No Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

So they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I don’t know about you guys but I find it sooooo hard to get up early and take the time sit down and eat a proper meal. I literally roll out of bed and go to work. Breakfast to me is grabbing a granola bar and rushing out the door. Many of them are filled with so many artificial ingredients and probably not the best option, yet convenient. Well I’ve tried making my own and they taste so much better than the ones you can buy at grocery store, and bonus, you know exactly what is in them.

Here’s what makes these so special! These bars are chocolatey, nutty from the slivered almonds, and even have undertones of caramel flavor (can you ever go wrong with caramel? I don’t think so!). I used melted butter, brown sugar, and honey to create a rich caramel flavor. This caramely mixture (yes, I think I just invented a word) paired with chocolate is an excellent combination!

These bars are so quick to make. It takes literally ten minutes to get them together and there is no bake time! That’s right, you don’t even have to turn on the oven. I used a loaf pan for these granola bars because it makes it so easy to cut them into nice, even, thick bars. Also, it creates the perfect length without any messy cutting or measuring. It’s a quick timesaver.

Not a fan of almonds? Feel free to add in any nut that you like as well any dried fruit. This recipe is easily adaptable to suit your tastebuds.

So if you’re running low on time to create that “perfect breakfast” you can make these the night before, cut them up and have them all ready to go and on standby for those busy mornings. Also, that’s not to say that they don’t make a great snack too!Move over Quaker oats, these bars have got nothing on you!

Are you like me and can’t spare the extra minutes to get up in the morning to make a decent breakfast? Leave me a comment down below 🙂

No Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars (Makes 8)

2 and 1/2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup chocolate chips (extra to garnish if desired)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Prepare a 9×5 inch loaf pan with non stick cooking spray.

2. In a medium mixing bowl add the oats, chocolate chips, and slivered almonds. Gently mix to combine.

3.In a medium saucepan add the butter, brown sugar, and honey on medium heat. Mix occasionally to combine all the ingredients until the brown sugar is dissolved and the butter melted. The mixture will begin to look light brown like caramel. After the butter melts the mixture will begin to bubble. While on medium heat whisk the mixture continuously for two minutes. Take the pan off the heat and add the vanilla. The mixture may bubble up a bit after you add this but that’s okay!
Add the liquid mixture from the saucepan to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to mix and coat the dry ingredients until they are all covered. The chocolate chips will begin to partially melt.

4.Press the granola mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Feel free to sprinkle some chocolate chips on top to garnish if you desire. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes until the granola bars set. Cut into eight bars and serve! Store in an air tight container.

Adapted from Rachael Ray