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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast

    Homemade Granola Bars

    Updated: May 16, 2018 • Published: May 16, 2018 by Sam Merritt • 92 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    Granola bars stacked

    Have you ever made your own homemade granola bars? These are so much better than anything you can buy at the store, and I think you’ll be surprised at just how easy they are to make! 

    Today’s recipe includes a video at the bottom of the post showing you just how I make these in my own kitchen!

    granola bars on a marble slab

    I’m just about tired of seeing these granola bars, to be honest.

    Zach has been eating homemade granola bars every. day. for breakfast ever since I first made them a few weeks ago. I’ve been waiting for him to get tired of them, but he hasn’t (it probably helps that each time I make them differently with different add-ins to keep things from getting boring).

    I’ve been making these pretty much non-stop for the past few weeks and even decided to make a video of the process, as you’ll see they’re super simple to make.

    You’ll start with oats and nuts, which we’re going to combine and toast before we make our granola bars. You’ll want to use old fashioned oats/whole grain rolled oats, but you can use your favorite nuts.

    I used walnuts for today’s recipe and coarsely chopped them (almonds are another great option). The oats and nuts will go into the oven for about 15 minutes to toast.

    Toasted oats and nuts for making granola bars

    Once they’ve toasted, we’ll make our homemade syrup, which will serve to bind the bars together.

    You’ll need unsalted butter, dark brown sugar (you can substitute light if it’s all you have on hand, but I prefer the flavor of the dark brown sugar), honey, and salt.

    Making syrup for granola bars

    Melt these together until your sugar is dissolved and then stir in a splash of vanilla extract for flavor.

    Next, combine your toasted oats and nuts and this syrup in a large bowl and stir everything together until all of the ingredients are well-coated by the syrup.

    At this point, if you have any non-melting add-ins you’d like to add, such as dried fruits, you can stir them in as well. However, you’ll want to wait about 10 minutes before adding any chocolate chips. They’ll still melt a bit once you add them (which we want!), but if you add them too soon you’ll just have a runny melty mess.

    Granola bar batter in glass mixing bowl

    Tips for Making Homemade Granola Bars

    • Much like when making my granola recipe, you can substitute your favorite nuts for this recipe. I use walnuts but almonds, cashews, or pecans are all great choices!
    • When preparing your 9×9 pan for these granola bars, make sure to leave parchment paper (or wax paper) hanging over each side of the pan so that, once they cool, you can easily lift the bars out of the pan and then slice them on a cutting board — this is much easier than slicing them directly in the pan.
    • Use a large chef’s knife (if you have one) to cut your granola bars. I’ve found that using a smaller blade tends to cause my granola bars to crack while I’m slicing; it’s better to make fewer long cuts rather than a series of small ones.
    • Even though you should refrigerate your granola bars to help them firm up quickly, you do not need to store them in the refrigerator. After cutting them, I wrap mine in a strip of parchment or wax paper (to keep them from sticking to each other) and then store them in a resealable Ziploc bag in my cabinet.

    How Long Can You Keep Homemade Granola Bars?

    We’ve found that homemade granola bars stay fresh for about 1 week when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Any longer than that and they tend to become a little stale.

    Two chocolate chip granola bars

    Enjoy!

    How to Make Homemade Granola Bars
    YouTube video

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    two granola bars stacked on top of each other

    Homemade Granola Bars

    How to make Homemade Granola Bars! Super simple snacks that can be customized with your favorite add-ins!
    4.85 from 20 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Chilling Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10 granola bars
    Calories: 553kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups (285 g) old fashioned oats
    • 1 ½ cups (170 g) coarsely chopped nuts (I used walnuts, almonds would also work great!)
    • 6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter cut into 6 pieces
    • ½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar tightly packed
    • ⅓ cup (80 ml) honey
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 1 cup (170 g) mini chocolate chips divided

