Homemade Granola Bars are super-easy to make, with just 4 simple ingredients. They will quickly become one of your favorite healthy snacks!
Why You’ll Love Them
They taste amazing. Homemade granola bars taste better than the kind you’d buy from the store! The sweet and salty flavor is hard to resist.
They are easy to customize. You can add any mix-ins you love, such as sliced almonds, unsweetened coconut, dried fruits, or even some mini chocolate chips. If you don’t love peanut butter, feel free to use almond butter, or even sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option.
They are quick to prepare. All you need is 4 simple ingredients and about 10 minutes of time to prepare this easy snack. No oven required!
They are nourishing. The combination of whole grain oats and peanut butter will keep you feeling satisfied, with plenty of protein and fiber in each bite. When you add in extras like hemp hearts or dried fruit, like cranberries or raisins, you’ll get an even wider variety of nutrients, too.
They are gluten-free. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but be sure to buy oats that are certified gluten-free to help avoid any potential cross contamination that may occur during the manufacturing process.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the base recipe, you’ll need only oats, honey, salt, and your favorite nut butter. If you’re not a fan of peanut butter, try almond butter or cashew butter, instead. From there, you can get creative with any additions you love, such as adding hemp hearts for extra protein.
Add a splash of vanilla extract for flavor, or stir in some walnuts, pecans, or sunflower seeds for crunch. Just like making energy balls, you can easily customize the flavor each time you make these.
How to Make the Best Granola Bars
1. Mix the dry ingredients.
This recipe moves quickly, so start by combining the rolled oats, salt, and any other additions you like, such as hemp hearts, in a large mixing bowl.
Stir well, and then set this aside while you boil the honey.
2. Boil.
Add the honey to a small saucepan, and bring it to a boil over medium heat. As soon as it starts regularly bubbling around the edges of the pan, set a timer for 1 minute.
3. Mix.
When the timer goes off, turn off the heat and mix in the peanut butter. You’ll want to stir quickly, because the mixture will become harder to stir as it cools.
Pour the peanut butter mixture into the bowl of oats, and stir well. It will become thicker and harder to stir as you go, but keep mixing until it looks like the oats have been uniformly coated.
4. Press.
Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch square baking dish lined with parchment paper. (Pro Tip: Spray the pan with oil first, so the parchment paper will stick in place.)
Use a spatula to flatten the bars into the pan. Press firmly, so they will be packed together and will cut easily later.
If you’d like a chocolate-coated granola bar, melt a 1/3 cup of chocolate chips and spread them evenly over the top. It will harden as the bars cool. You can also sprinkle coarse sea salt on top, for a sweet & salty flavor.
5. Slice & Enjoy!
Let the granola bars cool completely, then they are ready to slice and serve. Cut them into 12 bars, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. You can also store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you store them at room temperature, they may spoil more quickly, but they should keep well for up to a week.
These healthy granola bars will have a chewy texture when you serve them at room temperature, and they are crunchier when served chilled. They will keep well in your purse, or backpack, if you need an easy snack on the go!
Frequently Asked Questions
Cooking the honey is what helps bind this recipe, so the granola bars will stick together even when you serve them at room temperature. If you would prefer to skip cooking the honey, the bars will most likely need to stay chilled for serving. Or, you can try making a date-based granola bar instead, which has no cooking involved.
Yes, you can replace the honey with maple syrup. In my experience, maple syrup hardens a bit more than honey, so the texture might change slightly.
Yes, if you need an easy school lunch option, try using sunflower seed butter or tahini to replace the peanut butter. You can also stir in extra seeds for crunch, such as pumpkin seeds or chia seeds.
Looking for more healthy snacks? Try Banana Snack Cake or Peanut Butter Protein Balls, for more variety.
Easy Granola Bars
Ingredients
Granola Bars
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (use certified gluten-free if needed.)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Optional toppings or Mix-Ins
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips , melted
- 1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup almonds or hemp hearts (see notes for tips)
Instructions
- Pour the oats, salt, and any of the optional dry mix-ins, like hemp hearts, into a large bowl and stir well, then set it aside. Lightly grease a 9-inch square pan with cooking spray and press a square of parchment paper into the bottom. (The oil will hold the parchment paper in place, so it doesn't move around later.)
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the honey to a boil. Set a timer and allow the honey to boil for 1 minute, without stirring.
- Remove from the pan of honey from the heat and stir in the peanut butter. As soon as the mixture is smooth, pour it over the oats.
- Use a spatula to stir quickly, coating the oats evenly with the peanut butter mixture. It will harden as it cools, so it may become more difficult to stir as it cools down.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, and press it very firmly into the bottom. If you're adding any of the optional toppings, like the melted chocolate, you can spread it over the top now. For extra crunch, you can sprinkle chopped almonds or other nuts on top of the melted chocolate, too.
- Let the granola bars cool in the fridge for freezer for up to 30 minutes, then use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan and slice them into 12 pieces. These granola bars can be kept at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months if you'd like to make a larger batch. They can thaw overnight in the fridge.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this granola bar recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like them.
