Chewy Granola Bars. No corn syrup. Easy recipe. Grab-and-go snack option. Fantastic.
Every homemade chewy granola bar recipe I’ve ever seen includes corn syrup and/or marshmallow cream (not ingredients we feel okay about eating or feeding my family). Even most pre-made granola bars I have seen at the store (even the organic ones) have ingredients I don’t like feeding my family.
I finally figured out a chewy granola bar recipe that we like! It’s easy and includes all natural sweeteners and ingredients! These bars are way cheaper than store bought granola bars! Plus you can customize it according to your family’s taste and allergies! They can be easily wrapped individually to take in the car or packed in a lunch!
Homemade Chewy Granola Bars
- ½ cup peanut butter or sunbutter
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup coconut oil (or another oil of your choice)
- 1 cup oats
- 1 cup total of any combination of: sesame seeds, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, mini chocolate chips
- In a medium sized saucepan, melt together peanut butter, honey and coconut oil.
- Remove from heat and add one cup of oats.
- Choose your favorite combination of coconut flakes, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, dried fruit and mini chocolate chips, to equal a total of ONE CUP. (I just got out my one cup measuring cup and poured in the ingredients until the cup was full.)
- Pour in and stir well.
- Spread mixture into a 8x8 or 9x4 pan.
- Chill for two hours, then cut into bars.
Wrap in plastic wrap for a quick grab and go snack!
Many have said that these taste similar to the oldie-but-goodie No Bake Cookie recipe we’re all familiar with. How fun that these are quite a bit healthier!
I’ve found that these keep best in the fridge as they get a little bit too soft if left out for too long. What a perfect grab-and-go snack!
They look so pretty! I want one….looks like I’ll be making some soon.
Yum! I need to make these too.
I’m so glad you shared these. We have had to give up eggs due to allergies and so I can’t use my favorite granola bar recipe. I can’t wait to try these!
The recipe sounds really good. If you baked them would it make crunchy granola bars?
I would imagine so, but I haven’t tried to bake them!
Hello,
Can I feature this on my blog? Pic and text? Great find. I needed this. I’ll wait to hear from you.
Staci
http://[email protected]
I’m prefer the content to stay on my blog, but I’d be happy for you to have a little write up about them, then link to the recipe here! Thanks!
Wow, I said I’m prefer…That would be I’D prefer…sorry!
Looks great — thanks!
Those look like they really came out nice. I noticed you used a stoneware baking pan – Pampered Chef? Do you think it makes a difference in how they turn out?
Yes, it’s a PC stone, but it wouldn’t make a difference. It’s just the pan I had handy at the time. I’ve also used a glass pyrex 8×8 pan for these. Since you don’t bake them, the pan doesn’t matter necessarily.
I had no idea corn syrup was bad for you. (did not make the connection between high fructose corn syrup and plain corn syrup) I just made granola bars that contained some yesterday. Thank you for posting this recipe so I can make a healthier version for my family.
Yeah, HFCS is definitely worse than just corn syrup, but corn syrup is still bad. :(
I don’t have honey on hand..What can I use then?
If you stir brown sugar into the peanut butter/coconut oil mixture instead, that should work. :)
I wanted to jump up and down and scream “Wa-hoo!!” when I saw this! I’m so excited to make these! We need snacks like this for the same reason, and I can’t even justify buying them in bulk at Costco. Thanks for the recipe! I can’t wait to try it out!
I love that its a no bake recipe!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! As I read it I realized I already had everything it called for, so there are some sitting in my fridge right now! It took me all of 10 minutes to make them and from the taste I took before popping them into the fridge they’re fabulous! My daughter will enjoy her surprise snack when she gets up from her nap.
I saw somewhere (nourishing gourmet?) that you can soak oats and then dehydrate them for use….I wonder if it would work for this recipe or if the texture would be too off? I’ll have to check it out.
Yes, “Just Making Noise” blog has a recipe for “Soaked & Ready Oats”.
I just made these yesterday & think they would be perfect for this!
I made these using the soaked/dehydrated oats. One thing I didn’t
realize is the oats are hard- next time I will try grinding them
up a little bit more before putting in the bars. I’m going to
post more on my blog about it next week (linking back to this recipe
& giving credit of course)! :)
Yeah, what Cammie said. I’ve never soaked and dehydrated oats before, but I hear it can be done. I have this sickness where I have to change recipes the first time I try them. :-) So maybe I’ll try it with soaked dehydrated oats.
I tried it- see my comment above before you do…
This recipe is gluten free as long as you use gluten free oats. My daughter misses chewy granola bars, so I may need to give this a tray. :)
Thankyou for this recipe Laura. I will definitely be trying it.
Can someone tell me what is wrong with unsoaked oats? I’ve never heard the term before and I eat oats unsoaked all the time – is it bad for me?
You can read more about soaking grains (wheat, oats…) here: https://heavenlyhomemakers.com/soaking-those-grainswhat-is-that-about
Basically, soaking your grains in something cultured like buttermilk or yogurt , or with a shot of lemon juice, makes them more digestable. Whenever I eat too many oats without first soaking them overnight, my tummy lets me know!
Just today I was thinking about making some granola bars..thanks for this recipe, I will def. make this tomorrow…as I have all the ingredients, and steel cut oats…which makes it gluten free for my autistic son.
I am also going to incorporate flax seeds in there for some EFA…thanks again!
Thank you SOSOSOSOSO much! I’ve been trying and adapting recipe after recipe for a simple, low sugar, granola bar. I finally gave up and did an oatmeal cookie, but these are so much simpler and easier!
Here is another recipe for chewy granola bars, we love these! http://onelittlewordsheknew.blogspot.com/2009/05/perfect-granola-bars.html
I also had all the ingredients on hand and went ahead and made these, they are in the fridge right now! They smell nice, can’t wait to try them! The hardest part of transitioning to traditional cooking has been snacks, especially on days like today where we had three activities in a row.
Funny, I just made granola bars today. Now I want to try your recipe. I’ve tried ten or so bar recipes, but they’ve all been baked and most are on the crunchy side. These chewy ones would be a nice change of pace.
I’m new to coconut oil…You said that you can use another oil that you prefer. What types of oil would be good with this? I’m assuming not vegetable oil or canola oil, right? I’m still learning. And thanks for all your help in this endeavor!
The only oils I use are coconut, palm and olive. I’m not sure any of those would work well in tnis recipe, but I put that statement in my post because I often receive comments from people saying that they don’t have coconut oil and can they use something else? But no, I don’t recommend vege or canola.
This may be a topic for a future post. :-) But I would love to know
more of what you think/know/do about the oils. I have olive oil and
coconut oil. I know nothing about palm oil. When to use which type,
which one to use if a recipe calls for veg oil or canola oil, etc…
It is all very confusing and I have done some searching and reading
but can’t seem to find it all spelled out anywhere like I need it! :-)
Yeah, great idea! I do have planned to write a series of posts (after I finish my healthy eating series) about specific ingredients and why they’re good/bad.
Whoops, I don’t know much about coconut oil either, so I just used veggie oil. Turned out great!
Yum-O! I have recently been experimenting with soaked and dehydrated oats for granola bars, and they actually made mine (similar enough to these) BETTER because they’re crunchy and chewy at the same time. I’d highly recommend giving it a try; I used a 3:1 ratio of oats to water w/ whey for the soak so that they don’t actually get soggy before drying in a low temp oven.
:) Katie
Katie, I hope we’ll be hearing about your soaked/dehydrated oats sometime! :>) Laura, I linked to this recipe on my weekly roundup – and your butterscotch bars… I’ll go comment over there next. Thanks!
These look great! I will definitely try them. How long will they keep wrapped in plastic? Can I keep them longer if I freeze them? Thanks for posting.
They should stay good for several weeks in the fridge. I’ve never frozen them, so I’m not sure on that one.
I just made crunchy granola bars last week and was saying how I needed to find a recipe for chewy granola bars! Can’t wait to try these.
And very interesting info about soaking oats. I’ve had a lot of digestive issues over the years…and I eat unsoaked oats almost every day. I live on granola (always homemade now). I’ve always thought the oats might be causing some problems, but I like them too much to give up. I’ll have to look into this. And maybe into soaking grains in general. Maybe that would really help me digest my grains, which I know is a major factor for me. Thanks!!
Here’s a post I wrote about soaking grains: https://heavenlyhomemakers.com/soaking-those-grainswhat-is-that-about Since you’re having digestive issues, I’d sure look into this. Soaking isn’t hard, you just have to plan ahead!
Thanks. I’m a huge planner, so that shouldn’t be a problem. I just need to learn the step-by-step process. I actually already made the granola bars :) After we got home from shopping this morning my daughter (not even 2 yet) said “time to bake!” So I figured I’d give them a try today :) Can’t wait for them to be done. They’re in the fridge right now.
Laura,
Did you use the sunbutter for your family? I was curious if the sunbutter taste was really strong. My 3yo is allergic to peanuts (sounds like she and your youngest have a lot in commom!) and I buy sunbutter for her. I try whenever possible to just make the same thing for all of us, so I’d just like to use that for these. But I’m wondering how the others would like it.
I used PB so I’m not sure. Actually, the taste of the pb wasn’t real strong, so I would imagine with the sunbutter, the whole family would like them just fine. Just be sure that sun flower seeds are not part of the dry ingredient combination!
so, is sunbutter okay for kiddos with peanut allergies? all 3 of mine are allergic to nuts…
Yep, sun butter is just made from sunflower seeds.
I made these with sunbutter yesterday(we have a peanut allergy in our house) and they were very yummy! Thank you so much for this great recipe. It is perfect for pack and go snacks!
Finally got around to making these. Very good! But I think my brand
of Sunbutter is a little loose or runny, cause the bars were VERY
chewy. But the little one with the allergies loved them, and that’s
what makes me happy.
So i was just going to ask what sunbutter is as I’m not a fan of
peanut butter but DH would love the ones with PB. However DH is
allergic to sunflower seeds so I guess peanut butter it will be as you
said it isn’t a strong taste.
These look yummy, I can’t wait to try them.
