I love baking up treats to have around the house- I try to freeze at least half of the goodies in individual portions so that I can pull out a homemade snack when needed. Lately every time I pick up a box of some sort of snack at the store, I think to myself “I can make that at home”. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t, but I like to try. I have made these delicious granola bars a few times. They couldn’t be any easier- you literally dump all the ingredients into a bowl, stir, pour into a baking dish and bake. Your child could make these. Seriously easy.
The first time I made them I had the kids help. They loved the dumping and stirring and it was a no-stress recipe for me too. You could really experiment with these using different dried fruits, nuts and seeds to your liking (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc). Although these bars are not the lowest in sugar, they are one of our favorites and I’d much rather give my kids a homemade snack with some sugar than one full of preservatives. So much better than the boxed ones! My husband loves these too, but has requested that I come up with more of a high protein power bar so he doesn’t have to buy the packaged ones that are filled with “stuff”. Stay tuned- hope I can deliver!
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Coconut Granola Bars
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with foil, coated in cooking spray. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients (oats through butter). Stir well to combine.
2. Pour oatmeal mixture into prepared dish, pressing it down with a rubber or wooden spoon. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned (or longer depending on how crunchy you want them). Let cool for 5 minutes, then gently pull foil with granola mixture out of dish and onto cutting board. Cut into desired-sized squares or bars and continue to cool until firm enough to handle. Makes 14 bars or 28 squares.
COOK’S NOTES: I like mine on the firm side so I cook them a full 30 minutes. Depending on how your oven runs, check them around 25 minutes or sooner.
Recipe from Nutritious Eats
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how long do you think these will last without refrigeration?
Hi Kacie,
I leave them out on our counter all week in a tin and they are still great by the end of the week. They are all gone by that point so I am not sure how much longer they’d last! I also freeze some. Hope that helps!
Hi Melanie! I’m a childhood friend of Heather Walker’s, and she referred me to your site. I’ve been following along & have a quick question about this recipe. You mentioned that you sometimes freeze baked goods (I didn’t realize one could freeze granola!); can this recipe be frozen? And, how long does it seem to last before it gets dry/crumbly? I’m contemplating making a big batch to keep up my energy as a teacher. Thanks!
Ooops…now I just read your reply to the preceding comment. So I see that they can be frozen. How long have you left them go in the freezer?
Hey Courtney! Yes, you can definitely freeze them. I wrap them individually just so it makes it easier to pull out how ever many I need. I think I went a month before trying one and it tasted great. I am not really sure exactly how long they would be good, but usually the freezer keeps baked items for up to 3 months. Just make sure to wrap tightly then put them in a freezer bag to avoid any freezer burn. I almost always freeze a few muffins or bars of each batch that I make. Thanks for following! 🙂
I made a batch this morning to take camping with us this weekend (as well as the Oatmeal Peanut Butter Balls). I’m not big on granola bars, though I like everything that goes in to them. Perhaps it is just the store bought kind I don’t like because these are delicious!!! Thanks for the recipe…so easy.
Sarah! So glad they turned out well. I am not a fan of the grocery store granola bars either- everything homemade is better 😉 Where are you going camping? Have a great time!
Hi, I am excited to try your recipe! It looks great! I am wondering, though, are these at all ‘spongy’ in texture? I’ve tried a number of granola bar recipes, and I just can’t seem to get the texture that I want. I don’t bake with sweetened condensed milk often, so I don’t know its effects very well – also, are these a really sweet bar? I appreciate your feedback!!
-Lindsay
Hi Lindsay,
The are on the sweet side but you could always omit the chocolate chips. Re texture, it depends on how long you bake them. They aren’t crisp and crunchy granola bars, but if you bake them long enough they will be firm and slightly chewy.
Oops sent too soon. Hope that helps and thanks for the comment!
Hi there, just want to say thank you for the recipe! I found your recipe on foodgawker and just made them and they are really good! My oldest (2 year old) is going to love them!
Glad you liked them Mary- thanks for the comment! They are so easy, right?!