Healthy homemade granola bars using almond butter, nuts, seeds and dark chocolate for a delicious, healthy snack
I don’t know about you, but I get easily bored with having the same ‘snacks’ all the time. For me, the perfect snack is one that is quickly ‘grabbable’, not too unhealthy and will keep me going till my next meal. Luckily, after a short amount of prep time, these homemade almond butter granola bars fit all three criteria.
These homemade granola bars only take a short amount of ‘meal-prep’ time (about 15 minutes with only a few minutes hands-on) and then you have a week’s worth of snacks ready to grab whenever you have a craving (and stopping you reaching for something less healthy!). The almond butter within helps to make the bars dense and chewy too – the perfect snack to keep you fuller for longer while feeling like you’re getting a treat.
Not only can homemade granola bars easily be made using store cupboard ingredients, by making them at home you can be in control of the sugar content and various ingredients while still making them taste great. Plus, they are incredibly versatile. I’ve included the recipe for my favourite blend of nuts, seeds and chocolate 5-ingredient base. However, I’ll also include a list of optional add-ins/ alternatives.
For this particular recipe, I used honey within the mix. However, if you want to make vegan granola bars, it’s easy to swap this out for a combination of agave nectar and coconut oil (or maple syrup) which will help to bind the mixture. You can also use the sticky-sweet power of dates as a natural vegan sweetener.
The Ingredients In These 5-Ingredient Granola Bars
- Rolled oats: For a chewy texture and keeping you full for longer.
- Almonds and sunflower seeds: You can either keep these whole or crush into smaller bits. Fantastic for crunch and additional nutrients.
- Honey: used as a natural sweetener and to bind the ingredients. For a vegan granola bar option then feel free to swap out either a combination of agave and coconut oil or maple syrup.
- Almond butter: Helps to make chewy, dense bars that are more-ish (and delicious). You could swap this out for peanut butter or another nut or seed butter.
- Chocolate chips: I used a dairy-free dark chocolate bar that I broke down into smaller bits. Feel free to use the chocolate of your choice or mini chocolate chips.
Optional Ingredients
- Protein blend – While optional, I love to add some homemade protein blend into all my granola bars for an easy nutrition bump.
- Dried Fruit – An excellent option for adding flavour and extra sweetness is dried fruits. Some possibilities include dried cranberries, raisins, apricots, figs and more.
- Freeze-dried fruit- If chewy isn’t what you want then how abut crunchy? Dried banana chips are an amazing addition as well as strawberries, raspberries etc.
- Spices: Vanilla extract or spices like cinnamon can be great for adding a little ‘boost’ of flavour to your granola bars and keep thing interesting.
- Sea Salt – Just a pinch of sea salt can help to bring out the flavour of the chocolate and counterbalance the sweetness of the honey/ syrup.
- Coconut – desiccated unsweetened coconut adds texture, flavour and nutrition to any granola bar recipe (and is lovely when combined with freeze-dried berries)
- Additional seeds: Chia seeds, flaxseeds, and pumpkin seeds all add different nutritional values and textures to homemade granola bars
Just be aware that the more dry ingredients you add, the more sweetener/binding agent will be needed for your granola bars.
How to Make Granola Bars
The process for any homemade granola bar is super simple and can be done in under 15 minutes (not including chilling time).
The Steps:
Start by roasting the almonds, sunflower seeds and oats for about 12 minutes at 170ºC. Keep an eye on them, so they don’t burn. If you prefer a more golden crispy texture, then roast them a couple of minutes longer.
Note* You can crush your nuts before roasting if you want smaller pieces in your granola bars. It also helps the bars stick together better, with the smaller pieces.
While the nuts are roasting, mix the honey, almond butter and (optional) protein powder.
Note: You can replace the honey with maple syrup or agave and coconut oil – the mix of these two will help the granola become sticky.
Optionally, you could add Medjool dates as they will make the granola sticky too as well as act as a natural sweetener.
