You guys, these are even better than the originals. Trust me, I just ate two at once to double confirm and they’re in fact BETTER.
Roger that, over.
What’s the difference between these bars and the first batch? Well, almond butter is the base instead of peanut butter and we added one very essential, very key ingredient: CHOCOLATE CHIPS, YO.
These granola bars are SO easy to make, per usual. All you need is:
Dates.
Oats.
Pecans (or any nut).
Almond Butter.
Chocolate Chips.
& Honey (or maple syrup/agave).
Even better? They’re no-bake and take virtually no time at all. That’s my kinda bar. And look, Ma! No GMOs! (Or other random fillers, chemicals, preservatives, and suspicious dyes.) Win!
Theses little guys are seriously amazing. I made 10 two days and we’re already down to 4. As in, I alone have eaten two a day three days in a row. WHOOPS. Too good, I couldn’t help it.
Texture: Slightly sticky, soft but not crumbly, and crunchy from the nuts.
Flavor: Almond butter, pecans, and dark chocolate chips were meant to be together – period.
So, why haven’t you made these yet? I don’t know either. I’m putting my unofficial satisfaction guarantee on them, however that works with food blogs and the internet. Just trust me – you will LOVE these bars!
Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed dates (pitted)
- 1/4 cup honey (sub maple syrup or agave for vegan option)
- 1/4 cup almond butter (if unsalted, add a healthy pinch sea salt)
- 3/4 cup raw nuts (such as pecans and almonds)
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (GF for gluten-free eaters)
- 1/4 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips (dairy-free to keep vegan)
Instructions
- OPTIONAL: Toast oats in a 350-degree F (176 C) oven for 15 minutes to give a toasted flavor. Not necessary but recommended.
- Place dates in a food processor and mix until small bits remain and they form a ball. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add oats, nuts, and chocolate chips. Stir with a wooden spoon, breaking down the dates so they disperse fairly evenly throughout the ingredients. Small chunks are OK.
- Warm honey and almond butter in a small saucepan and pour over dry ingredients. Stir quickly to evenly coat. The chocolate chips will get a little melty – that’s fine and even desirable.
- Transfer to a shallow pan (such as 8×8 or loaf pan) lined with parchment or plastic wrap and top with another piece of plastic wrap and use your hands to form the mixture into a tight square (keeping in mind you want them about 1/2 thick and you’ll cut them into 10-12 bars // amount as original recipe is written) with a uniformly flat top. This will take a little work but the warmth of your hands will work well to shape them.
- Still covered, pop them into the freezer to set for 15 minutes. Remove and cut into 10 bars (as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Store in an airtight container or bag in the fridge to keep fresh, or in the freezer for longer term storage.
Kristy says
Hi! Thank you for the recipe! I trying to get myself eating better and one of my daily staples has been nature valley granola bars, the oats & dark chocolate crunchy ones. Sadly, they have changed the recipe several times in the last couple years and they no longer even taste like the ones I loved. So, rather than waste over $4 for a box of something I’m not enjoying anymore, I’d rather try making my own. So, 2 questions…1) Is there an easy sub for the dates? I’m just not a fan, but realize the sticky quality is needed for binding. Would using an egg or a flaxegg work? 2) I know it says no baking needed but wondering it they *could* be baked (like you do with your 5 ingredient bars recipe) to help crisp these up to being a more crunchy type of granola bar. I’m new to doing any of this stuff, so I’ll have to learn and play around, I realize, but figured I’d get your take! Thank you!!
Hi Kristy, we don’t think an egg/flax egg would work, but you could try another sticky dried fruit like prunes or apricots, possibly? You can toast the nuts with the oats, but we wouldn’t recommend baking the bars. We do have a crunchy granola bar recipe though that you might prefer. Hope that helps!
EMME BURNS says
I made the recipe as written, and doubled it. Although I used chunky almond butter instead of smooth. My problem was the bars were quite crumbly and fell apart when cutting into squares, even after freezing for longer. What ingredient should I change to make the bars more sticky and bar like?
