A perfect fall snack is hands-down my friend’s signature homemade chocolate chip cinnamon granola bars. Chock-full of flavor and chocolaty goodness, the treat is a perfect breakfast meal for busy, on-the-go mornings or a nice evening snack when staying up late to study.

The first time I had this treat was last summer during a trip to my friend’s home. I fell in love at first bite. The taste is perfectly sweet with a nice, chewy consistency. I demanded the recipe, and I have made it several times since. I serve it to guests with vanilla ice cream, and it’s always a hit.

It also does not require a lot of time or energy. The steps are easy, and the ingredients are commonly found in kitchens.

Before baking, be sure to set the mood by lighting a candle and playing some smooth jazz—baking should be fun, after all. After that, you can begin the baking process. Preheat the oven to 350 F, and combine the baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, flour, ground cinnamon, brown sugar and oats in a large bowl. Mix the contents until all of them are thoroughly blended together. Push your mixture to the sides, creating a well in the center of your bowl. Mix water, vanilla extract, the beaten egg, vegetable oil and chocolate chips together into a separate bowl. Add the mixture into the center of the well in the large bowl. Then mix all of the ingredients in the bowl together until they are thoroughly combined. Whisk the batter fast and hard so you evenly distribute all of the oats. The batter should be moist. Then pour the batter into a 9 by 9–inch pan. Be sure to put nonstick spray on the pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown, then let cool before cutting into squares. Eat the squares alone or with yogurt, pudding or ice cream. You can also bake cookies with the batter by rolling it into little bites and baking for 13–15 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cup oats

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons water

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Stir all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Push the mixture to the sides of the bowl, creating a well in the middle.

3. In a separate bowl, stir the wet ingredients and the chocolate chips together.

4. Pour the mixture into the well of the larger bowl.

5. Stir all of the ingredients together.

6. Pour the batter into a non-stick 9 by 9–inch pan.

7. Bake for 25 minutes or until it is golden brown.

8. Let it cool before cutting the granola into squares.