Healthy Granola Bar Recipe

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This Healthy Granola Bar Recipe is packed with nutrition, flavor, and wholesome ingredients. Perfect for on-the-go snacking and will satisfy your sweet cravings!

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Healthy Granola Bar

If you’re looking for healthy snack ideas, you’ve found the perfect recipe! I’ve been making this homemade and healthy Granola Bar Recipe on repeat because I love everything about them. They are made with healthy ingredients and can be customized any way you want so you’ll never get bored of this snack.

If you love these bars, try my Cranberry Almond Energy Bites which is just like a granola bar in a bite-size version!

There is SO MUCH texture in these from the chewy tart cranberries, crunchy almonds, crispy cereal, and chocolate bits- your taste buds and mouth will have their own party.

It’s so easy and convenient to buy granola bars and from the grocery store but these are easy enough to make and are better for you. The best part about this easy recipe is you don’t need to bake these bars. All you do is let them sit in the fridge for a bit to set.

Speaking of healthy snacks, if you love granola try my Vanilla Nut Granola, Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola, and Pumpkin Spice Granola.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• These no-bake granola bars are a great way to start the day! Pair these bars with a protein shake or hard boiled eggs for a protein-packed breakfast.
• Loaded with nutrition, plenty of healthy fats, and whole grains.
• Perfect for school snacks, on-the-go, or anytime hunger strikes.
• There isn’t any refined sugar as these bars are sweetened with natural sweeteners.
• They are inexpensive, travel well, and leftovers can be stored for a while.

Key Ingredients

• Oats: you want to be sure to use whole old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick-cooking oats and steel cut oats won’t have the same consistency that granola bars should have.
• Rice crispy cereal: makes these bars crispy.
• Almonds: you can use toasted or raw almonds. Any type of nut will work for this recipe and it will add healthy fats.
• Honey and coconut sugar: adds a natural sweetness flavor and also a binding agent to help stick the granola mixture together.
• Chocolate chips: I feel like every granola bar should have chocolate! I love using mini-sized chocolate chips so you get smaller pieces of chocolate in each bite. You can also use dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips. Feel free to chop up chocolate too if you prefer to have more chocolate chunks.
• Peanut butter: I use creamy peanut butter but you can also use chunky peanut butter if you want to add more crunch. If you use natural peanut butter, make sure to stir it well so it’s thick.
• Dried cranberries: adds chewiness, some tartness and sweetness. You can use any favorite dried fruit such as blueberries, cherries, apricots, and raisins.

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How To Make Homemade Granola Bars

• Toast the oats and almonds: This is optional but when you toast the oats and almonds, it deepens the flavors and the oats will get a bit chewier once they dry out in the oven. This will help give the bars a chewy texture. 
• Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, add toasted oats, almonds, rice crispy cereal, ground flaxseed, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
• Warm wet ingredients: In a small microwavable bowl add honey, vanilla extract, coconut oil, sugar, peanut butter. Heat in 30 second intervals just until warm. Alternatively, you an also warm the ingredients in a small saucepan on the stove for a few minutes. Stir until all the ingredients are melted together.
• Combine wet and dry ingredients: Pour the liquid mixture over the dry mixture and thoroughly mix well until all of the ingredients are combined.
• Add cranberries and chocolate chips: Fold in together until they are evenly mixed in together.
• Place the granola bar mixture in the baking dish: Transfer the mixture to a 8×8 inch baking pan or 9×9 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Gently press down firmly on the mixture until evenly flattened. I recommend using something flat like a drinking glass to help pack the bars together. Place the pan in the refrigerator to firm up and set for 2 hours, or you can place them in the freezer for 15-30 minutes.
• Top with sea salt (this is optional): The sea salt will help bring out all of the warm and sweet flavors.
• Cut into bars: Remove bars from pan by lifting the parchment paper out and cut into 12 even bars or squares. Enjoy!

Recipe Variations & Add-Inns

I love how this granola bar recipe can easily be customized with a variety of dried fruits, nuts, add-ins, sweeteners, and toppings depending on your preference.

Other nuts to use instead of almonds: Walnuts, peanuts, cashews, brazil nuts, and pecans.

Seeds to add: Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, whole ground flaxseeds, and chia seeds.

Other nut butters to use instead of peanut butter: Almond butter, sunflower seed butter, cashew butter, or any that have a similar consistency as peanut butter. If the nut butter is runny, make sure to stir it from the bottom to thicken it until completely mixed together.

Add-ins: Unsweetened coconut flakes, sprinkles, M&M candies, peanut butter chips, chopped pretzels, and extra spices.

Other sweeteners to use: I use honey but you can also substitute pure maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or jam.

Make Gluten-Free Granola Bars: Swap the old-fashioned rolled oats for gluten-free oats.

Make Nut-Free Granola Bars: Omit the nuts and replace it with the same amount of rice crispy cereal or oats.

Add more chocolate: Add a drizzle of chocolate or dunk the tops of the bars in melted chocolate.

Mini Granola Bars: Make these into mini bars by cutting each bar in half so the recipe will yield 24 mini bars. These are the perfect size for kids or if you want a quick bite.

Leftovers & Storage

To Store: To keep these leftover granola bars fresh, store in an airtight container or wrap each bar in wax paper. You want to prevent as much air as possible from getting to these bars, otherwise they will dry out and become stale. You can also store bars in the refrigerator which will last a bit longer.

If you have to stack the bars, be sure to layer them with a piece of parchment paper in between each bar so they don’t stick to each other.

They bars will last up to 2 weeks when properly stored at room temperature and will last 3 weeks when stored in the refrigerator. They won’t necessarily go bad after that, but they will start to get stale and could dry out.

To Freeze: If you want to freeze this granola bar recipe, you definitely can! Just make the recipe, wrap each bar tightly in plastic wrap, then store in a freezer-safe bag. When you want to defrost a bar, leave it out in the counter for 20 minutes or so or in the refrigerator overnight. Store for up to 2 months.

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Other Healthy Snack Recipes To Try

• Apple Pie Oatmeal
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites
• Healthy Zucchini Muffins
• 5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
• Yogurt Granola Cups
• Superfood Breakfast Bars
• Oatmeal Peanut Butter Energy Bites
• Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies