Healthy Granola Bars Recipe
This healthy granola bars recipe is naturally sweetened, chewy, and made with simple pantry staples like oats, nut butter, and honey or maple syrup. Perfect for meal prep, school lunches, or post-workout snacks, these homemade granola bars are customizable, kid-approved, and far healthier than store-bought versions.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups rolled oats old-fashioned
- ¾ cup nuts or seeds almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds, chopped
- ½ cup nut butter peanut butter or almond butter
- ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut oil optional but recommended
- ½ cup dried fruit raisins, cranberries, dates, or apricots, chopped
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon optional
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp chia seeds or ground flaxseed optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Spread oats and nuts on a baking sheet. Toast for 8–10 minutes until lightly golden.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, warm nut butter, honey (or maple syrup), and coconut oil until smooth.
- Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a large bowl, combine toasted oats, nuts, seeds, chia/flax, and dried fruit.
- Pour warm wet mixture over dry ingredients and mix until fully coated.
- Press mixture very firmly into prepared pan.
- Bake for 15–18 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
- Cool completely in the pan (about 1 hour). Chill 30 minutes before slicing for clean cuts.
Notes
- Pressing the mixture firmly is the key to bars that hold together.
- Bars will continue to firm up as they cool—avoid overbaking.
- For no-bake bars, skip baking and chill for 2–3 hours instead.