Make Your Own Homemade Granola Bars

Granola bars hold a special place in the hearts of many snackers. They’re easy to transport, tasty, and filling. But, did you know that they are also easy to make? You can whip up your own batch of homemade granola bars in less than an hour. This is a great way to make sure your granola bars have healthy ingredients and no added sugar or preservatives. So, grab some oats, and learn how to make your very own delicious, chewy granola bars today.

Why Make Your Own Granola Bars?

Plenty of people reach for a granola bar in the snack drawer thinking it’s a healthy snack. And, it may be — if it’s made with the right ingredients. But unfortunately, most store-bought granola bars contain high levels of sugar and other unhealthy ingredients.¹ You can avoid these sugar traps by making your own homemade granola bars at home.^2,3

Easy-To-Transport

Homemade granola bars are lightweight and sturdy. They can get tossed around in a backpack or endure a long day at the park without issue. You can easily wrap your homemade granola bars up in foil and take them anywhere you go.

No Added Sugar

The homemade granola recipes below do not include any refined, white sugar. They use fruit and other ingredients for sweetness. This makes them a great option for anyone trying to cut back on unhealthy sweets.

Getting Started With These Tips And Tricks

Homemade granola bars offer you a blank canvas of possibility. Add fruit, dark chocolate, or your favorite unsweetened nut butters to meet your nutritional needs or satisfy your snack cravings. Choose your favorite flavors, and add the ingredients to the basic granola bar mixture below.

List Of Ingredients

Here are a few base ingredients to use for your granola bars. You can find variations and different flavors below that require little or no changes to the preparation.

• 2 ½ cups organic rolled oats
• ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup of unsalted butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp kosher salt

Selecting Your Oats

There are all sorts of oats available at the market these days. It’s important to choose the right one for your granola bars. These recipes all use old-fashioned oats, which are also called regular rolled oats. Avoid instant rolled oats, which may overcook in these recipes and become mushy.⁴

Cooking Equipment

This is the equipment you’ll need to have handy in the kitchen to make your homemade granola bar.

• A large mixing bowl
• Spatula
• A medium saucepan
• A 9-inch square baking dish
• A 12-inch rimmed baking sheet
• Parchment paper

Homemade Granola Bar Baking Instructions

Once you have all the ingredients for your basic granola bar recipes ready, it’s time to bake. Follow these instructions for all granola bar recipes.

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your 12-inch baking dish by lining it with parchment paper.
2. In your 9-inch baking dish, spread out your oats. Place in the oven for 5-8 minutes, or until slightly toasted.
3. Meanwhile, place the butter, honey, salt, and vanilla into a medium saucepan and heat for one minute over medium heat.
4. Remove the oats and reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.
5. Mix the warm oats with the other dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Then, slowly pour in the warm liquid ingredients into the bowl and stir to mix. Be sure to evenly coat all the oats.
6. Pour the oat mixture onto your 12-inch rimmed baking sheet. Use a large wooden spoon or the bottom of a plate to press down on the mixture. This helps the granola bars stick together.
7. Place in the oven, and bake for 20-25 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool for 2 hours. Cut into squares, and store in a sealed container.

A Note On Butter

You have total freedom when it comes to making your healthy granola bars. For many people, that means skipping the butter. Need a butter substitute? Try one of these ingredients:

• Coconut oil
• Unsweetened pecan butter
• Unsweetened almond butter
• Unsweetened sunflower butter
• Unsweetened cashew butter

Tasty Granola Bars Recipes To Try

Here are some tasty variations to try out. Add the ingredients below, or use them as inspiration for your own unique granola bars recipes. There’s a flavor bound to please everyone.

Note: Add the extra ingredients below on Step 5 from the instructions above.

Peanut Butter And Chocolate Chip

This classic combination will satisfy both your senses and your appetite. Dark chocolate adds that beautiful touch of sweetness, while the peanuts in the peanut butter provide a great boost of protein.⁵ Just remember, the darker the chocolate, the less sugar.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup unsweetened creamy peanut butter
• ¼ cup of dark chocolate chips

Note: Wait 20-30 minutes after mixing the warm ingredients together before adding the chocolate (to prevent it from melting).

Tropical Sunblast

Take a mini-vacation to paradise with this tropical-themed granola bar. This version also offers extra health benefits from the coconut, which is believed to have lots of antioxidants.⁶

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• ¼ cup unsweetened chopped dry mango
• ¼ cup unsweetened dry pineapple pieces

Cinnamon Apple With Pecans And Almonds

This granola bar tastes like biting into a crisp, autumn day. Aside from warming the senses, the nuts and apples also give the bar a nutrition boost. The combo adds both fiber and vitamins to your granola bars recipes.^7,8

Ingredients

• ¼ cup unsweetened dried apple pieces
• ¼ cup pecans
• ¼ cup shaved almonds⁹

A Snack For Every Occasion

The recipes above are easy to make and give you total control over the ingredients in your homemade granola bars. This allows you to tailor ingredients to fit your diet. Plus, it can help you regulate how much sugar or unhealthy fats your food contains. But, of course, best of all, a homemade recipe lets you make your ideal granola bar. You get to add the ingredients that make you happy and leave you feeling satisfied. Pick your favorite flavors, and get started today.

Learn More:
-Some Turmeric Latte Benefits For Your Health (With Turmeric Latte Recipe)
-Eating Healthy Fats In Your Diet: Try To Include These Healthy Fats Daily
-How To Make Veg Noodles At Home With Fresh Vegetables (Plus A Bonus Asian Stir-Fry Recipe)

Sources
1 https://time.com/4914384/healthy-granola-bar/
2 https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5708/2
3 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25411276/
4 https://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/easy-ways-enjoy-whole-grains/grain-month-calendar/oats-%E2%80%93-january-grain-month/types
5 https://www.ars.usda.gov/southeast-area/dawson-ga/national-peanut-research-laboratory/docs/peanuts-101-the-basics/page-11/
6 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10942912.2015.1099042
7 https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1815/2
8 https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/a19927206/healthy-nuts-to-eat/
9 https://www.health.com/nutrition/health-benefits-of-cranberries