The Only Granola Bar Recipe You'll Ever Need (2024)

The Only Granola Bar Recipe You'll Ever Need (1)

Eating real food with real ingredients usually means you need to make things from scratch. Like granola bars. Even the ones with organic ingredients usually have way more added sugar than needed. I was really excited when I found My Whole Food Life’s recipe, and decided to double it and substitute applesauce for a banana-free recipe. But what if you don’t have applesauce? And what if you are allergic to peanuts? I’ve done some experimenting with different ingredients and have come up with this: the only granola bar recipe you’ll ever need!

Ilove this recipe because it really only takes 15 minutes to mix the ingredients together. And you don’t need to break out any small appliances to do it. I’ve tried it with all kind of ingredients and this base recipe really works with anything!

Try using different ratios of rolled oats and quick-cook oats – I have found that if I use all rolled oats, it was too crumbly. If I used all quick-coat oats, it was really soft. I now use half and half of each.

I’ve tried peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, and homemade chocolate hazelnut butter (another My Whole Food Life favouriteminus the medjool dates). All of them work great in this recipe.

I love that I can use whatever fruit I have on hand: mashed bananas (if my husband isn’t going to eat them), strawberry chia jam, strawberry rhubarb chia jam, rhubarb stew, leftover smoothie that I made for my daughter, or really any combination of pureed fruit that is in the kitchen or freezer.

Most often I will add raisins, dried cranberries, and/or chocolate chips. (For dairy-free ones, I like Enjoy Life mini chips.)

The Only Granola Bar Recipe You'll Ever Need (2)

This failsafe recipe is proof that making real food from scratch doesn’t have to be time-consumingorexpensive.

Try it out and tell me what combination of ingredients you used!

The Only Granola Bar Recipe You'll Ever Need (3)

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    • EXACTLY!! Why so much sugar and added junk??

  1. Finally! A lower sugar granola bar recipe – thank you 🙂

    • You’re welcome! I hope you like it!

  2. And no processed sugar or palm oil either! Most of the time I find myself putting the packet back on the shelf when i see these or any chemical sounding ingredient. Do you have a recipe for homemade hazel nut choco spread you mentioned? 🙂

    • I made the hazelnut chocolate spread according to a recipe from My Whole Food Life but can’t find the original recipe on her site anymore. However, it’s super easy. Basically it’s grinding up the hazelnuts into butter, then adding cocoa powder, milk and whatever sweetener you like to taste. The closest one on her site is this one – minus the medjool dates. http://mywholefoodlife.com/2013/02/24/healthier-vegan-nutella-bites/

  3. I’ve never made granola bars, but these look tasty and pretty easy. I’ll have to try them!

    • I hope you like them! I love that you don’t need any real equipment to make these – so simple!

  4. these look amazing!! My family would love these!

    • Let me know how they work out for you!

  5. This looks like a great recipe. I’ve made a few different kinds of granola bars and this one looks delish! Thanks for sharing!

    • You’re so welcome!

  6. I love granola bars and they are great when you need something quick. I do appreciate a low sugar version and something can make that is flexible . I am pinning this for later!

    • Yay! Yes, I definitely needed something flexible because I am not always stocked on everything.

  7. This is a great recipe! I’m definitely giving this a try, but will need to use certified gf oats. Thank you for sharing! Pinning ?

    • There are definitely certified GF oats out there – I hope you like it!

  8. Love making my own granola bars! This recipe is super easy to follow Thanks (:

  9. Thanks so much for this cheat sheet! I used rolled oats, peanut butter, maple syrup, banana, dark chocolate chips, coconut, dried cranberries, milk, and I also added a tsp of vanilla and sprinkled sea salt on top. They’re in the oven now and I can’t wait!

    • Oh, that sounds amazing!!! I hope they taste good!!!

  10. What size pan?

    • I used a large baking sheet that is 15 1/2″ x 10″ and almost covered the whole thing.

  11. Can’t wait to try this! How do you store them once they are cooked? Freezer, pantry? How long are they good for?

    • I usually refrigerate them, but I’m sure you can freeze them too. We usually eat them up within a week and a half, but they’ll probably be good a bit longer than that. I probably wouldn’t keep them in the pantry just to keep them longer.

  12. Looks like a great recipe! I have been buying protein bars to avoid the mid-morning and mid-afternoon hypoglycemic crashes, but they are expensive. Do you think I could amp up the protein level using hemp hearts?

    • Yes! Great idea!

  13. Hi, please could you tell me what weight measurement corresponds to a cup, please – I’m English and am constantly baffled by this as we don’t really use it here. Usually if a recipe uses cups I reject it and search for one I can understand in grams or ounces, but yours looks so good that I really want to try it out! Thanks xxx

    • As far as I understand, 1 cup (250 ml) typically equals 8 ounces!

  14. Made these last summer and had them in freezer almost a year.
    They are still very soft and good. Will make them again for snack this summer. Instead of apple I had date purée.
    Thanks for recipe

    • I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you for sharing, I’m glad you’re making good use of it!

