No Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

My boys LOVE granola bars, but the store-bought variety has so many questionable ingredients. Making them myself lets me control exactly what goes into them. These are so easy to make, and the best part about them is you don't even have to turn on your oven.

What you need:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup raw honey
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

How to make it:
1. Mix the cereal and oats together in a large bowl.

2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, honey and brown sugar over medium high heat until it starts to get bubbly. Reduce the heat down to medium, and cook for a full 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Carefully add the vanilla and stir again.

4. Pour the sugar mixture over the cereal and stir until it is coated.

5. Pour this mixture into a square baking pan (a 8x8 is good) that has been lightly coated with cooking spray or butter, and press down firmly. Top with chocolate chips and press them into the mixture.

6. Cool at room temperature for a few hours, then cut into bars. To store, wrap in plastic wrap or in Ziploc bags. Do not store them in the refrigerator, or they'll be too hard to eat.

***NOTE: If your bars aren't holding together very well after being cut, you may need to boil your sugar mixture a about 20 to 30 seconds longer next time. Make sure to press them down firmly in the pan. If they still aren't holding together, put them in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.