Homemade Granola Bars Recipe
“This homemade granola bars recipe is packed with superfoods – nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. A great and easy vegan breakfast and snack bars that is ready in 40 minutes.”
You will love this homemade granola bars recipe as they offer healthier versions than store-bought counterparts. They’re nutty, sweet, and crunchy and they’re made with just the best ingredients. They’re also versatile (simply switching up the nuts, seeds, or dried fruit) and are easy to make!
This recipe for granola bars contains a lot of nuts and seeds, which provide a lot of beneficial fats and carbohydrates. Using dried fruits like cranberries, raisins, or blueberries, which are high in vitamins and antioxidants, provides a touch of sweetness. You’ll definitely be hooked by it and make it part of your meal prep.
Aside from being a healthy breakfast or snack option on the go, I like these granola bars simply because they are delicious and they come in portions. I cannot get enough of these bars so cutting them in bars helps me not to overeat. Nut and seed lover here! hahaha
Post Contents
WHAT IS TRAIL MIX
Trail mix is a term that refers to any combination of dried fruit, nuts, seeds, granola, and even chocolate. It was once known as GORP (good old raisins and peanuts).
Trail mix received its name from the fact that it was created as food to bring along on treks by hikers, campers, and backpackers because it’s nutritious, lightweight, high in calories, and easy to store.
Several high-protein components, such as nuts and seeds, are commonly found in trail mix. Protein is a necessary food for muscular growth, tissue repair, immunological health, and other functions. Eating more protein may also aid weight loss by curbing hunger and increasing feelings of satiety.
WHAT IS GRANOLA
Granola is a breakfast and snack item made of rolled oats, nuts, and honey or other sweeteners like brown sugar, and toasted until crisp and golden brown.
Granola bars are made by pressing and baking granola with honey or another sweetened syrup into a bar shape, resulting in a more practical snack.
You can always buy granola bars in stores and are always individually wrapped in a sealed pouch. This allows users to store the packed bar in their purses, backpack, or other bags for later consumption.
INGREDIENTS OF HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS RECIPE
While this recipe for granola bars includes all of the trail mix staples, I’ve also included a few simple superfoods. These feel-good foods can provide you with a quick and easy vitamin boost — all in one snack. Here’s what you’ll find inside:
Dry Ingredients:
- Nuts: Nuts are high in fat, low in carbohydrates, and a good source of vitamin E, magnesium, and selenium, among other nutrients. I used 1 cup of almonds, ½ cup cashew nuts and ½ cup walnuts in this vegan granola bars recipe. You can substitute other preferred nuts such as pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts etc. Also, fell free to put any other proportion of each nuts as long as you are using 2 cups of nuts.
- Oats. Oats are one of the world’s healthiest grains. They are a gluten-free whole grain that is high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Weight loss, decreased blood sugar levels, and a lower risk of heart disease are just a few of the benefits.
- Desiccated Coconut. Adds crisp texture and coconut flavor.
- Dried Cranberries. They, along with other berries, are a great super food (buy unsweetened). You can substitute raisins or other dried fruits available.
- Pumpkin seeds (pepitas). These seeds are high in antioxidants and minerals.
- Sunflower seeds. Contains Vitamin E, flavonoids, zinc and selenium. They are also high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which are both good for the body.
- Flax seeds. Flax seeds are high in a variety of nutrients. Their omega-3 fats, lignans, and fiber content contribute to their health benefits. This is an optional but recommended ingredients.
- Chia Seeds. Chia seeds, despite their small size, are one of the most nutritious foods on the world. Fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and a variety of micronutrients abound in them.
- Cinnamon powder. Adds flavor and pleasant aroma to the bars.
- Sea Salt. If using raw nuts, don’t forget to season with a pinch of salt.
Wet Ingredients:
- Maple Syrup. Adds just the proper amount of sweetness and helps to bind everything together. If you are not on a vegan diet, you can substitute maple syrup with honey.
