Easy No Bake Homemade Granola Bars

You will love how easy these are to make.

  My family loves granola bars. They are an easy grab and go snack. My husband will grab a granola bar for breakfast out the door while my teen will stash a couple in his backpack for snacks before running. The two youngest boys enjoy granola bars for an after school snack. You see granola bars are so versatile. I just wish the ones you buy at the store were healthier as they are usually loaded with way too much sugar. I so want my family to eat better this year, but granola bars are my family's to go snack. My solution for a healthy granola bar is to make them myself. That way I can use healthy ingredients and control the amount of sugar in the granola bar. I discovered a granola bar recipe that is healthy and so easy to make. This granola bar recipe uses healthy oats and almond butter so they are loaded with fiber and protein. You can make them even healthier by adding nuts and chia seeds.

My granola bar recipe only uses five ingredients making them so simple to whip up the night before so my family can grab them out the door the next day. I used almond butter in my recipe but you can substitute peanut butter for a different flavor.

Easy No Bake Homemade Granola Bar

Makes 12 bars

2 cups oatmeal

1 cup almond butter or peanut butter

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup agave syrup or honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·       Combine the oatmeal, almond butter, chocolate chips, vanilla extract, and agave syrup in a medium size bowl. Stir until well combined.

·       Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to fall over the edges. Press the oatmeal mixture into the pan.

·       Place in the refrigerator for1 hour, or until firm. Remove paper from pan and then cut the large square in half. Then cut each half into 6 rectangles. Wrap bars individually with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

To make these granola bars healthier, add two tablespoons of chia seed, flax seed, nuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds. Just add 1 tablespoon more agave syrup for each addition.