Chewy S’mores Granola Bars

Notes From My Kitchen

I’ve been wanting to recreate the classic Quaker chewy bars for a while now, but with a slightly more wholesome twist. These are my copycat version, made with the same chewy oat and rice crisp base you remember, plus a little chia and flax seed stirred in for extra nutrition that you honestly can’t taste.

I tested several variations of the oat to rice crisp ratio to get the texture just right, and this combination gives you that same soft, chewy bite as the original. I also tested these out adding some crushed graham cracker to them, but you honestly couldn’t really taste it so it felt like an extra step for nothing. So instead I give the option in the recipe card to add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, which gives the same flavour profile.

If you’ve made my other no-bake snacks like my Copycat Perfect Bars or my Banana Protein Balls, you know I love finding easy ways to make classic treats a little more nourishing without changing how they taste. These bars are exactly that.

One thing to know going in: these are no-bake. Because of the butter and honey is binding everything together, they need to be stored in the fridge to hold their shape and stay chewy instead of falling apart. If you prefer a baked bar you can store on the counter make these Healthy Muesli bars instead with mini chocolate chips and marshmallows.

Key Ingredients

Quick oats: In order to get that perfect chewy texture you MUST use quick oats, not rolled oats for this recipe. Save the rolled oats to use in my Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Rice crisps cereal: this is what gives the bars their classic light crunch. I tested a few different ratios of oats to rice crisps before landing on this combination for the chewiest texture. I just use rice krispies cereal but any brand works. If you have leftover rice crisps use them in a batch of Maple Pecan Granola or these Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars.

Honey: this is the binder that holds the bars together, so don’t reduce the amount even if you want them less sweet. Cutting back on the honey means the bars won’t hold their shape!

Mini dehydrated marshmallows: these are different from regular mini marshmallows and are worth ordering online specifically for this recipe. They truly give these bars that nostalgic taste! You can find these online at some grocery stores or buy them on amazon. These marshmallows would also work SO well in my S’mores Overnight Oats recipe!

How To Make Chewy S’mores Granola Bars

*This is a recipe overview. The full recipe with measurements and instructions can be found below in the recipe card.

Step 1: Combine the oats, rice crisps, ground flax, chia seeds and salt in a large bowl.

Step 2: Heat the honey, butter and coconut sugar in a small pot then pour over the dry ingredients.

Step 3: Mix together.

Step 4: Press the mixture very firmly into a lined pan

Step 5: Top with the chocolate chips and mini marshmallows and press again.

Step 6: Refrigerate until set, then slice into bars.