Homemade granola bars make a satisfying nourishing snack or lunch box treat. They’re also the perfect healthy goodie when it’s your turn to bring a snack to your kids’ school (or sporting) events.
Below are three of our favorite homemade granola bar recipes. Each uses homemade soaked granola (a.k.a. The Best Soaked Granola) to create a delicious granola bar that’s chock full of protein and healthy nutrients – the perfect wholesome snack for busy families on the go!
As shown above, another great thing about this recipe, is that its wholesome ingredients can be layered-up in a mason jar to create a beautiful and thoughtful “handmade with love” gift that can be given not only at Christmastime, but throughout the year as well! You can learn how to make my special Granola Bars-in-a-Jar gift at Keeper of the Home, recipe includes free printable baking instructions!
Homemade Granola Bars Photo Tutorial:
Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with a sheet of parchment paper so that it overlaps on two sides only.
Add the granola mixture to the parchment lined baking dish and even out with back of spoon. Then, fold the two pieces of parchment down on top of the granola mixture and press firmly into bottom of the dish (see photo below).
It’s important to press the granola firmly into the dish, so the bars hold together well and are not super crumbly.
Unfold the parchment and trim excess paper. Bake 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack at least one hour and then transfer to the refrigerator for at least one hour.
"The Best Granola" Bar
Ingredients
- 2 cups baked homemade granola
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup chopped organic raisins
- 1/4 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup pure honey
- 2 tbsp milk (any kind will do, such as cow’s, coconut, almond)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat to oven 275 degrees. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with a sheet of parchment paper so that it overlaps on two sides only. Or use a 5x9-inch loaf pan for thicker bars.
- In a medium bowl, combine granola, almond flour, coconut, nuts, chocolate chips and dried fruit. Mix well to combine. In a small bowl, whisk egg until slightly foamy.
- Heat a couple of inches of water in a small saucepan over medium heat. In a one-cup glass measuring cup, add butter, honey and milk. Place glass measuring cup in the warm water and whisk mixture together until smooth creamy. Remove from heat.
- Slowly pour warm honey mixture into bowl of beaten egg, while rapidly whisking to combine.
- Then, add the warm honey-egg mixture to the granola mixture, using a large spoon to mix together until all of the dry ingredients are well coated.
- Allow the mixture to sit about 8-10 minutes to so the granola has time to absorb the liquid.
- Then, add the granola mixture to the parchment-lined baking dish and spread evenly across the bottom of the dish, using back of spoon.
- Fold the two pieces of parchment down on top of the granola mixture and press firmly into bottom of the dish. It's very important to not skip this step (pressing the granola), as it helps to ensure that the bar will hold together well.
- Unfold the parchment and trim excess paper. Bake 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack at least one hour and then transfer to the refrigerator to finish cooling.
- Once granola is completely cold, run a knife around the two edges of the baking dish that do not have parchment.
- Holding the parchment paper edges, gently lift the granola flat out of the baking dish and place onto a large cutting board.
- Cut into squares, using a long, sharp knife. Wrap bars individually and store in frig or freezer.
Cherry Chocolate Chip Granola Bar
Ingredients
- 2 cups baked homemade granola
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup chopped dried cherries
- 1/4 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup 65% cacao chocolate chips (or carob chips)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup pure honey
- 2 tbsp milk (any kind will do, such as cow’s, coconut, almond)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat to oven 275 degrees. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with a sheet of parchment paper so that it overlaps on two sides only. Or use a 5x9-inch loaf pan for thicker bars.
- In a medium bowl, combine granola, almond flour, coconut, nuts, chocolate chips and dried fruit. Mix well to combine. In a small bowl, whisk egg until slightly foamy.
- Heat a couple of inches of water in a small saucepan over medium heat. In a one-cup glass measuring cup, add butter, honey and milk. Place glass measuring cup in the warm water and whisk mixture together until smooth creamy. Remove from heat.
- Slowly pour warm honey mixture into bowl of beaten egg, while rapidly whisking to combine.
- Then, add the warm honey-egg mixture to the granola mixture, using a large spoon to mix together until all of the dry ingredients are well coated.
- Allow the mixture to sit about 8-10 minutes to so the granola has time to absorb the liquid.
- Then, add the granola mixture to the parchment-lined baking dish and spread evenly across the bottom of the dish, using back of spoon.
- Fold the two pieces of parchment down on top of the granola mixture and press firmly into bottom of the dish. It's very important to not skip this step (pressing the granola), as it helps to ensure that the bar will hold together well.
- Unfold the parchment and trim excess paper. Bake 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack at least one hour and then transfer to the refrigerator to finish cooling.
- Once granola is completely cold, run a knife around the two edges of the baking dish that do not have parchment.