These are a staple in my house, easy, yummy and kid approved
Can you use raw honey in this recipe?
These will be the perfect breast feeding snack! Thanks for the easy recipe, I might try with different nut butters or add in some dried fruit.
These are SOOO good! I just made them just as the recipe reads and they remind me od no bake cookies (without the cocoa, yummmmm 🙂
I just made these. I added chia seeds and a little bit of cacao nibs. Now my son has something healthy and yummy to take with him as his lunch treat for school. Thankyou!
These look fantastic and so easy! Thank you. I’m on a mission to get my family off the store bought bars. I’m going to give it a try with PB2, it should work, right?
Wow I make homemade dog treats for our dog and made “granola ” bars for him. When I saw this website I had to make a chewy bar for the family. Found shelled pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds to add in as well as mini dark chocolate chips. Used the crunchy peanut butter and will make these again. I will cut down on the peanut butter next batch. Trying to get the family to eat more “healthy” these days, including the dog. I am retired and finally able to get into shape. Thank you
How sticky/crumbly/fallapart-y will these bars be? I want to take them to school where they’ll have to spend all day in my (nonrefrigerated) backpack and survive walking/bumping.
They haven’t fallen apart on me and I keep mine in the front of my messenger bag. My son keeps his in his school backpack and it holds up to him throwing it on the floor. My husband and son like me to do a double batch with a layer of semi-melted chocolate chips in the middle.
Thank you! I have been searching for over an hour now trying to find a simple bar I can add hemp or flax seed to. Finally! I hope these taste as good as they look.
They are absolutely delicious!!!!!! I am making a double batch right now! I added flax seed and peanuts in the first batch. This time I will add hemp seed as well. I’m so happy you put this recipe up thank you!!!!!
The texture and flavor are good. A little too sweet…. that is why I gave 4 stars. The second time I made it: Toss oats in a skillet over medium on stovetop for 4~5 minutes, remove away from heat. Add 1 1/2 TABLESPOON DARK COCOA POWDER TO PEANUT BUTTER, stir to blend well. Then do everything as recipe says. That tastes balanced.
My husband informed me I should no longer make single batches of these– just double! we make with sunflower butter so my son can take them to school. A staple for sure!
Um, those sprayed peanuts? You do know that the peanuts themselves grow underground, rather than near foliage?
The USDA has reported finding 8 pesticides in peanut butter, so clearly the final product is still affected, even though they are grown underground.
Were the pesticides those used during growth or while the peanuts were stored?
The pesticides are used while grown– typically they must be sprayed every 8 to 10 days during their growing season, because peanut crops are rotated with cotton crops and now that cotton as been genetically engineered to withstand higher doses of chemicals, the soil has become more polluted than ever. Because the peanuts are buried underground with a very soft, porous shell (unlike nuts, that have a very hard shell) they are able to absorb everything added to the soil.
Dang, some serious conversation for a simple recipe.
Simple is seriously the best, made these last night! Forget the store bought ones full of crap!
These are incredible!
These are Amazing!!
I made these as directed but even though I really pressed firmly, they ended up crumbling once I cut them into bars. Not really a loss though, as I just turned it into granola crumbles. :). I loved the flavor and will make these again, though with half the honey and maybe a quarter cup of melted coconut oil. I used a really thick, freshly ground peanut butter which is likely why it was too dry. Still delish!!
My grandson and I made these today. He loves them. He decided to make them into balls that we rolled in shredded coconut. Yum!
Am confused. Aren’t peanuts a protein and oats a starch = not optimum food combining?
Yes, this recipe is not properly combined– it’s just an upgrade for those transitioning away from processed granola bars.
Ah, ok, thanks for that !!! Sounds divine anyway, I’m sure I’ll have to make some!
Can you give us the nutritional info please?
Any idea what the nutritional facts are on this? When I put the ingredients into My Fitness Pal it acted like the bars are 300+ cal per bar – totally ok, just wanted to make sure it was accurate. Thanks!
Do you have any tips if you are going to add chocolate chips? I used minis and it resulted in melted chocolate. Still taste good. I tried adding it both to the oats before I put the peanut butter and honey mixture as well as some after it was all mixed in. I think those survived the best but hard to tell in the melted chocolate mess.
Same issue! I even tried frozen chocolate chips and they still melted immediately!
These are INCREDIBLE! ! The recipe says they last a week. They definitely do not last that long n my house. I had to make two batches in 24 hrs once.
I’m wondering if anyone has made these using oat flour instead of whole oats. My toddler son really has a thing for texture and would probably prefer something more smooth instead. I’m going to try it out tomorrow an see how it goes regardless, they sound great.
Rachel,
You could pulse the oats in a food processor or blender first, or you could try using oatmeal (oats soaking in water or milk) to make a softer texture.
how should i reduce the sweetness
Love these! So good, and my daughter loves them! Thank you!
Do u know the nutritional values to these no bake granola bars? Mainly sodium cholesterol calories fiber carbs ect?
