Homemade Granola Bars (5 Ingredients!) - I Heart Naptime (2024)

These homemade granola bars are soft, chewy and easy to make with only 5 ingredients! A simple no-bake healthy snack that is so much better than store-bought.

More snack recipes we love include this granola recipe, no-bake breakfast cookies and peanut butter oatmeal balls!

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No Bake Granola Bars

I’m always looking for healthy snack ideas that are quick and easy to make. These homemade granola bars are loaded with healthy ingredients and perfect for on-the-go. Unlike my oatmeal breakfast bars there is no baking required!

Growing up, my favorite afternoon snack was chewy granola bars. I still love them to this day! They travel well and are easy to grab for breakfast on busy mornings.

My kids love this natural and healthy granola bar recipe. The bars are full of delicious flavor, inexpensive and so much better than store-bought. They are also super easy to make with only 5 ingredients and 5 minutes prep!

Granola Bar Recipe Ingredients

You only need 5 ingredients to make this homemade granola bar recipe! And once you have the base down, you can add what you like.

Find the fullprintable recipe with specific measurements below.

• Oats: I recommend using quick cooking oats instead of rolled oats for the best texture. Other types of oats may make the granola bars too chewy or hard.
• Nut butter: You can use any type of nut butter, such as almond butter, peanut butter or cashew butter. The nut butter helps the granola bars stick together.
• Almonds: I like to add in sliced almonds for extra crunch and protein. Other types of nuts (like pecans or walnuts) would work too.
• Chocolate chips: What’s a granola bar without chocolate chips?! :) I love the sweetness they add. I’ve found that the mini chocolate chips are just the right size to add in. For a healthier alternative, you could add in cacao nibs.
• Honey: I recommend using honey (instead of maple syrup) because it’s thicker and helps the bars hold together. If using maple syrup, you might want to use less or boil it down since honey is thicker than maple syrup. Agave is another good substitute for honey.

How to Make Granola Bars

It’s so easy to make these homemade granola bars you will wonder why you didn’t make them sooner. You don’t even need to turn on the oven!

• Stir.Add all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and stir until well combined. Add more honey to the peanut butter mixture to hold shape if needed. And salt and cinnamon, to taste.
• Press.Line a 8×8 square baking dish with a piece of parchment paper, allowing the paper to fall over the edges. Using a rubber spatula, press the oat mixture into the pan.
• Freeze.Place in the freezer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until firm. Remove paper from pan and then cut the large square in half. Then cut each half into 6 rectangles.
• Wrap. Wrap bars individually with parchment paper or plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Expert Tips

• Line your pan. Not only does this make clean up extra easy, but it keeps the bars from sticking to the bottom of the square pan. You can even spray the parchment with cooking spray for even easier release!
• Nut butter. Make sure the nut butter you’re using has a smooth and creamy consistency (not dry and firm). This will help the mixture bind together.
• Consistency. If the bars are a little crumbly and not holding their shape, add in a little more honey or almond butter to help bind the mixture.
• Let chill. Don’t skip this step! The bars need to chill in the freezer for about an hour so that the mixture has time to set and firm up.
• Minis. Looking for a preschool snack, play date snack or snack for the team? Cut the granola bars into mini squares and then place them in a mini cupcake liner. Cute, easy and healthy!

Storing and Freezing

These homemade granola bars are best if stored in the refrigerator and eaten within a week. To store, individually wrap each bar with parchment paper or plastic wrap and place in the fridge.

I also love to wrap them individually and then place them in a zip top bag in the freezer. I always write the date on with a permanent marker so that I know the expiration. Then we just pull them out when we need them. Great for quick snacks on-the-go!

More Treats with Oats

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