- Can I use coconut oil instead of butter?
- Can I use agave nectar instead of honey?
I decided to take each substitution one at a time so I could properly evaluate how each substitution either failed or succeeded. First, I used the agave nectar in place of the honey and was shocked to discover that I actually preferred them made with the agave over the honey. The honey gave the bars a strong honey flavor (duh) but the agave was much more neutral and didn’t interfere with the mix-ins. Success!
Next, the scarier substitution: the coconut oil for the butter. I’ve never made a caramel sauce with anything besides butter and knew it would take some trial and error. I had three batches that turned out not so great (greasy and rock hard), but finally found the method that left no difference in texture and chewiness. Success!
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A healthier no bake chewy granola bar recipe using coconut oil instead of butter and agave nectar instead of honey! A kid friendly recipe for school lunches and after school snacks
Ingredients
- 2 cups quick cooking oats (or pulse whole oats in a food processor a bit)
- 1 C rice crispy cereal
- 1/4 C shredded coconut
- 3Tb + 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1/4 C agave nectar
- 1/2 C brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oats, cereal and coconut. Set a small saucepan over medium high heat and melt the coconut oil. Add the agave, brown sugar and salt. Stir together then leave it alone as it comes to a boil. Once the boil has reached all the way around the edges of the pan, begin timing. Allow this mixture to boil for 1 minute and 30 seconds. During this time, you may need to turn the heat down a bit so it doesn’t overflow, but be sure it keeps boiling gently. Watch your time closely or you will end up with hard bars instead of chewy!
2. Add the vanilla then pour the mixture over the oats, using a rubber spatula to get all the sugar mixture out of the pan. Mix the ingredients together until the oats are completely coated. Add in your desired mix-in then press very firmly into a lightly greased 9×13″ pan. If you like your bars thicker, you can use a smaller pan or double the recipe and use the same 9×13 pan. If you do not press firmly enough, the bars will fall apart when you eat them. Place them in the fridge for 20 minutes then cut to size.
Notes
Mix In Variations
Chocolate Chip
Add 1/2 C of mini chocolate chips to the finished mixture before pressing into the pan, allowing it cool just a bit or you will end up with melted chips. Sprinkle on a few extra chips over the top after they are pressed into the pan.
White Chocolate Cranberry
Add 1/3 C of white chocolate chips and 1/3 C of Craisins to the finished mixture before pressing into the pan, allowing it to cool just a bit first or you will end up with melted chips.
Candy Bar
Add 1/3 C of Heath bar pieces, 1/3 C of mini M&M’s and 1/3 C of chopped pretzels to the finished mixture before pressing into the pan.
Peanut Butter
Add 2 Tb of peanut butter to the finished sugar mixture before pouring it over the oats. Once mixed with the oats, add 1/2 C peanut butter chips before pressing into the pan.
Raisin Nut
Add 1/3 C of chopped raisins and 1/3 C of chopped pecans to the finished mixture before pressing into the pan.
To make these healthier, revised No Bake Chewy Granola Bars, follow these changes to the original recipe found here.
- Substitute agave nectar for the honey. No changes in the amount.
- Substitute coconut oil for the butter, but reduce the amount to 3 Tb + 1 tsp of coconut oil. If you use the full 1/4 C of coconut oil, your end result will be greasy.
- Watch your boiling time carefully and reduce it to exactly 1 minute and 30 seconds. You are timing from the moment bubbles cover the whole surface of the syrup in your pan. If you go longer, your bars will turn out hard.
Yum, yum, yum! Can’t wait to try these!!!
5Tbsp +1 tsp of coconut oil is more than 1/4 cup, so I’m confused by the amount.
It’s says 3tbsp +1tsp
Yep Jen. That is the measurement that you need to use. 3 tablespoons as well as 1 tsp of coconut oil
Thank you for pointing out my error! That was supposed to be 3 Tb + 1 tsp. I have made the correction.
Great! Thanks for the clear up 🙂 can’t wait to make these!!
Hi there, Carole, I’m hoping to feature your granola bars on my fledgling blog and wanted to get your permission to share a link to your post. I’m fairly new at this, so if you have any preferences or would rather I not publish your recipe on my blog (with credit to you) please let me know! My blog is http://www.happyisaverb.blogspot.com
Thank you for your AMAZING recipe! My kids love it!
