Chewy, crunchy, oh so tasty 5 Ingredient Chocolate Chip Granola Bars made in about 5 minutes with peanut butter or almond butter. No baking required!
So Easy, So Delicious!
For another episode of: “My Granola Bar Addiction,” I bring you the easiest ones yet. And, dare I say, the tastiest?! These no-bake 5-Ingredient Chocolate Chip Granola Bars are just too easy to make and boy, do they taste greeeeeat! I made them with granola cereal I had on hand, so no baking, no food processor, no oven. Just mix, pop ’em in the fridge, and enjoy!
A Granola Bar Craving
I was craving homemade granola bars one morning and my craving wasn’t about to wait for me to bake a batch. So with limited ingredients on hand, I stirred together these 5-ingredient granola bars in about 5 minutes and they turned out awesome!
Between breakfast that morning, snack time that afternoon and some girlfriends coming over to watch The Bachelorette that night, they were gone by the end of the day. So what’s a mama to do when her boys wake up begging for another one the next morning?!…mix together another batch…
Your Choice: Almond Butter or Peanut Butter
The first time I made them with peanut butter, the next time I used almond butter, the next time peanut butter and here I sit eating from yet another batch with almond butter. You choose: peanut butter or almond butter. Both nut butter versions have great flavor!
The almond butter is less sweet than peanut butter and the texture is thinner so you have to use a 1/2 cup more of it. So if you’re using peanut butter, use 1 cup and if you’re using almond butter, use 1 and 1/2 cups. Get it? Got it? Go!
Only 5 Ingredients
Besides peanut butter or almond butter, all you’ll need is honey, pre-made granola, old-fashioned oats and chocolate chips. I usually use a Honey Almond Granola, but feel free to use your favorite flavor of granola. I could see these being made with the optional additions of dried fruit, like raisins or cranberries, and even small bits of banana chips.
The pre-made granola adds such great crunch and texture to the granola bars, but if you want to keep it super simple and you’re willing to forgo the crunch and firmer consistency, you could use all oatmeal and they would still taste great! The nice thing about using pre-made granola is this recipe can easily be vegan or gluten-free, if your store-bought cereal is.
If you want your granola bars to be gluten-free, be sure to use a gluten-free granola and oat mixture.
Ingredients and Supplies
(see recipe card at the bottom of this post for measurements and details)
Ingredients:
- Natural peanut butter or natural almond butter
- Honey
- Pre-made granola
- Old-fashioned oats, uncooked
- Dark chocolate chips
Supplies:
- 9×13-inch baking dish
- Parchment paper
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment
- Spatula
How to Make 5-Ingredient Granola Bars
- Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. NOTE: if you prefer thicker bars, feel free to use a small pan, like an 8-inch square pan or loaf pan.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the peanut butter (or almond butter) and honey.
- Stir in the granola and oats until well combined.
- Stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips.
- Spread and press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
- Use a spatula or parchment paper to press the chocolate chips firmly into the mixture.
- At this point, you can lift the bars out of the dish (using the edges of the parchment paper) and immediately cut into bars with a sharp knife or you can cover the dish with plastic wrap and place the bars in the refrigerator to firm them up even more, about 30 minutes, before cutting them into bars.
More Granola Recipes You’ll Love
Sweetened with warm honey and packed with coconut flakes, sunflower seeds and unsalted almonds with just a hint of vanilla, this amazing Chunky Homemade Granola is a breakfast you can enjoy all week long!
Easily make your own granola with simple, healthy ingredients you already have on hand. This protein and fiber-packed Maple Walnut Granola is sweetened with maple syrup and makes for a great breakfast or afternoon snack.
Storage
Store cut bars in an airtight container with parchment paper between each layer. They store great at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze these No-Bake Granola Bars, wrap each bar in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer-safe sealed container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Alright, that’s all there is to ’em! 5 ingredients and 5 minutes is all it takes to make these tasty granola bars. If you make them, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me or tag me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see. If you’re on Facebook, be sure to join my Friends of The BakerMama group to connect and share all the fun and yummy recipes of mine that you make! 😍 I just love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the ideas I share. Enjoy!
xoxo,
5-Ingredient Granola Bars
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 15 bars
- Category: Dessert
Description
Just 5 ingredients and about 5 minutes is all it takes to make these chewy, crunchy, oh so tasty granola bars with peanut butter or almond butter. No baking required!
Ingredients
- 1 cup natural peanut butter or 1 and 1/2 cups natural almond butter
- 3/4 cup honey
- 4 cups pre-made granola
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats, uncooked
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper or foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the peanut butter (or almond butter) and honey.
- Stir in the granola and oats until well combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips.
- Spread and press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Use a spatula or parchment paper to press the chocolate chips firmly into the mixture.
- At this point, you can lift the bars out of the dish (using the edges of the parchment paper) and immediately cut into bars with a sharp knife. Or you can cover the dish with plastic wrap and place the bars in the refrigerator to firm them up even more, about 30 minutes, before cutting them into bars.
Notes
These granola bars can be baked at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes, if desired.
Is the oatmeal referring to uncooked oats or oats cooked into oatmeal?
Hi Maria! I’m so glad you asked. The oats are not cooked when they’re mixed in. No cooking or baking required to make these bars. Enjoy!
i made these for my husband and he loves them!
Hi, Heather! So happy he enjoyed them!
Have you tried freezing these? Picky eater in my house gets bored eating the same thing for a couple weeks, but they’re so yummy I don’t want to waste them!
Hi, Alysa! Yes! Store cut bars in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Enjoy!
Can these be made in a silicone bar mold?
