It’s almost time for a new school year and that means I once again have to start thinking about packing school lunches for my boys! They tend to both favour simple meat sandwiches in their lunch, which makes my life a little easier, but they also need a daily healthy snack and personally, I like to make that snack myself to ensure I know exactly what my boys are eating.
Of course, I also don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen baking, and that’s why these easy granola bars have been a hit in our household for years now. With just one bowl, a little mixing and 25 minutes in the oven, I get about two weeks’ worth of tasty granola bars perfect for snacking at school!
Easy Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup nuts eg. chopped walnuts, slivered almonds, etc.
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
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Mix all ingredients together well in bowl.
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Line cookie sheet with greased aluminum foil.
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Press mixture evenly into pan.
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Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
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Let cool for five minutes, then lift out of pan using edges of foil and cut into bars.
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Store bars in airtight container or wrap individually in plastic wrap.
Recipe Notes
If desired, substitute dried cranberries for raisins, pumpkin seeds for nuts or peanut butter for butter.
The beauty of these bars is really in their versatility. If my boys have a child with nut allergies in their classes, I simply replace the chopped nuts with pumpkin seeds. When we’re not in the mood for raisins, I use dried cranberries instead. And if my boys are in a class that allows peanuts, I make one of their very favourite substitutions…replacing the melted butter with melted Kraft peanut butter!
The bars can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap, but they also fit perfectly into one of the snack containers of the Rubbermaid Lunchblox kit. And this year, there’s even more reason to pick up one of these handy kits because Rubbermaid has partnered with Kraft to offer an amazing deal! With the purchase of a Rubbermaid Lunchblox kit, get $10 in money-saving coupons for your favourite Kraft products!
And be sure to check out the Kraft Canada What’s Cooking website for tons of healthy snack ideas, easy lunch box solutions and powerhouse breakfasts that will help you sail through the start of the school year. It’s going to be a busy month but with a little planning, a few easy snack recipes on file and some super savings for your favourite Kraft products, it’s going to be a fun one too!
MrDisco says
are they low in sugar and high in fiber?
Crea says
Can I use something else besides condensed milk?
Kathryn says
You can actually make your own if you prefer, Crea! Just combine 12oz of whipping cream and 1 cup of your favourite sweetener (maple syrup, honey, sugar, etc) and boil over medium heat until it’s thick and creamy! And if you’re looking for a dairy-free option, I’ve heard this recipe works well: http://www.cooks.com/recipe/6e9oo6sp/sweetened-condensed-milk-substitute.html. Hope this helps!
Doris Calvert says
They sound good and easy to make, thank you!
Kathryn says
They really are, Doris! And nice and chewy too! 🙂
Shelley says
I’m always on the look out for healthy snacks for the kids, thanks!
Gord says
These look delicious. I will try this soon.
Lynda Cook says
I love how simple and easy these bars are, not to mention healthy and a whole lot cheaper than buying store bought ones!!
Nicole says
Is there anything dairy-free you could substitute the condensed milk with?
Kathryn says
I haven’t tried it, Nicole, but I’ve heard that this recipe works well in place of the milk: http://www.cooks.com/recipe/6e9oo6sp/sweetened-condensed-milk-substitute.html. Hope this helps! 🙂
Doris H. says
Sounds like a great recipe! I will have to try these….we love granola bars.
Julie Dyer says
These look easy and delicious! I love sending my kids to school with homemade treats like these. 🙂
Rosanne Robinson says
great recipe, nutritious & delicious, can’t wait to try it! 🙂
kelly young says
these look awesome and easy to make thank you i will try these
seham merzib says
I will try these thanks!
Erika Letson says
These sound delicious! My four kids would love them.
Judy Cowan says
These sound really good, I am definitely going to make up a batch! Thanks for the recipe!
Soozle says
So easy! I dont know what I didnt realize it was that simple to make granola bars 🙂 Thanks for sharing
DARLENE W says
I will pass this on to my daughter she has 3 lunches to pack each day when the kids return to school
Josie says
Yum! THose look Delish!
Debbie W says
You can create so many variations to this recipe. Thank you
GARRY S says
SOUNDS EASY
caryn s says
great recipe Kat and thanks for all the alternatives for the ingredients list too!
donna makayak says
The recipe looks good,i don’t eat heavy foods in the morning ,going to try the recipe.
Silvia D says
great recipe ,thank you! love the recipe for the alternative to condensed milk!
Athena says
sounds good 🙂
Treen Goodwin says
these look delish thanks for sharing the recipe i will be trying them out for sure 🙂
Sarah Hayes says
the homemade kind are the best! Ill have to try out this recipe. they look so good
Rachel C says
I love homemade food for my kids’ lunches. I will definitely try this recipe!
kathy downey says
would love to make these for the kids lunch baga
Jenny says
these look delicious
Swapandeep Singh says
nice
Debbie Welchert says
What a great easy recipe. My grandchildren love granola bars and I will making these for them to try out. I’m sure they will love them.
mongupp says
mmm I will have to try these for my picky kids!
Suzanne G says
These sound delicious and very easy to make. They would be great as a treat for the school lunch.
Tracy says
These look wonderful, I love that they could easily be made GF, simply by using GF oats. I bet with Coconut coffee creamer I could make them dairy free (and dairy free margarine of course). They sound great!.
Margaret says
They look really good!
Jamie Bertrand says
looks good, we love granoa bars!
Mike Gismondi says
sounds delicious!
Maggie C says
these look so good! gonna try these for work!
Angela Mitchell says
I’m definitely going to try these. SO much better for you and better tasting than store bought, I’m sure!
Chandra Christine O'Connor says
they look very tasty
carol clark says
that actually seems like something i would try its hard to find good bites to feed the kids with and this will work
Karen says
I really like that these can be made with so many variations. I love the idea of peanut butter and sunflower seeds, with maybe some dried pineapple. Mmmmm.
Victoria Ess says
I have to try this for sure!
Linda Manns says
I love granola bars. They are nutritious and great to grab on the go. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Jessie Cody says
My daughter loves these! I cant wait to try it! Wish me luck I’m horrible in the kitchen LOL
Rob Shiels says
These look delicious, happy to see there is no sugar in the recipe.
Rob
Michelle B says
Thanks for sharing, these granola bars look wonderful.
Jodi Mitrovic says
Sounds easy and delicious! Thanks for the share!
Fan R says
They look yummy but not good for my belly.
Carol M (Lushka S) says
Thanks for the recipe
MrDisco says
tasty