Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

Chewy Granola bars are fun to make at home. The key to this recipe is the combination of marshmallows and brown sugar. They give the bars a chewy texture with a nice sweetness.

You know those chewy granola bars that taste like a candy bar? I love them. But whenever I tried making them from scratch, they weren’t quite what I wanted.

Most of the recipes I tried included honey. While this is great for most granola bars, it’s not right for the type of chewy granola bar I like. A quick scan of the ingredients on a box of chewy granola bars explained why: there’s no honey in them. 

I wondered if marshmallows would give me the right flavor. So I tested the recipe with a combination of brown sugar and melted marshmallows. They were perfect! 

Similar to the store-bought bars I love, these are sweet, chewy, and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients Explained

• Quick Cook Oatmeal. Dry quick-cook oatmeal gives the right flavor. 
• Crispy Rice. A little crispy rice cereal adds a nice crunch. Don’t use puffed rice for these bars.
• Dark Brown Sugar. I like to use dark brown sugar for both the sweetness and the light molasses flavor.
• Marshmallows. The secret to that chewy texture.
• Butter. Adds flavor and helps keep the bars soft.
• Chocolate Chips. Mini chocolate chips are the perfect size. 

How to Make Chewy Granola Bars

If you’ve made crispy bars, the method for making these bars will look familiar to you.

1. Start by melting butter. Then add the brown sugar and marshmallows. Cook over low heat until the mixture is creamy.
2. Add the oats and cereal.
3. Stir until everything is combined. If you’re adding chocolate chips. Add them right at the end.
4. Press the mixture into a parchment-lined 8-inch pan.

Tips from Elizabeth

• Prep your pan before you start! After mixing everything together, you want to get the mixture into the pan quickly. Have your pan ready-to-go.
• Low heat is key to chewy granola bars. If the marshmallows and brown sugar get too hot, the bars get crunchy as they cool. 
• The chocolate chips might melt from the heat–even if you work quickly. This doesn’t bother me. The chocolate swirls through the mixture and tastes great. 

Variations

• S’mores Bars. Stir in one cup of broken up graham crackers and an additional 1 cup of marshmallows with the chocolate chips. 
• Peanut Butter. Add three tablespoons of creamy peanut butter to the marshmallow and brown sugar mixture.

Storing Leftovers

Place the leftover bars in an airtight container for up to a week. I don’t recommend freezing these.

Print

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

This recipe makes chewy and sweet granola bars. The key is to use low heat when melting the marshmallows. If the marshmallows get too hot, the bars will be crunchy when they cool.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 16 bars

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter (2 ounces; 56 grams)
• ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar (1 ¾ ounces; 50 grams)
• 3 cups mini marshmallows (5 ½ ounces; 155 grams)
• 2 cups quick-cook oats (6 ½ ounces; 185 grams)
• 2 cups crispy rice cereal (2 ounces; 56 grams)
• ½ teaspoon salt, optional
• ¼ cup chocolate chips, plus additional for topping (1 ¼ ounces; 42 grams)

Instructions

1. Line an 8×8-x2-inch pan with parchment paper. Grease lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Melt butter in a large pan over low heat. Add brown sugar. Stir, breaking up any clumps. Add marshmallows. Cook, stirring constantly, until marshmallows are melted and creamy.
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the oats, cereal, and salt. Stir to combine. Quickly stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top of the pan. Press them down gently so they stick.
5. Let cool for about two hours. Cut into 16 bars.
6. Store bars in a container with a lid for up to five days.