If you're looking for the perfect recipe for no-bake granola bars, you've come to the right place. These bars a crispy, sweet, and oh-so-good.

This easy granola bar recipe is great make to make ahead. Wrap them up and they make a quick breakfast for those mornings on the go.

They're great for an after-school snack, or to pop in your child's lunch box.

These chewy bars are so much better than the dry store-bought granola bars. You'll never go back!

Love granola bars? Then you probably love granola too. I've got an amazing chewy granola you can make in the crockpot!

HOMEMADE NO-BAKE GRANOLA BAR RECIPE

Note: 4-8-24 This post has been updated to include some in-process photos and more detailed instructions. The pictures show a variety of bars with different add-ins I've made over the years.

I recently saw some amazing looking homemade granola bars. The problem was they had peanut butter in them. My oldest is allergic to peanuts.

So after looking through a few recipes, I came up with my own version. And I must say it's delicious. My kids just gobble them up. You can whip them together in no time, too.

I love the extra crunch the rice krispies bring to it. And I love how you can add just about anything to it, depending on your mood.

The first time I made the Cherry Almond granola bars. They were so good, I loved the chewy cherries and crunchy almonds.

Then my kids requested chocolate chip granola bars.

I was hesitant to try the chocolate chips with it. You see, several years ago, I tried granola bars (a different, but similar recipe) and the chocolate melted right into everything and we basically had chocolate bars.

They were still good, but I didn't want them to turn out that way this time.

So what did I do?

Put the chocolate chips and the marshmallows into the freezer for an hour before making the granola bars.

Why had I never thought of that before? You will have to work quickly because they will still melt. But it gives you just enough extra time to get them mixed in.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE CHEWY NO BAKE GRANOLA BARS

Here's a list of the basic ingredients needed for homemade granola bars.

quick oats
dry cereal (rice krispies, honey bunches of oats, or corn flakes)
butter
honey
brown sugar
salt
vanilla extract

Since these aren't baked, it's important to use quick oats. Rolled oats (also called old-fashioned oats) are not recommended.

IDEAS FOR GRANOLA BAR ADD IN'S

There are so many things you can add to granola bars. Add in a total of 2-3 cups of mix-ins. Too many and the bars won't stick together.

mini chocolate chips
marshmallows (mini, or tiny freeze dried)
dried cherries
dried blueberries
dried apricots
raisins
dried cranberries
unsweetened coconut flakes
almonds (sliced or slivered)
walnuts
peanuts
cashews
sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds
maple syrup (in place of all or part of the honey)
1/4 cup peanut butter (add this in the same time as the vanilla extract)

Tip: Freeze your mini chocolate chips for at least an hour before making. That will give you some time to stir them in before they melt. Work quickly though, they will still melt.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS

Begin by placing the quick oats and cereal in a large bowl.

I usually use rice crispies. Since I didn't have any, I substituted honey bunches of oats. (You could also use corn flakes.) I smashed them a bit so there weren't huge pieces.

Stir together and set aside.

Line a 9 X 13 pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Add the butter to a small saucepan and melt. Then add the honey, brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.

Then add the vanilla extract.

Pour the honey mixture over the oats.

pouring honey mixture over oats for granola bars

Stir to quickly coat all of the oats and cereal with the mixture.

Stir in any mix-ins that you desire. This time I added mini chocolate chips and mini freeze-dried marshmallows.

It's important to work very quickly when adding chocolate. Stir just until combined and quickly pour into the prepared pan.

Work quickly to tightly compact the granola mixture. I use the back of a measuring cup.

I have also placed a piece of parchment on top and used another smaller pan to press down the granola.

Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Remove the bars from the pan (I just grab the parchment and everything) and place on a cutting board.

With a long sharp knife cut the granola into bars.

Wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Even though they are wrapped an airtight container can be used to keep them fresh.

What will you put in your granola bars? I'd love to get some more ideas!