Chewy Granola Bars with Honey and Almonds
Toasted oats pressed into a honey-almond binder and baked once, sturdy enough to survive a lunchbox without crumbling.
- Serves
- 16 bars
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Written
Method
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Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment, leaving overhang on the two long sides.
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Spread the oats and almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until fragrant and lightly golden, about 8 minutes.
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Meanwhile, combine the honey, brown sugar, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the butter melts and the mixture bubbles at the edges.
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Off heat, whisk in the almond butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
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In a large bowl, stir the toasted oats and almonds into the honey mixture until every oat is coated.
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Let cool for 5 minutes, then fold in the chocolate chips.
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Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared pan — lean on it hard, since a loosely packed bar falls apart when sliced.
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Bake until the edges are deep golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
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Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, at least 2 hours, before lifting out by the parchment and slicing into 16 bars.
Notes
The cooling is the recipe. Slice these while they’re still warm and they’ll fall apart into granola; give them the full two hours (or move the pan to the fridge to speed it along) and the honey sets up enough to hold a clean cut edge.
For a nut-free version, swap the almond butter for sunflower seed butter and the sliced almonds for pepitas or extra oats — the ratio of binder to dry mix is what matters, not which nuts get toasted into it.