These homemade chocolate chip granola bars make the perfect school snacks and are a fraction of the cost of the store bought variety. You can easily switch up the ingredients to include your favorite school friendly seeds and nuts. Whip up a batch of these over the weekend for a tasty lunchbox snack your kids will love.
I have a question: where did summer go???
It feels like I blinked and it’s over. Our family made some wonderful memories over the past 2 months but it feels like it was over way too quickly. We spent days fishing and swimming, and going on fun road trip adventures. We even spent lazy days at home reading books or watching movies when it rained.
Our last week of the summer was spent at a cottage in the Muskoka area. It’s SO beautiful there. We canoed on the lake in the morning when the water was so calm it was like gliding across the surface of a mirror. The kids fished off the dock and we had campfires practically every night we were there. I also think I exceeded my quota of fire roasted marshmellows. Why are those ooey, gooey treats so good toasted over a fire? We had competitions to see who could toast the most perfect marshmellow.
The campfire was always something I looked forward to each night. We would sit buddled up by the fire. Our fronts being kept warm by the blazing fire, our backsides chilled from the night air. We sat in our chairs staring into the flickering flames or up high into the night sky, dazzled by the beautiful display of stars. We talked about life and dreams and other little unimportant thoughts that crossed our minds. It was a great way to reconnect before school started and the mayhem ensued.
Now the backpacks and lunchboxes have been pulled out and school clothes have replaced the favorable shorts and tshirts. New pencils and crayons now fill the pencil cases and indoor running shoes wait ready to go to school. It’s going to take a few days to get back into the school routine, and a few extra cups of coffee. One routine I like to follow is to prepare snacks and other lunchbox meals over the weekend to take some of the stress off during the week.
Whether its whipping up a batch of my black olive hummus or a delicious Greek pasta salad, getting something ready on the weekend helps answer the question that haunts us all – what am I going to put in the lunches this week?
These homemade chocolate chip granola bars were added to my list of lunch snack ideas a while ago and are not just limited to lunchboxes. They make the perfect snack when heading to a dance class or swimming lessons. I love that I can switch up the ingredients of these homemade chocolate chip granola bars. (and did I mention how much cheaper they are compared to the store bought ones?? Seriously.)
Do you have a favorite snack you include in lunches each week? Or maybe you have other suggestions on how to avoid the craziness of lunches during the week. I would LOVE to hear your ideas!
Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups rolled oats
- 1 cup rice krispies cereal
- 1 tablespoon hemp hearts optional
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds optional
- ¼ cup ground flax seeds
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips or mini M&M’s
Instructions
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Dry toast the oats on a large cookie sheet in a 350 F oven for about 10 – 15 minutes, until slightly browned.
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Line a 9x13 cake pan with parchment paper so it comes up the edges. Set aside.
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Allow the oats to cool slightly before combining with the rice krispies, hemp hearts, chia seeds and ground flax seeds.
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In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, butter, canola oil, honey and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined. Pour into the dry ingredients.
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When all the ingredients are stirred together, gently fold in the mini chocolate chips. Transfer to the prepared cake pan and pat down to create a smooth surface. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top if you wish.
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Bake for 18 minutes until slightly browned on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the pan and cutting into rectangles.
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Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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Did you make this recipe? Have a meal planning tip to share? Tag @365daysofeasyrecipes on Instagram . I’d love to see!
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