I’m not sure what I’m going to do with Luke when he’s a teenager. There are times when I swear he can eat more than me, and he’s barely three years old. I don’t promote snacking on demand, but this kid definitely needs snacks in between his meals.
Both Luke and Meghan’s favorite snacks, hands down, are bars. Larabars, granola bars, energy bars, whatever kind of bar it is, they usually love it. Both of them also have a crazy obsession with chocolate. I created these granola bars with those two things in mind.
Actually, there was one more thing on my mind when I created these granola bars: nutrition. I wanted to pack as much nutrition in the bar as I could. Even when you buy healthier, organic granola bars from the grocery store, they aren’t pack with much nutrition. The only ingredient with much nutrition in these Cascadian Farm Organic Chocolate Chip Granola Bar is rolled oats.
I’m not saying I never buy those kinds of bars. I do. But as much as possible, I try to make healthy, homemade granola bars like these that pack in some real nutrients. Snacks shouldn’t be empty calories that just fill our bellies. We can feed our kids snacks that actually help their growth and development, too.
Even the sweetener in these (maple syrup) packs in some nutrition. Let’s take a quick look at the ingredients and what they offer:
Rolled oats:
Help lower cholesterol, good source of fiber, zinc (for strong immune system), copper (for antioxidant protection and energy), magnesium (for strong bones and energy) and manganese (good for bones, skin, protection against free radicals, and helps control blood sugar).
Almonds:
High in vitamin E (for a strong immune system and to neutralize free radicals), biotin (helps control blood sugar), vitamin B2 (for antioxidant protection and energy), and phosphorus (for bone support and promotes healthy cell function).
Cashews:
High in copper, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc (for a strong immune system and hair, skin, and nails).
Sunflower Seeds:
Great source of vitamin E, selenium (for a strong immune system and offers cancer protection), and magnesium.
Pepitas:
Good source of iron, zinc, and full of antioxidants (for disease prevention).
Dates:
Good source of iron (for healthy cell function and energy), calcium (for strong bones and teeth, muscle function, and brain messages), and even have a small amount of vitamin C (for the growth and repair of tissues and immune support).
Maple Syrup:
Provides calcium, iron, zinc, and manganese.
Cocoa Powder:
Has antioxidants (for disease prevention), iron, potassium (for proper functioning brain, heart, and nerves), zinc, and calcium.
Coconut Oil:
Provides fat (essential for brain development).
Pumpkin:
Good source of vitamin E, Vitamin B6 (necessary for key metabolic processes), folate (for production of red blood cells), Vitamin A (for bone growth and immune health), and Vitamin C.
Will you look at that! Every single ingredient in these healthy homemade granola bars offers a nutrient our bodies (and especially our kids’ growing bodies!) need. Every. Single. Ingredient. That is the kind of snack I want my kids grabbing when they are hungry.
While they have a few more ingredients (for a better variety of nutrients!) than some of my other granola bars (like these super popular 4-Ingredient Granola Bars), this is still an easy snack recipe. I use my food processor
(<—that is an affiliate link. You will support my bloggity blog if you purchase a food processor through this link. Bonus! They are on sale right now!) to easily chop up all the ingredients. Then you press it into the pan and bake them for 20 minutes. Really easy!
I hope you give these nutrient-dense granola bars a try! You might also love my No Bake Granola Bars recipe!
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Chocolate Oatmeal Granola Bars
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 bars 1x
Description
These homemade Chocolate Oatmeal Granola Bars taste a little like a no-bake cookie, but they are super healthy! They make a great after school snack and this is an easy snack recipe!
Ingredients
1 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup maple syrup
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a food processor, process the dates, almonds, and cashews until they are well chopped. Do not over process. They should not be totally sticky like Larabar-type bars. Add the sunflower seeds, pepitas, and cocoa powder and process until the cocoa powder is incorporated and the seeds are chopped. Again, don’t over process. Remove the blade and stir in the remaining ingredients. Stir until everything is well combined.
In an 8X8 inch pan that has been lined with parchment paper, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Use a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon to press the mixture firmly into the pan. Add another piece of parchment paper and press very firmly with your hands (or use a large can of food) until the mixture is very flat and compact. Remove the top layer of parchment paper (save for after baking) and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Put the saved piece of parchment paper back on top of the mixture and press it down firmly one more time. Allow to cool completely in the fridge before cutting into bars, at least 1-2 hours or overnight. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Snacks
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 246
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 21.7mg
- Fat: 14.7g
- Carbohydrates: 27.3g
- Protein: 5.3g
I love these! If I make a big batch can some of them be frozen? Thanks x
Yes, definitely. 🙂
I was wondering if I could use carob chips instead of cocoa? Can’t wait to make they look so Yummy
Yes, I think that would work! The base wouldn’t be chocolate, but I think it would still be delicious. (I’m assuming you meant carob chips and not carob powder–if you meant carob powder, that would work, too. The flavor would just be slightly different than with the cocoa powder.)
My three boys love granola bars. I love the idea of making granola bars at home using all healthy ingredients. I made these today. I must have rolled them out too thin and/or needed fresher dates because the bars came out crumbly and dry. Any suggestions? Would adding more pumpkin puree or honey add moisture?
If your dates were older and dry, that could have caused a problem. Yes, adding more pumpkin and/or honey would help. Did you allow them to cool in the fridge for at least an hour before cutting them? That could cause them to be more crumbly than they should be. I’ve made these several times and have never had this issue so I’d really love to help you troubleshoot what happened! I’m sorry these didn’t work out for you.
can i substitute raw cacao powder for cocoa powder?
I don’t see why not!
Looks yummy! Beautiful photos as well
Thank you so much, Pristine. 🙂
AH-mazing! I just bookmarked this!
Thank you so much!
These look like such a fabulous version of those Cascadian Farms granola bars! I love the pumpkin puree in there, too. Pinned!
I really tried to squeeze in all the nutrition I could! 🙂
Yum! Do you think unsweetened apple sauce would work instead of pumpkin?
I do think apple sauce would work! I think banana would probably work, too. I know opening up a can of pumpkin for 1/4 can be a pain!
I’m with ya! Homemade bars are the best! These look wonderful & I’ll be making them soon!
Thanks, Marla! I hope you love these.
These sound delicious! They have all my favorite nuts and cocoa powder too. Yum! Pinned!
Thanks, Megan!
Oh those look so good and even easy to make. My oldest loves those bars and this would be perfect!
These sound good, and like a healthy snack to help with our healthy eating resolution in my house!
Definitely! I hope you give these a try! 🙂
They look delicious! I’m sure my husband would really enjoy these bars.
Mine definitely does!