Chewy Chocolate Granola Bars (nut-free!)
Looking for a yummy, real-food homemade granola bar recipe? This is a great one! It’s nourishing and also allergy-friendly … no gluten, eggs, dairy, nuts or peanuts!
By Jessica Smartt, Contributing Writer
I don’t know about you, but it feels like my kids are always hungry! Come to think of it, my husband and I are always hungry, too. Maybe the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!
It can be a real struggle to find foods that are filling and nourishing (and don’t cost an arm and a leg). And if you deal with food allergies, sensitivities, or special diets, like we do, it is even more difficult.
I love this recipe for granola bars. More often than not, there’s a batch in the fridge, and another stashed in the freezer for later. It’s not difficult to make, packs a good nutritional punch, and everyone who has tried them loves them!
I got the basic idea for the recipe here, and then switched a few things up. You could also use various dried fruits in place of the raisins, different nuts instead of the seeds, and peanut or almond butter in place of the sunflower seed butter I used. This is a very versatile recipe that just works well!
Does your family enjoy homemade granola bars? What are your favorite mix-ins?
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Yum! What do the chia seeds do (besides add nutrition, obviously 😉 )? If I left them out, would I need to replace with anything? I love that these don’t call for too much of any one ingredient 🙂 Thanks!
They are just for a little added nutrition! You’ll be perfectly fine without them!
Would they work okay without the raisins?
Yup! I like the taste of *something* added – whether it’s the chocolate chips, dates or another dried fruit, even a nut if you can do that – just something to give it a different texture 🙂
I agree – I am continually making and baking snacks. Homemade granola bars always taste so much better than store bought. My favorite additions are coconut, chocolate chips, and Craisins. Thanks for the recipe. I’ll be giving this a try very soon.
Thanks! Making these for breakfast this morning and even though they are simple it’s great to have the changes in the original recipe made for me! 🙂
I just realized I’m out of honey!! Would these still work with maple syrup?? Or does it need the stickiness of the honey… help!
They look yummy!!
Gretchen