Homemade Fruit & Chocolate Granola Bars for Breakfast on the Go

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Have you ever noticed that store-bought granola bars frequently fail to impress?

I know this might sound a little snobby, but I expect more out of my granola bars. I want them to be chewy and flavorful, with tons of texture.

Vertical oblique overhead shot of homemade granola bars, some on small slips of white parchment and other wrapped in paper and tied in string, on a dark brown wood surface with chocolate chips and uncooked oats strewn across it, printed with orange and white text.

Whenever I pick up a box at the store, they always seem to offer too much of something.

Maybe they are too thin and crunchy. Some are too soft, and fall apart the moment you take them out of the package. Others are too sweet, and then there are the ones that are not sweet enough.

Honestly, I never really thought about making them from scratch at home, until a friend made them for me on the day we moved into our new house.

Overhead vertical shot of homemade granola bars, on rectangles of roughly cut white parchment paper or tied with parchment and white cooking string, on a dark brown wood surface with a piece of string and scattered uncooked oats.

As usual, I was stressed out of my mind trying to pack up last minute items, supervise the movers, and organize the general chaos that comes with any move.

Of course that meant I completely forgot about eating breakfast. Generally, I am better about putting on a hostess hat, so I was ever-so-thankful that someone else thought to provide breakfast and snacks for everyone who was helping out.

Her granola bars were everything. They were filled with different textures and flavors, not to mention just the right balance of sweet and salty.

Vertical shot of granola bars, on pieces of parchment and wrapped in paper with string tied around htem, on a dark brown wood table with uncooked oats and dark chocolate chips strewn across it.

The bars were gone in mere minutes, and I immediately requested that she make me a second batch – so I could dissect them for myself when I wasn’t freaking out about the movers breaking all my fragile dishware…

The fact that she made them at home inspired me to create my own homemade version that I would never get sick of.

Enter: this incredible recipe.

Vertical image of a stack of four homemade granola bars wrapped in paper and tied with string, on a dark brown wood surface with more bars on rectangular pieces of parchment paper, with scattered oats and chocolate chips.

Gooey and slightly sticky, filled with sweetness from the honey, crunchiness from the almonds, and heartiness from the oats, these bars make a killer quick breakfast, a scrumptious afternoon snack, or something enjoyable to nibble on before bed.

Granola bars shouldn’t simply be made out of oats. There should be layers of textures and flavors built up within each satisfying square, or rectangle, or whatever shape you choose to portion them.

Overhead vertical shot of rectangular homemade granola bars on pieces of parchment paper, with a short stack in the middle of bars wrapped in paper and tied with white cooking string, on a dark brown wood table with scattered uncooked oats.

I love the combination of crunchy, soft, and gooey in every single bite. All of the different ingredients really make an impact on the flavor of the bars.

One of my favorite aspects of this particular recipe is that the oats, almonds, and coconut (yes, there’s coconut too!) are toasted before being baked up with all of the other ingredients. Toasting gives the nuttiness of these ingredients an extra boost that really complements the other flavorful elements.

Vertical overhead shot of a homemade granola bar on a white slip of parchment paper, on a dark brown wood surface with scattered chocolate chips and oats.

These are truly delightful in the morning as something you can snag on your way out the door, but they also make for the perfect protein-filled solution to tide you over between lunch and dinner.

You can even break them up into chunks and toss them into a bag with some fresh berries and a serving of plain, unsweetened yogurt for fun twist on the usual morning meal at your desk.

A hand with a manicured silver thumbnail holds a homemade granola bar studded with dried fruit up to the camera, with more in shallow focus in the background, resting on and wrapped in white parchment paper tied with string, on a dark brown wood surface with scattered uncooked oats and bittersweet chocolate chips.

It’s wonderful to have something so tasty on hand that’s homemade, because you know exactly what ingredients you put into them, without any unnecessary fillers or preservatives.

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Three stacked homemade granola bars stacked in the foreground with more in soft focus in the background, on pieces of crumpled white parchment paper, on a dark brown wood surface with scattered oats and chocolate chips.

Fruity Chocolate Granola Bars

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  • Author: Meghan Yager
  • Total Time: 3 hours
  • Yield: 12-16 servings 1x
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Description

Gooey, slightly sweet, and crunchy, homemade fruity chocolate chip granola bars kick the pants off any store bought version you’ve tried.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 cup loosely packed unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup dried currants
  • 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter an 8-by-12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.
  2. Toss the oats, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
  3. Reduce oven temperature to 300˚F. Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
  4. Continue to cook while stirring constantly for 1 minute, then pour over the toasted oats mixture. Add the raisins, currants, and chocolate chips, and stir well.
  5. Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press evenly into the pan.
  6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 1 hour at room temperature in the pan.
  7. Transfer the pan to the refrigerator to cool for another 1-2 hours.
  8. Cut into squares in the pan and then remove, being sure to peel off any parchment paper that sticks to the bottom of the bars. Serve at room temperature.
  9. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

For a vegan version, substitute non-dairy margarine for the butter and agave syrup for the honey.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Granola
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Snacks

Keywords: granola bar, snack, breakfast, chocolate, fruit

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Measure All Ingredients

Measure out all ingredients as they are listed in the ingredients list. Make sure to set out the ingredients in the order they are listed to make the recipe easier to assemble.

