My children are shamelessly addicted to those Quaker chewy chocolate chip granola bars.
It’s not enough that I put one in their lunch boxes.
For my three-year-old, it’s her go-to every time she has even a hint of hunger. And only the chewy chocolate chip bars. Not the chocolate coated, not the peanut butter, not even another brand, because (my) children are the least flexible creatures on this planet.
Given I like to at least have some semblance of control in their lives, I thought I’d have a go at making homemade Quaker granola bars.
I’ve tried something similar before. These banana oatmeal bars have even more healthy stuff jammed in, but bananas are on shaky ground in my house.
But these. Oh my goodness. These granola bars are easy to make and taste just like the Quaker ones. And I can control the sugar that goes in there.
Also, I snuck in some flax seed meal. Also, there is no corn syrup anywhere in these.
Homemade Quaker granola bars got the seal of approval from my daughter.
She ate two while I was photographing them and I had to use all my powers of verbal manipulation to keep her away so I could finish taking pictures. Equally important (or more?), I love them and now I have a new favorite snack.
You can easily play around with this recipe and try substituting wheat germ for the flax seed meal.
Or keep out both. (But really, you can’t taste it at all, so why not? I have a habit of adding flax seed and wheat germ to food.) Try adding peanut butter or dried fruit or whatever you adore.
A couple notes about the recipe: I toasted the oatmeal for a few minutes in the oven, as I think this enhances the flavor, but it’s optional.
Make sure you use the Quick 1-Minute oats, too, and not the Old Fashioned. The latter are too chewy for this recipe.
These bars were quite thick, so I may try and use a larger baking dish next time and press the mixture more thinly. And bonus, that means more granola bars to enjoy!
Yield: 18 bars
CHOCOLATE CHIP GRANOLA BARS RECIPES -- This copycat version of Quaker chew chocolate chip granola bars is healthier and delicious.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time23 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups Quick Cooking Oatmeal
5 tablespoons Coconut Oil
1/4 cup Honey
1/4 cup Brown Sugar, Packed
3/4 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 cups Crispy Rice Cereal
1/4 cup Flax Seed, Optional
pinch of Salt
1/4 cup Mini Chocolate Chips
Instructions
Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the oats on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 5 minutes, or just until the oats start to brown. (This step is optional.)
Place the coconut oil, honey and brown sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently, and let cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
In a large bowl, place the oats, rice cereal, flax seed (if using) and salt and stir to mix.
Scrape the sugar and honey mixture into the bowl with the oats and cereal. Stir very well.
When the mixture is cool enough not to melt the chocolate chips, stir in the mini chocolate chips.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish and use your hands to firmly press the mixture into the dish, flattening the top evenly. If the mixture is sticky, wet your hands.
Place the baking dish in the refrigerator for one hour, or until firm. Cut into rectangles and store at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap.
While there are several different sticky ingredients that you can use, we've found that the binding agent that works the best is honey! When added to your homemade granola bars, honey acts as glue that sticks all the pieces together.
Natural peanut or cashew butter – It helps bind the bars together, and it adds protein, healthy fats, and irresistible nutty flavor. Whole rolled oats – They give these bars a perfect chewy texture. If you're gluten-free, make sure that you use certified gluten-free oats.
While the oats and nuts bake, you can make the sticky glue that holds our bars together. You'll melt butter, honey, and brown sugar in a saucepan and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Mix this sticky mixture with the toasted oats and nuts. Allow everything to cool, and then toss in dried fruit and chocolate chips.
Honey: Since it's a granola bar, refined sugar is not used in the recipe as it's meant to be healthy. So to provide appropriate sweetness, honey is used. Also, honey acts as the primary binding agent.
In December, the Quaker Oates Company recalled certain granola bars and cereals over possible salmonella contamination. Then in January, the company expanded the recall, adding about two dozen more products to the list.
The reason, as listed by Quaker, is potential “salmonella contamination.” The affected products bear “best before” dates of February 10 or 11, 2024. The USDA said the products were sold throughout the 50 United States, Puerto Rico, Guam and Saipan. Do I have salmonella poisoning, or something else entirely?
Fill the bowl up with water to completely cover the mixture – enough that you can stir to combine. This soaking process will help the oats and seeds digest better. After the oat/seed mixture has soaked 8-12 hours, add the rest of the ingredients and combine.
They save well (wrap and freeze them for up to two months), are more affordable than store-bought bars, and don't contain the long list of unpronounceable ingredients. Plus, your kitchen will smell like a bakery while these granola bars bake. Ahhhh.
The whites act as a kind of glue that binds the ingredients together. To ensure that the egg whites coat all the ingredients, I beat them with a whisk until foamy and increased in volume, which makes it much easier to fold into the granola.
Try putting a scoop in the microwave and heating it in 30 second bursts on high. If it starts to get sticky, you're golden. Let it cool and the granola should stick together. Then just break it apart into clumps with your fingers!
Higher temperatures can cause ingredients like nuts, seeds, and coconut to burn before the batch has a chance to properly dry out and crisp up, Perry says. Stick with a low temperature, keep an eye on your mixture, and stir it from time to time to help it brown evenly.
One of the most difficult parts about making homemade granola bars is cooking them enough so that they get dried out all the way through, but not so long that they start over cooking. Toasting the oats first means that the bars start out dry and crispy, so they don't need to cook as long and start overcooking.
To keep your granola bars fresh, you must allow the least amount of air possible to reach the bars. Because air (and warmth) can easily cause spoilage, sealing your granola bars in an airtight container or wrapping them in wax paper is a great way to keep them fresh for longer.
About this method: According to Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen, “Nothing glues like protein.” While there are many granola recipes that include an egg white, I got this tip from the Big Cluster Maple Granola recipe in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.
Peanut, almond, cashew, sunflower seed, and pumpkin seed are all great options. Another great addition is dried fruit, which sweetens up your bar with naturally occurring sugars while providing fiber and vitamins—plus chewiness and binding. “I personally love adding chopped dates or apricots,” Ansari says.
Overall, raisins are an excellent binder that perform well when used in protein bar applications and could be used as a binder in many other applications. BENCHTOP PROCESSING METHOD: In a food processor or buffalo chopper, blend whole raisins, half the nuts, all the egg white, salt, vanilla, and yogurt powder.
Address: Suite 461 73643 Sherril Loaf, Dickinsonland, AZ 47941-2379
Phone: +2678139151039
Job: International Administration Supervisor
Hobby: Dowsing, Snowboarding, Rowing, Beekeeping, Calligraphy, Shooting, Air sports
Introduction: My name is Catherine Tremblay, I am a precious, perfect, tasty, enthusiastic, inexpensive, vast, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
