I’m not sure there’s anyone (ok, I know that’s an exaggeration but work with me here) who hasn’t had a Nature’s Valley granola bar – they were one of my go-to snacks as a kid. It’s such a nice combination – the honey and oats, delicious! With all of that said, though, there’s absolutely no reason you can’t be making a very similar version at home that’s so much healthier, cheaper and so darn easy to do.

The recipe here is a very basic one – only four ingredients and nearly impossible to mess up. If you are like me, although honey and oats is a perfect combination, I LOVE to add in additional ingredients to change up the taste and texture and keep things interesting. I would recommend starting with the basic recipe and then adjust as you see fit over time and dependent on the occasion!

Here’s how you make them (8 bars):

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/375F
2. Mix together 3 cups oats, 1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk, 2 tbsp chia seeds and 4 tbsp honey – stir well to combine
3. Pour into a 9×9 baking pan (greased, if your pan requires)
4. Bake for 25 minutes
5. Once out of the oven, drizzle with a little extra honey (about 1/2 tbsp)
6. LET COOL (this is very important) for at least 30 minutes before slicing into 8 bars

Things to note:

• These bars won’t have the traditional “crunch” of the ones you are used to, but I think you’ll love the chewy texture instead!
• You could easily dice up the bars into small pieces and use as part of a yogurt parfait

Ingredients (basic recipe):

• 3 cups porridge oats
• 1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk (or milk of your choice)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 4 tbsp honey + extra for drizzling

Here are some of my favorite mix-ins to change up the “basic” recipe:

• Cinnamon & raisins
• Peanut butter (or any nut butter)
• Coconut milk (in place of the almond milk) + shredded coconut
• Chopped nuts
• Sliced strawberries and/or bananas (on top, before baking)

I hope these become one of those things you make all the time – they are just so easy and you probably already have all the ingredients on hand if you are a chia seed fan like I am. I’d love to hear about your favorite combinations so I can try them out!

Cheers!

CHH