Healthy Granola Bars

Healthy Granola Bars are an easy snack loaded with peanut butter, almonds, honey, and oats. Made with no refined sugar and packing a protein punch, these healthy no-bake bars are perfect for kids and adults!

The ultimate grab-and-go snack

If you know anything about me, you know that I need snacks on deck at all times. What can I say? I like to be prepared when hunger strikes! This is kind of why I've become the queen of preparing easy snacks ahead of time with items that are already in my pantry.

In this case, that means peanut butter, oatmeal, honey, and chocolate chips. These are staple items in my pantry, and coincidentally they're the same items used to make my famous healthy granola bars.

These snack bars are chocolatey, chewy, and perfectly sweetened. If you were a fan of those little chewy bars growing up, you're gonna want to make these.

I, for one, used to totally gobble those up, so this is understandably one of my favorite recipes ever. They're perfect for taking on the go, packing in kids' lunches, enjoying as an afternoon pick-me-up, etc. They're more nutritious than store-bought brands and are wonderfully peanut buttery!

Ingredients you'll need to make homemade granola bars

My homemade cereal bars are jam packed with nutrient rich ingredients, making these a wholesome snack filled with protein, fiber, and more. Below are all of the ingredients you'll need to bring this recipe to life!

• Quick oats
• Almonds or nuts
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Coconut oil
• Natural peanut butter
• Honey
• Vanilla
• Chocolate chips
• Raisins

Kitchen tools for making granola breakfast bars

When I said this recipe was easy, I meant it! If that hasn't convinced you, maybe this will: only five kitchen tools are required to create this recipe. Grab your baking dish, parchment paper, mixing bowl, saucepan, and spatula, and let's make these treats!

Additionally, you will need the following measuring cups: ½ tsp, 1 tsp, ½ cup, ⅔ cup, ¾ cup, and 1 cup.

How to make this granola bar recipe

Making granola bars couldn't be simpler. We'll mix our ingredients, warm some of them up, add them to our baking dish, and place in the fridge or freezer. That's literally it - there's no baking required either! You'll only need 10 minutes of spare time to prep this recipe.

To begin making healthy granola bars, start by lining a baking dish with parchment paper. I used an 8x8 dish.

Next, combine the oats, almonds, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl, and stir to combine.

In a small saucepan, combine the coconut oil, peanut butter, honey, and vanilla until everything is warmed through and the coconut oil has melted.

Then, add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine.

Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes before adding the chocolate chips so that they don't melt. Once cooled, add the chocolate and raisins.

Pour the mixture into a prepared baking dish and press down firmly with the bottom of the spatula.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight (I prefer overnight!).

Use a knife to cut into desired sizes, and keep stored in the fridge or freezer. Enjoy!

A healthier granola recipe

I love standard processed chewy granola bars as much as the next gal, but I don't necessarily love how they're made. Many of the packaged snack and breakfast bars that you'll find in the grocery store are filled with countless chemicals and preservatives. Who knows what those ingredients are doing to our bodies?

That's one of the reasons that I like to make my own at-home versions. For this recipe, you'll see that I use a number of healthy ingredients in the attempt to pack in as many nutrients as possible!

To make that happen, I used quick oats, almonds, coconut oil (rather than vegetable or canola), and all-natural peanut butter (processed peanut butter is riddled with chemicals). Honey is used for sweetening, which is a great alternative to regular refined sugar.

Easy substitution options

There are a number of ways that you can customize these bars and make them your own. Here are some ideas!

Almonds
Not a big almond person? That's okay! Use whichever nuts you prefer. Walnuts, pecans, or peanuts will work well too.

Coconut oil
You can use any cooking oil to replace the coconut oil in this recipe.

Peanut butter
I'm a huge peanut butter lover, but you don't have to be! Any nut butter will work as an easy swap.

Honey
You can use molasses or maple syrup in place of honey.

Chocolate chips
Not feeling chocolate? Sub the chips with white chocolate or caramel chips, or omit them altogether for a nuttier result.

Add-ons
Additionally, you can use various add-ons to make this recipe complete. Ideas include crushed candy, dried fruit, or extra nuts!

More granola recipes for your cravings

Whether you like bars or you prefer loose granola (perfect for topping yogurt and desserts), there's a recipe for you! Be sure to try my delicious chocolate peanut butter granola. It's a hit!

• No-Bake Nutty Granola Bars
• Trail Mix Granola Bars
• Chunky Paleo Granola
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola
• Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Granola

Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by Quarter Soul Crisis