- Holding the parchment paper edges, gently lift the granola flat out of the baking dish and place onto a large cutting board.
- Cut into squares, using a long, sharp knife. Wrap bars individually and store in frig or freezer.
Cranberry Nut Granola Bar
Ingredients
- 2 cups baked homemade granola
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup dried organic cranberries
- 1/4 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup honey (we prefer clover honey, as its mild flavor is perfect for baking)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup pure honey
- 2 tbsp milk (any kind will do, such as cow’s, coconut, almond)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat to oven 275 degrees. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with a sheet of parchment paper so that it overlaps on two sides only. Or use a 5x9-inch loaf pan for thicker bars.
- In a medium bowl, combine granola, almond flour, coconut, nuts, chocolate chips and dried fruit. Mix well to combine.In a one-cup glass measuring cup, add butter, honey and milk. Place glass measuring cup in the warm water and whisk mixture together until smooth creamy. Remove from heat.
- Slowly pour warmed honey mixture into bowl of beaten egg, while rapidly whisking to combine.
- Then, add the warm honey-egg mixture to the granola mixture, using a large spoon to mix together until all of the dry ingredients are well coated.
- Allow the mixture to sit about 8-10 minutes to so the granola has time to absorb the liquid.
- Then, add the granola mixture to the parchment-lined baking dish and spread evenly across the bottom of the dish, using back of spoon.
- Fold the two pieces of parchment down on top of the granola mixture and press firmly into bottom of the dish. It's very important to not skip this step (pressing the granola), as it helps to ensure that the bar will hold together well.
- Unfold the parchment and trim excess paper. Bake 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack at least one hour and then transfer to the refrigerator to finish cooling.
- Once granola is completely cold, run a knife around the two edges of the baking dish that do not have parchment.
- Holding the parchment paper edges, gently lift the granola flat out of the baking dish and place onto a large cutting board.
- Cut into squares, using a long, sharp knife. Wrap bars individually and store in frig or freezer.
Blessings to your new year. I enjoy your recipies. Have you ever made pizzelles with almond flour? I have been thinking of them quite a bit lately wondering how to make them. Use to make them with unbleached all purpose flour. Thanks for any tips for converting the flours.
Leona
Hi, Leona. I haven’t personally made pizzelles using almond flour, but I did a quick google search and it appears there are a couple of ideas out there. Of course, I can’t verify how good they are, but it may be worth checking into and creating your own grain-free version. A tip to keep in mind is that almond flour does behave quite differently than gluten-based flours, so if you’re new to creating recipes with it, it would be easier to find an existing recipe that looks good and then make modifications according to your taste preferences from there. Thank you for your kind words, so glad you’re enjoying the site and recipes. Blessings, Kelly
I tried the Best recipe and the Cherry Chocolate Chip. They are both very tasty, but we especially like the cherry chocolate chip. Quite Delicious and nutritious! Thanks for the great recipes. I used stored bought honey and I do find that it has a strong flavour. I’ll have to look for a milder honey or try a different sweetener. Still a keeper that I will definitely make again.
Thanks, Jennifer! So glad you enjoyed these. As far as honey, clover and sage varieties are the most mild, especially if you can get a pure raw honey. Thanks for taking the time to leave a kind note! Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
Just tried the cherry chocolate again, but used brown rice syrup this time. The flavour is nice (much milder than the honey), but they didn’t stick together as well. Maybe I didn’t press the granola into the pan enough or maybe the syrup added too much moisture. Still delicious!
Thanks for sharing, Jennifer! Yes the syrup won’t bind as much as honey. I tried these using maple syrup and got a very crumbly result as well. But still delicious! Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
Hi,
Just wondering how long these will last outside of fridge/freezer storage. We are going on a trip overseas and I would live to have then as snacks between meals, etc, but not sure how they will last.
Thx! Love, love, love your website, recipes, and all the other fabulous stuff. Thx soooo much!
They get pretty crumbly at room temp, but a remedy for that would be to cut them into bite-sized pieces. And as far as food safety goes, you could definitely leave these out at room temp for 2-3 days. Have a terrific trip – it sounds exciting! 🙂
Do you think coconut flour (much more economical) could be substituted for the almond flour? Or maybe some maca powder?
Hi, Janice. When it comes to GF flours, it’s not possible to do cup-for-cup substitutions because each differs from the other and requires a different combination of ingredients in order to achieve the desired result. When it comes to coconut flour, it is highly absorbent and requires much more moisture as a result than does blanched almond flour. You could certainly adapt this recipe trying various amounts of coconut flour and/or maca, but you’ll need to be prepared for some trial and error as you work to get the right balance. Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Any ideas what the nutritional data is on the baked granola before the add ins? Calories, protein, fiber etc?