Vertical oblique overhead shot of a small glass measuring pitcher of uncooked oats, eight small round glass bowls of coconut, almonds, honey, brown sugar, dried currants, chocolate chips, butter, and raisins, and two small square glass dishes of vanilla extract and salt.

Preheat your oven to 350˚F and butter an 8-by-12-inch baking dish. Line the bottom of the baking dish with parchment paper.

Avoiding allergens like dairy? Try our recipe for dairy-free and gluten-free granola bars!

Step 2 – Toast Oats, Almonds, and Coconut

Add the oats, almonds, and coconut to a rimmed baking sheet. Toss to combine, and spread in an even layer.

A large rimmed sheet pan of sliced almonds, shredded coconut, and uncooked oats, on a dark brown wood surface.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Closeup shot of toasted shredded coconut, oats, and slivered almonds, on a baking sheet topped with parchment paper.

Add the mixture to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

A stainless steel mixing bowl of oats, slivered almonds, and shredded coconut, on a dark brown wood surface.

Reduce oven temperature to 300˚F.

Step 3 – Make Granola Mixture

Add the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt to a small saucepan.

Melted and solid butter and brown sugar in a stainless steel bowl with a ring handle, on a dark brown wood surface.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.

A red rubber spatula stirs a mixture of dried fruit, chocolate chips, almonds, shredded toasted coconut, and oats in a stainless steel bowl, on a dark brown wood surface.

Continue to cook while stirring for 1 minute, then pour over the toasted oats mixture.

Closely cropped overhead shot of a red rubber spatula stirring a mixture of oats, dried fruit, and chocolate in a stainless steel bowl, on a dark brown wood surface.

Stir in the raisins, currants, and chocolate chips until well combined.

Step 4 – Bake

Add the granola mixture to the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture into the pan. It should be spread in an even layer, filling the corners.

Avoid spreading the mixture up the sides of the pan or creating a raised lump in the middle, to create bars that are all the same size.

Closeup of a baked mixture of oats, fruit, nuts, and chocolate in a metal baking pan, on a dark brown wood surface.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 1 hour at room temperature in the pan.

Transfer to the refrigerator and cool for another 1-2 hours. Cut into squares and serve at room temperature.

Can I Use Different Dried Fruits?

The beauty of these bars is that you can easily substitute out the dried raisins and currants for other types dried fruit however you desire.

A few tasty alternatives include dried cranberries or blueberries, and chopped dried cherries, dates, figs, apricots, or prunes.

Three stacked homemade granola bars stacked in the foreground with more in soft focus in the background, on pieces of crumpled white parchment paper, on a dark brown wood surface with scattered oats and chocolate chips.

You can even swap out the bittersweet chocolate chips for milk or white chocolate, or peanut butter chips if you would like.

If you enjoyed the softy and chewy textures from this recipe, you’ll love our peanut butter and jelly balls. Make them soon for another on-the-go snack or breakfast.

Looking for more quick granola recipes and oat sweet treats for your breakfast inspiration? Check out some of our favorites bar recipes:

Will you eat these granola bars for a quick breakfast or afternoon snack? Tell us in the comments below. And be sure to come back and give this recipe a five-star rating if you loved it!

Photos by Meghan Yager, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published by Shanna Mallon on November 25, 2009. Last updated: April 26, 2021 at 20:26 pm.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Meghan Yager

Meghan Yager is a food addict turned food and travel writer with a love for creating uncomplicated, gourmet recipes and devouring anything the world serves up. As the author of the food and travel blog Cake 'n Knife, Meghan focuses on unique foodie experiences from around the world to right at home in your own kitchen.

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5 thoughts on “Homemade Fruit & Chocolate Granola Bars for Breakfast on the Go”

  1. Mmm, those granola bars look like a must-make. I’ve tried a few granola bar recipes, and for some reason haven’t found one that I like (or that my darling husband will eat ha!)

    And I’ve always felt the same way about the big meals. My favorite part is snacking on everything afterwards, and the day after…okay, the whole weekend! This year we even started early, as my parents sent us a Honeybaked Ham on Tuesday – we just started eating it right away!

    Reply

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