Chewy Gluten-Free Granola Bars Recipe

By
Elizabeth Barbone
Elizabeth Barbone: Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Elizabeth Barbone develops delicious and creative recipes for the food allergic and gluten-free communities through her site Gluten-Free Baking. Author of three cookbooks: Easy Gluten-Free Baking (2009), How to Cook Gluten-Free (2012), and The World's Easiest Paleo Baking (2016).
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Updated April 15, 2020
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Photographs: Elizabeth Barbone

Inspired by classic Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, this gluten-free version made with marshmallows, almonds, and chocolate chips nails the textbook chewy texture and delicious, candy bar-like flavor. While these bars contain dairy, they can easily be made dairy-free by using an equal amount of coconut oil in place of the butter.

Why this recipe works:

  • Melting marshmallows into the base produces exactly the right kind of chewiness.
  • Dark brown sugar contributes the deeper, richer flavor that marshmallows lack.

Recipe Details

Chewy Gluten-Free Granola Bars Recipe

Active 15 mins
Total 2 hrs 15 mins
Serves 24 bars

Ingredients

  • Nonstick cooking spray

  • 2 cups gluten-free quick-rolled oats (not old-fashioned oats)

  • 2 cups gluten-free crisp rice cereal, like Kellogg's Gluten-Free Rice Krispies

  • 1/4 cup chopped almonds

  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil

  • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar

  • 3 cups (5 ouncesmarshmallows

Directions

  1. Spray 9- by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside. In large bowl, toss together oats, crispy rice cereal, almonds, chocolate chips, and salt.

  2. In large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar melts. Add marshmallows and continue to cook, stirring, until marshmallows melt. Turn off heat and stir in oat mixture until just combined.

  3. Press mixture evenly into prepared baking dish and refrigerate for 2 hours. Remove from refrigerator. Using thin metal spatula, lift granola out in a single layer. Cut into 24 bars. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Special equipment

9- by 13-inch baking dish

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
84Calories
5gFat
11gCarbs
1gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories84
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g6%
Saturated Fat 3g16%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 50mg2%
Total Carbohydrate 11g4%
Dietary Fiber 0g1%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 1mg7%
Calcium 6mg0%
Iron 1mg5%
Potassium 22mg0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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