Muy bars turns too crumbly! Help me!
Hi Laura – If it’s very humid where you are, that could contribute to the bars not setting up firmly. You’ll also want to make sure that you firmly press the oat mixture into the prepared pan and bake them for the designated time. Hope that helps!
Can I use the whole egg instead of just the egg whites?
I’ve never tried that, Suzanne, so I’m not sure!
The best granola bars EVER! I make a batch of these every week. Mine turn out perfect every time. My husband and kids LOVE them. Thank you for the recipe!
Loving hearing this, Jen! Thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe! :)
I’ve made these bars several times and my teenage kids love them! They don’t eat store bought granola bars at all but I make these and they are gone in days – they take them to school to share with friends. I don’t use the almonds because my son doesn’t like them but I do add dried cranberries. I love them too! It’s a great recipe
Woohoo! This is what I love to hear, Jenny :)
My daughter is allergic to eggs. Can you please suggest a substitute for the eggs. would love to try these granola bars. sound delicious.
Hi Amita! I’ve never tried making this recipe with an egg substitute. I’ve researched alternatives and you can apparently purchase vegan “eggs,” however I’ve never tried these so I can’t say with certainty if they will work. Please let me know if you give it a try!
You can actually make an egg substitute with flaxseed meal. You mix 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 5-10 mins.