My all-time favorite blueberry pecan granola bar recipe made with whole grain oats, nuts, honey, and a few other simple ingredients.
Homemade granola bars are one of those things that I didn't know that I would love making and eating so much. Once you start down this homemade granola bar path, you're in it for life. The ingredient list is short, the prep time is minimal, and the outcome is delicious. I love a recipe that turns out great every single time.
This is my favorite homemade granola bar recipe and it's made with dried blueberries and toasted pecans. When you toast the oats and nuts in the oven first, something magical happens. The end product almost tastes like a cookie! Once you start making granola bars at home, and then compare it to a store-bought granola bar, you'll just get it. Store-bought granola bars are fine until you taste these and then you can't go back!
These are a great homemade treat for games, practices, road trips, or lunches. I could eat one a day for the rest of my life and die a happy woman.
Tips and Tricks for Making Blueberry Pecan Granola Bars:
- These store very well in the fridge or freezer. You may want to wrap them in a bit of parchment paper before putting them in a container or plastic bag in the fridge so that they don’t stick together.
- I like to use dried wild blueberries because they are small and full of flavor. I find them at Trader Joe's (and stock up because I don't get to TJ's very often).
- You can skip toasting the nuts and oats, but it really makes the granola bars delicious and almost gives them a cookie-like flavor.
- Occasionally I'll get feedback that the bars don't stick together well. To avoid this, don't be overly generous in your measuring. A heaping cups of oats can throw off the wet-to-dry ingredient ratio. If your bars aren't sticking together well after the time in the fridge, press them down again really firmly and then stick them in the freezer. You can cut them frozen and then keep them in the fridge to keep them from falling apart.
- If there's no saving a crumbly bar, you can normally roll them into bite-sized balls with lightly wet hands. That's a good way to save them.
How long do homemade granola bars last?
These last 4-5 days covered at room temperature, up to 2 weeks in the fridge, and up to 2 months in the freezer.
Can you freeze homemade granola bars?
Yes indeed! They freeze great and last up to 2 months in the freezer. Just store them with parchment between the layers or with wax or parchment paper wrapped around each bar so they don't stick together.
My Favorite Blueberry Pecan Granola Bar Recipe
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 min
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
Description
My all-time favorite blueberry pecan granola bar recipe made with whole grain oats, nuts, honey, and a few other simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup shredded coconut
- ⅓ cup dried blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment or foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.
- Place the oats and nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted. Place the nuts and oats in a large bowl.
- While the oats are toasting, add the honey, butter, and brown sugar to a small saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves and is lightly bubbly, stirring occasionally. When butter mixture is ready, remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Pour the sugar mixture over the oat and nut mixture and stir to combine. Add shredded coconut and dried blueberries and stir to combine. Make sure none of the oats are dry.
- Place all of the oat mixture in the prepared pan. Use a rubber spatula or the bottom of a greased measuring cup to press the mixture into the pan.
- Chill the granola bars for at least 2 hours. Lift the bars from the pan using the edges of the foil or parchment and place them on a cutting board. Cut as desired and serve.
- Store covered in the fridge or in the freezer for longer storage. If you are stacking the granola bars, place a piece of parchment paper between the layers.
Notes
- These store very well in the fridge or freezer. You may want to wrap them in a bit of parchment paper before putting them in a container or plastic bag in the fridge so they don’t stick together.
- I like to use dried wild blueberries because they are small and full of flavor. I find them at Trader Joe's (and stock up because I don't get to TJ's very often).
- You can skip toasting the nuts and oats, but it really makes the granola bars delicious and almost gives them a cookie-like flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 1 min
- Category: snack
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: granola bar, granola bar recipe, blueberry, oats, pecans, snack, how to make granola bars, healthy granola bars, homemade granola bars
Love these granola bars? I have lots of other granola bar recipes that you will love:
- 8 Easy Homemade Granola Bar Recipes You Should Try TODAY
- The Best Chocolate Chip Granola Bar Recipe
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Granola Bars
- White Chocolate and Craisin Granola Bars
- 8 No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls (they're like granola bar bites!)
Thanks for stopping in and enjoy making this recipe!
Life on the Farm:
Have you ever read Cook-a-Doodle-Do? It's a super fun kids book about a rooster who bakes a strawberry shortcake with his friends. At the end of the book there's even a recipe for the strawberry shortcake. Every time we get the book from the bookmobile, my kids ask to make the cake. This time, I finally obliged. It turned out so good! A little heavy on the whipped cream (thanks to help from little hands pouring in the cream), and a little light on the strawberries (thanks to a lot of sampling from little hands while cutting them up), but perfect nonetheless. When it was finished, my 7 year-old proceeded to take no less than 45 pictures of the cake, including a good attempt at a selfie with the cake, to honor the occasion. He's totally my kid (and that's definitely one of the pictures he took. He's a natural).
Beka
Granola bars. My nemesis! I've never made a successful granola bar, even with an ATK recipe. Until now! I made these last night with the hopes that, being YOUR recipe, they would turn out. These are absolutely delicious, and turned out beautifully. Thank you!!! Now I'm off to make your recipe for carne asada steak tacos!
Beka
Ooops, it's the beef carnitas tacos☺️
Melissa
Best. News. EVER! I hope you are well, I feel like I haven't talked to you in ages! Thinking of you friend!