Hi there again, Carole! Thank you for letting me post and link back to your granola bar recipe! I’ve tried out a few other add ins (blueberry and smores) and it turns out they are amazing no matter what you put in them!!
Thank you, here is the link:
http://happyisaverb.blogspot.com/2014/04/monster-mash-granola-bars.html
I just made them and they’re sooo good. i made the white chocolate cranberry and had to give half away because i was going to eat them all if i didn’t. i did find them a little sweet, but a.) i couldn’t stop eating them and b.) i made another batch 5 hours later adding mixed nuts and PB. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
I’m so glad you loved them! I make them once a week for my kids lunches and I also have a hard time leaving them alone 🙂
As far as the honey is concerned. I’d rather not use Agave as it is being found to be NOT as good for you as they used to claim. I’d prefer to trying a simple syrup solution with Stevia. Is it possible to create one that would work just as well? If not I’ll just use honey. Though it may give a strong homey taste, I’d rather deal that for the excellent health benefits it has.
Shanna- sounds like a good idea with the simple syrup but I’ve never used that before so I can’t tell you how they would turn out. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
Hi Carole, I just made this version of the granola bars and I added dried cranberries, almonds, cashews, and pumpkin seeds. They look sooooo good. Unfortunately, they’re really soft and crumbly. I made sure to follow the recipe exactly and really push the mixture into the pans. Do you have any idea what I did wrong or what I could do to harden them up? Thank you 🙂
It sounds like you need a little more time to boil your sugar mixture. Go up by 30 seconds and see if that solves your problem! -Carole
Hi carole, this looks great, i tried the peanut butter one a few times before seeing your recipe,it came out nice but when i used cheerios,it didnt form quite well,do you think ts because i didnt use parchment paper,i oiled a glass baking dish. both were non bake recipes, I chilled them in the refridgerator.could it be better to bake?
I would not bake them Ronke or they will become rock hard. I have never mase them with Cheerios so that might be your problem
Sooooooooo good! Two questions-how do u store them and what did I do wrong if I couldn’t fill my 9×13 pan? Oh and do you have any nutrition facts?my hubby said oh coconut oil is not good for you. Oh sorry one more- any idea the cost per granola bar? Thank you for this super yummy recipe.i too had to hide them BC I wanted to eat them all!
Thanks Bethany! You probably just made them a bit thicker, but that isn’t a problem. Coconut oil is much healthier than butter which is why I created this healthier recipe compared to my original. As far as cost, that is completely dependent on where you shop so you will have to do the math on that one. Thanks for your great questions
Also, I store them either in an airtight container or wrap them individually in plastic wrap for lunches.
Have not baught store gronala bars in two months now!still need to do the cost calculation though.my tummy isn’t tolerating the oats now.any thoughts on a sub for the oats? I tried half cereal half oats and they worked out, but still too much oats for my tummy. I also want to put in a plug for how you can totally mess up and they still come out ok.i used 1/2 cup agave and honey by accident then a whole tablespoon of salt and forgot the brown sugar (not a good cooking day for me)! But I boiled and boiled and boiled and they still turned out. To make them not crumbly I press them with my fist in the pan for about a minute or until my tricep fatigues! Have never had crumbly ones.
I have the same tummy troubles with grains Bethany so I know your struggles! Thanks for sharing your experiences with my recipe
Would this recipe work the same with Splenda instead of sugar? I’m trying to eat as healthy as possible and am new to using Splenda. Thanks!
Melissa- it would not work the same using Splenda, unfortunately. At the top of the post, there is a link to my healthier version using agave nectar and coconut oil.
Thank you for this recipe 🙂 !
I mixed something up during the boiling process and changed cereals… but like someone previously said, this recipe is very forgiving! Still tastes great!
That is awesome that it still worked out for you Anon!
Hi Carole, since we put into the fridge for 20 mins to allows it to be hardened, can we stored it in air tight container subsequent after taking them out from the fridge? As I am staying in tropical country which is hot and humid, so am worry it will turn bad. Need your advice. Thanks.
Hi Kat! Thanks for your question. To keep them for a longer time, I will wrap each bar in plastic wrap and store them in n airtight container. Keeps for a week!
These look so yummy!! Could you freeze these??
I have a friend who does freeze them for her kids lunches Trish!