These turned out so delicious! All I had for add ins on hand was sesame seeds, but I actually think they are perfect! Thank you for an excellent recipe Laura!
Oh, these look just enough like the Trader Joe’s version that my pickiest eater may just try them. I have yet to find a homemade granola recipe that fits that bill… so, once again, thank you, Laura! Of course, I’ll have to make them late one night when he’s fast asleep and store them in a TJ’s box… but such is the life of a Mom with the grand-pubah of picky eaters!
:D
My kids went crazy for your breakfast cookies! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
O.K., here we go again with the soaking dilemma! I have looked into this more since the last discussion and just cannot find ANY other source recommending this process except for Sally Fallon (Nourishing Traditions) and Weston Price. All other sources seem to lead back to them. It may be that there are people who cannot tolerate the grains as well and the soaking helps them to digest them more easily (just as some people are lactose intolerant or cannot have gluten). Cultured buttermilk is always an excellent addition to help aid in digestion of any food. But this cannot mean that everyone would need to soak alll of their grains in order to properly digest them, would it? I don’t see anything in scripture directing us to do this, either. By the way, I have made a no-bake oatmeal cookie recipe very similar to this for years and no one has had any problems digesting them. We also frequently eat granola that I make using oats that I roll with a machine. No soaking, and no digestive problems. If anything, our digestion is improved because of the huge amount of fiber. I do not recommend consuming any large quantities of these grains without drinking a lot of water, though! That may be the source of more problems than what unsoaked grains are causing. Just a thought. Sorry for the long post.
All I know is that while I don’t have any (seeming) problems when I don’t soak wheat…I DO have a messed up digestive system when I eat straight, unsoaked oats. I’m okay with a couple of bites, and anything beyond that I’m terribly bloated (too much information?!). Unsoaked oats don’t work very well for me! Others seem to handle it fine though!
I think you are reading my mind! I just said to my husband that I need to find a homemade granola bar recipe that was healthy and easy to make. This is perfect! We spend a lot of money on these because they are easy and better than a chocolate candy bar (maybe not, now that I think about it). I cannot wait to make these for everyday snacks as well as to pack in my kids bag for their sports events!
Erica
These look yummy and I wil ahve to try soon. Here is another link I made recently and we all loved – next time I will skip the sesame seeds because they are too strong
http://www.wholegraingourmet.com/recipes/57-treats/52-coconut-almond-granola-bar.html
and I want to try this recipe too
http://www.wholegraingourmet.com/recipes/57/48.html
Wish I would have seen this before. My son is leaving for camp in a couple of hours and I mixed up some trail mix for him, but these would have been great. I’m copying the recipe for next time…and some time before a campout too.
These are a little similar to what I make. This recipe is from Family Fun magazine:
Powerballs
Makes 40-48
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. honey
3 c. old-fashioned oats
1/2 c. ground flaxeed
1 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped nuts, any kind
1/2 c. soft dried fruit, any kind
Mix together peanut butter and honey until smooth. Gradually add oatmeal and flaxeed. Add chocolate chips, nuts and dried fruit and gently mix in a stand mixer or smush together by hand.
Roll into ping-pong size balls. Keep in fridge and they will freeze well too.
I thought they would be a sticky mess but they are not. I wear gloves for rolling and make them small so the kids can pop the whole thing into their mouth. These are SOOOO good! I’ve been using walnuts and cranberries.
These are amazing. I made them yesterday and they are almost gone. This recipe is great!
I am the wife of a corn/soybean farmer. Isn’t the problem with corn syrup the fact that it is put into so many soda and juice products. Isn’t it ok in some cooked and baked foods in moderation? The key word being moderation. High Fructose corn syrup is put into a lot of products to give them a longer shelf life. A pan of granola bars with corn syrup here and there in moderation should be okay. Right? I think corn syrup and high fructose syrup are getting a bad rap.
I just prefer food/ingredients in their most whole form as possible (even though this sentence isn’t worded very well!). Corn syrup and HFCS is very processed, leaving not too much in the way of nutrients.
amy, while you are very close to this subject, if you want to know
there are several scientific studies on HFCS & how it is not processed
by our bodies the same as sugar. Here’s a Princeton one:
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/index.xml?section=
what do you think about using almond butter instead oF PB?
Sure, that would work!
Sound wonderful, in 2 hours we shall see how tasty they are…:) Great recipe and all the items on hand! Thank you for sharing so many recipes.
Just a note. I added chocolate chips to the recipie. Problem is, the peanut butter mixture is still warm, and the chocolate chips melt. So, plan on adding more oats. Still, more wonderful than words. Thanks for all the yummy recipies.
I love your recipes and use them a lot. I was just thinking two days ago (as I was looking for a snack) how nice it would be if you happened to have a granola bar recipe that you would share with us. Then I got on your blog yesterday and low and behold there they were. :) My husband and I made them right away and we loved them! We are going to try to freeze some and see how they turn out, we may also try to bake them at some point, since my husband likes crunchy better than chewy. But these were awesome!! Thank you!
These are really yummy! I made them last night and had one for breakfast–couldn’t resist. Thanks!
Made these yesterday, added chocolate chips and they melted. This made them taste just like those no-bake cookies. Yum!
I made these a couple days ago. They never sat out at room temp and were just so liquidy. So, I decided to put them in the oven for about 15 minutes, enough to get some of the liquid to soak in really. It helped some and I put them in the fridge (made them too hard really) but they are more like those oatmeal chocolate peanut butter no bake cookie things. Do you think adding more oats/add ins would fix my problem? Anyone else have theirs be too sticky/messy?
Interesting (and a bummer)! Yes, sounds like it would be good to add more oats and other dry ingredients until the mixture is a good consistency before chilling.
Just made these and the kids declared “Best Ever”! I declare easiest ever. I also have your grahams in the oven crisping. Thanks for the great recipes!!
Ok, I was reading through the post and I think I realized what happened to mine (they taste great, but they are like a candy bar). My chocolate chips melted and I did not put more oats in. I ended up with a sunbutter (peanut allergy here too), chocolate, little oat, honey candy bar. It is very yummy, but not what I was going for. I will either add more oats, or add the chocolate chips after it has cooled more.
I’ve made these twice now and they’re great. I tried adding some whole flax seeds along with the chocolate chips (I do one cup total of coconut flakes, chocolate chips, and sunflower seeds), don’t do it! They taste way too strong, though still edible. I’m debating whether to try ground flax seed, or just stick with the recipe as it is. They do taste a lot like no bakes since the chocolate chips melt, which is not a bad thing.
I look forward to making these when my coconut comes in from Tropical Traditions.
Thanks for linking up! I made some soaked oats per Katie’s method (did you ever post about that?) and tried them in baked oatmeal this morning – before I dehydrated them. Even after baking as normal, I thought it tasted kind of “raw”. So I’m looking forward to trying the dehydrated ones. But, at least we had less rumbly tumblies! :>)
thanks!! since I started cooking more from scratch my main problem has been easy/ convenience / snacky foods. :-D I grew up on frozen burritos and soda, so I am just learning all I can since having children. :-)
Anyway, I am off to try your recipe since I also have all the stuff on hand!
i am new to cocunut oil (bought some on a reco of a friend the other day), but was supirsed at the textured (not liquid). So to use it in a recipe like this do you heat it first so it is liquid like the other oils I am used to working with, or do you use it in the ‘lard” like state (and measure from that state)? it seems like this would use almost y whole jar if I use it the state it is in in the jar.
i also have sunflower oil on hand, do you know anything about that?
I melt the coconut oil first before adding it to a recipe.
I have sunflower oil on hand too, but I really don’t care for the taste of it, therefore I never use it. :)
I made the granola bars today and they are yummy! Do you store these in the fridge or in the pantry? I am wondering because my peanut butter needs to be stored in the fridge so I was thinking that the granola bars would need to be too??
I store them in the fridge!
I made these for my sons preschool shared snack, and they were a big hit! His classmates declared that I was a “good cooker”! I am so glad I found these.
Yum, the whole family enjoyed these! The bars did turn out chewy and much more moist than my regular recipe (more crumbly). They reminded me of your peanut butter balls, which I also like. Thank you!
i find the freeze very well,but I found mine were a bit too soft the last time I made them, so this time I left out the oil altogether and they seem to be a better consistency
I tried these with cocoa and they were so good! I was wondering about trying a cherry, almond, vanilla bar. How would it work if I left the peanut butter out?
I think it should work! I need to try it that way for my peanut allergy boy!
You could use sunbutter instead of peanut butter.
Could we find a way to soak the oats I wonder?
I tried these with premade granola from this recipe: http://groceryshrink.com/2010/07/homemade-granola-2.html which is soaked. The result tasted good but they were
very crunchy. Next time I may try these with granola that has not dried as much so it will be more chewy. Another option would be to soak and dry the oats before using them in this recipe but I find that too time-consuming.
Also used cashew butter because that’s what I had.
Oh yum!! I love the simplicity of this recipe!!
When I added my chocolate chips they all melted! Next time I think I will add the oats and let it cool a little bit before I add the chocolate chips. Although, I’m not complaining they were still delicious!
My chocolate chips melted too, and the whole family thought they were
fabulous! :) They tasted like a great dessert, not a granola bar! :)
I made these last week and… super yum!!! I read someone else saying they had left out the oil, so I just used enough to coat my measuring cup so the honey & PB would come out easier. I added in mostly peanuts (unsalted dry roast), some sunflower seeds, and a little bit of Easter Sundrops we had left over (those are the all natural M&M look alikes). The kids enjoyed having the chocolate in there, but I think I’ll do all peanuts & seeds next time. It tasted so much like Planters Big Nut Bars!!
You could also melt chocolate and dip the bars in them, that would make chocolate covered bars. though I haven’t made them yet, so I am just assuming. And the idea of making an almond vanilla bar sounds right up my alley. Please share, alicia, if you make one that is totaly share-able.
