After eating these granola bars, not only will you never want to buy store-bought granola bars ever again, but you will also never want to make another recipe for chewy granola bars again. I know that’s a mighty tall claim, but I’m standing by it. These bars are that good.
Chewy.
Flavorful.
Easy to make. Super easy, actually. The most time-consuming part is the coconut milk/maple syrup mixture, but it really couldn’t be any easier.
Healthy, or at least healthier than most.
Gluten-free (be mindful of your brand of oats since some are processed in facilities that process products with gluten and may be cross-contaminated; Bob’s Red Mill offers a gluten-free oat product), vegan (be mindful of your brand of chocolate chips), and full of superfoods (oats, nuts, flaxseed).
Adaptable. Use any kind of nuts you like (or use seeds – like sunflower – instead, if you prefer), or swap out the semisweet chocolate chips for white or milk chocolate.
Also, I have yet to come across a kiddo who doesn’t love them, and p.s., they are perfect as a lunchbox treat or afternoon snack.
Sold yet? :)
- Coconut oil, to grease the pan
- 1 (13.66 fl oz/403 ml) can full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon butterscotch flavor (see note below)
- 2 cups (200 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup (60 g) toasted and cooled (unsalted) pecans, chopped (or any nuts you like)
- 2 tablespoons golden ground flaxseed
- ⅓ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ cup (100 g) mini semisweet chocolate chips
- Line an 8 by 8-inch dish with parchment paper and grease the inside with coconut oil; set aside.
- Combine the coconut milk and maple syrup in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down so it doesn’t boil over, and boil until reduced to about 1 cup, about 20 minutes, whisking frequently. (The cooking process is all about evaporating off the extra liquid. Because of this, it could take longer depending on the weather; I made mine on a cold, dry day, but I expect it could take a bit longer on a hot, humid day.) Cool completely to room temperature (this is very important so that your chocolate chips don’t melt). Stir in the vanilla extract and butterscotch flavor.
- Combine the oats, nuts, ground flaxseed, salt, and chocolate chips in a large bowl, and then stir in the coconut/maple syrup mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and spread it out evenly with a spatula. Cover the top with parchment paper; firmly and evenly press down across the top to compact the mixture.
- Cover and refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 2 hours, before cutting into bars.
- Once cut into bars, wrap them individually and store refrigerated up to 2 weeks.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links to products I believe in, which means that even though it doesn’t cost you anything extra, I will receive a small amount of money from the sale of these items, which helps me keep this site alive – thank you for helping to support An Edible Mosaic!
Hannah says
Does it have to be full fat coconut milk? I love the sound of this recipe but the fat from the milk and sugar from the maple syrup has me worried!
Faith says
Hannah, Yes, in order for this recipe to work properly, you need to use 1 (13.66 fl oz can) of full-fat coconut milk and 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup. (The recipe basically starts off with a batch of my Vegan Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk.) The good thing is, coconut milk is full of healthy fat (doing a quick Google search will yield many results from reputable sources showing this), and these bars aren't super sweet the way a lot of homemade chewy granola bar recipes are. If you want to cut down on the sugar content, I would suggest skipping the 1/2 cup of mini semisweet chocolate chips. I hope this helps!
grace says
marvelous combination of goodies for a granola bar! i couldn't have chosen better if i tried. :)
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
I'm loving all the ingredients in this chewy delicious granola bars -- especially chocolate and coconut :)
Krista says
Made these last night. Love them, Faith!!!
Ashley - Baker by Nature says
These look incredible, Faith! I just made granola bars the other day, and now I'm regretting that I didn't add chocolate!
Steve O says
You had me at chocolate coconut pecan ...
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I'd love one of these bars for my afternoon snack!
Eileen says
Finally, a granola bar recipe that doesn't require dates and a food processor! I definitely need to give this one a try. Yay!
Angela says
These look delicious. I'm going to give these a try. All the things I've made from your cookbook have been amazing.
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet says
I love to make no bake granola bars but lately I have been having a problem with them falling apart!Yours look wonderful!
dixya| food, pleasure, and health says
i have been making batches of crunchy granola bars from Minimalist bakers website..but for a change, I will try your chewy version. thanks for sharing :)
Rosa says
Gorgeous bars! Healthy and ever so enjoyable.
Cheers,
Rosa