No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars (Just 5 Real Ingredients)

BySamantha Skaggs February 27, 2024

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Chewy Granola Bars are easy to make, no-bake, and can be whipped up in a matter of minutes with just FIVE real ingredients including wholesome oats, your favorite type of nut butter, superfood coconut oil, and honey as a natural sweetener!

Do y'all like Chewy Granola Bars? Because we are big fans at my house. Not only are they universally enjoyed around here, but they also win this mama's approval as a ready-to-go, or on-the-go, breakfast or snack.

Unfortunately, store-bought granola bars can contain some questionable, processed ingredients. And while there are all-natural options out there, they tend to be fairly expensive. So what's a granola bar-lovin' family to do?

Well...have you ever tried making your own Chewy Granola Bar recipe? Doing so not only allows you to control the ingredients, but you can also make a whole slew of them far more economically than buying a small box of the organic ones.

No-Bake Granola Bars

Many granola bar recipes call for a stint in the oven, and while delicious, the results can be more on the crunchy side than the chewy.

That's all good and well, but if you prefer a chewy granola bar experience instead, I've got you covered! And there happens to be a secret ingredient that allows these Chewy Granola Bars to solidify once cool without needing to bake them...

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars close-up on board.

The Magic of Coconut Oil

The ingredient that gives this Chewy Granola Bar recipe such a great texture without the need to bake is -- you guessed it -- coconut oil!

Coconut oil is solid up to 76°F, so it melts as you mix up these Chewy Granola Bars and then solidifies again once you pop them into the fridge. Mixed with the oats and nut butter and honey, it creates an all-natural, soft and chewy texture that rivals any store-bought granola bar (whose chewy texture is likely attributable to artificial ingredients). 😉

Stack of chewy chocolate chip granola bars.

Ingredients

These Chewy Granola Bars only require a few basic ingredients, and I've already mentioned most of them!

But keep reading for a few ingredient notes...and remember that you can totally customize this recipe to make it your own!

Labeled ingredients to make Chewy Granola Bars.

Nut butter. Creamy or crunchy, the variety is up to you! Peanut butter is the obvious go-to choice, but feel free to substitute almond butter, cashew butter, or -- for a nut-free version -- sunflower seed butter. I always used sunflower seed butter until my little ones were old enough to try peanut butter. Sometimes I still use it...but more often than not these days, I use an unsweetened, natural creamy peanut butter when I make this recipe.
Honey. Acts as both an all-natural sweetener and a binder. You may slightly decrease the amount of honey, if you wish, particularly if your nut butter has added sugar. Maple syrup or agave syrup may also be substituted for the honey.
Coconut oil. Be sure to use the good ol' fashioned kind of coconut oil that solidifies when cool...no substitutions! The type of coconut oil that you can buy in perpetual liquid form will not work in this recipe.
Rolled oats. Necessary for texture...my opinion is that quick oats are too fine for homemade Chewy Granola Bars. However, if that's all you have on hand, you will need to decrease the amount used by a bit since quick oats absorb more liquid and you don't want to end up with dry granola bars.
Shredded coconut. I prefer using unsweetened shredded coconut, but sweetened will also work. Or if you don't care for the addition of coconut in this recipe, you can swap in a cup of chopped nuts, seeds, and/or dried fruit instead (or even just increase the rolled oats to make up for any omitted coconut).
Mini chocolate chips. Optional, but recommended, for Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars! While I like to sprinkle a few mini chocolate chips on top of my Chewy Granola Bar recipe, you can definitely leave them off. Or you can add more! 😉 When you sprinkle and gently press the chocolate chips on top of your slightly warm oat mixture, the bottoms of the chips will melt just enough to make them stick once chilled. Just be forewarned that if you decide to stir chocolate chips directly into your warm oat mixture before pressing it into the pan, your chocolate chips will melt, resulting in a brown-tinted, chocolate/nut butter granola bar. In no way is this a bad thing...but I just thought I should warn you.

How to Make Chewy Granola Bars

(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)

It takes only a few minutes to whip up this Chewy Granola Bar recipe! Just remember to allow for a couple hours of chilling time before you get to enjoy them. 🙂

In a large pot set over medium heat, melt together your nut butter, honey, and coconut oil. Stir until smooth and remove from the stove.

Peanut butter, coconut oil, and honey in pot.

Liquid ingredients combined in pot for chewy granola bar recipe.

Stir in the rolled oats and the shredded coconut.

Combining all ingredients for chewy granola bar recipe.

Pour the mixture into a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and spread into an even layer.
Sprinkle evenly with mini chocolate chips (if using), and gently press them down with the back of a spatula or clean hands.

Chewy granola bar recipe pressed into dish.

Refrigerate until firm.
Slice and remove from the pan. You can either cut 3 rows of 4 bars each for a dozen granola bars, or cut into larger squares as pictured here.

Chewy Granola Bars stacked on wooden board.

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container with wax paper separating the layers. Alternatively, you may individually wrap your granola bars in plastic wrap.

Storage

Since coconut oil does become soft and melt in warmer temperatures, I recommend storing these Chewy Granola Bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator...unless it's winter and your house happens to be particularly cold, in which case these granola bars will be just fine sitting out on the counter.

The good news is that they are totally tasty cold, but if you prefer, you can certainly let your granola bar come to room temperature for a few minutes before enjoying it.

Just don't toss one of these into your purse on a hot summer day and expect it to remain solid. You'll end up with a melty, albeit delicious, mess. 😉

So seriously, friends...if you love Chewy Granola Bars, this is a must-make recipe!

After all, how can you beat a yummy, convenient snack or breakfast-on-the-go that's chock full of wholesome, natural ingredients, takes mere minutes to whip up, and only dirties one pot and a measuring cup?

I call that a win, win, win, win, WIN!

Chewy Granola Bars with oats sprinkled around.

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