These Chocolate Chip Chewy Bars taste just like the classic Quaker snack! Easy granola bars full of nut butter, quick oats, and dark chocolate chunks. Nostalgic, perfect for snacking, vegan, and gluten-free!
Have you ever eaten “Chewy” Granola Bars, made by Quaker Oats? Growing up, they were a frequent snack given during standardized testing. While I was never a huge fan, the soft texture certainly lended a very addictive quality. Not to mention, they came in a wide variety of flavors. After taking an Instagram poll, chocolate chip won out over oatmeal raisin. After a bit of recipe testing, I was very happy with how these turned out. The final product only requires 5 ingredients, with no baking necessary!
Ingredients Needed for No-Bake Granola Bars
- Maple syrup
- Runny nut or seed butter (like tahini, peanut, almond)
- Vanilla extract (optional)
- Quick cooking oats
- Crispy rice cereal (or more oats)
- Salt
- Add-ins like chocolate chips or nuts
How to Make Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars
- Begin by heating maple syrup and nut butter on the stovetop. Heat until bubbling, stirring consistently. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- In a large bowl, mix quick oats, crispy rice if using, and salt. Stream in nut butter mixture and stir. Add in chocolate if using.
- Press oat mixture tightly into a lined pan. Freeze for 10 minutes, until solid.
- Remove and cut into 12 bars.
Are Quaker Chewy Granola Bars vegan and gluten-free?
The store-bought Quaker Chewy Bars are not vegan and gluten-free, as they are made with whole grain wheat and are processed in a facility that contains milk. However, this recipe can be both vegan and gluten-free if your oats are certified GF and your chocolate is dairy-free!
How to Customize this Recipe
Quaker Classic Chewy Bars come a variety of flavors, such as Dark Chocolate Chunk, Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, S’mores, Peanut Butter and Marshmallow, and Chocolate Brownie. Here is how I’d recommend recreating them.
- Dark Chocolate Chunk and Chocolate Chip: Make the recipe as listed!
- Oatmeal Raisin: Omit the chocolate and add 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/3 cup small raisins
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip: Use peanut butter as the nut base
- S’mores: Use tahini as the nut base and add 1/4 cup chopped mini marshmallows
- Peanut Butter and Marshmallow: Use peanut butter as the base and add 1/4 cup chopped mini marshmallows
- Chocolate Brownie: Melt and additional 1/4 cup chocolate in with the butter
I hope you enjoy this recipe for Quaker-Inspired Chocolate Chip Chewy Bars. Please leave a rating and review if you give it a try!
Other Oatmeal Recipes to Try
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Quaker-Inspired Chocolate Chip Chewy Bars
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Chocolate Chip Chewy Bars taste just like the classic Quaker snack! Easy granola bars full of nut butter, quick oats, and dark chocolate chunks. Nostalgic and perfect for snacking!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup runny nut butter of choice (I used tahini)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (optional but recommended)
- 2 cups quick-cooking oats, gluten-free as needed
- 1 cup crispy rice (or more oats)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips or chunks, vegan as needed
Instructions
- In a small pot on the stove, heat maple syrup and nut butter over medium. Stir consistently and cook until bubbling and melted together, a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Let cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, mix quick oats, crispy rice if using, and salt. Slowly stream in cooled nut butter mixture and stir to combine. Add in chocolate if using.
- Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper or reusable food wrap. Press oat mixture into the pan tightly, using the back of a spoon or the bottom of a glass to compress firmly. Make sure you press it evenly into the corners to make as sharp of edges as possible. If desired, press more chocolate onto the top of the bars.
- Freeze bars for 10 minutes, until solid. Remove from freezer, lift edges of parchment, and remove block of bars. Carefully using a sharp knife, cut into 12 bars. Store in a sealed container in the fridge or on the countertop for 5 days.
Notes
See post details for instructions to make other Chewy Bar Flavors.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Snack
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar of 12
- Calories: 166.5 calories
- Sugar: 9.6 grams
- Sodium: 212 milligrams
- Fat: 6.8 grams
- Saturated Fat: 2 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.8 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 23.9 grams
- Fiber: 2.7 grams
- Protein: 3.5 grams
- Cholesterol: 0 miligrams
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These didn’t last very long. So tasty.
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Haha, glad to hear it Betsy! Thanks!
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Very good, perfect when you want a little sweet without the junk. (Next time I make them I will cut the salt back to 1/2 tsp; my salt must be saltier)
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Good to know, thank you! I should have specified the type of salt I used!