I’ve already made three batches of these bars and my husband and I just love them! I actually only use 1/4 cup honey, and about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, and the texture and flavor is amazing. My cup of add-ons includes craisins, semi sweet chocolate chips, chia seeds, and organic unsweetened shredded coconut. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
My husband and I LOVE these. I’m a snacker, so they are great to keep around the house. Like some others, I added chocolate chips. If we take these on trips we have to keep them in a cooler because they melt. Any tips for avoiding that?
No, I’m not sure…I think we’re just stuck with ooey-gooey granola bars!
I love this recipe and my kids and husband do too!
I did use 2 cups of oats to make them less sticky and they turned out great.
My kid love theirs with cranberries, coconuts and nuts.
Probably stupid question… I make peanut butter at home, I can use that one, right?
Oh, absolutely use your homemade peanut butter! That’s exactly what I use!
yey!
thanks!
I tried these yesterday and they were great! I didn’t use coconut oil because the stuff I have does not say it is “food grade”…does it matter? I bought it for homemade lotions and such so I played it safe.
For my cup of “extras” I used flax seed, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, and more oatmeal. I’m definitely making these again, maybe trying to find a way to incorporate cinnamon!
I was wondering if anyone has an alternative for peanut butter. We have a nut allergy in the family.
Have you used Sunbutter before (made from sunflower seeds)? I have one son who won’t eat peanut butter and I’ve used sunbutter for this recipe too – works great!
I made these today….it took about 10 minutes; seriously. They are soooooo good. I made with chocolate chips from Trader Joes so my little daycare boy that can’t have dairy can have these for snack. Very excited.
You could probably soak the oats and dehydrate them ahead of time, then use 1 cup of soaked/dehydrated oats in the recipe as written. I’ll confess that I haven’t done it for these specific bars, but I’ve done it for many others and the taste is the same. It does add an extra step, but is worth it to avoid the…digestive issues…IMO. ;)
I wanted to make these today, but then I found this recipe for soaked granola. It is in the oven right now, and it smells SO GOOD! There is a provision for granola bars here, too. http://healthbeginswithmom.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-to-make-soaked-granola.html
Any ideas of how to make these w/o peanuts? We’ve got a peanut allergy in house…. Maybe soybutter?
I’ve made them using sunbutter before and it works great!
I’m new to this, not sure what oats are. Groats? Oatmeal? If someone could let me know, it would be super helpful. My husband is FINALLY going to get off of sugar and HFCS, and I need to get some snacks ready.
Yeah, just regular oatmeal…the oats are the uncooked variety, the oatmeal is what it turns into once it’s cooked. :)
“rolled” oats are what you need here
I have made lots of homemade granola recipes that I like but it has been hard to find granola bars without high fructose syrup or lots of sugar…yeah for this one! I am running in a big race on Saturday and I am so excited to share these with my teammates. I made a chocolate almond batch (I also struggle with the chocolate melting!) and a seeds and craisins mix. The quickness of making these is awesome with my busy schedule. Thank you Laura!
Do you have to use Coconut oil? I am knew to this…would olive oil work?
You don’t have to use coconut oil, but I think with olive oil, you may have a hard time with the granola bars staying together. The coconut oil solidifies once it cools, so it works a little better.
I just made these last week and they’re great! I am going to try making peanut butter soon, but this time I just had Walmart brand PB (I know… tsk tsk!! I bought it for a specific recipe though :P) and they turned out really super sweet (which isn’t all bad :D). Can’t wait to get some peanuts and make my own!
Thank you for sharing this. we are hosting church tomorrow in our home, so looking forward to sharing with our ‘bros. and sis’. So simple to make and I have the ingredients. Thank you for sharing your recipes and your DETAILED EXPLANATIONS AND PICS. So helpful.
nancy
Well, I made the granola bars in about 10 minutes or less, I did use less on corn oil and honey. For the add ins – I used unsweetened coconut, some crushed walnuts and chocolate chips to top off the cup. They turned out so good. They do need to stay in fridge – they actually taste better chilled. Hard to stay out of them.
I use this trick when I want to add chocolate chips to granola bars: Put the amount I want in a cup in the freezer while I make the bars. Then I let the oat mixture cool a bit (5-10 minutes), add the chocolate chips quickly and spread in pan. Most stay together this way.
Thanks for this recipe, Laura!
Good call putting the choc chips in the freezer ahead of time!
I am new to this site and very excited to try some healthier options for my family. I do work part-time, so quick recipes are a must. This took all of 10 minutes!! I hope my “picky” two year old enjoys it as much as I did preparing it! Thanks for this quick and easy recipe for a beginner like me!
I made these today and they are great! Thank you for the recipe!
I used 1/2 cup dried cherries and 1/2 cup mini chocolate morsels. I used the tricks Jami suggested above about freezing the morsels and also waiting for the mixture to cool a little before adding the morsels to the mixture. I had very little melting of the chocolate. You don’t want to let it cool too long though because it will start to get firm.
I made these this weekend for my daughter to take as snacks. I used almond butter since her school is peanut free. I also only used a little coconut oil based on other reviews. For my add-ins I used sunflower seeds, wheat germ and dried cranberries. My daughter loved them and so did I. Great recipe!
These granola bars are a hit in our home!
Thank you!!!
Made these today using 10 drops of alcohol-free liquid stevia in place of honey. I also used half cocoa butter & half coconut oil. My mix-ins are flax seeds, cacao nibs, and sunflower seeds. Delicious! Thank you for the recipe! :)
ive made these twice in 2 weeks :) i like adding crispy rice to it for a little crunch. my bf loves these! thanks so much!
all of the other recipes that I have seen are baked in the oven… why is this one not baked?
I’m not sure about other recipes, but in order for these to be chewy, they’re best just to be mixed up and refrigerated. Easy!
i think they will be awesome because i love to make and bake brownies cookies and other types of granola bars and this is a new recipie so it will be FUN!! for me and my children!!!!!!!!!!!!!(i hope soooooooooo……!!!)
I made these today, and loved them so much, I shared them on my blog (with link backs and full credit of course) thanks so much!!!
I am so excited about this recipe I plan on making it right away. I have had Kashi chewy granola bars on hand, but they are expensive and I want to stay away from all the soy in them. Thank you so much for this recipe–I know my peanut-butter loving husband is going to LOVE them!
I made them and LOVE them, but they are all crumbly. I can’t get them to stay together in bar form. Any suggestions?
I’d say next time add fewer dry ingredients. There probably wasn’t enough peanut butter, honey and coconut oil to keep it all together in nice chewy bars.
Jackie, this recipe goes together very much like the ‘no bake cookies’ we loved as children. The trick with those is boiling the liquid part for almost exactly one minute. If it’s boiled a shorter time the cookies end up really gooey (yum!), and longer, the cookies crumble everywhere. Hope that helps.
Has anyone ever tried tossing the oats with some yogurt first and letting them sit overnight to “soak” them? (It’s better for your stomach) Then following the rest of the recipe?
I haven’t tried this, but I think it’s a great idea!
Making mine right now with craisins, chocolate chips and sliced almonds. It’s looking very tasty!
Why are raw oats bad for your stomach? I make some no bake cookies with oats and was wondering if I should stop eating them a lot?
Not everyone is the same with this, but I find oats very hard to digest (cooked or raw). If they work okay for you, you probably don’t have anything to worry about!
Oh okay. Thanks for replying back! I find if I eat those cookies
a lot they actually help me to..um…go to the bathroom better. Lol!
I just wanted to make sure they weren’t harmful or anything. :)
Yum! I can’t wait to try these! And can I just say “thank you” for a granola recipe that does NOT call for Canola oil or condensed milk? Have you ever made regular granola from this recipe, or do you always make them into bars?
Thank you for this recipe! My husband and I are avoiding processed carbs (mostly flours, sugar, and corn too) and want to find a healthy snack. This seems to fit the bill. Thanks again!
I can’t believe no one else has asked this – can I use butter instead of the coconut oil?
Well, you can use butter, but they won’t set up as well and might be a little bit gooey. :)
I use butter instead of coconut oil, but I do add a bit more
oats to the mix. And I use less honey. I guess I changed the
recipe a bit! ;) I think that helps them to not fall apart,
along with storing in the fridge. I’m still experimenting to
find what we like best!
Here’s a variation with a Middle Eastern flair. Using the same ratio of ingredients, substitute:
Tahina for peanut butter
Date honey (syrup made from dates) for bee honey
Olive oil for coconut oil
Tahina has the same consistency as peanut butter. You can also try half tahina and half peanut, sunflower seed, or almond butter.
Try soaking the oats in yoghurt or juice for 2 to 24 hours (in fridge) before making the granola to break down the indigestible parts of the oats. If you use sweetened yoghurt or juice you should use less honey otherwise the granola bars will be too sweet.
Thanks, Laura, for your recipe!
Hey there. Just stopping by to let you know I {finally} made these the other day. I chose to use the old-fashioned style oats, and a whole cup of mini chocolate chips….
Oh my goodness, these things are scrumptious! And I love finding recipes that allow me to use my coconut oil.;) My bars are very chocolate-y and don’t look anything like yours in the pics, probably because I added so much chocolate, but they are really good. I store them in a ziploc bag in the fridge.
Thanks again for the recipe! They were so quick & easy to make, I’ll be making another batch soon!
These are soooo good! I quadrupled mine when i made them today!
Also so easy:)
HI!
I am super excited about trying these out, but I have a quick question. We’re not a big fan of peanut butter at my house and I’m not located near a place to purchase sun butter. Is there anything I can substitute while I’m waiting to get some sun butter?
Thanks in advance!
P.S. I can’t begin to tell you have helpful you have been as my family and I begin our quest of eating more real food. We’re picking up our wheat grinder this week. Thanks for everything!!
You could use extra coconut oil or maybe some regular butter with the coconut oil to see if that works. :)
I tried to make these but the peanut butter and honey got hard after being heated for a very short time. Any suggestions?
Wow, I’m not sure what went wrong – that’s never happened to me before. :( My peanut butter actually starts out a little bit on the hard side because it is natural peanut butter and kept in the fridge. I have to leave it in the saucepan with the honey for a few minutes (while I stir) to soften and “melt” it.
