Easy Homemade Granola Bars

Easy Homemade Granola Bars

These are one of my most popular recipes! They're so good and way better than store-bought. 

If you're looking for an easy homemade snack that you can prep once and enjoy throughout the week, look no further! These homemade granola bars are packed with oats, nuts, seeds, flax and a little dark chocolate for a satisfying combination of fibre, healthy fats and sweetness.

They're soft, chewy and lightly crisp around the edges, and they come together with simple pantry staples. Even better, you can easily customize them based on what you have on hand. 

These are great meal prep option to get back into routine this fall - great for lunches or snacks.

A Simple Snack You Can Make Your Own

One of my favourite things about homemade granola bars is that you don't need to follow the recipe exactly.

Don't have walnuts? Use almonds, pecans or cashews.

Don't have pumpkin seeds? Try sunflower seeds or hemp hearts.

Prefer dried cranberries over raisins? Go for it.

You can even swap the dark chocolate chips for cacao nibs if you prefer a less sweet option.

It's a great "use what you have" recipe and an easy way to incorporate a variety of nuts and seeds into your diet.

What's in These Homemade Granola Bars?

Oats

Oats provide carbohydrates for energy along with fibre, including beta-glucan, a type of soluble fibre that can support heart health and healthy cholesterol levels.

Almond flour

Almond flour adds healthy fats and makes these bars tender and satisfying.

Nuts & seeds

Walnuts and pumpkin seeds add healthy fats, plant-based protein and minerals, while ground flax seeds provide fibre and omega-3 fats.

Nut or seed butter

Almond butter helps bind the bars together while adding flavour, healthy fats and some protein. You can easily use peanut butter, cashew butter or a seed butter instead.

Dark chocolate

Because a healthy snack should still be enjoyable! Dark chocolate chips add just enough sweetness and chocolate flavour to make these bars feel like a treat.

Easy to Customize

Think of this recipe as a base recipe rather than a set of rules.

Try experimenting with:

  • Almond, peanut, cashew or sunflower seed butter
  • Walnuts, almonds, pecans or cashews
  • Pumpkin, sunflower, chia seeds or hemp seeds
  • Raisins, dried cranberries or chopped dates
  • Dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs
  • Unsweetened coconut—or leave it out altogether

Just keep the overall amount of dry ingredients fairly similar so the bars hold together properly.

Homemade Granola Bars

Makes: Approximately 10–12 bars, depending on the size of your molds or how you cut them.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup almond butter (or nut/seed butter of choice)
  • ¼ cup milk or milk alternative
  • 3-4 tbsps maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¾ cup almond flour
  • ¾ cup oats
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ½ cup dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs
  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds
  • ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 2 tbsp ground flax seeds

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a small baking dish or silicone bar molds.
  2. Combine the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the almond butter, milk, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla and cinnamon.
  3. Add the dry ingredients. Stir in the almond flour, oats and baking soda.
  4. Add the mix-ins. Fold in the raisins, chocolate chips, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, coconut and ground flax seeds.
  5. Bake. Press the mixture firmly into your prepared baking tray or divide between silicone molds. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown around the edges.
  6. Cool completely. This is important! Allow the bars to cool before removing them from the molds or cutting them into squares. They'll firm up as they cool.

Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for longer storage. You can also freeze them individually so you have an easy homemade snack ready whenever you need one (this is a good strategy if you find you can't stop at one!)

Why I Love These

Having a homemade option ready in the fridge or freezer makes it much easier to put together a balanced snack—and these are portable enough to throw into a lunch bag, take on a hike or keep on hand for busy afternoons.

And because you can change up the nuts, seeds and add-ins, you can make a slightly different version every time using up what you have on hand.

Happy September!

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