Hi, Janice. We don’t count calories, etc., but focus on eating a well balanced variety of real foods. But you can easily use some of the calorie counters and nutritional analysis sites out there to enter the ingredients and determine an approximate calculation. Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
Just curious-
Can I substitute the honey for agave or dates? Have you tried either? We are Vegan and many of your recipes sound delicious!
Thanks!
Katie
Hi, Katie. I don’t use agave since it’s considered to be a refined/processed food amongst us real foodie purists, but you could try using pure maple syrup or dates. I bet dates would be delicious, you’d just need to be sure they were mashed well, as the honey serves not just as a sweetener, but as a binder in this recipe. Lots of blessings to you, Kelly 🙂
Hi Kelly,
I recently made the soaked oat granola and it turned out fabulous! I just want to be sure I understand the granola bar recipe. The granola needs to be completely done, totally baked, and then you use it in this recipe, is that correct? On another point, wouldn’t it be more nutritious to include the almond flour in the soak, when you’re making the granola, because then it too would have had, you know, all those good things happen to it. But maybe that doesn’t work for the making the granola into bars, I don’t know. The almond flour I buy hasn’t been previously soaked.
Thanks,
Gigi
Hi, Gigi. Glad to hear you’re enjoying the soaked granola. Yes, you are correct the recipe for the granola bars is based on using the already cooked (finished) granola. So it’s not really possible to soak the almond flour since it comes after the fact and is mainly used to help bind the bars together.
General consensus is that it’s not critical to soak blanched almond flour. That’s because the heaviest concentration of phytic acid is found in the skin of the almond. So with blanched almond flour, there is no need to soak, because the skins have been removed.
Almond meal on the other hand is ground whole almonds (with skins intact) and I would soak that first. (Although I personally do not use almond meal.)
Of course a bigger issue is the enzyme inhibitors and tannins found in the skin of the almond, which can cause significant digestive issues, yet another reason why blanched almond flour is the better option. And of course, there is also the issue of oxalates in almonds, which for some can cause much trouble, especially if one’s diet is high oxalate overall.
But back to phytic acid … here’s a post from Jenny at Nourished Kitchen (http://nourishedkitchen.com/soaking-grains-nuts-legumes/) who is a respected WAPF blogger that may help you as you begin to research this further. (see #3 in her post)
With that said, my personal opinion and recommendation is, if you are especially sensitive to phytic acid (and/or have health issues linked to poor gut health), then I would strongly advise healing your gut first through a diet such as GAPS and then proceed as this program suggests in slowly adding a wider variety of whole foods back into your diet as you progress in healing your GI tract.
Obviously, each person is an individual and therefore needs to adjust their diet according to their own unique health issues. But for those who are in good health and are eating a well-balanced, healthy whole food diet, the majority appear to agree that adding some unsoaked blanched almond flour in moderation, should not present a problem. Thanks for your question! Blessings, Kelly 🙂
I realize i am late to the party as this post is over a year old 🙂
We dont use almond flour due to a nut (ALLLLLLL nuts) allergy. What would you think would be the best swap for the almond flour?
Hi, Crystal! You could try using a little of any flour, you’ll just have to tweak the recipe because blanched almond flour behaves differently than other flours. I basically used it as a binder to help hold the heavier. chunkier ingredients in place. So again, you may need to use less when substituting with another flour (especially if using a gluten-based flour). Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Well this is what I get for trying to do too many things in the kitchen at once. I missed the fact that we use cooked granola in the recipe and I forgot to add the almond flour….they are in oven now, I will let you know how they end up. Oops. Thanks for the recipes! We love them 😀
Well … I am hoping they turned out to be an unexpected yummy discovery. If only every kitchen mistake turned out that way! I know I’ve certainly had my share of oopsies! Let me know? Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Hi Kelly,
I am almost ready to try some recipe in Tiffiny’s new book. As I was reading it, there are some recipe bars that call for peanuts. Could there be alternative nuts to use, if one is allergic specifically to peanuts, cashews and pistachios?
Thanks,
Sam
Hi, Sam. Seeds like pumpkin (pepitas) and sunflower make great substitutes for nuts in virtually any recipe. I didn’t see you note an allergy to all nuts? I’m a huge fan of almonds, if you can tolerate those. Blessings, Kelly
Hello Kelly,
I have made the homemade granola and granola bars many times now, and the only thing my girls would better would be if the granola bars were less moist. Is there anything we could do for that?
Thanks,
Gigi
Hi, Gigi. You could start adjusting the recipe by omitting the milk and see if that helps. Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Ever made them with coconut flour instead of almond flour?
I haven’t tried it. But if you tweak the recipe using coconut flour, please do let us know. Blessings, Kelly 🙂