A while back, I posted a recipe for chewy granola bars that reminded me of the Quaker Oats brand. The thin, dense, crunchy granola bar–like the ones made by Nature Valley–proved more difficult to reproduce. But, victory at last!
The trick, I think, is pulverizing the oats so that they compact down tightly more readily.
This the perfect basic chewy granola bar: nicely compact, chewy but with a certain crunchiness, and sweet without being cloying. The flavor and texture reminds me of Quaker Granola Bars.
They are nut-free (provided coconut doesn’t count as a nut, and, if it does, you could leave out the dried coconut and use another oil). You could always add chocolate chips or drizzle with melted chocolate. (Update: I tried these with nuts added. Without nuts is better. A little sliced almond is unobtrusive and nice, but large pieces of whole almonds and pecans I didn’t like so much.)
Pragmatic Attic 