Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and toast oats for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix coconut oil, vanilla and maple syrup. Whisk in peanut butter until it is all well incorporated.
In another small bowl, mix together the almonds, cinnamon, flax seed, salt, and 1/2 of the chocolate chips.
When oats are baked, use parchment paper to pour them into the large bowl with coconut oil and maple syrup. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until it's all well combined.
Use that same parchment paper to line an 8X8 square baking pan. Cut the corners so that it all fits in the pan.
Pour mixture into parchment paper line pan and use a spatula or bottom of a measuring cup to create an even layer.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Then gently remove parchment paper from pan and let cool for another 15 minutes. Once cool, cut granola bars into 8 4x2 inch bars or 12 bars that are about 3x2 inches. You can enjoy them now, or do an optional second bake to crisp them up more and place the cut bars still on the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and bake another 10 minutes.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 - 2 weeks (they're the freshest for the 1st week), or freeze for up to 2 months.