There are a number of reasons why folks like granola bars, especially homemade granola bars. First of all, they're a healthy snack that can be enjoyed almost anywhere. Their grab-and-go nature makes them easy to pack whatever you’re doing. And lastly, they make it easy for the entire family to stick to their health goals.

This said, however, the fact is there are some cons to making homemade granola bars. Depending on the recipe, granola bars can be quite messy. For instance, while it's entirely possible to snack on a granola bar in the car, many of us don't do it for fear of getting crumbs everywhere.

Here’s the good news, though: The crumbly, fall-apart nature of granola bars can easily be fixed with a few simple tips and tricks. By using the right ingredients and cooking methods, you can create granola bars that stay together the entire time you're eating them. And the research chefs at Bob’s Red Mill know exactly how to make this delicious snack so it turns out sturdy and flavorful. Read on for their top tricks for no more crumbly granola bars.

Trick one: Use a recipe that uses high-quality oats as the base. Aside from being loaded with fiber and good-for-you nutrients, oats soak up just about everything they're combined with. When mixed with a binding agent like oil, honey, or maple syrup, oats will round up all of the ingredients in a recipe to turn it into one delicious result. Trick two: Use a no-fail binding agent. A binding agent is a recipe element that helps form ingredients into a cohesive whole. Binding agents provide structure and stability and help you produce a more cohesive outcome. The right binding agent is a crucial part of keeping your bars from falling apart.

The folks at Bob’s Red Mill say the best binding agents are honey and maple syrup. They act as glue that sticks all the pieces together. Another upside of adding them to your recipe is that they’re a natural sweetener. Because both can withstand heat and molding, they make for excellent additions to homemade granola bars.

Trick three: One of the biggest culprits of crumbly bars is inadequate baking. Make sure you follow all steps carefully. Bars that have been over- or under-cooked are much more likely to crumble. Additionally, letting them bake for the required time allows all ingredients to properly bind and the flavors to release. The result is sturdy and flavorful bars that’ll stay whole until you're ready to enjoy them.

Trick four: Now, if all the above tips fail and your bars are still crumbling, try adding chia seeds! They’re a good binder. In fact, they secure ingredients so well that they can even be used as an egg replacer. Adding just a spoonful of chia seeds recipe will make a huge difference a bar’s texture as well as add a significant boost of fiber, antioxidants, minerals and healthy omega-3 fatty acids (without changing the flavor of your bar!).

Now in closing, why not try these tricks either on your favorite homemade granola bar recipe or on a delicious recipe I found on a wonderful site, www.drizzleanddip.com? (Note, I found it helpful to add a little more maple syrup than the recipe called for, so I increased the stated ¼ cup to 1/3 cup.)

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