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 350F (175C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
    • Evenly spread oats and chopped nuts over the baking sheet and bake on 350F (175C) for 10 minutes. Use a spatula to stir the oats/nuts and return to the oven and bake another 5-7 minutes until lightly golden brown.
      3 cups (285 g) old fashioned oats, 1 ½ cups (170 g) coarsely chopped nuts
    • Pour your oats and nuts into a large heatproof bowl and set aside while you prepare your syrup.
    • To prepare the syrup, combine your butter, sugar, honey, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
      6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar, ⅓ cup (80 ml) honey, ½ teaspoon salt
    • Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
      1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • Pour syrup over your oats/nuts and stir until all ingredients are well coated. If you plan to add any dried fruits, stir them in now as well.
    • Allow the mixture to cool for about 10 minutes. While it is cooling, prepare a 9x9 square pan by lining with parchment or wax paper, using enough that some of the paper hangs over the sides of the pan (so that you will be able to lift the bars out of the pan to easily slice them later).
    • Once mixture has cooled for 10 minutes, stir in ⅔ cup (113g) of mini chocolate chips. Stir until just combined (the chocolate will begin to melt, this is OK).
      1 cup (170 g) mini chocolate chips
    • Pour the mixture into your prepared 9x9 pan and use a spatula or the back of a spoon to evenly, firmly, press the mixture into the pan.
    • Pour remaining ⅓ cup (57g) of chocolate chips over the mixture and use your hands to gently press them into the bars.
    • Transfer pan to the refrigerator and allow to chill for 1-2 hours.
    • Lift the bars out of the pan (using your over-hanging parchment paper) and use a large knife to cut into 5 evenly sized slices (about 1 ½" width) and then cut each slice in half so that you have 10 evenly sized granola bars.
    • Wrap with a strip of wax or parchment paper (to keep bars from sticking to each other) and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

    Notes

    If you look at the photo below the recipe, you'll see that I also made a white chocolate cranberry version of these granola bars. I substituted the walnuts for almonds, stirred in ¾ cup dried cranberries, and substituted the mini chocolate chips for ⅔ cup white chocolate chips.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1granola bar | Calories: 553kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 135mg | Potassium: 268mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 257IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    White chocolate cranberry granola bars

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jody

      September 23, 2022 at 1:34 am

      Is there a way I could incorporate some peanut butter into this without effecting results?

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 23, 2022 at 9:31 pm

        Hi Jody! Without having tried it I can’t say for sure how to do it. If you do try it I would love to know how you do it. 🙂

        Reply
        • Jody

          September 23, 2022 at 10:50 pm

          I made them today and adding some peanut butter worked! Using a scale (as I always do) I weighed the honey but instead of using all honey, I mixed it with date syrup and a couple spoons peanut butter to equal a little more than the gram amount of honey. Then after the oat /butter mixture cooled a bit I folded in some chopped peanuts, mini chocolate chips and peanut butter chips before pressing into the pan. They’re wonderful! I made them using toasted chopped almonds and hazelnuts. Divine flavour!
          Tomorrow I’m going to do the white chocolate cranberry with almond and pistachios.

        • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

          September 26, 2022 at 12:35 pm

          Wonderful! We’re so happy they turned out ❤️

    2. Nidhi

      June 16, 2021 at 12:22 pm

      Hi so I was wondering if these could be made with light brown sugar in place of the dark brown? Thanks:)

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 16, 2021 at 3:00 pm

        Hi Nidhi! Yes that will be fine. Enjoy 🙂

        Reply
        • Nidhi

          June 16, 2021 at 5:25 pm

          Thank you! Love your recipes 💜

      • Jody

        September 23, 2022 at 10:51 pm

        I used light brown sugar for mine and they’re great!