My mom made them for my brothers and my sister and I, and let me tell you they are GOOD! And now my mom said that I can make them whenever we want them! I’m glad my mom found this recipe.
Do you use a pure honey that sometimes crystalizes when it’s a bit older and needs to be heated through in order to smooth it out? If so, then I suspect your honey is the culpret. I haven’t tried this recipe, but I use pure honey from a friend that raises bees. It crystalizes fast, smooths out after being heated, and recrystalizes after cooling.
Perhaps the temp was too high. I do it on low.
Tried these and took with us on vacation. They are terrific!
I used this to adapt my favorite crunchy granola recipe… Cranberries, raisins, pepitas, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds. Also added 1 tsp. each flax seed and wheat germ. Actually left out the chocolate (something must be wrong with me), just to see how I like it.
I will be making these, a lot of the recipes I have found have used sweetened condensed milk and you have to bake. These look so much better. I have been looking for a lot of “grab and go” recipes to keep us healthy while spending next week at the county fair, and I have found pretty much all I need on your site! Thanks for giving me some easy ways to keep my four boys eating decent!
Can I use natural peanut butter?
Yes, that will work great!
I tried a slight variation of your recipe today and it was quite delicious, thank you! I didn’t have any of your suggested “no more than one cup of” ingredients, so I smashed up some pretzels and cashews. They added a nice crunch and saltiness. I’ll definitely try this one again, and hopefully next time I’ll have the actual ingredients available!
We love these but they come out really gooey and must say in the fridge or they melt what am I doing wrong I always put dried bananas dried apples and peanuts.
It could be that the dried fruit and nuts aren’t able to absorb the liquids in this recipe. I think it’s great to add those – you may want to try adding extra dry ingredients (coconut flakes, oats, etc.) to absorb the liquids and keep the bars from being too gooey.
I do add extra oats I’ll try coconut next time thank you!!
Will be trying these! Thanks!
Do you think almond butter would work instead of peanut butter?
Thanks
Yep!
These look great! Can you suggest which oil might work best other than the coconut oil. I only have olive on hand and would hate these to be greasy if I chose the wrong thing. Thanks!
Olive oil may not work because it remains runny (although since you refrigerate these, they may firm up). I wonder if butter might work?
Butter does work (i had to use it this last time i made them) as long as a buttery taste doesn’t bother you. I liked them.
Can you explain your comment regarding un-soaked oats doing a number on your digestive system and why they are bad compared to cooked oats? I am very new to healthy eating. Really just sticking my toe in the water. I know it is something I should do for my family. I love snacking so was thinking it would be good to tackle snacks first. This is my first comment and I have to say that I love your site. Thanks so much!
Here’s a post I wrote about soaking grains: https://heavenlyhomemakers.com/what-it-means-to-soak-grains, which will help explain the soaking side of things. However, I almost never soak my oats.
My family can handle oats just fine, soaked or un-soaked. I have found that I need to avoid oats almost entirely. They completely bloat me. Apparently I can’t digest them well. :)
As long as you handle eating oats well and it doesn’t upset your tummy, I’d say these granola bars are a perfect snack to tackle!
What would I use in place of the peanut butter to make these to send with my son to school? (The school is a peanut-free school)
Thanks for the recipe. Can’t wait to make some for my boys!
God bless!
Stephany
Try using sunflower seed butter (sunbutter). A friend of mine teaches at a peanut-free school and they use this in their PB&Js.
I’ve bought it at Trader Joe’s and I’m sure Whole Foods has it. It may be more common? Not sure.
Making these for the 2nd time. My picky family loves them. No more buying prepackaged, nasty granola bars again. I’ve also added wheat germ in addition to the nuts and sweets. Friends have asked for the recipe and I need to send 2 in my daughter’s lunch for her friend! So easy too.
These look yummy and we are going on a camping trip so they will be perfect for on the go snacks! I am out of honey though, thinking of using rapadura? Have you ever used a granular sugar or maple syrup instead of honey???
I haven’t tried anything other than honey, but rapadura, sugar or maple syrup would probably work fine!
how long can you store granola bars. I am wanting to make some up and store them for long term, but unsure how these store?
I’ve stored them for up to two months in my fridge and they do just fine!
I made these today and was wondering why mine weren’t setting up. In going over the recipe tonight I noticed I put in 3 times to much peanut butter! That’s what I get trying to multi-task and rush too many things! LOL…I’ll fix them tomorrow by heating them on the stove and adding some extra ingredients to make a double to triple batch. They will be great!
I fixed my mistake on these bars by heating them on the stove, adding more ingredients and then then letting it cool in the pan before adding in the stir-ins. They set up great and are wonderfully delicious.
I have been following your blog for a few mths now, love your ideas! You have got me thinking about all of the processed foods, keep up with the great ideas! Wasn’t sure where I was supposed to leave comments about signing up for subscribing, or for the nutrimill give away, here it is anyway.
I’m so glad I saw this! I adore granola, and my hubby likes to take granola bars to work. He drives truck, so it’s something handy for him to carry and eat that won’t go bad, like a sandwich or something (since he refuses to carry a lunch pail…. *sigh* LOL). I have been wanting to find a good recipe, and I’m sure this one will be really good! I wonder if this could be made crunchy also? I much prefer the crunchy variety. :-) I’ll have to play with it!
These are so wonderful! I made two batches. The first batch, I stirred in mini chocolate chips, and they melted right in as the peanut butter mixture was still warm (this gave the bars the taste of a no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookie, which isn’t too shabby!). On the second batch, I sprinkled the chocolate chips on top of the mixture once I spread it in the pan, and they stayed like chips.
Hi! I I tried to make these and did, however they are very SWEET – and more like a the texture of a “no bake” cookie – which is good, however I am curious of what i am doing wrong. I think it is the oats. I just used old fashion oats, is that wrong? please let me know your thoughts.
Tara
I usually use old fashioned oats as well – maybe try putting in fewer chocolate chips next time to avoid the extra sweetness, as well as waiting until your liquid ingredients have cooled for a couple of minutes before adding chocolate chips so that they don’t melt throughout the bar, making them like a no-bake. :)
I stirred in 1 tbsp. of cocoa with the oatmeal. Delicious!
I made these this afternoon and they are super yummy! I ended up doubling my oats and also added sesame seeds, slivers almonds, puffed rice, raisins, and currants. Since I knew I was going to wrap them in plastic wrap any how I decided to make granola “balls” instead and saved me 1 step. The kids thought it was a novel shape and ate them up. Thank you for sharing!
P.S. Next time I make these I am going to use my soaked granola, thanks for the idea!
I’m new to eating healthy and cooking…..excited about trying to do better for my family!! On this recipe do you cook the oats…..what kind of oats do I need to buy??
Thanks!
Wondering if there is a way to make this recipe with soaked oats? Any ideas? I’m think oats may be the cause of bloating but I would be curious to try them soaked.
Wondering if there is a way to make this recipe with soaked oats? Any ideas? I’m think oats may be the cause of bloating but I would be curious to try them soaked.
I think if you soak the oats before hand you may need to dehydrate them to get the texture right. Otherwise there may be too many “wet” ingredients and it may not hold together too well. Good luck! I hope that helps :)
Made these today with butter instead of coconut oil. SO YUMMY! The “extras” I used were 2/3 cup of sliced almonds and 1/3 cup of mini chocolate chips, bc that’s all I had on hand. The chocolate basically melted when I added it, but that made it even better I think. Seriously delicious, thanks for the recipe!!
I made these and they amazing, only thing is, mine are extremely soft. Like, extremely soft. They won’t really set at all unless they are in the freezer or the fridge for a number of hours. What do you think I did wrong?
Hmm, not sure. Did you use coconut oil or butter? Butter makes them softer, and if your kitchen is warm, the coconut oil may have trouble setting up too.
I used canola oil, because I live remote in australia, where it’s just not practical to get coconut oil. I think I will try again using butter, because that will be a bit less soft than oil?
Thanks so much! My husband is obsessed with these!
These look great! I am looking for some healthy and yummy snacks for my family. We are going to try these for sure! Thanks for putting it out there!
Excited to try these! My 3 y.o. is allergic to peanuts and sunflower seeds/sunbutter, so I’m going to try almond butter. Haven’t been able to buy granola bars in a while because of her allergies, so this is wonderful!
These granola bars are delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Mmmm, I made these yesterday and now I cannot make them again…I ate the whole pan in two days! I did find that they were the perfect consistency when coming straight out of the fridge, but when they were at room temp they were too soft.
I am glad you liked them so much!
For everyone who wondered– I tried making these with soaked, dehydrated oats today. I wasn’t impressed! They set up fine (although I think they would definitely need to stay in the fridge between uses) but the crunchy aspect kind of ruined them. I hoped they’d be like a crunchy store bought granola bar, but they were MUCH different, and not in a good way (in my opinion.)
I’d like to try them one more time with soaked but NOT dehydrated oats– I think they’d do all right if the oats are well drained.
made these today (I added extra oats)- YUMMY & EASY! tanks!
I am so stoked to try this recipe! I am looking for granola bars to have in the mornings. I am pregnant (in theory… complex situation) and need to up my protein, but breakfast is NOT my strong suit EVER. I just can’t stand most foods in the morning. I think granola bars will be a great thing to add. And after using the recipe calculator on sparkpeople I am glad to note that it has about 150% of the protein and folate for the the same amount of calories of another recipe I was considering. YAY! Plus there are no dairy products and I am trying to find more and more recipes that don’t need dairy in case there is ever a time in which I cannot afford to get my raw milk or else there is a famine of some sort or if my power goes out and I simply can’t store dairy products. I’m trying to be more practical about food storage. ;) THANK YOU!!!
I made these today after I saw them on a friends fb page and I have to thank you because they were awesome!! My children love them. I doubled the recipe and put them in a cookie sheet and feel so good that I made something healthy that all 4 of my children will eat. I’m going to love putting them in their lunchboxes and using them for sports snacks.