Add the roasted nuts and seeds and mix well (no need to wait for them to cool to room temperature). Add a bit more honey (or your liquid sweetener of choice) if the mixture is not sticking well.
Cover a small tray or square bowl with parchment paper.
Lay the granola mix, add the chocolate chips, and stack the mix well into the tray/bowl. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to solidify.
When the granola mix is chilled, cut into even-sized rectangular bars.
Keep in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for two months. I store mine in an airtight glass container with parchment paper between the layers, so they don’t stick together.
You could individually wrap them too if you want them as a grab-and-go snack. However, I usually have them when at home so I just take one from the container every time I want one.
Other Healthy Snack Recipes You May Like
If you have granola on the brain then you might like these Healthy Yogurt Granola Cups. I also have recipes for Golden Turmeric Energy Balls (No-bake) or even Healthy Cacao & Almond Protein Balls.
If you’re wanting something a bit more indulgent then you might like these Sundried Tomato Savoury Muffins & Rainbow Hummus Frosting or this Banana Bread and Homemade Nutella or this Chocolate Orange Vegan Leopard Print Cake / Brioche. And you can find lots more in the ‘snacks’ section of my website.
As always, if you try this recipe, then I’d appreciate a rating and your thoughts in the comments below. Also, feel free to tag me in your recreations @Alphafoodie.
Homemade Healthy Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup almonds raw
- 2 tBsp sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup honey add more if needed / if it's not sticky - can swap with maple or agave + coconut oil for vegan version.
- 1/3 cup almond butter or peanut butter
- 1/4 tsp salt optional
- 2 tBsp protein blend optional
- 1/4 cups dark chocolate chips or 50 gr chocolate bar
Instructions
- Roast the almonds*, sunflower seeds and oats for about 12 minutes at 170ºC. Keep an eye on them, so they don't burn. If you prefer a more golden crispy texture, then roast them a couple minutes longer. *
- While the nuts are roasting, mix the honey**, almond butter and (optional) protein powder.
- Add the roasted nuts and seeds and mix well. Add a bit more honey ( or your liquid sweetener of choice) if the mixture is not mixing well. ***
- Cover a small tray or square bowl with parchment paper and spoon in the granola bar mixture, adding the chocolate chips**** and spreading/flattening for an even layer. See how to do it on the video on the blog.
- Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to solidify.
- When the granola mix is chilled, cut into even-sized rectangular bars.
Keep in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for 2 months. I store mine in an airtight glass container with parchment paper between the layers, so they don't stick together.
Video
Notes
Optionally, you could add medjool dates as they will make the granola sticky too as well as act as a natural sweetener. *** This is where you'd also add any extra ingredients like any of the ones suggested below. **** Alternatively, you can mix the chocolate directly into the sticky mix to have them spread throughout the bars. Optional Ingredients:
- Protein blend - While optional, I love to add some homemade protein blend into all my granola bars for an easy nutrition bump.
- Dried Fruit - A great option for adding flavour and extra sweetness is dried fruits. Some options include dried cranberries, raisins, apricots, figs and more.
- Freeze-dried fruit- In chewy isn't what you want then how abut crunchy? Dried banana chips are an amazing addition as well as strawberries, raspberries etc.
- Spices: Vanilla extract or spices like cinnamon can be great for adding a little 'boost' of flavour to your granola bars and keep thing interesting.
- Sea Salt - Just a pinch of sea salt can help to bring out the flavour of the chocolate and counterbalance the sweetness of the honey/ syrup.
- Coconut - desiccated unsweetened coconut adds texture, flavour and nutrition to any granola bar recipe ( and is wonderful when combined with freeze dried berries)
- Additional seeds: Chia seeds, flaxseeds, and pumpkin seeds all add different nutritional values and textures to homemade granola bars
Nutrition
You never mentioned adding the oats or salt into the recipe so I don’t know when those get added. Thank you!
Hi Erin,
The oats are roasted together with the almond and sunflower seeds (step 1). The salt can be added when mixing the roasted ingredients with the honey and almond butter. I hope this helps.