A recent beach trip found me at a cozy coffee shop nibbling on something like these granola bars.
As I do, as soon as I got home, I got to work recreating a version of my own. Welcome to the crunchiest, tastiest baked granola bars (possibly) ever.
Not only are these bars dreamy, but they’re easy to make, requiring just 9 ingredients. They also come together in less than 1 hour and don’t require a blender or food processor.
These bars are somewhat similar to my Healthy 5-Ingredient Granola Bars, only they’re more on the crispy side. They also require less dates and have less sugar overall.
After a quick bake in the oven, these insanely delicious bars are ready to be cut and dipped (or not dipped) in chocolate! But c’mon – chocolate.
I hope you all love these bars! They’re:
Crunchy
Perfectly sweet
Coconutty
Fiber- & protein-rich
Easy to make
& Delicious!
These are the perfect bar to have on hand for a quick breakfast, snack, or healthier dessert. They would be so very delicious with a Ginger Tea Latte or my 5-Minute Vegan Hot Cocoa! I’ve also been very into golden milk lately – especially this recipe from my pal McKel!
For more granola bar recipes, check out our Brownie Granola Bars, 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Granola Bars, Super Seedy Granola Bars, or Crunchy Peanut Butter Granola Bars.
If you try this recipe, let us know how it goes! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Crunchy Baked Granola Bars
Ingredients
GRANOLA BARS
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/3 cup raw slivered almonds (or sub sunflower seeds or other nut)
- 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
- 2/3 cup desiccated unsweetened coconut (if large flakes, chop or blend into small pieces)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup chopped dates (~ 5 dates as original recipe is written // or sub another sticky dried fruit)
- 2 Tbsp almond butter (or another nut or seed butter)
- 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (or sub brown rice syrup for a less sweet bar)
FOR TOPPING optional
- 1/2 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp sea salt or hemp seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and arrange oats and almonds on a bare baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until slightly toasted. They shouldn’t be browned, just slightly toasted for more flavor. Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F (162 C).
- In the meantime, add flaxseed meal, desiccated coconut, and sea salt to a large mixing bowl and stir. Set aside.
- Once oats and almonds are toasted, add to the mixing bowl along with chopped dates. Loosely stir to combine and set aside.
- Add almond butter, coconut oil, and maple syrup to a small saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Then remove from heat and immediately add to the oats (see photo).
- Use a mixing spoon to mix thoroughly, ensuring that the dates and the almond butter mixture are evenly dispersed and coating all of the dry ingredients.
- Add the mixture to a parchment-lined 8×8-inch baking pan (size/number as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and spread into an even layer. Then top with another layer of parchment paper and press down with something flat – such as a measuring cup – to press into an even, uniform layer.
- Bake at 325 degrees F (162 C) for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan. Transfer to the freezer to speed cooling time.
- Once cooled, lift out of the pan and slice into desired number of bars. I went with 6 bars, but you could easily do 8 bars or 12 squares (amounts as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
- Optional: Melt dark chocolate and coconut oil in a small mixing bowl in the microwave or over a double boiler on the stovetop. Spoon a small amount over the bars in a drizzle pattern or cover half of the bar with chocolate. Top with sea salt or hemp seeds.
- Once bars have dried/cooled, store covered at room temperature for 5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*Recipe loosely adapted from Alton Brown.
Jenny says
So good! I made these for my daughters volleyball team. Even the pickier eaters (my daughter) loved these and asked me to make them again. Thank you for such a great recipe and easily customizable as well. Have a wonderful day!
Whoop! We’re so glad they’re a hit with the volleyball team. Thank you for the lovely review, Jenny!
Karen says
I’ve tried a lot of granola bars and these are by far the best. I add a few more dates and an extra tablespoon of almond butter. I put the dates in my mini Cuisinart to save time. I find the topping great but not necessary. My go to when running out in the morning!
We’re so glad you enjoy them, Karen! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Star says
Does the recipe really need flax seeds?
Hi, you could sub another nut/seed!
Bee says
This reciple is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Can you suggest substitutes for the coconut and coconut oil? I simply don’t tolerate coconut well. Thank you for posting this!
Hi Bee, you can use more nuts/oats in place of the coconut and more nut butter in place of the oil!
Li says
These taste great! I adjusted the recipe for 12 bars and it came out pretty crumbly. Perhaps my baking pan was too big so that they were too thin? Difficult for me to know. I’m making them for Christmas gifts for my piano students so I need to make a lot at once. Any advice?
Hi Li, you could possibly add a bit more almond butter to help them stick together more.
Deb says
These are fantastic without the chocolate glaze. I used dried cherries and added 1 top. Of Ceylon cinnamon. I began cutting before they were entirely cool because they do get crunchy. Left over crumbles can be added to yogurt or cereal.
Love your modifications, Deb! Thank you for sharing!
karin says
i didn’t have desiccated coconut so i used sunflower seeds (blended) and sesame seeds, as well as peanut butter and sub coconut oil for melted vegan butter.
probably didn’t compress it enough hence they were quite crumbly when i tried to cut it
anyhow these were amazing, will definitely make these again <3 thanks dana!
We’re so glad they turned out well! Thank you for the lovely review, Karin! xo
suzy says
Just made this recipe. Its very good. I used walnuts instead of almonds, and I added sugar free chocolate chips and raisins to it.
Yay! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Suzy!