        Reply
    3. Kayla

      February 01, 2021 at 3:59 pm

      5 stars
      Hi!
      I want to try this recipe but don’t have any honey at home and I don’t have any nuts either. Can I replace the honey with maple syrup and leave out the nuts? Or replace them with more oats? Thank you so much. I’ve made so many of your recipes and none have failed! (And I don’t think any will) 💖

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 01, 2021 at 9:36 pm

        Hi Kayla! The maple syrup should work here. You can just leave out the nuts. 🙂

        Reply
    4. ivy

      December 07, 2020 at 9:21 am

      4 stars
      Turned out Amazing! super easy for me being 11 The one thing I will do next time is to add some cinnamon in the mixture

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 07, 2020 at 11:29 am

        I’m glad you enjoyed them! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Christine

      November 08, 2020 at 7:15 pm

      3 stars
      Hі would you mind stating which blog рlatform you’гe using?
      I’m going to start my oᴡn blog soon but I’m having a һard
      time deciding between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2еvoⅼutіon and
      Drupal. Thee reason I assk іs because yoᥙr design seems different then most blogs and I’m looking ffor something completely unique.

      P.S Ap᧐logies for gettіng off-topic but I һad to ɑsk!

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        November 08, 2020 at 8:35 pm

        My blog is designed in Wordpress. 🙂

        Reply
    6. Taylor

      October 22, 2020 at 1:02 pm

      5 stars
      I love this recipe, I substituted cheerios for the nuts since I have a nut allergy and they were a huge hit with the family! One question I had is how did you get your chocolate chips on top to stay? I tried gently pressing them in when I put them on but they still just fall off when you eat them.

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 22, 2020 at 4:22 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Taylor! For the chocolate chips, I do the same thing. I do end up losing some when biting into the granola bar so I make sure to have some extras on top. 🙂

        Reply
    7. DreamGirlB

      August 01, 2020 at 6:17 pm

      5 stars
      Stumbled upon your recipe. It is great! might be a little too sweet and will reduce the brown sugar next time, but they haven’t cooled yet, so I’m not sure. Im looking for healthy alternatives to give my kids. I might need to tweak a little bit but still looks like a good base.

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        August 02, 2020 at 8:17 am

        I am glad that you enjoyed it! Feel free to make adjustments as you see fit. 🙂

        Reply
    8. Marie

      May 23, 2020 at 10:20 pm

      5 stars
      I have made this recipe twice. First with almonds, raisins and chocolate chips. Yum! Second with almonds, dried blueberries and chocolate chips. Yum! I’m going to make my third batch tonight. Just almonds and raisins this time. You cannot go wrong with this recipe no matter what fruit or nut you use! My husband who prefers savory and salty food versus anything with a little bit of sweetness loved all of them and we were fighting over the last ones! 🙂 Thank you so much for this great recipe!

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 24, 2020 at 6:07 pm

        I’m so happy to hear this, Marie!! Thank you so much for letting me know how the granola bars have turned out for you, I really appreciate it 🙂

        Reply
    9. Ann Rosendale

      April 25, 2020 at 8:35 am

      5 stars
      Hi Sam, I have to tell you this story. I made a variation of your granola bars that was astoundingly good. I mean, spectacular. I had never made granola bars before. I Googled a recipe, read about 5 of them, and essentially made your bars with a few minor adjustments. Fast forward one month, when I decided to make them again. I spent two hours trying to find your base recipe again but never found it. There are thousands of granola bar recipes out there!!! Who knew? So I tried one recipe. They were good, but not astounding. I searched again for your recipe for about two more hours. No luck. I made a second batch based on what I remembered and a few recipes I read. Again, they were good, but not over the top. This morning I decided to give it one last college try, and I found your base recipe once again!!! Hooray!!! I can’t wait to make them again to see if I can recreate those delicious, out of this world, granola bars. First I have to eat the rest of the other batch. So, I just want you to know, that your recipe rocks it. For me to have spent over 5 hours trying to find your recipe again should tell you something. You are an inspired baker!