These are great! Thx. I made them w/unsweetened dried coconut and almond butter and they would have tasted like an almond joy if I put choc chips in them. Just an idea, have you ever soaked and dehydrated the oats first? Then you wouldn’t have to worry about the phytic acid. I’m trying that with my next batch. Thx again.
I’ve not tried that, but I’m sure it would work great!
Used almond butter. Turned out chewy, need to keep in fridge.
Just trying this for the first time and let me tell you how excited I am because it’s one more
amazing way to incorporate coconut oil into our
diets! Hope these turn out as good as yours look:) Thanks for such a healthy, easy and fun
recipe!!! God Bless :)
I finally made these. One batch was with trail mix. The second batch was with Cinnamon Cheerios. They are DELICIOUS!!! The batch with Cheerios were a little crumbly though. Was thinking of adding a little more peanut butter. Absolutely delicious though!!! THANK YOU!!!!
are u kidding me???? those are so so so good!!! heaven!! OMG my son absolutelly loves them ! THANK YOU!!!! xxxxxx
I used rice krispies and mini chocolate chips. the chips melted throughout and now they are like a yummy candy. I decided to put them in mini muffin cups and put them in the fridge. YUM! Kids love them but they do really taste like candy so I limit them to 1 little cup. but it’s really plenty. I have a problem stopping eating them.
Did you use rice krispies instead of the oats?
no in addition so they had a little crunch. My kids aren’t really into nuts
I’ve tried a couple of snack bar recipes to add to my boyfriends lunch… he hasn’t liked any so far :( I am gluten free and am trying to find thing’s we can both eat – and enjoy! I exchanged the oats for dehydrated buckwheat and puffed rice (about 30:70), topped up with various nuts and seeds and oh..my..word! I almost don’t want him to like these, they are GORGEOUS! He’s sleeping right now… let’s hope there’s something left for his lunch tomorrow :)
Thanks for the recipe! First time on this site, will definitely be back.
I also added extra oats and toasted them (and sliced almonds) in the oven at 300F for 5-8 min before adding to mixture.
I’ve tried other granola bar recipes in the past and have been discouraged. This one is delicious, healthy, and easy!
As another person mentioned, I too am looking for ways to add coconut oil into my diet, so thank you so much for the recipe and can’t wait to try more from you!
-N
My husband does not like the taste of coconut. Is there any other oils I can use besides coconut oil?
You could try expeller pressed coconut oil, which does not have a coconut flavor at all (it is flavorless). Otherwise, you could try palm oil or olive oil.
Can’t wait to make these. Do you think almond butter works, too?
Yes, almond butter would work great!
Yummy, thanks for the recipe!
We love this recipe! I’ve tried several variations now and either doubled or tripled the recipe to work in a 9×13 pan. We’ve added dark chocolate chips, craisins, papaya, mango, other various dried fruit medleys, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, flax seed and any other fun concoction we have on hand. Since discovering this recipe we’ve bypassed the store-bought granola bars and make these on Sunday nights to have a handy breakfast / snack for the week. Thank you!!!
Good morning. These look delicious! Made them and will be having for my snack this morning. Do you have any guess how many calories per pan? I know it depends on extras used, but approximately how many as you make them…
I’m sorry, I don’t know the calorie amount – it’s not something I’ve ever checked in to!
These look delicious! Any estimates as to how many calories are in one bar?
I’m sorry, I really don’t have any idea – I’ve never checked it out before!
What all kinds of oils can be used? I plan to make these today. I have read over the reviews and only see coconut and palm oil. (I am still new to more organic cooking)
Coconut oil and palm oil or palm shortening work best in this recipe, but butter or olive oil can also be used. They would definitely need to be refrigerated if you use butter or olive oil.
This are amazing, thanks for the great recipe! A few folks asked about setting up. I started my melting process on low and when all of the coconut oil was thoroughly melted, I cranked the heat up to medium just for a minute. I used dark chocolate covered pomegranates, koala crisp cereal, coconut, pecans and flax seeds as my add-ins and these were just great, definitely on the candy bar end of the spectrum because of my particular add ins, so I will try a healthier version next time. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Just made these and they are chilling now. I used almond butter, olive oil (didn’t have coconut oil in the house), and mixed in mini chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and sesame seeds! I hope they turn out!
They were so easy and fun to make. Will definately try out again !
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I really like granola bars but just didn’t want the corn syrup. These don’t look to difficult to make. I’m going to try some. Thanks again (from Arkansas)
Made these and loved eating them right out of the fridge. However, they get quite soft when they are left out on the counter. Is there anyway to have them more firm or did I do something wrong? If we were taking them as snacks somewhere I fear they’d be a sticky mess (but yummy!) by the time we went to eat them. Thanks for your help!
You didn’t do anything wrong, they just do better when stored in the fridge!
I had the same concern myself. I am looking for a corn-syrup free product that is shelf stable. But if it mushes at room temp, that is not shelf stable lol. The manufactured ones don’t do that lol. My best (educated) guess would be too add BARELY enough fat for it to be cohesive…as the nut butters are already plenty fatty. Perhaps save the oil for after adding oats & add the fat one tbsp at a time. JUST until it’s mixable. I wouldn’t be afraid if its stiff & tacky, in this case it’s a good thing. Or add another dry ingredient that will aid in binding. Something coarse like wheat germ, puffed wheat or rice cereal. Even coconut, malted barley flour or almond flour for their absorbency.
Just made these with coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, and diced dried apricots! Yum!
For the oats – is that quick oats or old fashioned oats, or does it matter?
I use old fashioned oats, but I’m not sure that it matters.
Laura,
I’ve been making these for several months now and I just had to share with you what my husband said the other day after munching on one. He said, “I think these granola bars are the best food thing that has ever happened to our family!” :) I’m pretty sure my kids agree! Thanks for a great recipe!
Melissa
hey would it work if i used vegetable oil?
I’m not sure that it would. I don’t recommend vegetable oil because it is not a healthy oil, so I don’t have experience using it in this recipe. :)
If you used unbleached parchment to wrap the bars, you can avoid plastic on your food and you can reuse or compost the paper.
Wow, good tip! Thanks! :)
Laura, I made your chewy granola bars, and used olive oil as I did not have coconut oil, and they were delicious…..we all loved them….can’t wait till I can find some coconut oil and make them again…have a question…does the coconut oil taste like coconut ?
I personally don’t love the flavor of coconut but have been using coconut oil in all of my baking and haven’t noticed a difference. It smells like coconut when it is baking but it doesn’t affect the flavor. I have used it as a flavoring for cooking fish on the stove and it did have a slight coconut flavor. But overall it is extremely minimal if at all.
Hope that helps.
There are different quality coconut oils available out there. Typically the organic, virgin or cold pressed ones are going to have the coconut flavor or essance you may or may not be lookingfor.. Then there is old school standard cheap coconut oil you could purchace from like a popcorn supplier for a fraction of the cost of premium ones and it does NOT have any taste or smell to it. i personally use the lower end coconut oil for any frying but higher end oil for my add in ingredients when cooking or baking.
The coconut oil without the coconut flavor is called “expeller pressed” which is specially made for medium to high heat cooking and I have not found it to be much different in price, nor quality. I prefer this since I don’t care for coconut flavor. It’s also an excellent substitute for butter on toast or grilled cheese, creates a crispy outside without a burn. Can’t wait to try these bars!
Love this recipe! When I make them, I add cocoa powder to the peanut butter mixture and then just use 2 cups of oats. YUM!
We want to try this!…..how much cocoa powder did you use?
Thanks!
I think I start with a quarter cup…and sometimes go up to 1/3 or 1/2. It’ss been a while since I’ve made these. They taste like a no-bake cookie my mother-in-law used to make, but are simpler and use way less sugar.
Just made these last night for the first time. For some reason, I wasn’t quite thinking and just wanted to share my experience for others who will make these. After mixing the honey, oil, and peanut butter, I added the oats and mixed. I was in a hurry, so I immediately added the 1 cup mini chocolate chips (Enjoy brand) because I knew my kids would want mini-chocolate chips in their bars. Well, the chips instantly melted because the mixture was still too warm. Now the kids thought I made chocolate candy bars, not granola bars! Has anyone managed to make these with mini chocolate chips and NOT have them melt? If so, how long did you have to wait before adding the chips to the mixture? Thanks for your help. :-)
I haven’t made this recipe yet……but I plan to! Just wanted to share an idea. I’ve used choc chips in other recipes of the same kind. A little trick I like to use, is to put the bag of chips in the freezer. If they’re slightly frozen they will hold their shape and thaw out while the rest of the mixture cools. Hope that helps!
Great idea, Karla! I’ll try that next time.
Karla had a great idea! Laura also recommends waiting for 5-7 minutes before adding in the chips so they don’t melt. :)
Hi Stephanie,
When I made them I also used chocolate chips, but not the mini ones….and mine did not melt that much…maybe a little….so try the regular choc. chips next time….we loved them, and mine went very fast….will definitely make them again….did you use coconut oil ? Does it taste like coconut ? My son-in-law does not like coconut, so I don’t know if he would eat them or not, especially if they taste like coconut at all…..
Hope you or someone on here can answer that question for me…..Thanks
Kentucky Lady-
Coconut oil does taste like coconut (& it’s good for you). I suspect (I haven’t made these yet) that at only 1/4 of a cup of coconut oil compared to the larger qtys of the other ingredients, the coconut taste won’t be detected or minimal at best. You could always use olive oil instead, just to be on the safe side. I just made cupcakes using coconut oil instead of vegetable oil & I can’t taste coconut at all (& that was 1/2 cup of coconut oil).
Hi Kentucky Lady,
Thanks for letting me know that regular chocolate chips would probably work better. Yes, we used coconut oil. It’s hard for me to know if it added a coconut flavor since we also added shredded coconut (yummy!). I don’t think it’d really add a coconut flavor, though, since we cook a lot with coconut oil (use it for sautes, pancakes, baking, etc) and I’ve never noticed it before. It might also depend on the brand a person uses. We use Spectrum brand oils in our home.
Hey Stephanie, coconut oil doesn’t taste like coconut at all. It’s a neutral tasting and has at the most a slightly buttery taste to it. Hope this helps!
