Homemade Granola Bars
on Jan 04, 2020, Updated Jul 23, 2024
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These Homemade Granola Bars are a perfect on-the-go snack for busy days, and they come together easily for stress-free, nutritious snacking for the whole family!
I love, love, love having homemade granola bars on hand because it makes grabbing a healthy snack or fueling up between meals super simple for my whole family.
I like to give them to my kids after school or between activities for a tasty bite that will keep them full. You’ll never believe (or get over) how easily these granola bars come together for a great snack for the whole family all week long!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Made with simple, nourishing ingredients for easy and healthy snacking.
- Quick to prepare, perfect for on-the-go eating.
- Nut-free and dairy-free, suitable for those with allergies.
- Versatile recipe—easy to customize with nuts, dried fruit, or chocolate chips (a favorite with kids).
Recipe Ingredients
- Honey: Sweetens naturally with the goodness of bees.
- Coconut oil: Gives a smooth, tropical touch and holds everything together.
- Coconut sugar: A caramel-like sweetness from the sap of coconut palms.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a warm, comforting flavor.
- Salt: A pinch to enhance all the flavors.
- Flax meal, ground flax seeds: Packs in fiber and nutrients for a healthy boost.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats: Provides heartiness and chew, perfect for energy.
- Mix-ins, optional: Customize with your favorites, like nuts or chocolate chips for extra fun and flavor!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Homemade Granola Bars
Step 1: In a small saucepan, combine honey, coconut oil, and coconut sugar. Heat over medium until the oil melts and the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a light bubbly simmer, stirring constantly for one minute.
Step 2: Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in vanilla, salt, and then flax meal. Add oats and any optional extras like nuts or chocolate chips, and mix well.
Step 3: Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in vanilla, salt, and then flax meal. Add oats and any optional extras like nuts or chocolate chips, and mix well.
Step 4: Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish. Press it firmly into the pan using a rubber spatula or the bottom of a greased measuring cup. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Lift out using the parchment or foil, cut into bars, and enjoy.
Recipe FAQs
I always think homemade anything, including granola bars, is better than store-bought options because there are no added chemicals or preservatives or other things you don’t want in it when you make it at home. These are very healthy and filling, and they’re made with natural sweeteners, oats, coconut oil, and flax meal.
These homemade granola bars are simple and have nutritious ingredients, including honey, coconut oil, coconut sugar, vanilla, salt, flax meal, and oats. You can also add optional mix-ins, like dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, or shredded coconut.
Old-fashioned rolled oats are ideal for granola bars because they hold up well during mixing and baking, providing a chewy texture. Avoid using instant oats as they can become too mushy.
Store granola bars in the fridge in an airtight container, separated by parchment paper. They also freeze great for long-term storage. They are fine to have in lunch boxes without keeping them cold. The fridge just helps them to last longer!
Expert Tips
- Feel free to add nuts, shredded coconut, dried fruit, anything you’d like. No more than 1/2 cup of mix-ins. Too many and they won’t stick together as well.
- My favorite flavor combo is a dash of cinnamon when you add the vanilla, and then stir in chopped pecans, dried blueberries, and a little shredded coconut.
- If you don’t have flax meal, just replace it with more oats. It does help the bars stick together, though, and adds some great nutrition.
- You can add a scoop of collagen peptides or other protein powder to these when you add the oats if you like.
More Granola Recipes To Consider
Healthy Snacks
8 Easy Homemade Granola Bar Recipes
Granola Recipes
Healthy Homemade Granola
Granola Recipes
Homemade Cinnamon Granola Recipe
Granola Recipes
No Bake Peanut Butter Honey Granola Bars
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Healthy Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons flax meal, ground flax seeds
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup mix-ins*, optional
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper so that it hangs over the sides (you can also use foil — just be sure to give it a spray of cooking spray), and set aside.
- Add the honey, coconut oil, and coconut sugar to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the oil melts and the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Bring to a light bubbly simmer, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the vanilla and salt, and stir to combine.
- Add the flax meal, and stir to combine.
- Add the oats and any extras you’d like, and stir to combine.
- 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 firmly into the pan (press it well — this will help the bars stick together when cut).
- If you are adding chocolate, wait about 15 minutes for the mixture to cool a bit before adding the chocolate to the top of the bar, and press the chocolate firmly into the bars with the bottom of a measuring cup.
- Chill the granola bars in fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Lift the bars from the pan using the edges of the foil or parchment, and place them on a cutting board. Cut into desired shape/sizes and serve.
- Extras are best stored in the fridge with layers of parchment paper in between them.
Notes
- You can double this recipe and place it in a 9×13 inch pan or you can put a single batch in a 9×9 pan, they’ll just be a bit thinner.
- Use a combination of sticky binders like honey, maple syrup, or brown rice syrup along with a nut butter (like almond butter or peanut butter). This helps hold the granola bars together.
- Start with good quality oats (old-fashioned rolled oats work best), nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. Choose ingredients that you enjoy and that complement each other in terms of flavor and texture!
- Thoroughly mix the dry ingredients together before adding the wet ingredients. This ensures an even distribution of flavors and helps prevent clumps of certain ingredients.
A really delicious recipe
I am on a low fat diet due to gallbladder issues. Instead of the coconut oil, could I use peanut butter (made from powdered peanut butter and water)? Thank you in advance.
Just made these yesterday, and my little and I LOVE them. I used regular sugar because that’s what I had. Looking forward to trying the coconut sugar. We used chia seeds instead of flax (that’s what we had) and used walnuts as a mix in. Tasted like a Christmas treat while still giving us some protein.
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!