Behold a homemade Soft & Chewy Chocolate Granola Bar that tastes just like a candy bar! Dipping them in bittersweet chocolate makes them a bit more decadent than your typical granola bar, without adding too much to the sweetness profile—LOVE.
Did I mention that these are gluten free? And depending on what chocolate you use, they can be dairy free as well.
As much as I LOVE indulgent cookies, cakes, desserts and sweets in general, I also love good-for-you stuff and I’ve been dying to share my favorite granola bar recipe (that’s this one, right here!).
It’s loaded with oats, nuts, finely chopped prunes (dried plums, my friends), coconut, chia seeds, olive oil and other good stuff.
I partnered with my friends at California Prunes to make this sweet and salty treat that is teeming with minerals, antioxidants, fiber, protein and most importantly they are hella good and easy to make (I’ve got all the tips below!).
In this post you’ll find the why behind the ingredients, substitutions, step-by-step photos, a how-to video, granola bar storage info and finally, my favorite granola bar recipe. Enjoy!
Soft & Chewy Granola Bar Ingredients
Below are all of the ingredients plus some substitution suggestions. I have even more substitutions in the following Customize Your Chocolate Granola Bars section.
Rolled Oats
The oats add a heap of texture, flavor and fiber. They are the vehicle that holds this convoy together. Don’t omit. If gluten free is a priority for you, check the label.
See the below note on making oat flour (you don’t have to buy it!) in the How To Make Oat Flour section below.
Sliced Almonds
Almonds add some crunch, texture, flavor and healthy fat, fiber and protein (the trifecta). I love a combination of almonds and pecans…hazelnuts would also be delicious in these.
California Prunes
My love for these gems knows no bounds. Chopped up finely, these beauties are high in fiber, loaded with potassium and vitamins and, little known fact, prunes are actually lower in sugar than dates.
Everyone is always using dates in smoothies and such but consider using prunes (aka dried plums) in the same way. I use them to sweeten my cashew milk that’s in my fridge at all times (for said smoothies). So good.
Shredded Coconut
The shredded coconut adds texture and flavor plus fat and fiber. Fabulous. Go for unsweetened…the sweetened variety just makes these, well, um, too sweet.
Puffed Millet
I love puffed millet, amaranth (contains gluten), quinoa and rice and all of these work great in these chocolate granola bars. Rice is the most readily available.
Use what you can find and omit if there nowhere to be found in your neck of the woods. I love adding these to both granola and these granola bar as they pack in nutrients and texture. Love.
Chocolate
Never met an occasion where chocolate didn’t make life better. I like mini chocolate chips in the base (not a lot) and a nice melted bittersweet chocolate for the exterior.
These granola bars are best stored in the fridge, which makes tempering the chocolate an unnecessary step. Bonus, dark chocolate has some fabulous antioxidants tucked in there.
A reminder that dark chocolate is an umbrella term that covers everything from semi-sweet to bittersweet chocolate. So for the mini chocolate chips, feel free to use whatever strikes your fancy.
This is likewise true for the chocolate coating, however I prefer bittersweet for there as it tempers the sweetness of the maple syrup and banana. But you do you!!
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are my jam. I put them in everything: smoothies, granola and yes, granola bars. Chia seeds are loaded with omega 3s, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and protein. Win.
Real Maple Syrup
For our sweetener and to help bind the bars together. Use only real maple syrup as the fake behaves in really weird ways when you bake with it…plus it kinda grosses me out to be honest. You could sub in honey for the maple if you’d like.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Accept no substitutes! Love olive oil and use it in my granola all the time. It’s perfect in these bars and you won’t taste any strong olive oil flavor in the finished product.
Plus, olive oil is a healthy fat loaded in antioxidants. We love to see it.
In a pinch you could use another high-quality oil, see the Customize Your Granola Bars below.
Why Banana in Granola Bars?
The humble banana acts to sweeten and bind our bars together. Make sure you mash it up really well. If you’re having a hard time getting it smooth you can blitz it in the blender with the olive oil and maple syrup.
I eat a banana every day. I love them. They’re nature’s perfect fruit.
Cinnamon
Love me some spice and cinnamon is fab in these.
You could experiment with some nutmeg, chai masala or five-spice or you can completely omit!
Vanilla Extract
Use real vanilla extract…imitation won’t work in these.