Un-refined or raw coconut oil has a coconut taste. Refined coconut oil
does not. It has a neutral taste. Both are great for you as long as
you get a brand that is extra virgin. I use both. I use the raw in things
that I want a coconut flavor and the refined expeller pressed extra virgin
in the things that I don’t want to taste like coconut.
Hi Stephanie,
I did buy some coconut oil, I purchased (3) 16.oz. containers from VITACOST.com, it was on sale, can’t remember what I pd. but was a good price, back in the summer, and have almost used 7/8 of one container, and I use it in everything I cook….fry eggs, scramble eggs, cornbread, use to saute vegetables, bake and it is great…..the one I have says COCONUT OIL (Extra Virgin), Certified Organic,USDA ORGANIC,when you open the jar, it does smells like coconut, but I can not taste any coconut in anything I have cooked….and I love coconut…..love how it smells too….. so it would be worth a try…..I was a little skeptical, but went ahead and ordered it anyways and am very pleased with it…..
Made a double batch of these today – they are awesome. We added a tablespoon of cocoa power to the peanut butter/honey/coconut oil mixture. For the add ins we used chopped cocoa dusted almonds, mini chocolate chips, pecans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and pretzels (everything chopped). We also added a 1/4 cup of wheat germ. Extremely yummy and love there is no sugar or corn syrup. We will definitely make again!
Love the idea of broken up pretzels. Will definitely need to try that as an addition.
Thanks Kay,for the info….I did use olive oil in the granola bars and they were wonderful, but I do want to try them with the coconut oil….my daughter just told me Walmart had the coconut oil…..guess I gotta visit Walmart…..
Can fresh-ground peanuts be substituted for peanut butter?
It was interesting to learn of Sunbutter. So, if I grind sunflower seeds into a butter, would that work?
Finally,besides Walmart, where can I buy coconut oil?
Yes, freshly ground peanuts would work, as would sunbutter, which can be made just like peanut butter. Here is a post telling of different good sources for coconut oil: https://heavenlyhomemakers.com/coconut-oil-why-it-is-good-for-you-and-where-to-buy-it
My kids go through snacks so quickly so I’ve wanted to make instead of buy granala bars. I’ve read nothing but good things about this recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
Shalon, you will not be disappointed…..they are wonderful…..can’t wait to get some coconut oil so I can make them again…..
These are a staple in our home, and I now make a triple batch at a time in a large lasagna pan, keep it in the fridge and we cut one out whenever we want one. Here is the blend we all agree on:
1 1/2 cup peanut butter or sunbutter
1 cup honey
3/4 cup coconut oil
3 cup oats
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup ground flax seed
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
We found chocolate flavor comes out a bit more when the chips melt, but I try to get the temperature of the honey/oil/pb mix to be warm enough to just melt them a tad without completely melting them, just finger test it before adding the dry ingredients.
Are your bars chewy as well? Thanks.
Do these have to be stored in the fridge? And I’m desperately trying to find a recipe for a son that is 6’0 and 130lbs. Trying to find a homemade snack that has nutritional value and will help bring some calories to his day. He is not a big eater and I’m worried he isn’t gettin the caloric intake he should. It’s tough when they would rather skip eating. HELP. I tried this recipe and I like it, but putting 1 whole cup of chocolate chips made it more like a candy bar. He doesn’t seem to like oats. What do you suggest?? Any thoughts are appreciated.
Yes, I store mine in the fridge. If he doesn’t like oats, you could try adding more seeds and nuts and coconut flakes possibly.
Could try grinding (very lightly) the oats – then he won’t know they are inthere. My husband hates almonds, so that’s what I do.. Could also try grapenuts or a healthy whole-grain type cereal.
Mary Lou, instead of using a cup of chocolate chips, use like 1/4 cup of choc. chips,1/4 cup of sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup of dried fruit,1/4 cup of coconut…..that makes a cup, or use your own ideas and use whatever else you want…could even use some trail mix……raisins, walnuts….just whatever you like…..
BTW…forgot to add. I did not put mine in the fridge…..gave some to my daughter and left the rest on the counter covered with plastic wrap…..they really are delicious…….
Around how many calories are in this receipe if made like above? Does anyone know?
I use half coconut flakes and half chocolate chips in mine. If one recipe is 8 servings, I calculated about 320 calories per serving.
Because the add-ins can be so diverse I’ve found http://nutritiondata.self.com/ to be a big help. My hubbie is diabetic so we have to know the fiber and carb per serving. I use nutrition data also for the dehydrated fruits I make.
I made this recipe using coconut oil, peanut butter, honey, some golden raisins, dried cherries, dried blueberries, mini M&M’s that come in the little tubes and also threw in some diced dried plum and sunflower kernels can’t wait to try them.!
Here’s another no-bake recipe that I’ve been using (w/o corn syrup or marshmallow creme)that my hubby says is addictive:
http://www.alli-n-son.com/2010/08/09/chewy-nobake-granola-bars/
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2-1/2 cups oats or leftover granola
1/2 cup total of the following ingredients: wheat germ {about 1/4 cup}, ground flax seeds {about 2 tablespoons} and whole flax seeds {about 2 tablespoons}. Or substitute with more oatmeal, rice cereal nuts.
1/2 cup Crasins
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar with the honey and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Add the remaining ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, to the saucepan and fold the ingredients to evenly coat with the sauce. Transfer the granola mixture to a 9-by-13-inch ungreased baking pan and press firmly to evenly fill. Gently press the chocolate chips onto the top of the granola. Let the granola mixture set in the fridge until firm, about 15 minutes, then cut into 2-1/4-by 3-inch bars.
Store in the fridge.
I love the protein bars with rice crispies, peanut butter and chocolate but they aren’t very healthy or cheap. I wonder how these would be if I substituted the rice crispy cereal (the brown rice version) instead of the oats and used the mini choc chips and peanut butter combo. Anyone tried this?
I made these a couple of weeks ago and LOVED them – my add-ins were chopped walnuts, chocolate, butterscotch, and white chocolate chips. (Not healthy, but pretty darn yummy!) I’m making another batch today with puffed rice cereal, coconut, and mini chocolate chips on top. Thanks for the recipe! There are so many variations!
In most recipes you can coarsely crush up pretzels and use them in place of nuts if there are nut allergies in your family. I too Love this recipe and I love the texture of adding rice crispy’s and other cereals, if your favorite cereal pieces are to large simply crush them a bit. We do treat them like a candy bar at our house though.
Just wanted to thank you all for your posts and variations. I’ve found that adding flaked quinoa in place of some of the rolled oats can add some excellent protein and nutrition.
Hey! Great recipe! Can you use Agave Nectar instead of the honey? I’ve had an allergic reaction to some of the local honey in our town.
Thanks!
I believe that should work, but I haven’t tried it myself.
Stacie, I’m sure you could use agave nectar but it’s not as thick so you might need to use less. I will mention that agave nectar is not considered a very healthy sugar alternative according to a Dr. Mercola article I read recently. Just a friendly FYI :) Sorry that you’re not responding well to the local honey! What a bummer!
Hi, I made these last week and we LOVED them! However, they fell apart! What am I doing wrong….any suggestions???
Sounds like you may need to go a little bit lighter on the dry ingredients so that the wet ingredients can hold everything together a little better…maybe?
I am using store bought peanut butter until we use it all up, then I am going to start making my own. Should I decrease the amount of coconut oil since the peanut butter already has oils in it?
No. It shouldn’t need that. :)
After doing a little research found out that steel cut oats are less processed than rolled oats. Do you think the steel cut would work as a replacement?
I just found this recipe via a link from 5dollardinners and wow, these are just what I’ve been looking for. My add-ins were kinda minimal as I am in need of a good stocking up. I added chopped up dried apricots, sunflower seeds and coconut. They are really amazing and my kids gobbled them up. This will be a great addition to my family’s lunch boxes. Thanks!
Can anyone tell me where to get coconut flakes? I have purchased unsweetened shredded coconut in the bulk bins but have never seen coconut flakes. Thanks!
Shredded coconut is actually what I use for these (I should edit that!), but you can get coconut flakes at Amazon or through Tropical Traditions.
My family loves these. We make them all the time. Thanks. :)
So I completed my funky fresh kitchen idea of try something new with these granola bars. AND they taste like peanut butter fudge with dried fruit it it….Let’s not get confused…I’m SO not complaining! YUM
Can these be frozen?
Yes, these do freeze well.
I’m confused. In one place, I saw your comment that these do not freeze well. Then I looked here and saw that they do freeze well. ??? I’m trying to make these ahead for a cross-country meet next month. Help?!
I tried these with almond butter (peanut allergies in this house) and added pumpkin seeds, wheat germ and flax meal. They were very gooey, and we thought a little to sweet, but everyone loved them. For the second batch I doubled the oatmeal and they are much less gooey but still hold together well. I did make sure that I pressed them into the pan. We love these and they are so easy to make!
I just finished making this and thought I would share the idea of putting the batter in cupcake cups. They make perfect servings and cuts out the step of cutting the cooled batter. The recipe was great thanks!
Wow, cup cake papers are a great idea, thanks Cecilia.
I did mine in the mini-cupcake pan and that worked well too. (Sprayed pan first.)
Oops – I just went to the store for coconut oil but came home with coconut butter. Can I use the coconut butter instead?
I guess I’m not even for sure what Coconut Butter is, but it sounds like it would probably work. :)
Has anyone ever used quinoa flakes for this recipe?
I just made these! Deee-licious! I didn’t have rolled oats, so I tried it with steel cut and … it worked great!
Can you make these without peanut butter (or any nut butter)…if so..what do i do to substitute?
Thanks and can’t wait to try them!
I’m not sure how to make these without any nutbutter. Maybe extra coconut oil and butter?
Hi!
I was just wondering if there’s any good sub for oats? I react to oats, wheat, and white sugar, so everything in this recipe sounds great except for the oats! Lol, go figure. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Hmmm, oats are a pretty big part of this recipe, so I’m really not sure. Maybe ground up nuts?
