Homemade Chewy Granola Bars are a cinch to make from pantry staples. Gluten free and kid friendly, they're a great, low-sugar snack option!
If you have kids, and they’re anything like mine, then you know that they are ALWAYS HUNGRY.
That said, I feel like a total rockstar when can pull out ready made Homemade Chewy Granola Bars as a healthy, chewy, naturally sweet, and satisfying snack when they ask for one.
Even if you don’t have kids, these low sugar, nutrient dense, homemade granola bars totally hit the spot!
Homemade Chewy Granola Bars
Far from the sugary, store-bought granola bars that leave you satisfied for maybe 5 minutes, Homemade Chewy Granola Bars are gluten free, packed with healthy fats and protein, and naturally sweetened with a wee bit of honey. There’s even a secret ingredient that takes the flavor of these homemade granola bars up 500 notches.
That said, all the secret ingredients are pantry staples so we can whip these granola bars up anytime. Along with Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bars, Maple Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars, Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins, and Cranberry Chocolate Almond Energy Bites, they’re great to have on hand for easy and healthy snacking.
Recipe Notes
- This recipe calls for coconut oil and I do not recommend substituting in any other type of oil. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, and even harder when chilled, (these granola bars live in the fridge or freezer) and help keep the bars together.
- Along the same lines, I have not tested this recipe with any other sweetener besides honey. Its thick and sticky texture keeps the bars together.
- I use almonds and pecans in my chewy granola bars though you could use whatever nut or seed you have on hand.
Let’s do this!
How to Make This Recipe
Start by adding almonds, pecan halves, and gluten free old fashioned oats to the bowl of a food processor, then process until all the ingredients are finely chopped.
Pour the mixture into a large bowl then add more oats, almonds, and pecans, plus dried cranberries or dried cherries, chia seeds and cinnamon.
Over on the stovetop, add honey, coconut oil, and salt to a small saucepan then bring to a foamy bubble over medium heat. Let the mixture foam and cook for 1 minute then remove it from the heat and stir in almond and vanilla extracts.
The almond extract is the secret ingredient in this recipe, by the way. I’m telling you – the subtle, special flavor it adds is so cozy.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients then mix well to combine. Scoop the mixture into a foil-lined, nonstick-sprayed 8×8 baking pan then spray the bottom of a glass measuring cup with more nonstick spray and press press press!
The harder you press the better these bars will stick together.
Refrigerate the bars until they’re completely set – a few hours – then lift out of the baking pan using the foil and slice into bars.
These bars will soften at room temperature so keep them in the fridge, or wrap in parchment paper or saran wrap and freeze individually. However you eat them them, I hope you love these homemade chewy granola bars — enjoy!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 1 cup certified gluten free old fashioned oats
- 1 cup dried cranberries or cherries
- 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, no substitutions
- 1/2 teaspoon scant salt
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Line a 8x8” baking dish with foil, letting it hang generously over the sides, then spray with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Add 1/2 cup each almonds and pecans, plus 3/4 cup old fashioned oats into the bowl of a food processor then process until finely chopped. Pour mixture into a large bowl then add remaining 1/4 cup oats, dried cranberries, chia seeds, and cinnamon. Chop remaining 1/2 cup pecans and 1/2 cup almonds then add to the bowl and stir everything together. Set aside.
- Add honey, coconut oil, and salt to a small saucepan then bring to a bubble over medium heat, stirring once or twice. Turn heat down slightly, simmer for 1 minute, then remove saucepan from heat and stir in extracts. Pour over the dry ingredients then stir well to combine, and then pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
- Spray the bottom of a measuring cup or bowl with nonstick spray then press firmly into an even layer. The harder you press, the better the bars will stick together! Refrigerate until set, a couple hours, then pull out of the baking dish using overhanging foil and slice into bars using a sharp knife.
Notes
- Store bars in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
This bar is so good. It’s a big hit in my family. We don’t care about store-bought bars anymore!
Oh I’m so thrilled to hear that, Lulu! Thank you for your feedback!
I made these, but with steel cut oats for just the tiny bit of extra nutrition. I also added sugar free chocolate chips to the mixture and then topped it with more cranberries, almonds, and mini chocolate chips. I did not add the almond extract, only vanilla. So good! Except mine was very soft, like there were no problems with them not sticking together. It was like a dough. I’m assuming because of the steel cut oats, maybe I need to add more to compensate, but very good regardless.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the flavor even though the bars had difficulty staying together, Marisha!
Turned out great. Next time I may leave off the almond extract – mine seemed to taste too much like almond and I didn’t catch all the other yummy flavors of the other ingredients. But that is personal preference. Thanks!
Im so glad these turned out well for you, Susie!
Recently have had a homemade granola bar recipe and these look amazing!! Do you have any tips for trying to create from scratch?
Hey Justin! Can you help me understand what you mean by “from scratch”? Are you looking for something besides the recipe? Thanks!
would be really nice if you included the nutritional info with this. Don’t tell people to go to some app to get it. You should be able to post this info if you are a reputable person.
Melody, I hate to tell you, but 99.99% of the nutritional information available on recipe websites that are not written by registered dietitians are all using the same app that calculates nutritional information that is not verified by anyone. It’s a guess at best. Please take your entitled attitude elsewhere.
Melody,
Sorry you have such a sad life that you feel the need to insult people who are just posting their recipes online.
Without a doubt, these are the best granola bars I’ve ever had!
I’ve shared them with so many now that my friends will buy the ingredients just so they can keep asking for more☺️ I recently started using an app to watch my calories and wondered if you’d ever calibrated one of these bars? Thank you either way, and keep up the great work!!!!????????♥️
To add to my previous comment: Is it common knowledge that quickly blanching your dried fruits, such as
raisins, cranberries and dates,
plumps them up, restores a bit of moisture, and really improves the texture of your baked goods and bars like these? (Be sure to drain them really well after blanching.) So glad someone passed this gem on to me!
These are really delicious!
I’m so glad you loved them, Linda!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Do we know the nutritional value of these bars. I made them, and they were delicious and came out great. Just curious of the nutritional value
Hi Catherine! I’m so glad the bars turned out well for you! I recommend MyFitnessPal or a similar app/service if you need nutritional information.
I made them were hard eat and didn’t stick together as .i thought it would. I give thumbs down.
I’m sorry to hear that was your experience with this recipe, Lisa! Can you confirm that the ingredients were measured accurately?
If at first I don’t succeed, I crumble on ice cream or yogurt. It makes a great snack by itself, just eating the crumbles instead of bars. All is not wasted ☺️
Aww, great to hear that, Dee!!
Made these today. Didn’t have any chia seeds so chopped up some white chocolate chips only cause my husband likes it. I know that’s not healthy but The bars are AWESOME! Love your recipe. It will be my go to for chewy granola bars. Thanks for sharing.
Fabulous!! So glad you were able to make them your own. Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
What is the nutritional breakdown pls
Cannot believe how DELISH these were!! I used mixed dried fruit and a bunch of different kinds of nuts. Could devour the entire batch. Great recipe!
So thrilled to hear it, Elsa! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!