This easy no-bake granola bar recipe is a game-changer, offering a deliciously chewy, nutty snack that’s as easy to make as it is to enjoy. With the added delights of coconut and chocolate chips, it’s a recipe that’s sure to become a firm favorite in your household.
This recipe for healthy granola bars is simply the best! The fun part is that you can experiment with different ingredients each time, creating a new flavor profile for your granola bars that everyone will enjoy.
If you’re a fan of this recipe, you’ll also love my chewy oatmeal cookies and my cranberry bars! Both recipes share similar wholesome, hearty ingredients that make these granola bars so irresistible.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: This recipe doesn’t require an oven, making it a quick and easy option for those who are always on the go or even for college students living in a dorm room.
- Classic Flavors: This recipe uses classic flavors like honey and vanilla extract, which give these granola bars a comforting and familiar taste.
- Family Favorite: These granola bars have become a family favorite, perfect for after-dinner treats or as part of our favorite breakfast.
- Crowd Pleaser: I’ve brought these bars to parties, poolsides, county fairs, playdates, and even to my old office job. They’re always a hit!
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Key Ingredients
- Rolled Oats: The main ingredient in our granola bar recipe, oats provide a hearty texture and a wholesome, nutty flavor.
- Crispy Rice Cereal: This ingredient adds a light, crispy texture to our chewy granola bars, making them even more enjoyable to eat.
- Chopped Nuts: Whether you choose almonds, walnuts, cashews, or peanuts, these will add a satisfying crunch and a boost of flavor to your bars.
- Chopped Dried Fruit: Ingredients like raisins or cranberries lend a sweet and tangy flavor to the mixture, balancing out the savory notes of the nuts and oats.
- Coconut: This ingredient adds a tropical twist to your granola bars, and its unique texture complements the crunch of the nuts and the chewiness of the oats.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: This nut butter binds the ingredients together and adds a rich, creamy flavor that pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the honey and brown sugar.
- Brown Rice: This ingredient adds a wholesome, earthy flavor and a chewy texture to the granola bars.
- Dark Brown Sugar: This ingredient adds a deep, caramel-like sweetness to the bars, enhancing the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Honey: Honey lends a natural sweetness and a hint of floral flavor to the bars, complimenting the nutty and fruity flavors.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: A teaspoon of vanilla extract adds a subtle, yet complex flavor that rounds out the sweetness and enhances the overall taste of the granola bars.
Equipment
- Large Bowl – You’ll need a large bowl to mix the oats, rice cereal, coconut, and your choice of nuts and dried fruit.
- Microwave-safe Bowl – This is essential for heating the peanut butter, brown sugar, and syrup mixture.
- 13×9 Pan – After stirring the wet and dry ingredients together, you’ll pour the mixture into this pan to set.
- Flat Spatula – This tool will help you press down the mixture into the pan, ensuring it’s evenly distributed.
How to Make Granola Bar
Preparation
Start by chopping your favorite nuts and your preferred dried fruit. You can choose from various nuts such as almonds, peanuts, cashews, or walnuts. For the dried fruit, consider raisins, cranberries, or even a mix of both.
Step 1 – Mix Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, combine oats and rice crispies. Add in the chopped nuts and dried fruit, along with ½ cup of coconut. Stir these ingredients together until they are well mixed.
Step 2 – Prepare the Peanut Butter Mixture
In a smaller microwave-safe bowl, combine creamy peanut butter, dark brown sugar, and syrup. Microwave this mixture on high for 1 minute, then stir. Repeat this process, microwaving for another minute and stirring again. Finally, stir in honey and vanilla extract.
Step 3 – Combine the Mixtures
Slowly pour the peanut butter mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir well to combine, ensuring that the dry ingredients are evenly coated with the peanut butter mixture.
Step 4 – Transfer to Baking Dish
Pour the combined mixture into a 13×9 baking dish lined with parchment paper. Using a flat spatula, press down hard on the mixture to compact it into the dish.
Step 5 – Let it Cool and Cut into Bars
Allow the mixture in the baking dish to cool at room temperature. Once cooled, cut it into 12-16 bars. Enjoy the delicious flavors and textures of your homemade granola bars!
Expert Tip
Line your dish with parchment paper. This will help you remove the bars after they have cooled. For the best texture in your granola bars, make sure to press the mixture firmly into your baking dish. This will ensure that your bars hold together well and have a satisfyingly chewy texture.
Recipe Variations
- Seed Version: Swap out the nuts in the granola bar recipe for a mixture of pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, reducing the oats to 1 1/2 cups for a seed-packed snack.
- Nut-Free Version: For those with nut allergies, replace the nuts with 1/2 cup of toasted wheat germ for a nut-free granola bar.
- Extra Fiber: Add 2-3 tablespoons of ground flax seeds, hemp seeds, or chia seeds to the mixture for an extra boost of fiber.
- Different Sweeteners: Instead of using honey, try molasses for a richer, deeper flavor in your granola bars.
- Different Syrups: In replace of brown rice syrup, you can substitute corn or tapioca syrup.
What to Serve With
- Kickstart your day with these chewy granola bars and a glass of fresh orange juice. The citrusy tang of the juice complements the sweet and nutty flavors of the granola bar, making for a refreshing breakfast.
- For a midday snack, pair these peanut butter granola bars with a cup of Greek yogurt. The creaminess of the yogurt balances the crunchy texture of the granola bars, providing a satisfying contrast.