How about quinoa flakes??
Today I made these and didn’t have any old fashioned oats so I used two packets of maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal (the Quaker brand) and used white chocolate chips, rice crispies, sunflower seeds, and raisins. I also didn’t have any coconut oil so I used extra virgin olive oil instead. These turned out great with substituting things. Just wanted to let you know!! These are amazing and way more healthy than the store bought kind.
Tiffany H,
You can try another rolled grain like rye, spelt or barley. Possibly rice krispies although it would change the texture.
Hey Laura,
I love the recipe and want to try it out :) I’m new to oats and don’t know much about them, can you please tell me, what happened to the oats in this recipe? did you soak them? were they cooked? or raw? because the heat was turned off when the oats were added in the butter mixture.
I didn’t soak them – just used them raw. Even when you add them to the butter mixture, it doesn’t really cook them, just heats them a little bit.
Just made these and they are soooo good! I used coconut flakes and chocolate chips. It melted the chocolate chips but still very yummy! I also was needing them to harden a little quicker so i put them in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes and they were just right. Thanks so much for this recipe!!!
These look so good! Do you reckon I could add whey protein in with the oats to up the protein?
Many thanks
Sure, good idea!
How much whey?
i use 1/2 wheat germ for every cup of oats i use, and use dark brown sugar instead of the honey for a richer taste. a pinch of salt helps balance out that sweetness, too.
Please specify what ” unsoaked oats can do a number on your digestive system” means. I have never heard of there being a problem with eating them.
Ummm…they bloated me something terrible. (I’m better with them now though, thankfully.)
Hey there! there is a lot of information on the benefits of soaking grains, oats included, in a book called Nourishing traditions by Sally Falon. If soaked overnight it helps break down hard to digest and even bad for us parts of our foods. It’s almost like a mini ferment, increasing available nutrients and creating beneficial bits for us! Sorry it’s so vague, try to find the book. Or google Weston Price Foundation and there should be lots on there too, just harder to sift through.
Soak away!
Hey! I just bought that book!! Haven’t read that tip yet so thanks!!
Are you using soaked oats for this recipe or is there no need to soak?
I don’t soak them. (https://heavenlyhomemakers.com/my-current-thoughts-about-soaking-or-not-soaking-grains)
Here’s what I found to be the key to the whole soaking issue for me, with regards to the question of needing to eliminate phytic acid. The following quote is from the Becker article Laura references in her post on soaking grains:
*****
Studies show that phytic acid, particularly from wheat bran, actually stimulates the productions of phytase in the small intestine. The fact that phytase can be produced in the small intestine eliminates the necessity of fermenting all grains before consuming them, as in the case of unleavened breads, quick breads (that do not use yeast as a leavening), and parched or boiled grains. Phytase activity in the small intestine actually increased, not decreased, the absorption of minerals, especially, calcium. (Journal of Nutrition 2000:130: 2020-2025). Other studies have also shown that this increase of phytase activity, stimulated by phytic acid, offered significant reduction in the formation of cancer cells in the colon. This anti-carcinogenic protection was also attributed to phytic acid’s mineral chelating properties. If phytic acid strengthen and protects the colon, how could it cause colitis and irritable bowel syndrome? Again we have heard numerous testimonies of healing of both colitis and IBS from eating “real bread”.
Phytic acid can be digested by humans and actually releases inositol during the process. Inositol is a key B vitamin necessary for the metabolism of fat and cholesterol. Whole grains are a valuable source of inositol, as well as choline and lecithin, which are also important in the break down of cholesterol. This may explain why so many people have reported a significant reduction in cholesterol levels once they began making their own bread from freshly milled grains. Inositol is also an essential nutrient in reducing depression. Again I ask – why would we want to denature this valuable nutrient?
One should really wonder why whole grains and phytic acid were “picked on” at all. Why not oxalic acid? It is a mineral chelator found in spinach, chard, cranberries, almonds, rhubarb and other vegetables. Should we quit eating these healthy foods as well? Sally Fallon encourages the use of flaxseed for its rich source of fatty acids, stating that it is low in phytic acid. Yet sources that herald phytic acid as a nutrient, give wheat bran and flaxseed as the richest sources. Does soaking the grain over night actually denature the phytic acid? Not from what I have read. Only about 10% of the phytic acid is broken down in an overnight soak and that is not enough to make a significant difference.
*****
Becker goes on to say that there are still benefits to soaking grains in certain cases.. “When grains and beans are sprouted, there is some loss in protein, but vitamin A content increases by 300% and vitamin C by 500%. In fact sprouted grains were used on long ocean voyages to prevent scurvy. Limes, and lemons would eventually rot, but the storable grains would last the duration of the voyage and could be sprouted at any time. Sprouted grains can also be more easily tolerated by those who can not digest gluten.”
But no need for all this fear! :)
I actually never soak oats before eating them. I prefer them this way. Never had a problem.
These are so good! I have made them before. Today on a whim, I threw in a few of Tbsp of raw cacao powder. It is so yummy. Thank you Laura for all of your wonderful recipes and the million other ways you bless me and my family.
Have you ever used unsweetened applesauce instead of the oil? If not, do you think it would work as well?
I don’t think that would work very well in this recipe. The coconut oil helps keep these from falling apart. :)
If I double or triple the recipe, could I use half butter and half coconut oil?
I tried making these and they turned out delicious, but one problem! They melt very quickly so it’s pretty much impossible to “grab and go”. I think this has to do with coconut oil. How did you fix this? Also what type of oats did you use? My granola mixture looks to be light on the granola and heavy on the butter/honey/oil, compared to your pictures, even though I followed the recipe exactly.
Hmm, I use coconut oil and usually don’t have a problem with this happening. I use whole, rolled oats in mine. I wonder if you need just a few more oats or other dry ingredients?
I had the same problem the first time I tried this recipe. I measured my coconut oil without melting it. For my second try, I melted it first and then measured it and they turned out much better!!
I’ll have to try that, thanks!
I had this problem also. They never really set up exactly and definitely look a lot more moist than yours do! Going to try to go much heavier on the oats next time and lighter on the oil
Would this work with almond butter?
Yep!
Greased or ungreased pan?
I thought I’d try making a raw version of these by just mixing the PB, honey and oil in the food processor. And then I realized that they won’t really set because the honey didn’t needed to be heated in order to caramelize. So I made them into balls and froze them. Still plenty tasty!
Ungreased is fine!
How long will they last?
Several weeks in the fridge. :)
I have used almond butter, just fine. After I cut them, I wrap and freeze. They quickly come to room temp for eating.
How many calories do you think there are per bar approximately?
I really have no idea. :)
I made these today, they’re really good!! My husband is diabetic so I needed the nutritional information. I found a site that lets you put in the ingredients and it calculates everything for you. Here’s what I got. Hope it helps!
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 109 g or 1 square
Total Servings per batch 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories 232 Calories from Fat 136
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15.1g 23%
Saturated Fat 8.2g 41%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 3mg 1%
Sodium 60mg 3%
Total Carbohydrates 19.8g 7%
Dietary Fiber 2.4g 10%
Sugars 9.0g
Protein 5.4g
Vitamin A 1% • Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 4% • Iron 6%
Nutrition Grade B-
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet
Nutritional Analysis
Good points
•Very low in cholesterol
•Low in sodium
•Very high in vitamin B6
Bad points
•High in saturated fat
Janet, thanks, that’s super helpful! Mind if I ask what site you used? I would like to use that for other recipes! Thanks!
Hi Janet, thanks for posting the nutrition info…would love to know that site if you’re sharing!
Thanks!
Here’s a site with a nutritional calculator http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp
Hi, Do you think I could substitute Coconut oil with Olive oil? Would I still get the same results? And what do you feel about baking it to set it properly so it doesn’t need refrigeration?
I think it would work fine, but would still need refrigeration. :)
I make granola bars all the time and I never refrigerate mine, unless I am keeping them for several weeks…But my family usually eats them all before that happens. All the ingredients used in the recipe are shelf stable anyways, there’s no real reason to refrigerate unless storing long term (in my experience)
Perhaps, but the coconut oil liquifies at 76 degrees, and it softens at lower temps, so if you don’t keep them in the fridge, they can be a gooey mess. :)
Hello. These look amazing. I was just wondering what kind of oats you use. Are they quick oats or steel cut oats? I’m a little worried about digesting uncooked steel cut oats. Thanks!
I use whole rolled oats. :)
Love your blog, and echo your views on life and food. Thanks for the recipe! I just made it and added in some wheat germ, wheat bran, just as much as it would take. I was thinking if I wanted to take these baked to my son’s class, I could probably add an egg and then bake and cut while still warm. Just an idea.
Hi! Just made these using Craisins and Rice Krispies—YUM, and I loved how easy they were to make–thank you for sharing!!!
Hi! I’m new to your blog, but already I’m looking forward to try your recipes!:-) My kid’s snacktime is a challenge for me too — i want to pack as much vitamins as there can be in a tasteful snack, coz oh do they love snacks! Can you pls elaborate on what are other possible options aside from coconut oil? Thanks!
I believe olive oil would work, or palm oil. :)
Thanks for sharing!!! Yum! These are delicious!! I added ground flax seed, unsweetened shredded coconut and chia seeds to mine. :)
can you use almond butter instead of peanut butter?
Yes, that would work fine!
I just made this with 1/3c of each reese chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds… and clover honey / almond butter (for what it’s worth)…
All I can say is WOW. I did the math and cut into 12 squares (4×3) it comes out to be approximately (per square, but this will depend on what you put in the mixed cup):
260 kcal, 16g fat, 21g carbs, 8g protein
for my next batch I’m going to add protein 6 scoops of protein powder (35g per scoop) which will add 17.5g of protein per square to see how the consistency works out.
Anyone else have mixed cup suggestions? I was thinking sunflower/cashews/cranberries would be pretty good (but higher in fat).
I made mine with pepitas, cranberries, and chia. They are great! I would up the amount of oats, though, as mine were a little on heavy on the peanut butter mixture. They taste great, don’t get me wrong — I just want to pack a little more grain to make the sweet yumminess stretch further!