Hi Emme, sorry to hear they were crumbly! Were your dates sticky and fresh? If they’re dried out, they won’t hold the mixture together as well. You can soak the dates in warm water for a few minutes to soften and rehydrate them, then drain and proceed with the recipe. If that’s not the issue, other ideas would be adding more honey or almond butter. Hope that helps!
Cajsa Roy says
I absolutely love these granola bars! They are so tasty. I want to make them for my toddler but he can’t eat whole nuts yet. Should I add more oats to compensate for the nuts or add a dried fruit like raisins?
We’re so glad you enjoy them, Cajsa! Yes, more oats + dried fruit would likely work. Let us know if you try it!
Emma says
Do Cacao nibs work as well as dark chocolate chips?
Hi Emma, cacao nibs will not give you the same result as chocolate chips!
Teresa says
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I make them weekly and I have just started to add in raisins, they are amazing.
Whoop! We’re so glad you’re enjoying them, Teresa. Thank you for sharing! xo
Monica says
Love the recipe- my only add is 1/4 cup of rehydrated dried cranberries. These are so good! I’ve tried with both roasted and I roasted oats. I have read that I unroasted oats are healthier…. Prefer the roasted version wouldn’t you know!
But thanks so much for this simple delicious recipe!
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modification, Monica!
Erika says
These were delicious! I made them with almond flour instead of oats and substituted the extra nuts for flax. I also used peanut butter instead of almond butter and they didn’t even last an hour in our household! Thanks for the recipe!
Woohoo! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them! Thank you for sharing, Erika! xo
Kerry says
These are a hit at our house, almost as much as the trail mix cookies! I definitely recommend toasting the pecans. They’re the yummiest bit.
I double the recipe and use a 9×13 pan. One recipe would not last the whole week in a house with four people.
It is tricky to incorporate the date paste into the dry ingredients. I usually use a pastry cutter and then just get in there with my hands.
Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, Kerry!
Aaron Wolven says
i added cranberries. what a great choice!
Yum! Thanks for sharing, Aaron! xo
Jasper Fisher says
Such a good idea to prepare in advance of busy work mornings! And it is healthy and beats individually wrapped breakfast bars!
Love that! Thanks for sharing, Jasper! xo
Erin says
Is there any vitamins and/or minerals in these bars if so how much?
Hi Erin, we don’t include extensive nutrient information beyond fat, carbs, protein, etc. But feel free to use a website like cronometer to dig deeper!
Amanda Grabeman says
These were AMAZING! My kids helped make them and have been eating them as well. I did find it was wayyy easier to mix the dates into the rest of the mix just using my hands to kind of mash and mix them like I would a dough. They were sweet (which we like) I might add a little more PB next time to help them stick together a bit more, but the flavor is incredible.
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Amanda! xo
Jenny L says
Loved these! I used maple syrup, almond/pecan nut combo, mini chocolate chips, and a pastry roller to press the mixture into the pan. I cut them pretty small as I want them for mini snacks. Really tasty and perfect! I’ll be making them often. Thank you for another stellar recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Jenny! Thanks for sharing!
Jessie says
I made this twice this week! Sort of! The first time, I pulsed the almonds with the dates because I wanted them a little chopped up, and didn’t heat the peanut butter & maple syrup. Realized a little too late that my one 8×8 pan was being used in the fridge so I rolled them into balls! They were so good, I ate them all in one day. I made them again just now but from memory because I was being lazy, and decided to *really* blend the almonds with the dates and heated the peanut butter & maple syrup. But it melted the chocolate entirely and it made the entire mixture too thin! So I compensated with 1/2c (or 3/4c, I didn’t measure) of almond flour and rolled them again, so they’re like perfect little chocolate-almond-date-cake balls. Realizing now that I completely forgot the oats which is why they weren’t really a “dough” after I poured in the peanut butter + maple. In conclusion, these are very adaptable, and blending the nuts and adding almond flour instead of oats makes it way more cakey than granola-y.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing your experience, Jessie!
Sargam says
can I freeze the granola bars once made?
Yes! They should keep well up to 1 month.
