Chocolate Granola Bars

I was working from this recipe, which encourages you to mess around: https://smittenkitchen.com/2010/02/thick-chewy-granola-bars/

I was trying to use caramel as a binder instead of honey or whatever: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/how-to-make-the/

but I didn't think about what hot caramel would do to the chocolate chips I added. (probably about a cup, counting it toward the "dried fruits and nuts" category.)

Good luck, and tell me about it if you nail down an exact recipe you like. Also let me know if you have any luck with caramel-no-chocolate granola bars.