Delicious! I just made them, thank you for the recipe! I’m wondering if I could omit the oil, though and if they should be stored in the fridge or pantry??
I think leaving out the oil may make these too dry. I store mine in the fridge. :)
I baked mine. Toasted the oats and nuts first cause I like the flavor. Put choc chips into the mix early, it made them chocolate. Put in roasted peanuts and pecans. They were amazing and probably not quite as healthy… But now I need to make more because my vegetarian son is hooked! Thanks!
I just made these! Wow! The best granola bar I’ve ever had. Much better than anything I’ve ever bought in a store. I added 1Tbs cocoa powder and in my one cup of added ingredients I used toasted, chopped almonds, walnuts, toasted, unsweetened coconut, sunflower seeds, granola as well as a Tbs each of hemp, chia and flax seeds and a little cinnamon for good measure. Then I used a cupcake pan to divide the mixture up & chill them in. Took them out and wrapped them individually in foil. Yum! And easy too.
Making with puffed millet and chocolate chips this AM!
Thank you! I love your recipes! I am wondering if anyone has ideas to up the fiber? My son needs a high fiber diet and is not a fan of fruit. He loves the “high fiber” bars from the store. they pack a whole 9g fiber into one bar, but contain an ingredient called “shellac” (hopefully not what I’m thinking of) and of course tons of other garbage.
I add a multifiber mixture or oat bran that ups your fiber…
Awesome recipe, just made them then. Quick question, are quick oats ok to use instead of rolled? Are they basically the same?
For everyone wondering calories I took a small inventory of my process
4 and a half tablespoon peanut butter – 376
3 tablespoons of honey – 192
Quarter cup coconut oil – 470
1 cup oats – 300
Quarter cup flaxseed – 194
Total 6128 kjs or 1532 calories
So just divide your mixture in to equal squares afterwards and divide 1532 by however many squares you have and you’ve got a rough estimate per square
They are basically the same – quick oats are rolled oats blended to make them smaller. :)
In this case, I would up the amount of oats if you are using quick oats. I’m finding mine need it and that’s what I used.
Mine turned into candy bars. :-(
They were quite a bit heavy on the peanut butter mixture despite adding an extra 1/4 cup of rice crispies. When I pulled them out of the fridge after two hours, they were melting before I could even get them all cut and wrapped. They now live in my freezer. Luckily, they do work well as a yummy and relatively guiltless candy bar.
I’m going to try these again, but I’m definitely going to change around the proportions a bit.
Should I use refined or unrefined coconut oil? I saw both at the grocery store.
Either one will work in this recipe. Unrefined has a slight coconut flavor, whereas refined is flavorless. :)
I made these yesterday with sunbutter, dried cranberries, and dairy free choc chips. I have to agree with some other readers…delicious….but even after refrigeration all night, they are very melty. I was hoping to pack these in my daughter’s lunch for school, but I will need to play with the proportions a bit to do that.
I made these to take on a trip, and they turned out really yummy, but I had to double the oats to get them to a granola-bar-like texture. We kept them in a cooler and really enjoyed the healthy treat. Thanks for the recipe!
I am sooo excited to try these! I have looked for what seems like forever for a healthy granola bar recipe! Yea, Thank You!!!!!
Do you know the nutrition info per bar
No, I’m sorry that I don’t.
These granola bars sound delicious! My son and I made them yesterday, but I think we did something wrong! We left them to “gel” on the counter overnight and this morning when we went to cut them, they are a gooey mess! Do they need to be refrigerated?
I do find that they work best in the fridge.
What would happen if I used steel cut oats? this is what I have on hand is why I am wondering? I could make these now if steel cut would work.
I’ve never used steel cut oats – do they generally work the same in recipes as rolled oats?
I would only use the steel cut oats if you cook them first. Otherwise they will be basically raw and pretty crunchy. I don’t think it would be a good crunch either. ;)
I make a gronola bar that uses butter as the fat. So far I haven’t needed to refridgerate them and they come out nice and firm. We even took them hiking with us in the dessert and they only melted a tiny bit. Might be worth a try, although I LOVE the health benefits of Coconut oil.
I love this recipe! I have tried it many many times! My husband eats a lot, so I was looking for a homemade granola bar recipe that could fill him up. By adding crushed diced almonds pieces(I crushed them with a hammer, haha), flax seed, raisins, coco powder with the oats, peanut butter and coconut oil already in the recipe this was a perfect chocolaty granola bar.
Yes they get a little soft when at room temperature which is a slight bummer but they taste so good, it is worth it!
I always triple this recipe now and put it in a 13×9 inch pan, it makes about 18-24 depending on how big or small I slice them.
My husband loves these and he doesn’t like peanut butter, using coco powder really hides all the peanut butter taste it’s amazing!
Thank you so much for the recipe!
I have a sister with nut allergies. Do you have any suggestions for replacing the peanut butter? Thanks
I’ve not figured out a good alternative other than Sunbutter. That works well if she can have that.
Nut allergy home here too!!
I use WowButter its toasted soy you can get in crunchy or smooth, works well as substitute for peanut butter, use it on toast, baking etc. also I have used NoNuts is made from Golden peas…
I am not sure if I sent in a review for these yet or not- but they are worthy of 2 reviews for sure! We love, love, love these! They are super quick to prepare and have been a really big hit every time. My main combo is 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds and 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (occasionally I’ll lower those amounts slightly to add craisins.). I made them for a friend for her birthday and she was so happy (and she and her 7 year old had a hard time practicing self- control.) oh yeah- and we run our oats through the food processor before adding to make them smoother as well. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Can these be frozen?
i want to make a double batch.
These don’t freeze well. But you can make a double batch and store them in the fridge. They store quite well for several weeks that way, as long as you individually wrap them.
If one did make a double batch, would it go in a 9×13?
I rarely take the time to comment on recipes, however I just had to! These are SO amazing! I used Sunbutter, agave nectar instead of honey, my 1 cup add in was rice crispies and then I also added a few chocolate chips. I think next time I’ll make them into balls and call them dessert, so yummy! Thanks for the recipe!!
These are delicious! I made mine with raw cacao/coconut butter and it made for an amazing chocolate coconut flavor combination! I also added puffed brown rice and chia seeds – my daughter can’t get enough! Perfect for lunch boxes. Thank you for sharing!
Going to make this recipe soon – I’ve been wanting to make a big batch of granola bars before our second baby is born next week for a quick, healthy snack. This looks like the perfect recipe! When you say “chill for two hours”, is that in the fridge or freezer? Thanks!
You can chill them in the refrigerator.
I just made these today and they are delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m pretty sure with the right combination of mix-ins I could have a dairy free, no added sugar (other than the honey) granola bar that tastes just like No-Bakes, which would be pretty much amazing. (especially when you compare 1/3 cup honey to the 2 cups of white sugar in my mom’s No-Bake recipe!)
Tonight I spent a bunch of time making waffles from another site to bring to a brunch tomorrow and they didn’t turn out well. I was bummed thinking I would just grab some processed store bought item to bring and then remembered how easy (and yummy) these are. Whipped them up in 5 minutes and they will be ready in the morning to bring with : ). I have had a change of diet since the first time I made these and can no longer have the oats so I have had to modify these a bit. I have successfully used ground flax in place of the oats and they are still yummy. I have also used 2 TBSP of unsweetened cocoa powder rather than chocolate chips and still great. I love this recipe!
Would rolled Triticale instead of rolled oats work? Hmm, I wonder if popped Sorghum would be a good thing to add? My hubby is on the road a lot and will skip eating, so I pack him snacks. However, it’s hard to find a healthy variety of them to include- I am definitely going to try making these!
Thanks for this recipe, it’s cooling off on my counter before setting it in the fridge. It’s in an 8×8 lined with baking parchment to simplify removal and clean up. The mixture was very easy to flatten out with a silicone spatula. I should have ground up my flax seed proportion a bit before adding it but was in a rush to finish it–next time, because it’s only digestible when it’s ground. The tiny bit left on my pan tasted delicious. My daughter especially is going to love it, she loves honey. Merci!
What happens if you bake it instead of refrigerating? How do the oats taste and feel if not baked? Is it easy for a toddler to eat?
I’ve never baked this recipe, so I’m not sure that would work well. These are pretty easy to chew, so I don’t think your toddler would have much trouble if you cut these into little bites.
Are these 21 day fix friendly? If so how do I measure it? It looks Great!!!
I’m not familiar with the 21 Day Fix so I can’t say for sure! :)
Our daughter is allergic to peanuts and doesn’t care for other “butters.” Any idea if I can substitute something completely different for the peanut butter? We have tried sun butter, almond butter, cashew butter…she wont eat any of them.
I’m not sure these bars would stick together very well without some sort of nut butter. :(
Hi! These look yummy! I have a question. What kind of oats should I use? Old-fashioned, quick cooking oats, etc…?
Thanks! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
I use old fashioned, rolled oats.
I just made these last week, from a ‘recipe’ (of sorts) my friend in Washington gave me, and I see it’s almost exactly the same as yours (she adds protein powder)! Great minds think alike. I wasn’t sure how much of each ingredient to use, because she just gave me a list of ingredients (she said she never measures anything), but she did use pretty much equal amounts of coconut oil and peanut butter. I tried that and didn’t like it, so I used less coconut oil. My husband loves these – I made them for him to take in his lunch. Now I have a better guideline to use. Thank you!! And thanks to the commenters – I think next time I’ll make them in cupcake papers like one person recommended.
My go-to granola bar recipe for the kiddos. So easy and yummy!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! It is so quick to make and so easy to change up depending on whatever ingredients you have on hand. Since I typically add soy-free chocolate chips and coconut flakes to mine, I reduced the amount of honey to 1/4 cup so they won’t be overly sweet. Also this makes pouring the honey out of the measuring cup easier since I use the 1/4 cup measuring cup for the coconut oil first then the honey. I use raw wildflower honey which is good for you but can be expensive, so it’s nice to able to use every drop of it. Anyways, thank you again!