Hi Amy! Absolutely, they would shape great in a silicone bar mold. Great idea! Enjoy!
Hi! If I didn’t use the granola would I use 5 cups of oatmeal?
Thanks!
Hi Jen! Yes, I’ve done this before and they turn out great. You can use old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats. Enjoy!
I’m going to try this today! Was wondering if I could substitute the oatmeal for crispy rice cereal, or if there’s a way I could incorporate them into the granola bars? Thanks in advance☺️
Hi Makenzie! I apologize I’m just seeing your question. Yes, you can definitely use crispy rice cereal in place of the oats. It will add a nice crunch to the granola bars. I hope y’all enjoyed them!
Hi Nannette! Yes, you can definitely omit the chocolate chips. I always encourage people to just make them your own. Enjoy!
Hi Maegan, what do you mean by chocolate granola, is 5his a cereal type I should be looking for. I live in a small town in halfway, Oregon. They do not carry any such type of granola, should I look for this product at a health food store, can I buy this at Safeway or Albertsons store, they are the only one around. Please help!. Thanks Linda
Hi Linda! I usually use Cascadian Farm Dark Chocolate Almond Granola (https://www.cascadianfarm.com/products/cereals/granola/dark-chocolate-almond-granola), but honestly you can use any pre-made granola. Whatever your store carries that you enjoy eating. Hope this helps!
Thanks so much for your time, also found them at amazon, Linda
Yay! Enjoy!
Could I use a regular mixer instead of the one with the paddle attachment?
Hi Brenda! You could certainly try, but it is a thicker mixture so it might be tough for a hand mixer to handle. You might be better off just mixing it by hand with a wooden or sturdy mixing spoon. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
Hi Sue, I was trying to make lactation bars can I just add the brewers yeast?
Hi Ana! That’s a great idea! Yes, I would just mix it right in. OR you could try my No-Bake Lactation Bites which are amazing: https://thebakermama.com/recipes/no-bake-lactation-bites/ Enjoy!
No bake dark chocolate granola bars!! Heavenly! Why haven’t I found this before today? Must make them NOW! Thank you!
I made these and they fell apart. What did I do wrong?
Hi Sue! Did you stir your peanut butter or almond butter really well before measuring it? Sometimes if the peanut butter or almond butter are dried out, it won’t incorporate like it should to make the bars.
Hi Maegan, I will definitely try these bars out, but I don’t care for chocolate in my granola bars can I just omit them in the recipe or do I need to replace them for something else?
I used butterscotch chips, because chocolate gives me migraines. Tastes great!
Mine won’t hold together! I added some PB when they first crumbled, remixed, repressed, rechilled. Still crumbly. Thoughts?
Hi! What kind of peanut butter are you using? Maybe it’s too dry? The mixture should definitely be chewy not crumbly.
Where can I find the Nutritional Information for these bars?
Hi Gregory! I don’t provide nutrition information on my site, but you can easily plug the exact ingredients you use into a free online recipe nutrition calculator to get the information. Here’s one I’d recommend: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
I found this recipe on the YUMMLY recipe app, and it gives a complete nutritional breakdown of the bars.
I’m super excited to make these! I’m tired of making baked granola bars that crumble and fall apart….these look awesome! I would like to make with my own “granola” mixture for a bit lower sugar bar (we don’t have kids so these are for my husband and myself). I was thinking a mixture of oats, milled flax seed, slivered almonds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds….would you recommend I bake my granola mixture on it’s own or would it be fine just added as is? Thanks for the great idea and wonderful presentation! 🙂
Hi Lindsey! I think they’d taste great both ways. If you bake the granola, the bars will have more crunch and toasted flavor, but the ingredients you mentioned combined with the other ingredients in this recipe would turn out just as great not baked. Enjoy!
These look delicious Maegan! Can’t wait to try!
Do you mean oatmeal, as in cooked oatmeal; or do you mean uncooked rolled oats?
Hi Pat! I mean uncooked, rolled oats. Enjoy!
Hi Maegan . Just made your 5 ingredient granola bars . Very good . Do I have to cut them and store them . Or can I leave them in the dish
Hi Mary! You can definitely leave them in the dish. Just cover the top tightly with a lid or plastic wrap. Enjoy!
These look so good. Do you have a number of calories per bar? I must count calories, and I don’t see that here.
Hi Arlene! I don’t provide nutritional information for the recipes on my blog because information varies so much based on the brand/exact ingredient you use. You can easily plug the ingredients you use into a free online nutrition calculator to calculate them yourself. Hope this helps! Enjoy!
When you say 1 cup oatmeal….do you mean you can use quick oats?
Hi Jennifer! I actually state in the recipe that I use old-fashioned oatmeal (I just prefer it), but you could definitely use quick oats and they would still taste great! Enjoy!
[…] Almond Butter Granola Bars These homemade almond granola bars are great when you want a chewy, sweet snack, and since they are homemade, they have less preservatives, unnatural additives, and less sugar. Even better? These bars, made with only almond butter, honey, dark chocolate chips, old-fashioned oatmeal and granola, are no bake and can be made in just five minutes. That simply is too sweet! […]
I have never seen dark chocolate granola.
What brand are you using and where did you buy it?
Thanks for all of your work.
Hi Julie! I use Cascadian Farm dark chocolate almond granola (it has chunks of dark chocolate in it). Nature’s Path and Nature Valley also make dark chocolate granolas, but you can use any flavor of your favorite granola in these.
These look awesome! I know my son would love these. I’m excited to try them! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks Kathleen! Enjoy! 🙂
These look so good and I love how easy they are! What a sweet picture of Bryce 🙂 I will definitely be trying these soon!!
Thanks Jessica! 🙂