Homemade Granola Bars Healthy No-Bake Recipe

Skip the bought snacks. These Homemade Granola Bars are healthy and made with ingredients you can pronounce. This easy no-bake granola bar recipe is perfect for having on hand all the time. Even the kids can help make them.

Which granola bar do you prefer? Crispy, or soft chewy granola bars? I happen to like both. What I don’t like about store bought granola bars are all the additives, preservatives, sugars, and the ingredients that I don’t have a clue about. Honestly, if I can’t pronounce it, I really don’t want to eat it.

Have you ever made granola bars at home? They really are easier than you think. The no-bake versions are quick and easy to whip up in a few minutes. Even the baked granola bars are not difficult to make. The best part about making granola bars at home is that you have control over the ingredients. Free of refined sugars, they can be made gluten-free, vegan and even fit  into the “raw” good category too. 

Hubby and I love to hike. Now that the nice weather is finally here, we have been enjoying our outdoor treks. On most days, even if we are not hiking, we try to get in a 5 mile walk.

I always have lots of heathy things to eat to help keep our energy levels up. When you are walking for a few hours, nutrition is key. Hard boiled eggs, fruits and veggies are always stocked in the fridge.

If we are going out for several hours, we like to take along some snacks. These homemade granola bars and trail mix bites are our favourites. Easy to pack, and easy to eat. The best part is you can create your own flavour combinations with your favourite ingredients. Nutritious and delicious, these bars are way better than anything out of a package.

How To Make Homemade Granola Bars

Healthy granola bar ingredients are simple and  nutritious. Most people already have them in their pantry. Some examples are:

• oatmeal (spelt, Kamut, or other flakes)
• peanut butter (or any nut butter)
• coconut oil
• hemp hearts
• chia seeds
• dried fruit (apples, bananas, raisins, cranberries, blueberries, dates, cherries etc.)
• honey
• agave nectar
• apple sauce
• chocolate chips (just because)
• coconut
• nuts & seeds (of all kinds)
• cocoa
• protein powder

Did you happen to notice you actually can spell and pronounce all of these ingredients? Try that with store bought granola bars. Yes, I know there are some out there that you actually can read all the ingredients, but there are lots that you cannot.

Homemade granola bar recipes really are just a combination of any of the above ingredients. Pick your favourites. For this granola bar recipe, I used oatmeal, peanut butter, coconut oil, agave nectar, hemp hearts, dried bananas, chocolate chips and protein powder. You can substitute whatever you don’t like with ingredients that you do like.

In a pot, I warmed the peanut butter, agave nectar, and coconut oil until it was melted and you could easily mix it. I placed all the other ingredients in a large mixing bowl. When the peanut butter mixture was ready, I poured it into the mixing bowl and combined ingredients well.

I placed this mixture into a parchment paper lined square baking dish. Using the bottom of a glass (or measuring cup), flatten it evenly around the dish. Place in the fridge to harden. That’s it! Literally 15 minutes from start to finish.

If you have never made granola bars at home, give this recipe a try. Snacks should be easy, healthy and nutritious. These Homemade Granola Bars are great for on-the-go whether you are hiking, getting the kids from one game to another, or you need a quick breakfast or lunch.

What is your favourite granola bar flavour?

Don’t forget to sign up for my WEEKLY NEWSLETTER and grab your FREE printable. If you prefer, get PUSH NOTIFICATIONS instead when new content is posted. CLICK the PURPLE BELL on the bottom right of this page.

Homemade Granola Bars Healthy No-Bake Recipe

Homemade Granola Bars are made with ingredients you can pronounce. Healthy, nutritious and this easy no-bake recipe can me made in minutes. Skip the store bought granola bars and make them at home instead. Perfect for "on-the-go" eating!

5 from 37 votes

Print Rate Recipe Collections Your Collections

Course: Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks

Cuisine: Canadian

Keyword: healthy nutritious eating

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 383kcal

Author: Homemade & Yummy

Ingredients

• 3 cups oatmeal (I used large flake)
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup hemp hearts
• 2 ounces banana chips (crushed)
• 2 ounces chocolate chips
• 1 ounce chocolate protein powder (or your favourite flavour)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Line a square baking dish (8x8 or 9x9) with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the peanut butter, agave nectar and coconut oil. Heat until melted and easy to mix. Remove from heat.
• Pour the warm liquid over the dry ingredients, and combine well.
• Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish. Using the bottom of a glass, press to flatten evenly.
• Place in the fridge to harden. About 1 hour or so.
• Remove from fridge. Using a sharp knife, cut into bars.
• ENJOY!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 163mg | Potassium: 293mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1.1% | Vitamin C: 0.4% | Calcium: 5.3% | Iron: 13.4%

Notes

Feel free to cut these into smaller bars (especially for the kids). We find this the perfect size to help fuel us for a few hours of hiking. Also, if you use this as breakfast or lunch, this size works well.

Store remaining bars in a sealed container in the fridge.

Feel free to change up any ingredients you like, use other nut butters, and omit protein powder if you wish. You can also use honey in place of agave nectar.