Chewy No Bake Granola Bars

This is my “go-to” granola bar recipe!  For this batch, I chose to make Almond Butter White Chocolate Granola Bars with Dried Cranberries. I thought they’d taste great and the red and white felt perfect for Valentine’s Day. All you need is a microwave to ‘bake’ these…so simple. They stay chewy and the recipe is versatile. I’ve included lots of alternative ingredient ideas in the recipe so you can adjust them for your taste.  The base is simple and it’s hard to go wrong with cinnamon, brown sugar, and oats!

Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang and spray with non-stick spray.

Start by adding the light corn syrup, nut butter, and packed brown sugar in a large microwave safe bowl.

Microwave for 1 minute, stir, and microwave for 1 more minute.  Stir ingredients to combine.  Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt and stir.

Next, add the oats and chia seeds.  Combine.

Gently stir in the rice krispy cereal and the dried cranberries.

Quickly fold in the white chocolate chips and pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish.  Don’t take too long or the chocolate chips will start to melt.  Use a spatula or your hands to firmly press the granola into the pan.

Place in the freezer for at least 1 hour until the bars have set.  Remove from pan and slice into bars.  Mine made 10 standard sized granola bars.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup light corn syrup (brown rice syrup or honey may be substituted)

1/2 cup creamy almond butter (or nut butter of your choice)

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste

2 cups quick cook oats (Quaker, Bob’s, or similar)

2 cups crispy rice cereal (Crispy Rice Cereal, Rice Krispies Cereal, or similar)

1/2 cup dried cranberries (or use raisins, diced dried apricots, blueberries, or cherries)

1/3 cup chia seeds; optional (or flax seeds, sunflower seeds, or other small nuts)

1/2 cup white chocolate chips (or semi-sweet chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, toffee bits, M&M’s, or any chopped candy bar)

Instructions:

Prepare an 8-by-8-inch baking pan by lining it with foil leaving overhang, spray with cooking spray; set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl combine corn syrup , almond butter, brown sugar, and heat on high power for 1 minute; stir to combine mixture. Heat for 1 more minute on high power and stir to combine.

Add vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and stir to combine. Add oats, chia seeds,  and stir to combine. Add rice cereal and gently stir to combine so it doesn’t become too crushed. Add the cranberries and fold to incorporate. Add the white chocolate chips and quickly and gently fold to combine so chips don’t begin to melt. Pour mixture into prepared pan and pack it down firmly with a spatula or hands, and place pan in the freezer for at least 1 hour, or until bars have set up.

Slice bars into desired sizes and shapes; I prefer 10 bars cut into rectangles about 4-inches long by about 3/4-inch wide.  Choose any shape and size desired. Bars will keep in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

#choosejoy