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Oh, you guys. It has been snowing. And snowing.
And then snowing some more.
Really, we got a lot of snow. And to think two days ago I thought maybe spring might come a little earlier up here in the mountains.
Yeah, right. Those days of awesome sunshine and 30 degrees temps were short. Too short.
My die hard snowboarder brothers are pretty happy. Apparently, it was a major pow, pow day (Pow, pow is a lot of snow. I asked, they rolled their eyes.).
Ah, welcome to my life. Snowboard talk 24/7. Most the time I have no idea what everyone is talking about. I am in my own world thinking about Flourless Chocolate Cakes, Spring Pasta and those cute as can be Easter straws I got at Target thanks to Jessica.
So I tuned out the snowboard talk and day dreamed about Florida and palm trees and 80 degree weather. All while I stood by the heater (that is duct taped together, because the neck broke in half, jimmy rigged I think my dad calls it) that never leaves my side (never) and made granola bars.
Copy cat Nature Valley Oats ‘n Honey bars. They are the real deal.
My family loves these bars and I wanted to see if I could replicate them.
Mission accomplished! Oh, and they are SO easy. Like you need nine simple ingredients that you probably have on hand right now, five minutes of prep time and a little love from the oven. Then your golden! Literally they come out all golden and your kitchen will smell AMAZING. The smell alone is reason enough to make these.
Seriously, they are healthy, easy and in my opinion way better than the store-bought! Make yum today and eat them as a snack all week long!
Just Like Nature Valley’s Oats ‘n Honeys Bars…..Actually they
Servings: 6 bars
Calories Per Serving: 243 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup rolled oats use gluten free oats for a gluten free version
- 1/2 cup rice crispies cereal
- 3 tablespoons cornmeal
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or I like to sometimes use coconut oil
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 9x9 inch square pyrex dish with parchment paper.
- Combine the oats, rice crispies, cornmeal, salt and baking soda in a medium size mixing bowl. In a glass measuring cup or microwave safe bowl mix the honey and canola (or coconut oil). Place in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir to melt the coconut butter then add the vanilla and brown sugar. Whisk to combine and then mix the wet with the dry ingredients. Transfer the oat mixture to the prepared pyrex dish that is lined with parchment paper, and press down hard. I used the back of a measuring cup (spray or oil the bottom so it does not stick and press hard!) and it worked awesome!
- Place in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The bars will be golden on top. Remove the bars (if your bars seem a little loose, I like to push down again on them to make sure the bars will hold together) and let the bars cool in the pan for 10-20 minutes then remove from the pan and then cut while the bars are firm, but still somewhat soft. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in a sealed container or wrapped in plastic wrap.
Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie
Maybe the spring forward will bring some spring weather. Hey, I can hope. Right?
Shared with: Inside BruCru Life, Lil Luna, Chef In Training, Buns In my Oven, Foodie Friday Friends, Tidy Mom, Taste and Tell, Cheerios and Lattes, Somewhat Simple, Mom on Timeout, I Heart Nap Time, Fine Craft Guide, The Country Cook, Whipperberry, Chef In Training
These were sooo good! I never post reviews but had to for these. So easy and loved by all 4 kids! I followed recipe exactly and was sure to press them down a few times with the back of the measuring cup as directed and we had no problem with them falling apart. A winner- will make again for sure!
Hey Katelin,
Happy Sunday!!💕 Thanks so much for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback, so glad it was a hit! xx
Guessing these didn’t ‘stick’ together because I tried to use agave rather than honey? It’s sooooo good though- just going to use as granola until I can try again. Thx!!
Hey Lisa,
Amazing!! Love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for making it and your comment! Sorry they didn’t stick together for you! xx
Hi Tieghan! Great recipe! I was wondering why brown sugar is called for in this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Rose,
I used the brown sugar as a sweetener for this recipe. Thanks for giving it a try! xT
Hi, I’ve tried to make these twice from one of your cookbooks and both times they have crumbled. Any tips? They smell amazing and taste great though!
Hi Macy,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, so sorry to hear you are having issues! Is there anything you are adjusting in the recipe? What kind of pan are you baking them on? A would love to help with a little more info! xx
I made these to the exact measure of each ingredient- yet they fell apart- The ones on the ends stuck together the best- could use as a granola but not that great of a granola- they did smell wonderful and I was hopeful…but felt like a poor use of time:(
Hi Deb,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback. Sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Sounds like you just needed to add some more honey or press them harder into the pan. xx
could you add protein powder to these? to make them protein bars?
Hi Natalie,
I’ve never tried that with this recipe, but you could certainly try it out! Let me know how the recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xx
Hi!! I made the version of these from your cookbook. While they taste incredible, they fell apart. Do you have advice for my next attempt? My husband is currently eating them out of a bowl and is very happy. We were not disappointed.
Hey Christine,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! Was there anything you adjusted? These are definitely on the crumbly side. Next time, you could try adding more honey and coconut oil to help them together. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Hello, I have a question, if I wanted to use this recipe to make loose granola and bars how would I modify it? just not pack it down during the baking process and toss it part way through? While I love granola bars I also like to put it on top of yogurt. Thanks!
Hey Michaela,
I haven’t tried this, but it sounds like that would work well for you. Here are some other granola recipes you might enjoy:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/brown-butter-pecan-maple-quinoa-autumn-harvest-granola/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/chewy-chocolate-chip-cookie-granola/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/brown-butter-pumpkin-seed-espresso-glazed-big-cluster-granola/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Do you think I could triple this recipe without modifications? (I want to make it for my boys swim meet!!)
Hey Morgan,
Yes, that will work just fine for you! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
soo. good!!!!
Hey Kelly,
Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
Question on the corn meal. What purpose does is serve? I’m allergic – so I’m hoping it’s not structural. Thoughts on a replacement or substitute ? Wondering if I could use almond flour or maybe semolina?
Hey Sarah! I would try almond flour. I think that will work really nicely in place of the cornmeal. Hope you love the bars and please let me know if you have any other questions! xxTieghan
My boyfriend is begging me to make these but I am a bit confused about one part..
In the instructions, it states “Stir to melt the coconut butter then add the vanilla and brown sugar.” but I do not see coconut butter in the ingredients list. I know you mention being able to substitute for coconut oil, but for an amateur baker like myself, does this basically mean the canola oil and honey mixture?
Thank you!
Hey Kelly,
Sorry for any confusion, I meant to say the canola oil or coconut oil, whichever you are using. You just want to make sure it is melted. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Loved them! Made them yesterday and they are delicious! First 10min high temperature but last 10min lowered the oven. They are incredible! Added 1 scoop of whey protein. I recommend and will do them again! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Hey Sara,
Awesome! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
I haven’t made these, yet. I noticed that one bar of your recipe has almost as many calories as 2 bars of Nature Valley. Are your bars bigger? Thanks!
Hey Dawn,
They are thicker than one bar. I hope this helps! xTieghan