Chewy Granola Bars

These chewy granola bars are very much like a no bake cookie, at least in the process of making them. You heat up some sugar, honey and butter on the stove in a saucepan, add the granola and whatever additions you'd like and it's done. They only take about 30 minutes... and that's factoring in the 15 minutes of cooling time. These are soft and chewy just like a Quaker Chewy Granola Bars. {Adapted this recipe which I found on this website.}

Cooking Tip: Freeze your chocolate chips or peanut butter chips so that when they are added to the hot granola mixture they won't melt, they will soften but still hold their shape. Plus storing your chocolate chips in the fridge or freezer helps them to stay fresh much longer. Press your desired toppings into the top of the granola bar after you have pressed them into the pan.

Make sure to line your pan with foil and lightly spray the foil so that the bars come out easily from the pan and then you can cut them into even shaped bars.
Cut the bars into one inch bars and prepare for them to disappear.
You can also cut them in half and make smaller granola bars.

{{Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars}}

(printer friendly version)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 cups plain granola (such as Back to Nature)
1 cup rice cereal (Rice Krispies, Rice Chex, etc.)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, FROZEN

***(substitute these chocolate chips for ingredients listed below depending on the type of bar you want)

Variations:
{Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip}
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, frozen
1/4 cup peanut butter chips, frozen

{S’mores}
2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs (optional)
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, frozen

{Oatmeal Raisin}
1 teaspoon cinnamon (add with the brown sugar)
1/2 cup raisins

Line two 9x5 loaf pans or one 11x7 inch baking pan with foil or parchment. Lightly butter or spray the foil. Set aside.

Combine butter, brown sugar, and honey in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. **Don't overcook at this stage, it will cause them to be very hard when they set up.** Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Add the granola and rice cereal into the saucepan and fold them into the sauce until evenly coated.

Spread the mixture into the prepared pans and press firmly with a spatula to evenly fill. Sprinkle the frozen chocolate chips onto the top of the granola bars and gently press them down with the spatula.

Let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes or until mostly cooled and set. Can also speed this process up by sticking them in the refrigerator. Picking up the foil by the edges, lift the granola out of the pan and cut into bars. Store in an air tight container.

Here is a S'more version... using large milk chocolate chips and mini marshmallows (the kids gobbled these up!)

Here are some more chocolate chip granola bars using mini-chocolate chips... Possibilities are endless.... just play around with different toppings.