Sea Salt Flakes
Because they are the dramatic finish we need.
In the next section I tell you how you can customize your Soft & Chewy Chocolate Granola bars!
Customize Your Chocolate Granola Bars
Seeds
Think of granola bars as well, granola, but in bar form. Some of my favorite granola ingredients include chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds.
You can also replace the chia seeds with flaxseeds or any of the seeds listed above, for that matter!
Maple or Honey
When it comes to the maple syrup, you can swap it out for honey. This local honey is one of my favorites! The flavor of the honey or maple does come through in the final bar, so choose accordingly.
Puffed Grains
I’ve tested these with puffed amaranth (contains gluten), millet and quinoa. These can be tough to find, so you can also use puffed rice (which is different (and healthier) than Rice Crispies…although you could use those too!).
Oil
I’ve never been shy about my love of olive oil, but as mentioned above, you could use Sunflower Seed Oil, Avocado Oil or to add even more coconut flavor to the bars and you could use coconut oil.
Protein
I’ll just be honest, protein really does help me stay full, longer. So, I like to squeak in it where I can.
I sometimes add 2 scoops of collagen peptides or a couple of tablespoons of almond butter to this base recipe and both aren’t even noticeable. Feel free to add both!
GRANOLA BAR TIP
When making substitutions, consider the balance of wet to dry ingredients. Right now, it’s the perfect balance to make the bars stick together. Add additional ingredients cautiously and in small quantities, unless they are used as a 1:1 substitution.
How To Make Oat Flour
Oat flour is just oats that have been ground up. That’s it. I usually look at what the recipe calls for, in this case it’s 1/2 cup (45 g) oat flour.
To get the correct amount I’ll get a heaping ½ cup (about 65 g) of rolled oats (not level) and blitz that in my blender until the consistency is that of flour.
Additionally, you can purchase oat flour at the grocery store.
The combination of oat flour, maple syrup and banana is the ‘glue’ that holds these granola bars together, if you’re wondering why oat flour? Why banana? That’s your answer!
How to Get Perfectly Cut Granola Bars
The only way to get a perfect cut is to freeze these bars. They will not get rock hard, just quite firm making it easier to get the coveted clean cut.
Do not skipping the freezing step prior to cutting them and use a very sharp knife.
Granola Bars Step-by-Step
Below are step-by-step photos (with captions) to make your Soft & Chewy Chocolate Granola Bars perfect every time! My biggest tips are:
- Make sure you firmly and evenly press the granola mixture into the pan so that cohesive bars form.
- Give the granola bars a minimum of 3 hours to chill in the freezer before cutting and dipping. Make sure they are completely chilled through.
- When cutting, move slowly and deliberately so you get nice, sharp edges.
- Bring the dipping chocolate as close to room temperature before dipping the granola bars. Since the bars are soft and chewy, too much heat will make them fall apart.
- Store in the fridge for best results!
chia seeds to a medium bowl.
Storing Your Soft & Chewy Granola Bars
Since we’re not tempering the chocolate, these bars are best stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Place parchment paper between layers to keep them looking fresh.
The Best Merch for Making Fab Chocolate Bars
My favorite tools for baking these granola bars are:
This is the 9 x 9-inch (23 x 23-cm) baking pan that I use for a bunch of my snacking cakes plus these soft and chewy bars!
A nice Silicone Spatula for stirring the granola bar base and won’t stick to the bars as you press them down prior to baking. And if you really wanna go for it, this silicon spatula really helps press down the mixture.
These nested, heat-safe Glass Bowls are perfect for mixing up your ingredients and melting chocolate.
I’ve adding a shopping section (woo hoo!), you can check it out here!
More Snacking Recipes
Some more healthy-ish recipes include these Soft & Chewy Chocolate Brownie Vegan Cookies, these Vegan Peppermint Brownies (that you can omit the peppermint and turn into classic brownies) and these Erewhon Market Knock-Off Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie (this is *not* a classic oatmeal cookie, btw).
Don’t forget this Granola recipe that I love so much (it’s an old one, comment with any questions!).
And if you’re looking for more prune-based recipes, please check out my Flaky Buttery Prune Danish recipe (it’s ranked #1 on google) or my Five-Spice Prune Jam Bars are such a cozy treat.
Let’s make some homemade Soft & Chewy Chocolate Granola Bars!