Laura says
Could I usr honey instead of maple syrup?
Yes!
Marja says
Can you omit the maple syrup all together?
I was thinking using coconut sugar instead.
This is mostly for health reasons.
Thanks.
Hi Marja, we haven’t tried coconut sugar in this recipe, but maple syrup adds some binding and we’re not sure if coconut sugar will be able to do the same. But let us know if you try it!
MacKenzie says
Yum! Made this exactly according to recipe the first time and today I subbed quinoa for nuts (toasted along w oats). Delicious both times!
Ooo, sounds yummy! Thanks so much for the great review and for sharing your modifications, MacKenzie!
Nancie says
Great granola bar recipe. Everyone loved them!!!!!
Woohoo! Thank you so much for sharing, Nancie! xo
Nicole P. says
Hello,
If its a very crunchy recipe, will it crumple when you cut them?
Hi Nicole, it will a little bit around the area you cut, but shouldn’t crumble much!
Nicole says
Hi these are delicious and my 5 year old will eat them! She’s not allowed any nuts at school, is there any substitution you would recommend for almonds or can the recipe work with just omitting them?
That’s lovely! I would sub the almonds and almond butter for sunflower seeds and sunflower butter!
Elaine says
My daughter is allergic to nuts and I used sunflower butter and sunflower seeds instead of the nuts. Still yummy!
David Payne says
Almonds are not actually nuts. They are a fruit or more specifically a drupe.
denise says
These were fantastic!! Exactly what I was looking for in a crunchy granola bar!! My husband loved them too!! I made them in a 9×9 pan because I wanted them to be really crunchy and not too thick and it was perfect…..
Thank for this great recipe…I have been desperately searching for a great granola bar recipe and it looks like I found the perfect one!!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Denise. Thanks so much for sharing!
Heidi says
Wondered if the coconut oil could be omitted? Or sun with aquafaba?? I don’t use oil in my cooking and wondered if it’s totally necessary. These do look amazing and I’m anxious to try the recipe!
Hi Heidi! The coconut oil is really helpful here for the right texture and crispiness, but aquafaba might work? We haven’t tried it ourselves so cannot guarantee results. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
MJ Sedeno says
I doubled this recipe since we’re going hiking and camping and OMG is an understatement. This are delicious, crunchy and I don’t think I’ll ever be buying granola bars at the store ever again. 10/10
We’re so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for the lovely review, MJ!
Grace says
These are amazing! I used peanut butter instead of almond butter and they turned out great :) I will definitely be making these again soon!!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Grace!
Cynthia Anderson says
I had been looking for a crunchy granola bar recipe and this was perfect. Thanks for another great recipe!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Cynthia!
Deb says
Delicious with only 2 T. maple syrup but could not cut into squares because it crumbled.
Hi Deb, sorry to hear that! They should hold together well with more maple syrup.
Ilana says
What can I use to substitute the coconut flakes?
Thanks!
Hi Ilana, you could try a different nut/seed (such as walnuts or sunflower seeds) for the shredded coconut- we would recommend chopping them.
Lexi says
Made this for the second time and it will definitely be a new staple for me! Love making them for the week so I can have a grab and go breakfast that’s also healthy! I used sunflower seeds in place of the almonds and peanut butter instead of almond! Delicious!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Lexi!
Dora says
They turned out super crunchy and stuck together perfectly. I made some changes though. I used sunflower seeds and chopped raw almonds with the oats. Next time I might roast the almonds a bit in my cast iron pan to give it a deeper taste. I also used peanut butter; Kraft only peanuts smooth(all natural). Have never used dates, so put in half a tablespoon of molasses. Did not over bake and cut them into pieces about 6 minutes after they came out of the oven. Definitely will make again for me and friends.
Love it! thanks for sharing, Dora!
Neelam mehta says
Followed the same recipe.. tastes nice but it’s crumbly like granola.. not stuck like bars.. same recipe.. only substituted maple syrup for honey.. used peanut butter instead of almond butter and also olive oil instead of coconut oil.. and added dried cranberries and blue berries too.. or is it like dates I should have grinded with water for more binding?
Hi Neelam, it does sound like they needed more binding. Dates are stickier than cranberries/blueberries so that could be the issue.
Neelam mehta says
Can I substitute honey and date paste? for maple syrup?
We haven’t tried with those substitutions, but we think they would work! As long as the date paste isn’t too runny. Let us know how it goes!
Marcia Barnes says
These were amazing!! I subbed the coconut oil for butter since my husband doesn’t like the taste of it.
I did part almonds and pumpkin seeds and subbed coconut for sunflower seeds
I used 5 small dates .
I only had 75%dark chocolate for the topping.
It was a hit , I felt like I was eating a nice treat!
Had no problems cutting in squares, I think it has a lot to do with how long you wait for it to cool off, it cannot be too cold not too right out of the oven either!
I will make it again!!!
Thank you
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Marcia! Thanks so much for sharing!
NOOF AL-OBAIDLI says
These bars are devine! I just made them and would definitely make them again. Thank you for the recipe!
Whoop! Thanks so much for sharing!
Pam says
It was very delicious but very sugary too. Was more of a dessert rather than a healthy snack bar. Also it broke apart easily and was more chunks than bars. I tried soaking the dates as well. I enjoyed it but would not make it again.
Hi Pam, sorry to hear that was your experience! Better luck with the next one!