April 7, 2010
Tags: easy, fast, fun, snack | Print this recipe
I’ve been looking for this recipe forever. These Quaker granola bars
But have you noticed how expensive those granola bars are? Especially if you buy a box or two every week like I do. I’ve been on the look-out for a recipe, but haven’t found anything before now. All the recipes I saw were just granola, no rice cereal; they were hard, not chewy. That won’t do! But finally after some serious googling I found this recipe and it’s perfect. It’s exactly the same. In fact, it’s better because you know all the ingredients in it and there aren’t any preservatives and whatever else they put into pre-packaged food. Also? It’s about the simplest thing that ever was. No baking. It takes about 5 minutes to mix together and 15 minutes to firm up in the fridge.
These granola bars are so easy to make that I deviated from the original recipe to recreate my favorites: peanut butter/chocolate chip, s’more, and oatmeal raisin. There are endless possibilities for add-ins to these granola bars, so you can create your own favorite version.
Each recipe makes enough granola to fill a 9×13 inch pan, about 18 bars. Since I wanted to make all three kinds (and don’t have room to store 54 bars), I halved the recipes and made them in 9×5 inch loaf pans. I found these to be perfect as I could just cut straight across and get perfect sized bars, 6-8 depending on how wide you want them. I found it easier to remove the whole slab of granola from the pan first (run a knife around the sides and turn it upside-down on your counter and it should come out pretty easily) and then slice it.
I cut out strips of parchment and wrapped them up individually, which on second thought is pretty wasteful, but it looks cute if you wanted to give a bunch of these away as gifts or wrap them for your kid’s school lunch. Otherwise store in layers, in an airtight container with a sheet of wax/parchment between each layer.
Note about Granola: I had a really hard time finding plain granola. Maybe I wasn’t looking in the right place? I don’t know, I’ve never bought granola before. I wound up using this granola cereal
Update: I’ve started making my own granola for the granola bars instead of trying to find it in the grocery store. I especially like this recipe for low-fat granola. I don’t put in all the nuts/seeds but you could leave them in if you like that kind of stuff in your granola bars.
Peanut Butter/Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars
adapted from Rachel Ray
Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 cups plain granola
- 1 cup rice cereal (Rice Krispies, etc.)
- 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup peanut butter chips
Process
1. Combine honey and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in brown sugar after butter starts to melt.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
3. Add the granola and rice cereal into the saucepan and fold them into the sauce until evenly coated.
4. Spread the mixture into a 9×13 inch ungreased baking pan and press firmly with a spatula to evenly fill. Sprinkle the chocolate and peanut butter chips onto the top of the granola and gently press them down.
5. Put the pan in the refrigerator until cooled and firm, about 15 minutes, then cut into bars.
18 servings
S’more Chewy Granola Bars
adapted from Rachel Ray
Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 cups plain granola
- 1 cup rice cereal (Rice Krispies, etc.)
- 2 tbsp. graham cracker crumbs (optional)
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Process
1. Combine honey and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in brown sugar after butter starts to melt.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
3. Add the granola, rice cereal and graham cracker crumbs into the saucepan and fold them into the sauce until evenly coated. Very gently fold in the marshmallows.
4. Spread the mixture into a 9×13 inch ungreased baking pan and press firmly with a spatula to evenly fill. Sprinkle the chocolate chips onto the top of the granola and gently press them down.
5. Put the pan in the refrigerator until cooled and firm, about 15 minutes, then cut into bars.
18 servings
Oatmeal Raisin Chewy Granola Bars
adapted from Rachel Ray
Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 cups plain granola
- 1 cup rice cereal (Rice Krispies, etc.)
- 1/2 cup raisins
Process
1. Combine honey and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon after the butter starts to melt.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
3. Add the granola, rice cereal and raisins into the saucepan and fold them into the sauce until evenly coated.
4. Spread the mixture into a 9×13 inch ungreased baking pan and press firmly with a spatula to evenly fill.
5. Put the pan in the refrigerator until cooled and firm, about 15 minutes, then cut into bars.
18 servings
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Erin
These images are beautiful! I love the idea of being able to make my own homemade granola bars — especially since these are chewy! I’m all about chewy snacks.