Happy Baking! xx
Soft & Chewy Chocolate Granola Bars
Ingredients
For the Bars
- 1 1/2 cups (120 g) rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (75 g) sliced almonds (can also use chopped pecans or a combo)
- 1/2 cup (45 g) oat flour (see note above)
- 1/4 cup (32 g) California prunes, (finely chopped; about 5 whole prunes)
- 1/2 cup (25 g) unsweetened coconut, (shredded)
- 1/4 cup (9 g) puffed millet (can also use puffed rice, amaranth or quinoa)
- 3 tablespoons (33 g) mini chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons (18 g) chia seeds
- 1/2 cup (170 g) real maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (114 g) ripe banana, (mashed; about 1 medium banana)
- 1/3 cup (75 g) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
For the Dipping Chocolate
- 1 ½ cup (255 g) bittersweet chocolate, (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoon (28 g) refined coconut oil
- Sea salt flakes
Instructions
For the Bars
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (170°C) and grease and line a 9 x 9-inch (23 x 23-cm) baking pan with parchment, letting the excess parchment hang over two sides of the pan.
- To a large bowl add the oats, nuts, California prunes, coconut flakes, puffed millet, chocolate chips and chia seeds, stirring to combine. Use your hands to break up any larger chunks of prune stuck together and break them up coating them with the other ingredients so they don’t stick back together.
- In a blender mix together the maple syrup, olive oil, mashed banana, cinnamon and salt until smooth. If you don’t have a blender you can really mash up the banana and thoroughly whisk the mixture. Pour into the large bowl, stirring to coat the granola mixture.
- Pour into the prepared pan, pressing firmly and evenly with the back of a spatula, trying to make it as level and compact as possible. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden around the edges. Let cool completely before: 1) running a knife along the edges of the pan (to loosen from the sides), 2) covering the pan and 3) placing in the freezer to thoroughly chill and firm up for at least 3 hours or ideally, overnight.
For the Dipping Chocolate
- In a medium, heat-safe bowl add the chocolate and coconut oil and set over a medium saucepan of simmering water. Do not let the bowl touch the water or let the water come to a boil. Stir frequently until almost melted then remove from the heat. Continue stirring until smooth. Lined a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
To Assemble
- Take the bars out of the fridge and cut into 12 equal-size bars. Make slow and deliberate cuts to get the sharpest edges.Dip the entire granola bar into the cooled (but still liquid) chocolate, letting the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Set on the prepared baking sheet, sprinkle with sea salt flakes (if using) and allow several hours for the chocolate to set; you can pop them into fridge on a parchment lined baking sheet, in a single layer to expedite. Once the chocolate has set, transfer to an air-tight container.
- For best results, store the bars in an air-tight container in the fridge with parchment between layers.
These are incredible. Love the prunes paired with the chocolate and oats. Binding with banana, maple and evoo is genius and I am SO grateful for a killer recipe that’s gluten free just as it is!
I’m so happy that you liked them!! I think they’re so fun to make!! xoxo
I’m wondering what you’re supposed to do about the coconut oil for the dipping chocolate. I read over the whole recipe and still haven’t found it.
Listed as ingredient but not in the instructions?
Mine are in the oven now.
I already made a previous granola recipe so I just used the blender ingredients to add so I can make the bars.
Hi Chelle! Thanks so much for the note. The coconut oil is added to the chocolate for a silky, easily dip-able chocolate. Please reach out with any other questions. I hope you enjoy! xo
Oh my – so delicious. The maple as the sweetener is right on, use only the real stuff. Don’t be duped with the popular brands that are nothing but brown sugar water.
You know it! Thanks dad!!! xox
These look absolutely delicious!!!! I have got to try them – seems like the perfect combo of healthy AND tasty!!
Hi Morgan! I need the healthy-delicious combo. I hope you love! xo
These look so good! What chocolate did you use?
Hi Michelle!
This is the chocolate I used:
https://www.gygi.com/Callebaut-Belgian-Strong-Bittersweet-Callets-5.5-lb.-Bag
It’s great for dipping!!! Using chocolate made for dipping (like this) or bars (instead of chips) will result in smoother chocolate that gives a nicer finish.
That chocolate is pricey, two great grocery store brands are Ghirardelli or Guittard. And make sure to slowly melt your chocolate over low heat.
Have fun and let me know if you have any other questions!! xo