- These granola bars also make a great accompaniment to your afternoon tea or coffee. The subtle sweetness of the bars pairs well with the bitterness of the tea or coffee, creating a harmoniously balanced snack.
- If you’re on the go, simply wrap these bars in parchment paper and take them with you. They’re a convenient, mess-free snack that’s perfect for a quick energy boost during a busy day.
How To Make Granola Bars Video
Recipe FAQs
For this recipe, rolled oats are the best choice. They provide a chewy texture and hold up well when mixed with the other ingredients.
Yes, you can. If you prefer, you can use maple syrup instead of honey. It’s a great alternative and will still give your granola bars a sweet flavor.
If you’re not a fan of peanut butter or have an allergy, you can use almond butter or any other nut butter. It will still give your granola bars a creamy texture and rich flavor.
Absolutely! Feel free to add in extras like mini chocolate chips, chia seeds, or pumpkin seeds. Just make sure to stir them into the mixture before baking.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerate: Once your granola bars have cooled to room temperature, store them in an airtight container. They’ll keep well for up to two weeks in the fridge.
- Freeze: These chewy granola bars freeze beautifully. Just wrap each bar in parchment paper and store in a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to three months.
- Thawing: To thaw, simply remove the desired number of bars from the freezer and let them come to room temperature. This usually takes about an hour.
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Serving Size
- What to Expect: This granola bar recipe yields about 18 delicious, chewy bars packed with oats, nuts, dried fruit, and a hint of honey.
- How to Scale: If you desire to make more than 18 bars, you can double the recipe and follow the instructions as directed. Just ensure your baking dish is large enough to accommodate the increased mixture.
The Best Granola Bar Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Cups rolled oats
- 2 Cups crispy rice cereal
- 1 Cup chopped nuts
- 1/2 Cup chopped dried fruit
- 1/2 Cup coconut
- 3/4 Cup creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 Cup brown rice syrup
- 1/4 Cup dark brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Chop ½ cup of your choice of nuts and ½ cup of your choice of dried fruit.
- Pour 2 cups oats, 2 cups crisp rice cereal, ½ cup coconut and the nuts and fruits into a very large bowl. Stir the dry ingredients together.
- In a smaller microwaveable bowl, stir together, creamy peanut butter, dark brown sugar, and brown rice syrup. Microwave on High for 1 minute. Stir, and then microwave for another 1 minute. Stir in your honey and vanilla.
- Slowly pour the mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir to combine. Pour it all into your favorite 13×9 pan. Press it down hard with a flat spatula.
- Let the bars cool and then cut 12-16 bars out of the pan. Can be refrigerated, frozen, or left on the counter.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally shared 2014. Updated 2019.
Comments & Reviews
Joanne Gauthier says
Your ingredients list brown rice yet your instructions mention brown rice syrup. What is this?
Lynette Rice says
It’s brown rice syrup. Thanks for catching that!
Monica says
SO yummy! They are so easy to make and my kids love to help too. I have given them in “welcome baby” and “welcome to the neighborhood” gift packages – they are always a hit! Anyone I’ve given them to asks for the recipe.
I like that the recipe is so adaptable too. She gives great suggestions for variations. You can modify to meet allergy or preferences… or just to make a fun change up in your granola bars from time to time!
Lynette says
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it!
Diann Nelson says
Made your granola recipe. Are sticky. Used 2c oats, 2c rice krispies, rest 1 1/2cups coconut, chopped raw peanuts, choc chips. Forgot peanut butter. Liquid was equal amounts of honey & corn syrup. Help!
Meredith says
Hi Diann!
You can try adding more dry ingredients to your batch, but if you want the consistency and texture from the original recipe, I suggest starting over and adding the peanut butter. The honey is only 2T and corn syrup, 3/4 cup.
Hope this helps!
Lily says
What could I substitute instead of nut?? My husband and in-laws are allergic:(
Meredith says
Hi Lily!
You could substitute the peanut butter with soy butter and the chopped nuts with extra coconut, oats, wheat germ, seeds, fruit, etc. Let us know how they turn out! 🙂
Rozina says
Hi. Thanks for the lovely recipe. Can I replace almond butter with coconut oil and if yes, how much should I use.
Tks
Meredith says
Hi Rozina!
Coconut oil is not as thick as almond butter so I would start by using only 1/2 cup of oil as a replacement. I’m not sure it will hold together as well either, but try it and let us know!
Tiffany says
tasted great! I didn’t add the fun amount of liquid sweetener but it was still plenty sweet. it didn’t hold together very well, but that could be my fault with changing the measurements a little. took them on a car ride and they were great!
Meredith says
Glad you liked them, Tiffany! Yes, if you remove some of the liquid, it will change the structure a bit. You could add more peanut butter and see if that helps. Also, I find that keeping in the fridge helps them hold together if there is too much dry for the wet. Thanks for the review! 🙂
Paula says
Thank you so much for sharing your DIY granola bar recipe! My husband has sensitivities to corn, rice, wheat, and honey and is on a food reintroduction diet that doesn’t include dates. His only “go-to” snacks were certain Larabars but all of them contained dates. I found your recipe and used the tapioca syrup with PB, oats and nuts. It has been a lifesaver. Now I’m going to make all of our snack bars this way ; )
Meredith says
Wonderful Paula!
So glad they are working for you and your husband! 🙂