I see that other people asked about the nutritional facts, but there hasn’t been an answer, I’m wondering that too. My fiance is on a strict low fat diet and I think he’d love these bars, but I don’t really want to make them for him if he can’t eat them. Does anybody know the grams of fat or percentage? Thanks.
You can calculate any nutrition info you need using a free website like MyFitnessPal.com!
131g of fat for the whole batch plus however much is in the honey, divided by however many bars you divide it into. If you cut 12 bars, it’s about 11g fat each.
These bars are delicious! They make a great afternoon snack at work. Do you think they could be made with agave nectar instead of honey?
These were the perfect salty-sweet pre-workout energy boost—love them! I added chopped cashews and dates to the mix & they turned out amazing. Thanks for sharing another great recipe!
Eh. Not terrible but not wonderful either. I won’t be making them again. My husband, who isn’t a complainer, said they have the texture of cardboard and tasted like sawdust with honey. I’ll eat them because I don’t want to waste them, but they’re not for us.
I followed the directions and didn’t change anything, in case anyone is wondering.
I took your recipe and went a little crazy with it. I can’t have honey so I swapped out with maple syrup. I wanted the benefits of millet. I boiled about a quarter cup of millet until softened but not to porridge. I also heated up about a quarter cup of raspberries. When the peanut butter and maple syrup where ready, I added the millet and raspberries and stirred ’til it was smooth. The rest of the directions I did just as you said. Oh my! Are these good!
Love these thanks so much for sharing this recipe….I use cashew butter and maple syrup instead of peanut butter and honey then chuck in some cocoa nibs and top with a mocha icing using coconut oil, cocoa powder, steam pressed decaf ground coffee and maple syrup. Delicious…thanks for inspiring a delicious and healthy (ish!) treat.
I’ve tried about a dozen different recipes looking for just the right recipe- not too dry, not too crunchy, not too fussy to make- and this was PERFECT! I sprinkled mini chocolate chips on top, but they really aren’t necessary! I ate almost half the batch before my kids ever woke up from nap lol. THIS is now my go-to recipe! Thank you!
This is the kind of thing I need to snack on ore often (:
Great and easy recipe to make with the kids! I added 1/4 cup of flaxseed and 1/4 cup of chia seed to the mixture and it still came out great!
Thanks for this awesome and easy recipe! I just made my first granola bars today and they were bombbb
These are very good, if course, how could they not be? I removed a 1/4 cup.or oats and added a 1/4 cup flax meal for health. I also added 2 Tbspoons dark cocoa powder ( per daughters request). These were sweeter than I hoped for the kids but no complaints from them! I will make them again with a little less honey and replace lost honey with peanut butter. Very good indeed!
Made these yesterday. I used quick cooking oats and combination of honey and maple syrup and almond butter. Easy and only took five minutes. So good! Another great simple recipe.
Love your easy to make and delicious recipes.
Thank’s for your receipt !
I’ve been making these for years. I loooove these and do my kids. We devour them!
Thank you so much for these, can’t wait to try them. Question: Do you think I can add protein powder to this mixture? Or would that not work because the paste is so hot?
Tried it yesterday, I added chocolate chips and chopped up dried figs- it turned out amazing! Thanks for sharing!
I love this recipe and so do my kids! I omit the chocolate chips and it’s only 3 ingredients! Thank you for sharing!
Boyfriend and I love these. I found this recipe a year or two ago and we always have a batch in the freezer. Great “after work pre gym pick-me-ups” or “no time to eat breakfast so grab one on my way to the office and enjoy it with my coffee when I get there” snacks. Our favorite blend is to add 1/4 cup of cocoa nibs and 1/4 to 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes. The honey makes these so sweet already that they can handle a lot of cocoa nibs to give great chocolate-y flavour that doesn’t taste bitter at all. Highly recommend.
My family LOVES these granola bars even more than the store-bought variety! I love that they have limited ingredients and are so easy to make. We’ve made these again and again, trying different variations. Our favorite? Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter and extra dark chocolate chips!
These were so easy to make and tasted amazing!! I toasted my oats first, added coconut and chocolate chips.These taste better than the store bought ones Andy know all the ingredients. Thanks
I didn’t make it through all of the comments to see if anyone asked this – but it’s confusing whether you use a 9” square pan or a loaf pan. To me, one is a square and one is a rectangular loaf pan. I used the square and my mixture wouldn’t cover the bottom so I’m wondering if I should’ve used a loaf pan. Haven’t tried them yet but you can’t go wrong with the ingredients- pretty much my four basic food groups!
with this quarantine, it would be great to try to make the recipe for the honey bars, excellent recipe. Congrats!
excellent recipe and easy to make, besides honey is a very nutritious super food, thanks for sharing this kind of recipes 🙂
I made this with 1/2 cup of mixed honey and maple syrup. It turned out great. I kept it in the freezer half of the time and rest in the fridge. It didn’t hold dry in room temperature. What did i miss?
My comment should read “hard” instead of “dry”.