These easy and healthy granola bars are quick to make with just a few simple ingredients. They have a delicious chewy and crispy texture, and you can load them up with different add-ins like dried fruit, chocolate, mini marshmallows, nuts or mini flavored chips!
Easy and healthy granola bars
Skip the store granola bars and make these simple, preservative-free treats for your family! They make a great snack for kids, teens and adults. Even just one bar is so filling and perfect for a little energy snack. You can also make them into energy bites in a ball shape or small squares for lunch box treats.
Ingredient list for this recipe:
- Creamy Peanut butter (natural works great)
- Honey (I use organic, unfiltered local honey)
- Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- Salt
- Quick cooking oats
- Crispy cereal (this make ALL the difference in the texture!)
- Chocolate chips (mini or regular chopped)
- Add-ins like nuts and dried fruit, mini marshmallows or m & m’s.
A healthier option
These granola bars are an amazing swap for store bought! They are preservative free and contain no unnecessary ingredients. They are sweetened with honey and I love to add in nuts and dried fruit for protein and fiber. You can also add in chia seeds!
How to make easy and healthy granola bars
These granola bars are SO easy and fast to make. You don’t have to bake them. Simply mix all ingredients (I like to mix everything in my kitchenAid) and press them into an 8×8 pan. Freeze for 20 minutes. Slice into bars. Wrap in parchment and store in a ziplock bag or pan with a lid in the refrigerator for 7-10 days! They won’t last that long… trust me! 🙂
Easy and Healthy Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Creamy Peanut butter Natural works too
- 2/3 Cup Honey I like to use organic, unfiltered local honey
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Cups Quick cooking oats
- 1 Cup Crispy cereal Rice Krispies is what we use
- 1 Cup Add-ins like chopped nuts, chocolate, dried fruit, mini marshmallows or mini m and ms I love the Second Nature trail mixes, I chop up a cup of those to add in!
- Chia Seeds Optional
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir together. 2. Add a parchment sheet to an 8×8 pan and press mixture into it tightly. Use another parchment sheet on top of the mixture, and use the measuring cup to press mixture and smooth it down to pack it as tightly as possible. 3. Freeze for 20 minutes. Remove from the freezer and cut into bars. 4. Wrap in parchment and store in the refrigerator in a ziplock bag or a pan with a lid for up to 7-10 days.
Tips and tricks, and variation ideas
- Use quick oats. Other oats like steel cut will not work the same for this recipe, and will not result in the same texture.
- Pressing the mixture into the pan and packing tightly makes all the difference in this recipe! I use a measuring cup with parchment under it to really press the mixture flat in the pan. After chilling and slicing, the bars should stay together without any crumbling. Keep them in the fridge and they will be so delicious!
- Be sure to use an 8×8 pan for this recipe so the bars are the correct thickness. You don’t want to spread the mixture too thin into a larger pan or the bars may not hold together.
- Add in ideas: cashews, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, dried fruit like craisens, raisins or cherries, chia seeds for fiber, flax, coconut flakes, or spices like cinnamon.
Storing your homemade granola bars
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