7 Easy To Make Granola Bars
Granola bars are a great way to get all of the daily nutrients you need in a way that tastes really good, too. They are easy and quick to make, and they don’t take up too much space. You can make them with whatever you want, too, so you can make what you like to eat!
1. Healthy 5-Ingredient Granola Bars
Granola bars are easy to make, and only having five ingredients is even easier. You can add anything to these granola bars to make them taste however you want. Fruit, chocolate chips, nuts, or bananas are all really good options for this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 heaping cup of dates, pitted
- 1/4 cup of maple syrup or agave nectar
- 1/4 cup of creamy salted natural peanut butter or almond butter
- 1 cup of roasted unsalted almonds
- 1 1/2 cups of rolled oats
- Chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, banana chips, or vanilla (optional)
Steps:
1. Process dates in a food processor until small bits remain, about 1 minute. It should form a dough-like consistency. Place oats, almonds, and dates in a large mixing bowl, and set aside.
2. Warm maple syrup and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over the oat mixture and then mix, breaking up the dates to spread throughout. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer to an 8×8 inch baking dish or other small pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper, so they lift out easily.
3. Press down firmly until uniformly flattened. Use something flat to press down and tightly pack the granola together. Cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap, and let them firm up in the fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes.
4. Remove the bars from the pan and cut them into 10 even bars. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. Enjoy!
2. Simple, Soft, and Chewy Granola Bars
These granola bars are also really easy to make. They call for honey and cranberries, but you can use any dried fruit for the granola bars. This recipe also uses chocolate chips, but they are not necessary. You can make these fairly quickly, too, which is good if you’re really hungry.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups of old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup of whole almonds, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup of honey
- 1/4 cup of unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/4 cup of packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 cup of dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips
Steps:
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line the bottom of an 8-inch square pan with tin foil. Then lightly oil or spray with cooking spray. Add oats and almonds to a small baking sheet, then bake for 5 minutes, stir, and then bake for another 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl once lightly toasted.
2. Combine butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter melts and sugar completely dissolves. Pour the butter mixture into the bowl with the oats, and mix well. Let it cool for about 5 minutes, then add cranberries and 1/4 cups of chocolate chips. Stir to combine.
3. Transfer the oat mixture to the lined pan, then use a rubber spatula to firmly press the mixture into the pan. Scatter remaining chocolate chips over the pressed granola mixture. Use a rubber spatula to gently press the chocolate into the top of the bars. Cover and then refrigerate for at least two hours. Remove the block of granola mixture from the pan, then peel away the tin foil. Cut into 12 even bars.
4. Store the bars in an airtight container for up to a week. Keep the bars at room temperature for soft bars, in the refrigerator for harder bars, and in the freezer to keep the bars for a while.
3. Homemade Granola Bars
These granola bars have peanut butter and crushed peanuts in them, so if you are allergic, don’t make this recipe. You can also use cashew butter and any type of nut you want if that makes any difference. This is an easy recipe to follow.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of very smooth creamy natural peanut butter or cashew butter
- 2/3 cup of honey
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/2 heaping teaspoon of sea salt
- 2 1/2 cups of whole rolled oats
- 1/3 cup of mini chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons of pepitas or crushed peanuts or cashews
Steps:
1. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
2. Add the chocolate chips, oats, and pepitas. The mixture might seem dry at first, but keep mixing and it will come together. Stir to combine and press firmly into the pan. Use a second piece of parchment paper and the back of a measuring cup to help flatten the mixture.
3. Chill for at least an hour and then cut into bars. Store the bars in the refrigerator for up to a week.
4. Easy No-Bake Granola Bars
This granola bar can be made with honey or maple syrup. Both of them are used as the sticky substance that holds the granola bars together. It also uses peanut butter or almond butter as a second sticky ingredient that can keep it together, as well.
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups of old fashioned oats or quick-cooking oats
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt
- 2 cups of either nut, seeds, chocolate, shredded coconut, or dried fruit
- 1 cup of creamy peanut butter or almond butter
- 1/2 cup of honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Steps:
1. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with two pieces of crisscross parchment paper, cut to fit neatly against the base and up the sides. The parchment paper will make it easier to slice the granola bars later. Place the oats in a large mixing bowl. Add the cinnamon and salt, and mix to combine. Set aside.
2. Chop the nuts, either by hand or in the food processor. Keep chopping them until the biggest pieces are smaller than your pinky nail. Then add the nuts to the bowl of oats. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, measure out the nut butter. Top with 1/2 cup of honey and vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is well mixed.
3. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a big spoon to mix them together until the two are evenly combined and no dry oats remain. Transfer the mixture to the prepared square pan. Use your spoon to arrange the mixture fairly evenly, then use the bottom of a flat, round surface to pack the mixture as firmly and evenly as possible.
4. Cover the pan and refrigerate for at least one hour, or preferably overnight. When you’re ready to slice, lift the bars out of the pan by using both pieces of parchment papers on opposite corners. Use a sharp knife to cut the bars into four even columns and four even rows. Wrap individual bars in plastic wrap. They keep well for several days at room temperature, a couple of weeks in the fridge, or a couple of months in the freezer.
5. Chewy Peanut Butter Granola Bars
These granola bars are made with seven ingredients. They are also gluten-free and have a ton of protein in them. They are really nutritious and easy to make. These have peanut butter in them, obviously, so please don’t have an allergic reaction eating them.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup of natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup of honey
- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
- 2 1/4 cups of old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup of chopped almonds
- 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional
Steps:
1. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside. Stir the peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil together in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture reaches a simmer. Continue to simmer for one minute, stirring often so the bottom of the mixture does not burn. Remove from the heat.
2. Add the vanilla and salt, and stir until combined. Add in the oats and almonds, and stir until completely combined. Then stir in the chocolate chips until combined. Press the granola firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on the top. Then cover and refrigerate the granola bars for about an hour or so, or until they are chilled.
3. Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut, serve, and enjoy! Or store in a sealed container for up to five days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
6. Homemade Honey Granola Bars
This recipe uses ingredients that aren’t entirely common in your kitchen, so you’ll need to go shopping before you start making this recipe. These granola bars have a lot of dried fruit in them, so they are more healthy than most granola bars are.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of old-fashioned oatmeal
- 1 cup of sliced almonds
- 1 cup of shredded coconut, loosely packed
- 1/2 cup of toasted wheat germ
- 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup of honey
- 1/4 cup of light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 cup of chopped pitted dates
- 1/2 cup of chopped dried apricots
- 1/2 cup of dried cranberries
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8×12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper. Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.
2. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries, and stir well.
3. Pour the mixture onto the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 hours before cutting the squares. Serve at room temperature.
7. Coconut Granola Bars
This recipe has six ingredients, all of which are common ingredients you probably have in your kitchen. They are based around coconut, but you can substitute a variety of things for coconut. It should not be an allergy problem, so enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of rolled oats
- 1/2 cup of shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup of honey
- 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish. Spread the oats and coconut evenly across a baking sheet. Toast oats and coconut in the preheated oven until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix honey, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir until smooth. Pour the honey mixture over the oats and coconut. Stir to coat. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
3. Bake in preheated oven until beginning to dry, about 15 minutes for crunchy granola bars, less if you like them chewy. Cool completely before cutting.