Lei says
I made these and they came together beautifully! I did pre-soak my dates for 10-15 minutes and I had about a 1/3 cup of dates extra that I had to get rid of. The mixture was really moist and easy to work with.
The end result was definitely quite sweet, but I didn’t mind it! I might add a pinch of salt and some flax seeds next time for additional balance and nutrition.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Lei!
Lilly lu says
I made this with a lot of excitement. It is too sweet, way too sweet for me. Sweeter than the store bought once. Otherwise it tastes really good. If i make it again definitely cutting down the honey and the dates. I used mini chocolate chips and they all melted. I’ll probably just sprinkle them on top next time.
Hi Lilly, sorry to hear that! The dates and honey help hold the bars together so they may end up a little more tender. But it might still work! Let us know how it goes!
Isobel says
I agree that it is hard to mix the processed date ball with the other ingredients. You just have to be patient and work at it. That being said, I’ve been making these granola bars once a week because they are so good. It’s fun experimenting with different nuts and other add ins. The first time I made the recipe as written and probably didn’t pack the granola hard enough in the pan – the bars were tasty but thin and fell apart easily. Since then, I’ve been doubling the recipe and still using the 8x8in pan. I cover with parchment and really pack down the granola. They hold up pretty well after I cut them and are a substantial snack. Also, when I first doubled the recipe, my food processor had trouble with the dates so now I chop them into big chunks first and no more issues.
thanks for sharing, Isobel!
Tara Cockerline says
I struggled getting the dates to mix in with the oats etc. I ended up pulsing a few times in the food processor to help break the big date ball up. But even still they just fell apart when I tried to cut them. Any tips on what I might be doing wrong?
Interesting. Were your dates sticky and fresh? What kind/size of food processor do you have?
Tara Cockerline says
Definitely sticky. I just couldn’t seem to distribute them well enough. It’s almost like they were too sticky? My food processor is a ten cup Hamilton Beach.
Hmm, OK. I’d say use a spoon to break up the ball of dates if they’re having trouble blending. And if they broke apart while cutting, they probably just needed more dates or nut butter to moisten.
Sabs says
I’ve made different variations of this recipe once with cashew butter and sometimes put a mixture of nuts and seeds in (ground). They go down well with my family. Instead of bars I make balls to make it last a little longer with my greedy bunch!
We’re so glad your family enjoys these! Thanks so much for sharing!
Sue says
I made this recipe as well as the Crunchy peanut butter granola bars. I found using a pastry blender tool very helpful in incorporating the dates into both of these recipes. Last time I made them they fell apart- but not this time! They are soooo yummy !
Thanks for sharing, Sue!
Jodie-Ann says
Can you substitute dried cranberries for the pitted dates?
Yes, that should work though we haven’t tried it ourselves! Report back if you give it a try, Jodie-Ann!
Heather says
I just made these! They are delicious! I didn’t have dates so I used prunes. Thank you for a great simple recipe!!
Great idea, Heather!
Brie says
These are so awesome. I made them a few times, but only recently made a change. I don’t have a food processor, but a Vitamix. Every time I would try breaking up the dates in the blender it was a very frustrating experience. So the last couple times I added just a bit of water in the blender with the dates, probably a tablespoon or two, and it helped a lot. And they turned out great!
Heather White says
These look fantastic! I bet you could add flax or chia seeds to add even more protein. I would pick the maple syrup option, but I love you suggest other choices. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
Great idea, Heather!
Julie LaVancher says
Helpful Tip – Use the underside of another, same size pan to firmly press warm granola into shape. (Before pressing, cover with small piece of parchment paper.) After pressing, use fingers to finish off edges.
Great recipe. Thank you for posting!
allie says
I love this blog! The vegan community is so great because we all have one thing in common: WE ALL LOVE FOOD! :) I’m a vegan youtuber, I post vegan recipes, and fitness tips! I’ll link my channel below if anyone wants to check it out!
Raegan says
I made this recipe plus some! Subbed for Maple Syrup, added hemp hearts, black chia seeds, tbsp carob powder, cinnamon, ginger. Added pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries. Adjusted liquids to accommodate the extra dried goods. Great base recipe ?
