These monster cookie granola bars are sweet, chewy, and wholesome. Easy to prepare in one bowl and ten minutes, everyone loves this fun yet healthy granola bar recipe. Can easily be made nut-free and vegan, too.
Ever since having a baby, having homemade snacks on hand has been of paramount importance to me. My boyfriend has also developed an appreciation for my homemade protein bars, energy balls, and granola bars, and I like packing them in his workday lunches. With our increased need for healthy snacks, I have been having a great time experimenting with different variations.
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The Inspiration For This Recipe
About two weeks after giving birth to my son, I was going a bit stir crazy in our apartment. I had been too sore and exhausted to do much of anything in the first couple of weeks postpartum, but I finally felt some energy returning. So, I put baby boy into the carrier and I baked up a batch of these healthy monster cookies with him on my chest. It wasn’t long before I started dreaming up other ways to incorporate that classic flavour into other snacks and treats. I have always loved granola bars, so I thought, why not make a granola bar packed with classic monster cookie ingredients: peanut butter, chocolate chips, and naturally coloured M&M style candies. I also added chopped pecans and shredded coconut for some extra nutritional value and flavour.
Why You’ll Love Them
- Easy to make: You need just 10 minutes and one bowl to whip up these granola bars.
- Healthy: They’re sweetened with honey and coconut sugar, and packed with wholesome ingredients including oats, peanut butter, and butter. My recipe also uses naturally coloured candy-coated chocolate instead of traditional M&Ms.
- Kid-Friendly: Children (and children at heart) love making and eating these colourful bars. They’re great for school lunches, and they can be made nut-free if necessary.
- Easy to modify: There are all sorts of ways to modify these monster cookie granola bars. You can make them vegan by using maple syrup instead of honey (although they will be more delicate) and coconut oil instead of butter, and you can make them nut-free by using sunflower seed butter or tahini instead of peanut butter.
Ingredients
Here is a list and description of the ingredients. For quantities, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Rolled oats: An essential ingredient in granola bars. Rolled oats provide a chewy texture and plenty of fibre.
- Whole wheat or spelt flour: Either variety of flour will work just fine. For a gluten-free option, you can try using almond flour.
- Coconut sugar: A healthier sweetener that is lower on the glycemic index than cane sugar.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon is optional but adds a lovely flavour and aroma.
- Sea salt: Enhances the flavour of baked goods.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter can be used. You’ll be using melted butter.
- Honey: Adds sweetness and helps bind the bars.
- Peanut Butter: For that quintessential monster cookie taste.
- Chocolate chips: Use semisweet or dark chocolate chips.
- Shredded coconut: Unsweetened shredded coconut, not the large ribbons.
- Pecans: Raw or roasted.
- Naturally coloured candy-coated chocolates: I use Unreal brand.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line an 8×8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the melted butter, honey, and peanut butter. Stir well to combine.
- Mix in the chocolate chips, coconut, chopped pecans, and candy-coated chocolate.
- Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish and press some more candy-coated chocolate on top. Bake for 26-28 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 1 hour. Then transfer the bar (still in the pan) into the fridge and chill for 1 more hour before slicing. This helps the bars set and prevents them from breaking.
- Slice into 8-10 bars and store in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or in the refrigerator for two weeks.
Substitutions
- Butter – instead of butter, you can use coconut oil.
- Peanut butter – instead of peanut butter, use cashew butter or almond butter. Or, for a nut-free option, use sunflower seed butter or tahini.
- Vegan – use maple syrup instead of honey and coconut oil instead of butter.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Mixing spoon
- Small saucepan – for melting the butter
- Parchment paper
- 8×8-inch square baking dish – I use glass, but a metal one should work. You might want to bake the bars for slightly less time, however, since glass takes longer to heat up.
Storage
Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for one week or in the refrigerator for two weeks.
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Allison’s Top Tip
Be sure to firmly pack the dough into your prepared baking dish. This ensures that the bars will stay together after baking and slicing. I like to wet my hands and press the mixture into an even layer in the baking dish.
FAQ
Honey is one of the most effective ingredients for binding granola bars. While corn syrup was traditionally used in many recipes, honey is much more natural and healthier.
Absolutely! While we always go through the batch quickly, you can definitely freeze these bars in an airtight container for three months.
Related
Looking for other healthy snack recipes? Try these:
- Double Chocolate Oatmeal Breakfast Bars (Vegan)
- Almond Butter S’mores Oatmeal Squares (Vegan)
- Sweet Potato Blended Baked Oats
- Vegan Peanut Butter Date Chocolate Bars (6 Ingredients!)
Pairing
Monster cookie granola bars taste great on their own, but I like to pair them with a glass of organic whole milk or a latte. The creaminess helps offset the sweetness and texture of the bars in the best way imaginable.
I hope you love these granola bars as much as we do! Let me know in the comments below. I’d also really appreciate it if you left a rating along with your comment. Ratings help more people find Up Beet Kitchen and allow me to continue sharing recipes with you!
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Recipe
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Monster Cookie Granola Bars
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup large flake rolled oats
- ⅓ cup whole wheat or spelt flour
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ¼ cup pecans, chopped
- ¼ cup naturally coloured candy-coated chocolate (such as Unreal brand), plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line an 8×8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the melted butter, honey, and peanut butter. Stir well to combine.
- Mix in the chocolate chips, coconut, chopped pecans, and candy-coated chocolate.
- Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish and press some more candy-coated chocolate on top. Bake for 26-28 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 1 hour. Then transfer the bar (still in the pan) into the fridge and chill for 1 more hour before slicing. This helps the bars set and prevents them from breaking.
- Slice into 8-10 bars and store in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or in the refrigerator for two weeks.
Notes
Lightly adapted from these Almond Butter Raisin Granola Bars.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Category: snack
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Sarah says
OMG these are delicious! My four year old and I baked them for a treat yesterday and my husband has already demolished four of them. LOL!
Allison says
Haha thanks, Sarah!