Healthy Chocolate Chip Almond Granola Bars

Chewy, no-bake, gluten-free granola bars made simply with oats, almonds, almond butter or peanut butter and chocolate chips. This healthy granola bar recipe is so delicious and easy to make. Homemade granola bars are great to keep on hand for traveling or whenever hunger strikes! Recipe yields 14 to 16 bars.

Ingredients

• 1¾ cups quick-cooking oats (or old-fashioned oats, pulsed briefly in a food processor or blender to break them up)
• 1⅓ cup sliced almonds
• ⅔ cup mini dark chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt, to taste (decrease if your almond/peanut butter is salted)
• 1 cup creamy unsalted almond butter or peanut butter
• ½ cup honey
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Line an 8 to 9-inch square baker with two strips of criss-crossed parchment paper, cut to size. In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, almonds, chocolate chips, cinnamon and salt. Whisk to combine.

In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, measure out the nut butter. Top with ½ cup honey and the vanilla extract. Whisk until well blended. If you must, you can gently warm the liquid mixture on the stovetop or in the microwave, but make sure it's cool before you pour it into the dry mixture (the chocolate chips will melt).

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a big spoon to mix them together until the two are evenly combined and no dry oats remain. The drier the mixture, the more firm the bars will be, so stir in extra oats if the mixture seems wet.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared square baker. Use your spoon to arrange the mixture fairly evenly in the baker, then use the bottom of a flat, round surface (like a short, sturdy drinking glass), covered in a small piece of parchment paper (see photo), to pack the mixture down as firmly and evenly as possible.

Cover the baker and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight. Use a sharp knife to slice the bars. For portability, you can wrap individual bars in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Bars keep well for a couple of days at room temperature, but I recommend storing individually wrapped bars in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for best flavor.

Notes

MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE: Be sure to buy certified gluten-free oats. 

MAKE IT VEGAN: Substitute maple syrup for the honey and use dairy-free chocolate chips. 

MAKE IT DAIRY FREE: Use dairy-free chocolate chips. 

CHANGE IT UP: Feel free to substitute chopped, toasted nuts for the sliced almonds, and chopped, dried fruit for the chocolate.

Source:  Cookie and Kate