- Vanilla Extract. Adds a depth of flavor that complements the sweetness of the bars.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS
It couldn’t be any easier to make these homemade granola bars. So get your baking pan out and let’s get started.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Then, using parchment paper, line a 11×7-inch baking sheet.
- In a bowl, toss and combine the nuts, oats, dried fruits, seeds, cinnamon powder and salt.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the vanilla extract and maple syrup. Then pour the liquid over the nuts and toss everything together until everything is evenly coated.
- Using a spoon or spatula or by hand using a piece of parchment paper placed on top, flatten the mixture into an equal layer in a baking pan.
- Allow it to bake for 30-35 minutes in the oven. Allow one hour for cooling in the pan after completed (this is important).
- Cut into bars and enjoy!
BAKING TIPS IN MAKING THIS RECIPE FOR GRANOLA BARS
Make sure the mixture is pressed into the pan. Pressing the granola mixture into the pan is crucial. You need to make sure that it is compact so there will be no spaces in between. The harder and longer you push, the less likely you are to get granola instead of granola bars.
Your bars aren’t firm enough. Bake them for long enough for the maple syrup to caramelize and solidify as it cools. If your bars are still soft and sticky after cooling, bake them for a few more minutes next time. Every oven is unique.
Your bars break and crumble. You can use whole nuts but, smaller chopped bits will bond together easily. You can also use a combination of whole and chopped nuts.
Slice with a sharp knife. Also, don’t cut with a sawing motion; instead, slice the nuts straight down.
Allow plenty of time for cooling. I understand how tempting it will be to chop a piece fresh from the oven. However, if you want to slice them correctly, you must cool them first. Allowing them to sit at room temperature for an hour will be enough. Alternatively, chill for 30-45 minutes.
HOW TO STORE
After slicing the bars, store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator or freezer. To keep the layers from sticking together, I recommend using a sheet of parchment paper in between them.
You can keep these bars in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to two months. If you opt to freeze them, let them thaw for 15-20 minutes at room temperature before eating.
Other oat breakfast recipes you might like:
Try this homemade granola bars recipe and enjoy them as part of your healthy snacking and on-the-go breakfast. Happy tummy!
Homemade Granola Bars Recipe
Equipment
- mixing bowls and spatula
- 11×7-inch baking pan
- Parchment / Baking paper
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 cups nuts (I used 1 cup almonds, ½ cup cashews & ½ cup walnuts)
- ¼ cup whole or rolled oats
- ¼ cup unsweetened desiccated coconut or coconut flakes
- ¼ cup dried cranberries or raisins
- ¼ cup seeds (2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, 2 tablespoons pumpkins)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon flax seeds — optional
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ¼ teaspoons sea salt
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 °F/ 160 °C and line an 11”x7” rectangle pan with parchment paper. Tip: Extend the parchment paper outside the pan for easier removal.
- In a mixing bowl, add the nuts, oats, dried fruits, seeds, cinnamon powder and salt.
- In another small bowl, combine maple syrup and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the nuts-seeds mixture and stir everything together until it is well combined and coated.
- Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Flatten mixture by using a spatula or by hand using a piece of parchment paper placed on top. Make sure that it is compact and with minimal spaces.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes and allow to cool completely in the pan for about an hour.
- Once cooled down, slice them into bars.
- Enjoy these bars as breakfast or snack.
Video
Notes
- You can use variety of nuts and in any proportion as long as it will be 2 cups.
- You can use whole pumpkin seeds or whole sunflower seeds.
- Make sure that the mixture is pressed down and compact into the pan so there will no spaces in between.
- You can also coarsely chop the nuts first so the bars won’t fall apart when slicing. Fill in the spaces with smaller bits to help hold the bars together.
- If your bars are still sticky an hour after cooling, you may need to bake them for a few minutes longer the following time to get the maple syrup to caramelize properly.
If you make something with Happy Tummy Recipes, please share it with me, and don’t forget to rate and comment on this recipe below!
For more recipe inspiration, please subscribe to our recipe newsletter and follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Tumblr, and YouTube!
This post contains affiliate links. I make a commission from sales. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, read my disclosure policy.