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The Only Granola Bar Recipe You'll Ever Need (2024)

FAQs

What is the best binder for granola bars? ›

Honey. Sweetens the granola bars and helps bind the dry ingredients together.

Are homemade granola bars healthier? ›

Are Granola Bars Healthy or Unhealthy? While store-bought granola bars can be unhealthy and full of added sugars, these homemade granola bars are healthy in moderation. They're a delicious and nutritious snack option compared to those that come in a package.

Should you soak oats before making granola bars? ›

Fill the bowl up with water to completely cover the mixture – enough that you can stir to combine. This soaking process will help the oats and seeds digest better. After the oat/seed mixture has soaked 8-12 hours, add the rest of the ingredients and combine.

What ingredient makes granola stick together? ›

Add an egg white.

The whites act as a kind of glue that binds the ingredients together. To ensure that the egg whites coat all the ingredients, I beat them with a whisk until foamy and increased in volume, which makes it much easier to fold into the granola.

What holds granola bars together? ›

While the oats and nuts bake, you can make the sticky glue that holds our bars together. You'll melt butter, honey, and brown sugar in a saucepan and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Mix this sticky mixture with the toasted oats and nuts.

What helps homemade granola bars stick together? ›

Honey – Along with the nut butter, it helps all these ingredients stick together! I love its warm amber flavor in this recipe. Vanilla extract – It amps up the bars' warm flavor.

Is it cheaper to make your own granola bars? ›

Homemade granola bars aren't hard to make once you have all the right ingredients and they'll certainly save you money in the long term. It's hard to fight against the convenience and habit of picking up a box of bars at the store, but it really seems like it's worth trying to make our own.

Does homemade granola spike blood sugar? ›

Because granola contains carbohydrates, it can spike blood sugar levels in some people with diabetes. However, whether or not granola spikes your blood sugar levels, and how quickly it may cause a blood sugar spike, will vary depending on what type of granola you eat and what you pair it with.

How long do homemade granola bars last? ›

How long does homemade granola last? 7 to 10 days in the fridge. Ensure the bars are well sealed so that they don't pick up any smells or absorb moisture. If you need more time than that, freezing the bars is definitely an option.

Why is my homemade granola soggy? ›

I aim to let it hit room temperature, whatever that may be; the real point is to give it ample time to shed excess heat and steam. This should take about 45 minutes; if left out indefinitely, the granola can turn sticky or soft, so do try to put it away as soon after cooling as you can.

Is it better to boil or soak oats? ›

Soaking not only softens the oats, but it also makes them more tender, quicker to cook, and easier to digest. In a side-by-side comparison, we found that unsoaked oats lacked that fluffy, creamy texture soaked oats provide. So, from here on out, we'll be soaking. Once they're soaked, it's time to cook.

Why do you rinse soaked oats? ›

Gently rinsing soaked oats not only helps them to be less “pasty” in texture, but also helps to reduce any sour flavor that may develop as a result of the soaking process.

Why is my homemade granola not crunchy? ›

Higher temperatures can cause ingredients like nuts, seeds, and coconut to burn before the batch has a chance to properly dry out and crisp up, Perry says. Stick with a low temperature, keep an eye on your mixture, and stir it from time to time to help it brown evenly.

What is the main ingredient in chewy granola bars? ›

GRANOLA (WHOLE GRAIN OATS, BROWN SUGAR, BROWN RICE CRISP [WHOLE GRAIN BROWN RICE FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT], WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT, SOYBEAN OIL, COCONUT, WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, BAKING SODA, SOY LECITHIN, NONFAT DRY MILK), SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS (SUGAR, CHOCOLATE LIQUOR, COCOA BUTTER, SOY LECITHIN, VANILLA EXTRACT), CORN SYRUP, ...

What is granola with a hint of cinnamon? ›

Kellogg's® Granola Crunchy. Indulge with the delicious Kellogg's® Granola Crunchy. It is the perfect combination of rolled oat clusters with shredded coconut and a hint of cinnamon.

How do you fix granola bars that fall apart? ›

If your granola bars are falling apart or seem too crumbly, here are a few tips. Make sure you use honey or another sticky sweetener such as maple syrup in the liquid part of the recipe; this recipe calls for honey. This will help bind together the ingredients and keep that signature bar shape.

What foods can be used as a binder? ›

Binding Agents: In a Nutshell
  • Cracker crumbs.
  • Eggs.
  • Evaporated milk.
  • Gelatin.
  • Ground flax.
  • Guar gum.
  • Oatmeal.
  • Milk.
Aug 17, 2021

What is a good binder for baking? ›

The three most common binders are xanthan gum, guar gum and psyllium husk powder. Each one works in a slightly different way to help create the structure we need to hold baked goods together.

What is the best binder for baking? ›

Flour. Flour is essential in binding other ingredients in many baked goods and can also be used as a thickener in sauces and soups. Wheat flour contains both starch and protein (gluten) that create structure and bind molecules together when cooked.

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