Healthy Granola Bars

This granola bar recipe is the perfect snack for the on-the-go. My easy homemade granola bars are a healthy alternative to store-bought snack bars.

I consider myself something of a snack connoisseur. And for me, the best snacks have to be quick to make, easy to put in my bag for the day, and, most importantly, delicious. So, in my quest to bring simple healthy snacks to people, I’ve created this healthy granola bar recipe. Packed full of goodness, it’s a great addition to your rotation of healthy snacks and perfect as a breakfast bar on the go or a mid-morning or afternoon snack for a burst of energy.

I will always champion homemade bars over store-bought granola bars because you can control what you put inside. Store-bought cereal bars can often be packed full of hidden sugar and nasty ingredients that make them surprisingly bad for you. So, I’ve made sure my DIY granola bars and super easy to make and easily customizable so you can make them exactly how you like them.

Are Granola Bars Healthy

It depends on the bar. Some can be heavily processed and contain little fiber and lots of sugar. You’d be better off eating a candy bar for the same level of nutrition!

Healthy granola bars should have low sugar and be packed with good ingredients that’ll keep you full and give you plenty of nutrients. With the right ingredients, oatmeal granola bars can be super healthy.

Are Granola Bars Considered a Good Breakfast

In small portions, granola bars are a decent part of a healthy breakfast. But – it shouldn’t be the only thing you eat. A good breakfast should be a balance of vitamins and minerals, proteins, fiber, and complex carbohydrates. Breakfast granola bars can be a great way to add fiber into your diet, but make sure to enjoy it with other treats, like smoothies, yogurt, eggs, wholemeal bread and cereals, and fruit and veggies.

Homemade Granola Bars Ingredients

• Rolled Oats: You can use steel-cut or ordinary oatmeal oats instead. If needed, use certified gluten-free. In a pinch, quinoa, millet, and buckwheat can be used, but oats work best for these oatmeal breakfast bars.
• Almonds: I like almonds best but you can use any nut for these granola bars. Hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, or pistachios are good alternatives.
• Sunflower Seeds: You can also use hemp seeds, flax seeds, or pumpkin seeds. Don’t skip the seeds, they bring a bit of crunch to this chewy granola bar recipe.
• Honey: For a touch of sweetness. You can substitute it for agave syrup, maple syrup, or even apple sauce for vegan granola bars.
• Almond Butter: This is the glue that will keep your oatmeal granola bar together. You can substitute with peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, or other nut butter or seed butter if you prefer, though it works well to have it match your chosen nuts.
• Chocolate: You can use chunks or mini chocolate chips if you prefer. Dark, semisweet, or sweet all work.

Homemade Granola Bars Variations

• Sweetener: If you’re wondering how to make granola bars vegan, the trick is in the honey. Swap it out for maple syrup or a combo of agave nectar and coconut oil. Alternatively, you could use Medjool dates as they’ll make the granola sticky and act as a natural sweetener, giving you the perfect chewy granola bars.
• Protein Blend: If you’re looking for an optional boost in these soft granola bars, I love adding some Homemade Protein Blend for an easy nutrition bump.
• Dried Fruit: For added flavor and sweetness, use dried fruits. I love using dried cranberries, raisins, apricots, and figs – but you can add whichever you like.
• Freeze-dried Fruit: A budget-friendly option to give crunch to any healthy snack bars recipe is freeze-dried fruit like banana chips, strawberries, and raspberries.
• Spices: You can give your chewy granola bar a true cookie feel with extra spices like cinnamon or vanilla extract for extra flavor.
• Sea Salt: Salt is especially important in sweet treats as it brings out the flavor of the chocolate and counterbalances the sweetness of the honey/syrup in these snack bars.
• Coconut: My unsweetened shredded coconut is also great for adding flavor, as well as texture, and nutrition to this breakfast bar recipe. They’re also a brilliant complement to freeze-dried berries.
• Additional Seeds: For extra nutrition and texture in your breakfast bar, go for flaxseeds, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds.

Chef’s Tip: The more dry ingredients you add, the more sweetener/binding you’ll need to keep this granola bar recipe chewy and delicious! So keep this in mind and don’t add all the options. It’s best to try different combos each time you make it so you never get bored.

How to Make Granola Bars

Toasting

Toast the oats, almonds, and sunflower seeds for around 12 minutes at 350ºF/170ºC. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Bake them for a couple of minutes longer if you prefer a more golden, crispy texture. 

Once you take them out of the oven, let them cool down a bit.

Make the Granola

Mix all the wet ingredients in a bowl. Add protein powder or cinnamon (or spices) if using and stir well.

Add the roasted nuts and seeds to the bowl and mix well. Add a bit more honey (or your liquid sweetener of choice) if the mixture isn’t sticky enough. This will need to be adjusted as you adjust the granola bar recipe ingredients.

If wanted, you can mix in the chocolate chips now. I prefer to keep them separate and put them on top of the granola before chilling.

Transfer to a Tin

Cover a small tray or square bowl with a piece of parchment paper. I use a 9 x 9-inch pan (23×23 cm). Adding a bit of oil or butter to the tray helps the paper stick to it.

Pour the granola bar mix in and stack well. Use a spatula or a glass/cup with a flat bottom to spread and press the granola onto the tray. If you keep your chocolate chips aside, place them on the granola now, then press down so they stick to the mixture.

Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Once hardened and cool, cut into even-sized rectangular bars. I cut mine into 10 bars.

How Long Do Granola Bars Last

You can keep these healthy granola bars in the fridge for up to a week.

You can also freeze them for up to two months. Store in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers of breakfast bars so they don’t stick to each other.

If you prefer, you can individually wrap them for an easy grab-and-go snack. I like keeping a container of them so I can grab one whenever I want – a great meal prep.

More Healthy Snack Great Recipes

• Cookies with Dates or Nuts
• Crispy Kale Chips
• Avocado Toast with Egg
• Homemade Fruit Roll Ups
• How to Make Healthy Granola

If you try this homemade granola bar recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!