Who needs store-bought bars when you have this homemade healthy granola bar recipe? These no-bake granola bars are packed with fibre and healthy fats and make for a great make-ahead snack. Easy, portable and so delicious! {Gluten-free, vegetarian & no refined sugar}
In our house, we’re always on the hunt for healthy snacks that are also handy for taking on the go.
I’ve always wanted to try making my own healthier homemade granola bars since you can control exactly which ingredients are going into them and you’re not stuck with all of the processed ingredients that they sneak into the store-bought bars.
So we ended up coming up with this delicious healthy granola bar recipe — it’s no bake and totally customizable. The perfect make-ahead portable snack!
If you’re a granola lover, be sure to also check out this easy granola recipe!
Why Make this recipe
- Easy to make – Only a few simple steps are required to create these bars and then you’ve got snacks for days!
- Fresh & delicious – Homemade granola bars always taste SO much better than store-bought granola bars. They taste so fresh, unlike some of the stale granola bars that you buy at the store (how long have they REALLY been sitting on that shelf?) These ones in particular have so much flavour and texture. With the toasted oats and coconut, nuts and dried fruit, they’re infused with flavour and are perfectly sweet, nutty, chewy AND crunchy all at the same time.
- Easily customizable – With just a few simple substitutions, you can adapt these bars to make them vegan or nut-free if there are any allergies or intolerances in your family. Something you can’t do with store-bought bars.
- Portable – Eat them at home or take them with you on the run! They’re the perfect make-ahead snack for those busy days running around.
- Healthier option – These healthy granola bars are packed with fibre and healthy fats for a nutritious, filling and satisfying snack.
Ingredient Notes
Oats – Use large flake or rolled oats for a chewy texture. You can also sub in certified gluten-free oats if there are any gluten-intolerances.
Coconut – The coconut adds a nice nutty flavour to the bars, especially when it’s toasted. Use unsweetened coconut flakes to limit added sugar.
Cashews – Incorporates the perfect amount of crunch in every bite and some extra nutty flavour. You can also sub in other preferred nuts such as chopped almonds or peanuts.
Peanut butter – Since these granola bars are no-bake, the nut butter helps to bind the ingredients together. Use natural peanut butter (we used one with just “peanuts” in the ingredients list) or sub in almond butter, cashew butter or a wow butter, sunflower or pumpkin seed butter if you require the bars to be nut-free.
Honey – The honey adds a natural sweetness to the bars and also helps to bind the oat mixture together. You could also sub in maple syrup, agave nectar or brown rice syrup if desired.
Coconut oil – Helps the bars to firm up when frozen or chilled. Use 100% unrefined coconut oil if possible.
Pumpkin seeds – The pepitas add some additional crunch to the bars. We used raw unsalted pumpkin seeds, but you could also sub in sunflower seeds.
Dried cranberries – Incorporates a chewy texture and pop of sweetness and colour. You could also sub in raisins or your preferred dried fruit. Chopped dried apricots or dried cherries would also work well.
Chocolate chips – Melt the chocolate to drizzle over the surface of the bars to add some extra sweetness and incorporate a chocolatey flavour. We used 50% dark chocolate chips, but you could melt dark chocolate squares or chunks as well.
Step by step Instructions
It only requires a few steps to make these bars!
How to make granola bars
In a large frying pan, toast oats and coconut for 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the chopped cashews, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries.
In a separate small saucepan or frying pan, combine the coconut oil, honey, natural peanut butter, vanilla extract and salt. Cook for about 2 minutes or until coconut oil has melted.
Add the liquid mixture to the toasted oat and coconut mixture and stir to combine. Cook for an additional 2 minutes until oats are coated and sticky.
Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Dump the oat mixture into the pan and distribute evenly with spatula. Wet the spatula and press down on the surface until smooth and packed down.
Place in the freezer for 30-40 minutes. Once hardened, drizzle with melted dark chocolate, if desired.
Let it to sit for a few minutes to allow the chocolate drizzle to harden or place in the fridge for a few minutes.
Use the parchment paper as a sling to lift the hardened mixture out of the pan. Cut into 24 small bars or 12 large bars.
I recommend cutting the bars while still partially frozen to help them stay together when cutting.
How to make the dark chocolate drizzle
So this part is totally optional, but who doesn’t love a little chocolate drizzle? It’s like the icing on the cake!
If you have time, you can go ahead and make some chocolate drizzle using one of the following methods.
The microwave method: Place the dark chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds on high. Remove and give it a stir. Just as a tip, the chocolate chips will retain their shape until you stir them, so don’t just eyeball it. Get your spoon in there! Repeat with 10- to 15-second blasts until most of the chocolate is melted. Remove from microwave and keep stirring until the residual heat melts the rest of the chocolate.
The stove method: Pour a few inches of water into a pot. Position a bowl over the pot, ensuring that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Heat the water to a simmer. Turn off the heat and add 2/3 of the chocolate chips to the bowl. Stir gently to melt. Add the remaining 1/3 of the chocolate a little at a time and stir gently until melted.
