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These delicious homemade oat and honey granola bars have everything you need for a delicious and energetic start to your day. They're also the perfect pre-workout snack.
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Stack of granola bars on a white platter

These delicious oat and honey granola bars are like having a candy bar for breakfast, except they’re more healthy(ish). Caution: like our peanut butter & jelly breakfast bars, they are highly addictive! I seriously couldn’t stop eating them.

They do tend to be a little messy with the chocolate chips and chopped almonds. You may want to keep a plate handy. I opted to sprinkle the optional chocolate chips and chopped almonds over the top to make their flavor more pronounced. However, this does make for a messier granola bar. If you don’t want that, you can always mix the chocolate chips and chopped almonds in with the oats. This will incorporate them more inside the bar and make them less messy.

This recipe is featured in our lineup of easy sweet breakfast recipes. Check them out!

Ingredients

Oat and honey granola bar ingredients
  • 3½ cups quick oats. Not old fashioned.
  • ⅔ cup unsalted butter.
  • ½ cup packed dark brown sugar.
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
  • ½ teaspoon salt.
  • ⅓ cup honey.
  • ¾ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. Optional.
  • ¾ cup chopped almonds. Optional.

Instructions

Step 1. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).

Quick oats in a glass bowl
Step 2. Add oats to a large heatproof bowl and set aside. If desired, you can stir the chocolate chips and chopped almonds in at this point rather than sprinkle them over the top.
Butter, brown sugar, extract and salt in a saucepan with a red spatula
Step 3. Add butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat.
Cooked butter and sugar mixture in a saucepan with a red spatula
Stir continuously until butter and sugar melt.
Overhead view of cooked sugar and butter mixture in a bowl with oats
Step 4. Pour the hot butter and sugar mixture over the oats and stir until combined.
Overhead view of oat mixture in a glass bowl with a red spatula
Step 5. Add honey and stir, making sure that oats are covered.
Overhead view of oat mixture in a baking sheet
Step 6. Lay a sheet of wax paper into the bottom of a 15½ x 10½ inch baking sheet, allowing the paper to overlap the side edges so that you can use it as a handle to removed the cooked granola bars from the baking sheet.
Step 7. Spread and press the oat mixture into the baking sheet.
Overhead view of oat mixture sprinked with mini chocolate chips and toasted almonds
Step 8. If using, sprinkle the chocolate chips and almonds over the top and press them into the oat mixture with your fingers or the back of a spoon.

Step 9. Bake for 25-30 minutes until set.

Step 10. Remove from oven and place baking sheet on a wire rack to cool. Once cool, use the wax paper handles to remove the granola from the baking sheet and cut into 10-12 bars.

Overhead view of granola bar squares on a white marble countertop

Variations

  • Oatmeal Raisin Bars. Substitute the chocolate chips with raisins. Omit the chopped almonds, if desired. Stir the raisins in with the oats.
  • Date Oat Bars. Substitute chocolate chips with chopped dates and omit the chopped nuts, if desired. Stir them in with the oats.

Tips for Success


  • The mini chocolate chips and chopped almonds are optional. I think they add a ton of delicious flavor. I like having them sprinkled on top of these granola bars, but it does make them a little messier to eat. To counteract that, you can stir them in with the oats and which will incorporate them into the granola bars. That will make them less messy. If you do decide to sprinkle them over the top as I did, be sure to press them firmly into oat mixture before baking.
  • Be sure to use quick oats, not old fashioned oats or steel cut oats. Quick oats are pre-cut into smaller pieces. These smaller pieces will absorb the wet ingredients more easily, making your bars more stable.
Close up of stack of granola bars on a white platter

Storage

You can easily store these bars in the fridge in a tightly sealed food storage bag. They will keep there nicely for up to two weeks.

Related Recipes

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Oat and Honey Granola Bars

These delicious homemade oat and honey granola bars have everything you need for a delicious and energetic start to your day. They're also the perfect pre-workout snack.
Print Recipe Save Rate
Stack of granola bars on a white platter
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:30 minutes
Total Time:40 minutes

Ingredients

  • cups quick oats Not old fashioned.
  • cup unsalted butter
  • ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • cup honey
  • ¾ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips Optional.
  • ¾ cup chopped almonds Optional.

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).
  • Add oats to a large heatproof bowl and set aside. If desired, you can stir the chocolate chips and chopped almonds in at this point, rather than sprinkle them over the top.
  • Add butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stir continuously until butter and sugar melt.
  • Pour the hot butter and sugar mixture over the oats and stir until combined.
  • Add honey and stir, making sure that oats are covered.
  • Lay a sheet of wax paper into the bottom of a 15½ x 10½ inch baking sheet, allowing the paper to overlap the side edges so that you can use it as a handle to removed the cooked granola bars from the baking sheet.
  • Spread and press the oat mixture into the baking sheet.
  • If using, sprinkle the chocolate chips and almonds over the top and press them into the oat mixture with your fingers or the back of a spoon.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes until set.
  • Remove from oven and place baking sheet on a wire rack to cool. Once cool, use the wax paper handles to remove the granola from the baking sheet and cut into 10-12 bars.

Notes

The mini chocolate chips and chopped almonds are optional. I think they add a ton of delicious flavor. I like having them sprinkled on top of these granola bars, but it does make them a little messier to eat. To counteract that, you can stir them in with the oats and which will incorporate them into the granola bars. That will make them less messy. If you do decide to sprinkle them over the top as I did, be sure to press them firmly into oat mixture before baking.
Be sure to use quick oats, not old fashioned oats or steel cut oats. Quick oats are pre-cut into smaller pieces. These smaller pieces will absorb the wet ingredients more easily, making your bars more stable.

Nutrition

Calories: 365kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 235mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 323IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg
Servings: 12 bars
Calories: 365kcal
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    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    2 Comments

    1. 5 stars
      Very very good bars! Lots of flavor & way better than the grocery store versions. Hard to eat just one 🙂