18Jul2014 Coconut Oil Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars These yummy granola bars are made with healthy coconut oil, peanut butter, honey, oats, and chocolate chips! Ready for lunch boxes! My kids seriously INHALE granola bars. Please tell me I’m not alone! We have an amazing grocery outlet not far from our house and they usually sell boxes of granola bars and cereal bars for $1 – you KNOW I stock up on them when I’m there! But even at that cheap price, they last maybe two days at my house and worse than that, they have about a million ingredients that I can’t pronounce! Affordable over chemicals…. I hate to say it, but most times around here affordable wins! :/ I’m going to be honest with you – coconut oil isn’t the cheapest thing on the planet. I picked up a big jar of it at Walmart for $5.99, LouAna brand (affiliate link), and it has lasted a while. Actually I just looked at it’s cheaper to buy the large jar on Amazon, I’ll probably be doing that from now on! No, it doesn’t make everything taste like coconut! I’ll use it when I’m cooking something in the skillet that calls for oil, I just scoop a bit of it in the pan instead. You can go ahead and google the health benefits of coconut oil, I’ll just say there’s a lot! Finally, here’s a granola bar that I am excited for my kids to eat! Simple, whole food ingredients that I don’t mind them eating any time of the day. These are definitely chewy, and if you know anything about how coconut oil acts, it gets very soft when warmed. Cut them in smaller bars for smaller kids and keep them in the fridge – though I think they’d be fine in a lunchbox with an ice pack. Instead of chocolate chips, you could add raisins, nuts, pretty much anything you have on hand. Yum!! Coconut Oil Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars adapted from Red & Honey 2/3 cup coconut oil 2/3 cup peanut butter 2/3 cup honey 2 1/2 cups old fashioned/rolled oats 1 cup chocolate chips (or any other add-in you have on hand) Place coconut oil, peanut butter, and honey in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, or until coconut oil is liquid. Whisk together until smooth, and cool slightly (otherwise the chocolate chips will melt). In a large bowl, combine oats and chocolate chips. Pour cooled coconut oil mixture over oats and chocolate chips, and stir to coat well. Press into a 9 x 9 baking dish (or a large 9 x 13 baking dish for thinner bars) and refrigerate until firm and solid. Cut into bars, and store in the fridge. Honestly? I could eat the whole pan myself, haha! Here are some more of my favorite lunch box recipes: Back to School Whole Wheat Banana Muffins Smores Cookies Creamy Ranch Dip Don’t miss another Mostly Homemade Mom recipe! Click here to have recipes delivered by email. Or, you can follow along via Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, or Google+ – I’d love to connect with you! {linking up!}
Marjory @ Dinner-Mom says July 22, 2014 at 12:12 pm Love these! I'm making for my girls lunch box…and mine! Reply
preventionrd says July 22, 2014 at 1:04 pm LOVE that super short ingredient list! I'm all over these..granola bars never last long in my house, either and there's enough goodies in these that they'd pass for dessert, even š Reply
Relish The Scoop says July 22, 2014 at 1:49 pm My niece loves granola bars. I joke with her about how her granola bar consumption is eating us out of house and home…lol! Pinned this recipe just for her…okay, for me too! Reply
Mariah says July 24, 2014 at 4:24 am I just started using coconut oil and this recipe is definitely going on my list of things to try! Thanks for stopping by and sharing with us at The Creative Collection! Reply
Nicole T says July 26, 2014 at 4:22 am Just made these substituting the peanut butter for sunbutter (due to allergies). So delicious! I've missed granola bars (or known here as muesli bars) due to the peanut factor, but this easy recipe means they can be made at home with on hand ingredients. Reply
Lisa Sullivan says September 25, 2014 at 7:51 pm I would also love to know if these are freezable? I am going off processed foods in October so this would be perfect especially if I can freeze them and not have to make them as often. Also they are really really delicious! I made them with homemade peanut butter (just peanuts and oil) and I am pleasantly surprised that it is so tasty! š Reply