      Reply
      • Sam

        April 25, 2020 at 3:26 pm

        That is so awesome, Ann! I’m glad you enjoyed them so much! If you ever have trouble finding something I actually just installed a search bar on the top of my page that I really really like. It is quick and provides accurate results. I guess you’ll have the page bookmarked for next time. 😉

        Reply
        • Chelaina

          August 29, 2022 at 11:15 am

          Can I store these granola bars in the fridge to keep longer?

        • Sam

          August 30, 2022 at 3:22 pm

          Hi Chelaina! The refrigerator would dry them out so I don’t recommend it. 🙁

    10. Tracey Brown

      April 17, 2020 at 6:23 am

      5 stars
      So pleased with this recipe! The bars are a great hit with my family!!!

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        April 17, 2020 at 6:33 am

        I am so glad that they were a hit and everyone enjoyed them, Tracey! Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂

        Reply
    11. Leslie

      March 14, 2020 at 7:45 pm

      Hello, I have made these and they are great thank you for sharing the recipe ….could I add vanilla flavored pea protein powder to this recipe for added protein? If so, how much.

      Thank you again

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        March 15, 2020 at 10:11 am

        I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Leslie! I personally have not added protein powder to this so I can not advise on how much to add. If you try it, let me know how it works out for you. 🙂

        Reply
        • Priyanka Bhadani

          February 08, 2021 at 3:51 am

          R these crunchy bars or soft ones

        • Sam

          February 08, 2021 at 9:45 pm

          They are definitely a little bit more on the firm side. 🙂

    12. Tracy Karsten

      January 23, 2020 at 9:43 pm

      I love this adaptable recipe! I’ve made it several ways already and it always turns out great. My daughter has as refined sugar sensitivity, so I substitute coconut sugar for the brown…I add a big glob of peanut butter to the simmering sauce….and I put Hershey’s sugar free chocolate chips on top! I want to try it sometime with unsweetened coconut and macadamia nuts!

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        January 23, 2020 at 10:25 pm

        I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Tracy, and have been able to easily adapt it. Thank you so much for commenting. 🙂

        Reply
    13. Joann Perez

      November 17, 2019 at 2:19 pm

      I just made these today and they came out absolutely great my family loved them and my husband took some to work to share with his coworkers 👏👏👏👍👍!!

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        November 17, 2019 at 4:46 pm

        That is wonderful, Joann! I am so glad that you enjoyed them. I hope that they are hit with your husband’s co-workers. 🙂

        Reply
    14. Michelle

      September 02, 2019 at 8:53 am

      Can this be made without nuts? My daughter is in nut-free classroom and I need snacks!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 02, 2019 at 5:53 pm

        Hi Michelle! It should work, but you may need to add more oats to soak up some of the liquid. I would start with a half cup and go from there. 🙂

        Reply
        • Betsy

          September 07, 2019 at 4:23 pm

          I add other cereals as well for different textures and flavor, like All Bran (the twig looking ones with a nice deep flavor) and Grape Nuts for a nice crunch. These extras also help take place of nuts while still giving you the textural differences.

        • Sugar Spun Run

          September 07, 2019 at 5:22 pm

          Sounds delicious, Betsy! Enjoy! 🙂

        • DreamGirlB

          August 01, 2020 at 6:19 pm

          hmm maybe that’s my problem, I omitted the nuts! so its too sweet!

    15. Casey W.

      July 27, 2019 at 4:39 pm

      5 stars
      My granola bars come out crunchy/chewy so I add extra syrup. I think it’s because I live in high elevation and have to add more liquid to most things. I also cut my bars before I put them in the fridge and have no problem taking them apart afterwards. I’m so grateful for this recipe! I have made all sorts of flavors: almond joy inspired, peanut brittle (your suggestion of 1/4 peanut butter in the syrup works great) and I just made an oatmeal cookie inspired one with walnuts, coconut, raisins and chocolate chips. These are so good!

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 29, 2019 at 8:34 am

        I am so glad you have enjoyed the granola bars, Casey! I love the sound of the almond joy inspired ones in particular. 🙂

        Reply
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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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