Chewy Nut Butter Granola Bars

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Spread oats, coconut, sliced nuts and ground nuts in an even layer on a large baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 7-10 minutes, stirring often. Be careful not to multi-task, so you can keep an eye on them. These will go from not toasted to burnt in a matter of seconds!

Even though I told you not to mulit-task above, I am now telling you to do something while the oats are toasting. I do not mean to be confusing, it just comes naturally. Maybe I am nuts… Line an 8×8 inch pan (or a little larger—I use a 10 1/2 x 7 inch pan so the bars are thinner because I have little people and they are easier to eat) with foil, making sure it overlaps the sides. Spray the foil with cooking spray or butter the foil. The foil will make it easier to lift the bars out for cutting.

Now go check on your oats in the oven if you haven’t already!

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat (or in the microwave) and set aside.

Once oats have toasted, pour the oat and nut mixture into a large bowl and let it cool for a few minutes. Then pour the butter onto the mixture and stir until the oat mixture is covered. In my mind, the butter helps to soften the oats so you do not feel like you are biting into a hay bale. I keep tossing every so often as I am working on the rest of the ingredients.

Using the same saucepan you used to melt the butter, add the honey, nut butters and brown sugar. You do not need to turn on the burner again, the residual heat will be enough to soften the ingredients and make them easier to mix together. Once they are softened and mixed, pour this into the oat mixture.

Add the rice krispy cereal and then stir all of it together. I also snuck in some chia seeds just because I had them on hand.

Add about half of the mini chocolate chips to the mixture and stir in, then pour the mixture into your prepared pan.

Using a buttered or sprayed baggie over your hand like a mitt, press the mixture into the pan and press hard for about a minute to get it all nice and compact. You want those bars to hold together. Sprinkle the remainder of the mini chocolate chips on the top and press in lightly so they stick.

Refrigerate for about an hour before you cut them. When ready to cut them, lift them out of the pan with your handy dandy foil and then cut into the bar sizes that you like right on the foil. Transfer to airtight containers and store them in your fridge, making sure that you eat one while you work.