Granola Bars with Cocoa and Coconut

Ingredients 0/13

Step 1

Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9-inch square baking dish. Spread the rolled oats, flax seed meal, sliced almonds, shredded coconut, and chia seeds evenly on a baking sheet. Pop them in the oven and toast, stirring every 5 minutes, until they’re nicely golden and fragrant—about 15 minutes.

Step 2

Turn the oven down to 300°F (150°C). While it cools, combine the honey, brown sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, coconut extract, cinnamon, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir gently until the sugar melts completely, which should take around 3 minutes. Then mix in the cocoa powder until it’s fully blended.

Step 3

In a large bowl, toss the toasted oat mix with the chocolatey honey mixture until everything is well coated. Press this mixture firmly and evenly into your prepared pan. Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes, until the edges turn golden brown.

Step 4

Let the bars cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then cut them into squares right away so they don’t crumble when you take them out. Enjoy!