Jennifer says
Do you think this would be okay to add chia seeds to for a little extra nutrition?
Hi Jennifer! That should work!
Erika says
These are the best granola bars I’ve ever tasted! I modified a bit because I made them for my daughter who is a bit of a picky eater and she too thought they were the best bars she’s ever tasted! Thanks so much for creating a quick, easy and super yummy snack! ?
Rebecca says
These are great. I skipped the pecans and added more oats.
Priscilla says
I have made bars like this as well. Dates are a great alternative to any sugar and are great in cookies as well. Thanks for posting this recipe!
Kristina says
Those were really good! I used what nuts I had on hand. They taste great, it’s hard for me to stop eating them. I love these simple recipes. Thanks for posting!
Brenna says
This is my new go-to granola bar recipe – thank you so much, Dana!
Amy Ballard says
I used mini chocolate chips which I found helpful in making everything stick together. I’ve been on a quest to find the perfect at home energy bar and so far this is it! Looking forward to trying out some future variations :)
Lauren H says
These granola bars! Oh my word! They’re better than anything you can buy! I make them exactly as written and use chopped up pecans, Brazil nuts, and cashews in them. Everyone loves them!
LaRiena says
Hi. These look amazing and since I’m not always in the mood for peanut butter I’m thrilled to try with almond butter which fur some reason I never tire of. Curious if it works if you leave out the dates or replace with something else less sweet? Or perhaps use less of them. Thank you!!
Katy says
Holy WOW!!! These are absolutely delicious! Great recipe! My family and I love!! ❤️ Thank you!!!
Lee says
By far my favorite homemade granola bar! I like to toast my oats and pecans plus add toasted coconut flakes to the mixture! The coconut gives the bar an almost almond-joy flavor. So good!
Marianne says
These were so easy and quick to make! I made them for school and some of my friends :)
Brian says
I did not have chocolate chips, so I shredded some unsweetened chocolate into my bars and they were AMAZING! Great recipe!
Natalie says
Made’em! Love’em! Next time more nuts less chocolate.
Lauren says
I made the peanut butter oat bars, and they were yummy and easy! I’d like to leave out most of the honey next time (they are a bit sweet for me) will they still stick together, or is the honey a cornerstone ingredient? I’m hoping to makes these chocolate bars without honey too!
Honey isn’t necessary! They may be a bit more crumbly, but it should work! Let me know how it goes, Lauren.
Shivani says
Thank you for the amazing recipe! They are indeed yummy- no more cookies for my afternoon snack.
There is just one issue- I want to take these for a hiking trip, but they seem to soften when left outside for a while. Is that a normal problem with these? I tried to remold them and make them thicker, but that didn’t help either!
franny says
Dana! You are a true genius! I just made these and have made many other things from your website and they are always absolutely delicious! (and healthy too!). Minimalist Baker inspires me to cook and eat well ! Thanks so much for these recipes!!
Mei says
I’ve tried four other granola bar recipes and the quest is over!! Thank you Dana! I do have one small issue with this snack. I can’t walk away after one….
Samantha says
Do these rolled oats need to be the old fashioned or can they be the quick cook oats?
Thanks for the recipe. I plan on trying it tonight!
A says
I would love to try this but wondering the shell life of these bars…..
Jenn says
Any recommendations for almond butter?
brands? I love Trader Joe’s creamy salted ;D
James says
I promised myself I will make this soon. For now, 5 stars for making me hungry.
Amanda says
I’ve been making these once a week for months now because my husband is obsessed with them. He used to go out and get a cinnamon roll the size of his face every Saturday morning. Since I started making these, he perfers them for his Saturday morning “pastry” and even for dessert! Its literally a miracle! I love them too. Theyre healthy, hearty, chocolatey, and THEE absolute perfect granola bar texture. Thanks Dana!
Natalie says
I’m obsessed with all the bars on your site. I’ve been making the 3-ingredient PB granola bars for a few months now and today I branched out to try these. So good!
