Homemade gluten-free granola bars are easy, chewy treat ideal for breakfast bars or a grab-and-go-snack. Chocolate chip granola bars are simply irresistible with a combination of gluten-free oats, gooey chocolate, coconut, nuts, and dried fruit. They baked with a perfect combination of sweet and salty and extra chewy texture thanks to a combination of peanut butter and honey.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 9X13" pan with a large piece of foil or parchment paper. The paper should be long enough to lift the bars out of the pan. Lightly grease with cooking spray.
In a large bowl mix dry ingredients, including oats, rice cereal, nuts, coconut, cranberries, chocolate chips, brown sugar, oat flour, sunflower seeds, and salt.
1 ⅔ cup gluten-free quick cooking oats, ⅔ cup gluten-free puffed rice cereal, ⅓ cup packed brown sugar, ⅓ cup oat flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ cup chopped nuts*, ½ cup shredded coconut*, ½ cup dried cranberries*, ⅓ cup sunflower seeds*, ½ cup miniature chocolate chips*
In another microwave-safe bowl melt the butter. Alternatively, melt on the stovetop in a small saucepan. After butter is completed melted add the peanut butter, honey, corn syrup, water and vanilla to warm butter. Stir until smooth.
Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredient bowl and stir to combine. Transfer the granola to the prepared pan. Use a large piece of plastic wrap to press down on top of the bars, all the way to the edges, before removing to bake.
Bake the bars 25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Cool completely in pan.
After cooling transfer the pan to the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Then lift the bars from the pan and cut. At this point they may be stored at room temperature. The initial refrigeration just helps further solidify the bars before cutting.
Wrap bars individually in plastic wrap and place in airtight container to store at room temperature for a week, refrigerated up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 3 months.
Notes
Oat Flour
Make your own oat flour by processing ⅓ cup quick-cooking oats in blender until finely ground.
**Add-Ins
Add your preferred add-ins and quantities as long as it adds up to 2 ⅓ cups total.
Corn Syrup Substitutes
You may swap it out for additional honey, maple syrup or brown rice syrup. However, there will be a trade off with how well they stick together and the chewiness.Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour