You are going to want to pin and print this recipe because your kids are going to LOVE it and will ask for more. Trust me. This recipe is a winner.
Recipes like this one are the type of treats and snacks that the subscribers to our weekly school lunch menus get to try out before anyone else. Let’s face it. EVERYONE could use a little help in the lunch-packing department.
Lucky for you, school lunches and kids’ food is all I do. Finding ways to make food healthier and “out of the box” is one of the reasons I started MOMables. Whether you’ve been a paid subscriber, our blog reader for a while, or you stumbled upon this recipe—welcome!
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Okay, okay. Back to the recipe. I love oats and raisins. My kids love those chewy bars with the oat man on them, but I don’t like buying them. We finally came to a happy place when, after hundreds of tries, I nailed this recipe. Goodbye box, hello homemade.
I love this recipe because it’s also no-bake! You read it correctly. It’s a no-bake recipe! Woohooo!!! I hope this recipe is as much of a success at your house as it is in mine.
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Granola Bars – MOMables.com
Yields 12 “bars.” After cutting the bars, store in an airtight container or zip bags for up to 1 week.
- Yield: 12 1x
- Cuisine: Snacks
Ingredients
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2–3 heaping tablespoons California raisins
- ¼ cup butter or coconut oil
- ¼ cup brown rice syrup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Line an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan or glass baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix the oats, rice cereal, salt, and raisins. Set aside.
- In a small pot, melt the butter, brown rice syrup, and brown sugar. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat, and cook for 4 minutes on medium-low, but make sure the mixture continues to minimally bubble. Stir often. After 4 minutes, turn off the heat, and add the vanilla. Stir to combine.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture. Mix well to combine all ingredients.
- Dump evenly coated mixture into the lined baking dish. Cover with parchment paper, and press down with your hands until the mix is well packed. Just when you think you’ve pressed down enough, press again.
- Allow the pan to cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
- Lift the parchment paper out onto a cutting board, and slice into 12 bars.
Sara Bye
So delicious! I didn’t work quick enough to mix the syrup with the dry ingredients so they were a little more crumbly than I would have liked, but that is my fault to make them while getting children ready for school. To remedy I made a little extra syrup, mixed and then tossed in the microwave for 30 seconds before pressing down into bars. Also, I wanted to up the nutritional content so I added 3 TBS of chia seeds and a half handful of pumpkin seeds. Also, to that second set of batch I used Date Syrup instead of more brown sugar. Not sure if I totally replaced the brown sugar with date syrup what would happen. Thoughts?
★★★★
MOMables-Laura
Hi Sara, I’m not 100% certain what would happen if you replaced the brown sugar entirely. They might be a little more soft, but if you keep them refrigerated it shouldn’t be a problem.
Shari
These are so delicious and addicting! I had never tried brown rice syrup before and now I want to experiment with it more! Thanks so much for sharing the great recipe!
★★★★★
Dee
Making an adult version adding 2 tablespoon each of peanut butter and protein powder…how much more rice syrup to bind?
Thanks! These are great!
MOMables-Laura
An additional tablespoon should work!
Katie
Wow! After trying many recipes, I’m so glad I came across this one! So good! I made them for my girls, but I think my husband and I ended up eating most of them…oops. Time to make more!
★★★★★
MOMables
I am so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for following me :)
Katie
I tried making these tonight but I got confused on the Ingredient list. Do I add brown rice syrup, honey, and brown sugar with the coconut oil or just some of them? Please advise. Thanks!
MOMables
Katie, In a pan, you melt the binders (butter, brown rice syrup, brown sugar). then you add vanilla. when that mixture is done, you pour it into dry ingredients. all wet together, all dry together then mix.
Michelle
What else can I use besides the rice syrup, someone said Karo syrup? I just do not have the money to invest in the syrup 15.00 here to buy it.
MOMables
You could use Karo syrup, though it isn’t the healthier, but I understand not wanting to spend the money on brown rice syrup! You may also have success with honey.
Jack
I am a newly-diagnosed diabetic, and am avoiding sugar and flour. Is there any way to adjust this recipe to suit my needs? Thanks!!!
MOMables
unfortunately not. the rice syrup is what holds it together. sorry!
kyrielslight
would the stevia syrup work in its place? I know my diabetic neighbor uses hers in place of honey as a sweetener in some recipes.
MOMables
Yes that should work!
M
They are super good, but some of my dry mixture didn’t get coated and so they are really crumbly. And a bunch of dry oats/krispies. Any advice? Kind of the same thing that happened to the other poster.
MOMables
an even coating is key. pressing down firmly is essential, and allowing them to fully dry is the hardest part. Add an extra tablespoon of brown rice syrup next time.
Amanda
Tried them today and they are tasty. It can be difficult to find snacks that are nut, dairy, wheat free that non allergy kids will enjoy. This one is going to school for snack tomorrow. Thank you!
Lucy Windevoxhel
HI!
I just made these and the texture came out perfect!! They did not break apart at all. I would like to make them a tad less sweet and maybe add some nuts/ nut butter for protein but I’m afraid it would alter the texture. Have you tried any alterations yet? What would you recommend?
MOMables
Lucy, it’s hard to cut the sugar since the sugars is the liquid that holds and binds the recipe. believe me, i’ve tried a hundred ways. consider them a treat.
Kimberly R
How long can you store them for and would freezing extend their life?
MOMables
these store in an airtight container or zip bag for about a week. freezing them will make them soggy.
Sarah
Is there a substitute for brown rice syrup that will still hold the granola bars together? Besides corn syrup. :)
MOMables
besides corn syrup or marshmallows… no. Once you use brown rice syrup… you’ll never use corn syrup again lol
Maria
I’ve never used brown rice syrup. Is it unrefined? I tend to only use honey and maple syrup for that reason. Also, can you replace the brown sugar for sucanat?
MOMables
Hi Maria! Brown rice syrup is made of brown rice starches. It’s “refined” in the sense that it has to be spun and filtered to get that consistency. It’s one of the best sweeteners though and it’s often preferred above agave and refined honey. you can absolutely substitute sucanat for the sugar. I do that all the time (most people don’t know what it is so we just write “sugar”).
Sarah
I’ve been looking for a granola bar recipe that doesn’t fall apart – but do you think I could swap in chocolate chips for the raisins? My kids despise raisins :(. I know they’ll probably get melty but wouldn’t they harden up (at least somewhat) when they cooled?
MOMables
Sarah, yes you can swap out chocolate chips for raisins… but wait until the mixture has cooled off some, otherwise they will melt in the bar.
Nicole
Is there something I can use instead of brown rice syrup (maybe more honey or maple syrup)? Thanks
MOMables
no. the brown rice syrup holds it together. if you substitute honey they break apart. :(
Jackie
Hi, Laura! I attempted to make these yesterday, but I did something wrong. I poured the syrup into the oats/rice cereal as fast as I could, but it hardened and clumped before I could mix evenly. Do you think I cooked the syrup on too high of a heat? Or maybe too long? It looked like butterscotch pudding when I was done (the color, not the consistency).
Thanks!
Sarah
I will be giving this one a try! Looks fantastic!
Claude Campeau
I really want to try this. I’ve never heard of brown rice syrup before, I hope I can find it around here!
Laura
Claude, you’ll be able to find brown rice syrup at most health grocery stores (such as Whole foods) and on Amazon.
Marishannon
I see brown sugar in the instructions but not in the ingredient list. Am I overlooking it?
Laura
my apologies, the “and” should have said “or” -honey “or” brown sugar. fixed!