Once the chocolate is all smooth and melted, you can grab a spoon and lightly drizzle it over the bars. It may take several minutes for the chocolate to harden. To speed up the process you can put bars with the drizzled chocolate in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Pack the granola bar mixture tightly into the pan so that the mixture sticks together, making sure that you pack it into the corners of the pan as well. You’ll also want to make sure that the mixture is evenly distributed so that the bars are all the same size and thickness. When pressing the granola bar mixture into the pan, wet a spatula or the back of a spoon or fork to prevent it from sticking to the mixture.
- I recommend cutting these bars when they’re still partially frozen (I let mine thaw for about 20 minutes before cutting) since it will be easier to cut them when they’re firm and will also help them better adhere together. Use a long sharp knife and cut all the way through to prevent them from getting crumbly.
- I recommend eating these granola bars when they’re still slightly chilled or partially frozen since they will start to soften up when left at room temperature for too long. If they start to soften up too much, pop them back in the fridge or freezer to allow them to firm up again. It’s generally best if you handle these bars while still partially frozen as they can get a little crumbly and sticky when completely thawed.
- The bars are pretty thick and filling. This recipe makes 24 small bars or 12 large bars. It makes a large batch so it’s perfect for meal prep!
Recipe FAQs
How to Store
These granola bars can be stored in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to a month. If you stack the bars, separate them with parchment paper so that they don’t stick together.
It’s generally best if you handle these bars while still partially frozen as they can get a little crumbly when completely thawed.
You can also wrap them individually in saran wrap or snack-sized ziplock bags for quick grab and go snacks!
How to make the granola bars nut-free
If you need these granola bars to be nut-free, you can sub in seeds such as sunflower seeds for the cashews and use a sunflower or pumpkin seed butter instead of the peanut butter.
Only a few simple substitutions are required to make these bars nut-free!
How to make these bars vegan
To make the bars vegan, simply replace the honey with maple syrup, agave nectar or brown rice syrup.
Wedges vs. bars
The big debate…do we make this granola bar recipe into wedges or bars? Well the good news is that you can make them either way! If you want to make them into bars, follow the instructions in the recipe card below.
However, maybe bars just aren’t your thing and you’d rather just make them into wedges.
Easy!
All that you have to do is prep the ingredients until you get to the part about the 9×13 inch baking dish. To make wedges instead of bars, sub a 9-inch spring form pan in for the baking dish. Line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper.
Press the granola bar mixture into the pan using a spatula, making sure that you press the mixture evenly over the bottom. Pop the pan into the freezer for 30-40 minutes or until mixture has hardened. Once hardened, remove from springform pan and cut into wedges.
It all comes down to whether you choose to press the mixture in the shape of a circle or a rectangle.
No matter how you choose to prep these granola bars, I guarantee these will become a new family favourite!
More healthy bars:
- Larabar Recipe {4-ingredients}
- Vegan Lemon Bars {No Bake}
- 4-Ingredient No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Bars
- No-Bake Key Lime Protein Bars
- Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Sweet Potato Bars
- Peanut Free Snack Bites
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
Healthy Granola Bar Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats (can also sub in gluten-free oats)
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup cashews finely chopped
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 5 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter or sub in seed butter to make nut-free
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips melted (optional)
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, toast oats and coconut for 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the chopped cashews, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries.
- In a separate small saucepan, combine the coconut oil, honey, natural peanut butter, vanilla extract and salt. Cook for about 2 minutes or until coconut oil has melted.
- Add the liquid mixture to the toasted oat and coconut mixture and stir to combine. Cook for an additional 2 minutes until oats are coated and sticky.
- Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Add the oat mixture into the pan and distribute evenly with spatula. Wet the spatula and press down on the surface until smooth and packed down, making sure that you get into all of the corners.
- Place in the freezer for 30-40 minutes. Once hardened, remove from freezer and drizzle with melted dark chocolate, if desired.
- Cut into 12 large bars or 24 small bars while mixture is still partially frozen to help the bars stay together while cutting. Serve immediately or store in the freezer for later.
Video
Notes
- Pack the granola bar mixture tightly into the pan so that the mixture sticks together, making sure that you pack it into the corners of the pan as well. You'll also want to make sure that the mixture is evenly distributed so that the bars are all the same size and thickness. When pressing the granola bar mixture into the pan, wet a spatula or the back of a spoon or fork to prevent it from sticking to the mixture.
- I recommend cutting these bars when they're still partially frozen (I let mine thaw for about 20 minutes before cutting) since it will be easier to cut them when they're firm and will also help them better adhere together. Use a long sharp knife and cut all the way through to prevent them from getting crumbly.
- I suggest eating these granola bars when they're still slightly chilled or partially frozen since they will start to soften up when left at room temperature for too long. If they start to soften up too much, pop them back in the fridge or freezer to allow them to firm up again. It's generally best if you handle these bars while still partially frozen as they can get a little crumbly and sticky when completely thawed.
- The bars are pretty thick and filling. This recipe makes 24 small bars or 12 large bars. It makes a large batch so it's perfect for meal prep! The nutritional facts are calculated based on 24 bars.
- These granola bars can be stored in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to a month. If stacking them, I recommend putting some parchment paper in between them to prevent them from sticking together.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted December 2019 and was updated January 2020 to include more helpful tips and photos.
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Turned out great! Yum
So happy you enjoyed the recipe Christine! Thanks so much for stopping by to leave a comment :)
Do you think you could replace the honey with maple syrup and get a satisfactory result?
Yes, maple syrup should work out fine!