Lou says
What size food processor do you have? I’m looking to buy one and unsure what size is best.
I actually don’t own mine anymore as we switched to a vitamix, but my last one I believe was a 6 or 8 cup. Find all of our current kitchen equipment here!
Tricia McGinnis says
These look delicious. Do you think it would work without the nuts/pecans? I need a peanut free protein snack for my boys while at school. They usually won’t eat nuts thy can see.
Mm, I think so. just add more oats!
Michelle says
I don’t have a food processor— could I use a blender for the pitted dates?
Charissa says
#gonein60seconds
I’m hiding these from my husband…
I was skeptical to use my gutless solo blender to chop the dates, but it worked just fine.
Didn’t have any pecans on hand but macadamia nuts are a mighty fine substitution.
Lovely blog! Cheers!
Jessica | A Happy Food Dance says
Made these last night so I could have something sweet at my desk in the afternoons at work. Love the flavor but mine turned out a little on the soft side. I just realized that I accidentally used figs instead of dates (I guess I should try this reading thing everyone’s been talking about…) do you think that’s what could have caused the firmness issue? Either way, they are delicious!
Anabel says
I made these again, this time using hazelnuts, and it was like eating Nutella for breakfast! Thanks again for the wonderful recipe.
Lindsey says
Hello! Are these freeze-able? I’d like to just make a big batch and have them around to grab and go :)
Yes! They’re actually great in the freezer.
Nicole says
These are SO. GOOD. They remind me of Eat-More chocolate bars (maybe because I subbed peanut butter in mine). I love that they don’t taste artificial and sawdust-ey like granola bars from a box. It’s clear that ten is not going to be enough… *eyes leftover dates* The best part is how easy they are to make! (on the other hand, maybe that’s the worst part…I might be making them all the time now)
Nice! Glad you enjoyed them so thoroughly. Once I made these I think they were gone in a couple days. So good!
Teagen says
Great as bars, but even BETTER as cereal. My roommate and I have been referring to it as “the magic cereal.” Straight out of the freezer, add milk and a banana and it is pretty much the best thing ever.
haha, nice! Great idea. I haven’t made these in a while but now I’m inspired to. Glad you both enjoyed them!
Karen says
I like that idea! I just made these and they taste delicious, however, they are really crumbly, so eating them as cereal might be the perfect solution!
Karen says
Just made these for breakfast. These are amazing! I substituted dried figs from the garden last season for the dates, so I the bars didn’t stick together as well and crumbled a bit. I also toasted the nuts and added about 1 Tbs of flax seeds. I am now enjoying the with coffee. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
Sarah says
I lovelovelove these bars!!!
I added toasted buckwheat because I just add to pretty much every dish at the moment ;) and it goes pretty well with all the other ingredients.
So thanks for the recipe – it’s going on my favourite list :)
Great idea with the buckwheat!
Erin says
These did not turn out for me. They were crumbly after 15 min, and I added about twice the almond butter. Did you use a certain kind of date?
Nope, but if your dates were kind of dry, soak them in warm water for 10 minutes and then drain before processing. That’ll help hold them together.
Aparna says
These are Fantabulous!!!! Loved your peanut butter granola bars as well!!!
Great! Thanks for sharing, Aparna!
Ellicia says
These are awesome! My 2 year old daughter doesn’t like granola bars from a box but we just made these and not only did she eat a whole one, she asked for another. I like that the ingriedients aren’t cooked to maintain maximum nutrition and they’re so easy to make. I added chia, pumpkin and sunflower seeds to the mix. I would use a little more almond butter in substitute of some honey next time so cut back on sweetness but that is just a personal preference. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Yay! So glad your family enjoyed these, Ellicia! Also, thanks for sharing your modifications :D
Indira says
This granola bar is my go to recipe! I’ve made it a few times but used peanut butter because the almond butter in my house always seems to disappear as soon as I make it! I actually have almond butter but no pecans right now lol…but am going to make it again anyway! :)
Rax says
My family absolutely loves these bars! We’ve started to make these on a weekly basis and definitely don’t plan on buying boxed granola bars ever again. Thanks so much for sharing this :)
Samreen says
These look so good! What can I use instead of dates?