Erin´s last blog ..An Unpacked Kitchen
April 7, 2010 at 1:40 pm |
Michelle @ 5 Forks
I love this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing. I too love the Quaker bars and eat just as many as you.
Bear Naked has a pretty good granola but I’m not sure if they have plain. They make a Heavenly Chocolate variety and it’s awesome!! Here’s the site. http://www.bearnaked.com/ Thanks for the recipe.
Michelle @ 5 Forks´s last blog ..My Favorite Blogs…Food, Photography and more
April 7, 2010 at 1:41 pm |
tia @ buttercreambarbie
i am SO impressed! they look exactly like the ‘real thing’!
tia @ buttercreambarbie´s last blog ..Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls
April 7, 2010 at 2:11 pm |
leslie
Thank you so much for posting this. I have been on the hunt for a good granola bar recipe. And Rachael was the last place I would have looked.
leslie´s last blog ..Sponge Bob Cake
April 7, 2010 at 7:46 pm |
Maria
I like all of them!
Maria´s last blog ..2peas3-0
April 8, 2010 at 4:22 pm |
Lindsey
Do you think you could just use old fashioned oatmeal instead of granola?
April 9, 2010 at 9:30 am |
Emily
I had thought about using oatmeal, but I’m not sure. It seems like it wouldn’t have the taste or crunch of granola if you just used oatmeal by itself? After I posted this recipe I found several recipes for homemade granola, and they are basically just oatmeal baked with a few other ingredients, so I’m going to try that next time. This recipe is for low-fat granola, so I’m going to make a plain version of it without the nuts and seeds.
April 9, 2010 at 10:53 am |
nickki
I have been searching for this recipe for so long! I’m going to make this for my kids over the weekend. Thank you for sharing!
April 9, 2010 at 9:38 am |
Michelle
Perfect, as always!
April 10, 2010 at 7:33 pm |
Coco Bean
WHAT! They taste exactly the same!?! I have to try them now. Those ones with the chocolate and marshmellow look so darn good…
April 10, 2010 at 8:25 pm |
Jamieanne
I just discovered your blog from either FoodGawker or TasteSpotting, I can’t remember which now, the other day when I saw a photo there of these granola bars. The fact that they are no-bake and they look great drew me in! I am not a Rachel Ray fan, but gave these a go today – the S’mores ones, and they are FANTASTIC! I’ve made granola bars in the oven before and they were just so-so, but these are great, I will definitely be making them again and again! Great blog, I love the design, I’ll definitely be back again!
April 13, 2010 at 1:12 am |
Simply Life
Oh those look amazing!
April 18, 2010 at 6:22 am |
Claudine
Thanks for this recipe! We go through a lot of granola bars at our house – my daughter has at least two a day and you’re right, the expense adds up. It seems like they’re making them smaller and smaller recently, or packaging six in a box instead of eight! If you figure out the recipe for the Caramel Nut Chewy Dipps, don’t be shy about sharing it too
April 30, 2010 at 7:29 pm |
Alicia
The chewy bars actually don’t have HFCS in them, but I was just at the grocery store to buy the ingredients for these, and all the rice cereal I found DOES have HFCS in it.
These might be more economic, but considering the ingredients, they aren’t much healthier.
May 2, 2010 at 12:27 pm |
Diane
WOW! Can’t get much easier than this recipe!! They look great and my husband LOVES granola bars!! I can’t wait to try it. I just bought some Special K Granola cereal..I think it’s new on the market…I’ll use that and see how it works out
Thanks!
diane~
May 6, 2010 at 9:55 am |
Andrea
these are so so great!!! i’m definitely making my own granola to use in them- and like a previous poster mentioned- to avoid HFCS you have to buy all natural brown rice cereal and NOT rice krispies (they sell it at places like whole foods) thanks for this!
July 12, 2010 at 2:49 pm |
Emily
For those that can’t find granola, I used Kashi Go Lean Cereal (not Go Lean Crunch) and it worked GREAT! Not too sweet + added fiber and protein.
July 23, 2010 at 2:49 pm |
beetred
your blog is gorgeous! i can’t wait to try these out. i’ve been looking for a crispy light granola recipe
August 23, 2010 at 7:52 pm |