For a fast and filling snack — or okay, sometimes a meal — granola bars just can’t be beat. They’re portable and tasty and filling. I decided it was time to learn how to make granola bars back when my kids were in elementary school, and these are still a favorite today.
Originally published March 2014; this post has been updated.
Click here to see my great big collection of homemade granola bars.
Once upon a time, when my boys were young and in Little League, we did a lot of eating on the run. The slow cooker helped us manage meals, but people were hungry during those games and seemingly never-ending practices.
Granola bars were my go-to grab and go snacks. I chose what I thought were the healthiest bars, but not long into the season I realized that 1. we were creating a lot of trash and 2. we were spending a lot of cash.
Time to learn how to make granola bars myself!
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Easy Homemade Granola Bars Recipe
The good news is, it’s not hard. It’s a simple matter of combining ingredients, pressing them into a pan, and baking. The house will smell lovely, you will have snacks, and you’ll save money.
These peanut butter granola bars, adapted from a recipe from a vintage television show called Zoom (remember THAT?), became our standby snack on busy days. Even now, my adult children will fall back on this recipe when they know they’re going to be out and about all day long and in need of sustenance.
Ingredients
Oats — The bulk of this granola recipe comes from old fashioned rolled oats. Skip the quick oats; you want the heft of whole, rolled oats here.
Honey — This recipe is lightly sweetened with honey. If you like, you could easily use maple syrup instead.
Peanut Butter — Added for both flavor and a little extra protein, peanut butter helps hold the ingredients together, too. I prefer a natural peanut butter; opt for creamy peanut butter or crunchy peanut butter. For a nut free version, try sunflower seed butter or use melted butter or coconut oil.
Eggs — Fresh eggs, store bought, use what you have readily available.
Optional Add-Ins — This is where you can really customize these homemade granola bars. We typically add raisins or dried cranberries, along with mini chocolate chips and nuts. You can also add unsweetened shredded coconut.
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Making Them
Start by mixing the peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and eggs in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Transfer oat mixture to a rimmed baking pan and spread evenly. Use a spatula or your hands to press the mixture firmly into the pan.
Bake, remove from oven, and once again press the oat mixture firmly into the pan. Doing this both before and after baking the bars helps them retain their shape.
Cool, then cut into bars.
Storage
Place bars into an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to a week.
Be sure to try these homemade granola recipes, too!
★ Did you make these granola bars? Don’t forget to give them a star rating below!
Homemade Granola Bar Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 8 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 cups organic raisins or cranberries
- 2 cup semisweet chocolate chips optional
- 1 cup nuts optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup honey, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 4 large eggs
- Stir salt, flour, baking powder, and oats into peanut butter mixture.1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 8 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- Add raisins, chocolate chips, and nuts.2 cups organic raisins or cranberries, 2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 1 cup nuts
- Spread mixture into a 13"x18" baking sheet, greased or lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Press the mixture firmly down into the pan using a flat spatula or other tool.
- Bake 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and press bars again to help them hold their shape.
- Cool, then slice into 24 bars.
Notes
- For a nut free version, try sunflower seed butter or use melted butter or coconut oil instead of the peanut butter.
I am wondering what you would substitute for the peanut butter? There is an allergy in our family and I am not a big fan. Most recipes call for peanut butter.
Any kind of nut butter would work, as would sunflower butter.
How long will theses keep? Do they need to be refrigerated? Could I use almond flour, and if so, would I use the same quantity as the w/w flour? Thanks for sharing! Will post a rating once I’ve made them!:)
My family goes through them really quickly. They should keep a week or so; for longer storage you can freeze them. Almond flour should work, 1:1, but know that I’ve not tried that myself.
I live in the UK and have been searching for a long time for a recipe for a healthy granola bar. Read your recipe and instantly jumped up to make them. Took 30 minutes from start to taking out of the oven and washing up. Really easy to put together ………. The longest 10 minutes waiting for them to cool enough to eat. And the verdict from both my husband and myself is delicious. I cannot wait to share this recipe with my daughter. Thank you.
What a delightful comment! I’m glad you enjoyed them.
This makes a yummy snack and was easy to make.
Could I sub maple syrup or brown rice syrup for the honey? Have you tried?
I’ve not tried, but I see no reason you couldn’t!
Can you tell me whether your recipe (the first one) results in a crispy crunchy bar or a chewier bar? My biggest peeve with *all* of these recipes is that they never describe the texture to expect!! [makes sad puppy face]
They’re a bit dry/chewy, except for the bits that are really well browned on the edges. Those are crispy. 😉 I’ve yet to find a recipe that mimics the super crispy store bought bars.
These look yummy, am moving Saturday will actually have a kitchen so now maybe, I can experiment more with goodies like these, especially since i view most recipes as guidelines not true rules. except baking and rice, and things like that.
Thanks so much for including me!!! What a great round-up.