Laura P says
I’m new to vegan eating, but I made these last night and they sort of melted all my preconceptions away – amazing recipe! Thank you for sharing it. I had no honey so mixed in a little orange juice instead into almond butter and this seemed to work fine too.
So glad you enjoyed these, Laura!
Marisol says
super easy, super delicious!!
Ilene says
Like another reader, I added some dark choc chips in the first time I made these. So good!! I also add a few tbs of chia seeds for some extra protein and fiber without compromising the taste. In a pinch, I’ve also used a mix of prunes and dates when I don’t have enough dates. This recipe is so forgiving I just loooove it! Thank you so much!
Sara says
Hi these look yum just wondering (no almond butter in the house) can I use PB?
Kelly says
These are seriously my new favorite granola bars! And seeing as granola bars are my favorite snack, I’ve tried a ton of different recipes. Love these and love your blog :)
grace @ earthy feast says
I made these this past weekend and loved them. I brought one in for my favorite coworker and she made them herself as soon as she got home yesterday! I added chia seeds just for fun. Yum!
Grace says
Well these are purely and madly delicious. I got so excited that I added half a cup of sunflower seeds because I’m a sucker for a good seed. The rest of the recipe I followed to a tee. But now the bars are incredibly crumbly and are hardly bars at all. Could some sunflower seeds really derail this whole effort? If so, should I increase the dates or the almond butter to compensate (sunflower seeds are here to stay because oh my heavens yum). Thanks for posting this, I think I’ll be able to *struggle* through the crumbly bits :)
Smcd says
Why not use sunbutter to replace almond butter. You’d get your sunflower seed flavor and not mess with the cheese sistnecy. Just a thought!
stephanie says
if i really dislike dates, can i replace them by some other ingredient?
Nicole says
Would dried dates work too??
If you soak them I think that’d work! Let me know if you try it!
Weronika says
Eat ALL off them in 2 days…. I hate your superdelicious recipes ;-)))
Me too!! No shame ;)
Ash-foodfashionparty says
Love dates and this one sure looks simple yet tasty. Need some, so can’t wait to try your version out.
Julia says
I guess I know what I’m making today….
Jenny @ BAKE says
These look amazing! I was looking for a granola bar recipe, I can’t wait to make these!
Abbie @ Needs Salt says
These bars look absolutely delicious! I love dates and almond butter is one of the best things on earth. <3 Pinning this!
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe says
LOVE the super simple ingredient list and the use of dates! I can tell just by looking at them that I would love the texture. Definitely pinning for future baking days!
Sarah Crowder (punctuated. with food) says
You guys always make the most tempting sweets, and using things I tend to have on-hand…can’t stay away….
Katie @ Produce on Parade says
Oh goodness! I still haven’t made my own vegan granola bars…but these may have to be the first. What a wonderful recipe, thank you for sharing!
Emma says
Boy do these look good. We’d call them flapjacks here in England :)
Going on the must-make list!
Robin says
I’ve been looking for a way to get more calories into my diet and these are perfect! I won’t feel like I’m stuffing myself with food and I’ll still be getting awesome nutrition from the nuts and the oats and I love that there aren’t refined sugars. I think I’ll add a bit of cinnamon when I make these!
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough says
I need dem bars, YUM!
Tieghan says
Adding chocolate is never a bad idea. Never! These bars look killer!
jessica says
Lol. I was going to say there is NO WAY these are better than the original; then I looked at the ingredients and said, hey, that’s the change I made to your original! I added a handful of choc chips and some unsweetened shredded coconut. My husband told me, “Please do not EVER buy granola bars again. I like these.” And “Honestly, these taste waaaay too good to be healthy! Are you sure they’re good for me? Can you make more? I just ate the last bar.” WINNER :)
haha! Jessica, I love to hear it! I don’t intend on ever buying granola bars from the store again. So glad you and your husband love these as much as we do. Cheers!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
I need these in my body immediately! Loooooving these!!