Homemade Granola Bars
Chewy homemade granola bars are the perfect healthy snack! Quick, easy, and delicious, this recipe is made with peanut butter, oats, and chocolate chips.
- Total time
- Unknown
- Active time
- 5 min
- Yield
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Equipment
- 1 required
Ingredients and Constraints
Ingredients
Ingredient watchpoints2 watchpoints
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Sea Salt
Heaping ½ teaspoon sea salt
The source row includes a form, size, temperature, preparation, or handling detail.
Details and source
Source: Homemade Granola Bars
Pepitas
3 tablespoons pepitas ( or crushed peanuts or cashews)
The source row includes a form, size, temperature, preparation, or handling detail.
Details and source
Source: Homemade Granola Bars
Additional ingredient notes
Granola Bar Recipe Ingredients
You only need 7 basic ingredients to make this homemade granola bar recipe: Natural peanut or cashew butter – It helps bind the bars together, and it adds protein, healthy fats, and irresistible nutty flavor.
Whole rolled oats – They give these bars a perfect chewy texture. If you’re gluten-free, make sure that you use certified gluten-free oats. Honey – Along with the nut butter, it helps all these ingredients stick together! I love its warm amber flavor in this recipe. Vanilla extract – It amps up the bars’ warm flavor. Sea salt – To make all the rich, sweet, and nutty flavors in this recipe pop! Pepitas, crushed peanuts, or cashews – They add healthy fats, protein, and crunch. Mini chocolate chips – Who doesn’t love nut butter and chocolate?!
Ingredients
1 cup very smooth creamy natural peanut butter , or cashew butter ⅔ cup honey 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Heaping ½ teaspoon sea salt 2½ cups whole rolled oats ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips* 3 tablespoons pepitas, or crushed peanuts or cashews.
Required setup
Equipment
(I always use this pan from Ateco)
Before You Cook
Constraints, controls, and warnings to review before starting.
Decisions before cookingDetails1
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Homemade Granola Bars Variations
Change up the mix-ins!
I love the combination of mini chocolate chips and pepitas in these bars, but they’re delicious with other mix-ins too. Shredded unsweetened coconut, chopped dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and dried currants are a few of my favorites. Feel free to use what you like, but make sure that you chop any dried fruits or nuts to a small size. You should also maintain the ratios I use in the original recipe. If the mix-ins are too large, or if you add too many, the bars won’t hold together. To make these granola bars vegan, substitute brown rice syrup for the honey. If you can’t find brown rice syrup, you can use maple syrup here. It’s not sticky enough to bind this mixture into cohesive bars, but it makes delicious energy balls! If you use maple, roll the oat mixture into 16 balls before you chill it.
Method Overview
Structured method notes that are separate from the step timeline.
How to Make Granola Bars
Scoop the mixture onto the bottom of the pan, and cover it with another sheet of parchment paper.
Method Timeline
Prep
ActivePrep
5 min
Prep time from the source recipe card.
Step 1
Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
Step 2
In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and salt, until smooth.
Image detailsStirring wet ingredientsLove And Lemons · Homemade Granola BarsDev reference 
Image detailsPeanut butter mixture in a bowlLove And Lemons · Homemade Granola BarsDev reference Visual cue
until smooth.
Checks1
TextureInfoTextureuntil smooth.
Expected state: until smooth.
Inputs and tools3
Uses
- 1 cup very smooth creamy natural peanut butter
- ⅔ cup honey
- Heaping ½ teaspoon sea salt
Why and source
This step has reviewed source-backed guidance.
- Source: Homemade Granola Bars
Step 3
Add the oats, chocolate chips and the pepitas (or nuts). The mixture might seem dry at first, but keep stirring and it'll come together. Stir to combine and press firmly into the pan. Use a second piece of parchment paper and the back of a measuring cup to help flatten the mixture. Chill for at least 1 hour, then slice into bars.
Image detailsAdding dry ingredients to wet ingredientsLove And Lemons · Homemade Granola BarsDev reference 
Image detailsHomemade granola bars mixtureLove And Lemons · Homemade Granola BarsDev reference Show 2 more media items
Image detailsHow to make granola barsLove And Lemons · Homemade Granola BarsDev reference 
Image detailsHomemade granola bars in a baking panLove And Lemons · Homemade Granola BarsDev reference Checks1
TimingInfoTiming1 hour
Target: 60 minute
Expected state: Chill for at least 1 hour, then slice into bars.
Inputs and tools3
Uses
- 2½ cups whole rolled oats
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips*
- 3 tablespoons pepitas ( or crushed peanuts or cashews)
Why and source
This step has reviewed source-backed guidance.
- Source: Homemade Granola Bars
Step 4
Store bars in the fridge.
Image detailsGranola bar recipe ingredientsLove And Lemons · Homemade Granola BarsDev reference Checks1
HoldingMain recipeSource holding instruction
Store bars in the fridge.
Why and source
This step has reviewed source-backed guidance.
- Source: Homemade Granola Bars
Handling and Storage
Reviewed hold, storage, make-ahead, and service-timing guidance.
Granola Bar Recipe Tips
Use runny nut butter.
Look for natural cashew or peanut butter with a smooth consistency to make this recipe, not the dry, stiff stuff that you might find at the bottom of a jar. If your nut butter is too dry or thick, it won’t bind the oats, chocolate chips, and nuts or seeds into cohesive bars. Use creamy nut butter, not crunchy. Don’t cut the chilling time short. It’s tempting to slice and eat these bars as soon as you press the oat mixture into the pan, but in order for them to be chewy and cohesive, they really need to chill. Pop the pan in the fridge for at least one hour before slicing and eating the bars. Store them in the fridge or freezer. Once you slice the bars, cover the pan and store it in the fridge, or transfer the bars to an airtight container.
Learn More
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Recipe structure
Components and intermediate outputs created by the method.
Main recipe
Recipe card ingredients and steps.
8
Mixture
Source step 3 creates or uses mixture.
Extra useful notes
Short source-backed recommendations and facts that do not need a step.
*Note: regular sized chocolate chips make these bars less cohesive - if you can't find mini chocolate chips, chop chocolate so that it's mini-sized.
*Note: regular sized chocolate chips make these bars less cohesive - if you can't find mini chocolate chips, chop chocolate so that it's mini-sized.
To make these vegan, use brown rice syrup instead of honey.
To make these vegan, use brown rice syrup instead of honey. Maple syrup is not sticky enough to make these bars cohesive, but it will work if you roll the mixture into energy balls instead of making bars. To make these gluten free, just make sure your oats are certified gluten free.
Try our homemade peanut butter in this recipe!
Try our homemade peanut butter in this recipe!
Did you make the recipe? I want to see!
Did you make the recipe? I want to see!
Tag @loveandlemons on Instagram.
Tag @loveandlemons on Instagram.
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rate this recipe (after making it)
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How long do these keep in the fridge?
How long do these keep in the fridge?
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Source and Origin
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Adapted from source
Imported from the love-and-lemons page for dev review.
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Homemade Granola Bars
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