John and I kind of have a thing for granola bars. It started when we discovered the glory that is Trader Joe’s Apple (Pie) Bars. Then, we got into more basic versions with rolled oats. But somewhere along the line we got suspicious of the ingredients – namely high fructose corn devil – and strayed away from them altogether.
However, sometimes you really just need a snack that has some serious staying power. And being that this is Minimalist Baker, you know I wanted something simple. Enter: The 5-Ingredient (No-Bake) Granola Bar. Things are getting seriously minimalist right now.
How to Make Granola Bars
The base for these bars is dates – the natural sweetener supah powah. Then we add almonds, oats, peanut butter, and maple syrup (or honey or agave) and mix it all together!
That’s it. Just 5 ingredients, no baking involved (unless you want to toast the oats and almonds) and they’ll keep in the freezer for-ever (that is, if you can resist them for that long).
Substitutions
If you can’t jive with peanut butter simply swap in almond, sunflower or another nut/seed butter. To keep these vegan, stick with maple syrup or agave instead of honey. And to keep them gluten-free, use GF oats. Simple, customizable, delicious!
Speaking of delicious, these little guys are dreamy.
Simple flavors, wholesome ingredients, salty-sweet and lots of crunch. I made a batch last week and am already down to one-quarter of ONE bar. How I exercised the self control to save one quarter of a bar is beyond me. But by tomorrow it likely won’t be there, if I know myself at all.
These really are the perfect bar for a hearty snack because they keep you full for hours and don’t provide a sugar overload. Plus, they pack in plenty of healthy fats from the almonds and peanut butter, and lots of fiber from the oats. Afternoon and mid-morning snack, solved.
More Granola Bar Recipes
- Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Granola Bars
- Super Seedy Granola Bars
- Crunchy Baked Granola Bars
- Peanut Butter Granola Bars
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
September 23, 2016: Video added and recipe updated to include slightly more dates so the bars stick together more easily.
Healthy 5-Ingredient Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup packed dates (pitted // deglet noor or medjool)*
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or agave nectar (or honey if not vegan)
- 1/4 cup creamy salted natural peanut butter or almond butter
- 1 cup roasted unsalted almonds (loosely chopped // see instructions for roasting nuts)
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (gluten-free for GF eaters)
- Chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, banana chips, vanilla, etc. (optional additions)
Instructions
- Process dates in a food processor until small bits remain (about 1 minute). It should form a "dough" like consistency. (Mine rolled into a ball.)
- Optional step: Toast your oats (and almonds if raw) in a 350-degree F (176 C) oven for 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Otherwise, leave them raw – I prefer the toasted flavor.
- Place oats, almonds and dates in a large mixing bowl – set aside.
- Warm maple syrup (or agave or honey) and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over oat mixture and then mix, breaking up the dates to disperse throughout.
- Once thoroughly mixed, transfer to an 8×8-inch baking dish or other small pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper so they lift out easily. (A loaf pan might work, but will yield thicker bars // adjust size of pan if altering batch size).
- Press down firmly until uniformly flattened – I use something flat, like a drinking glass, to press down and really pack the bars, which helps them hold together better.
- Cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and let firm up in fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove bars from pan and chop into 10 even bars (or 9 squares // as original recipe is written). Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. I kept mine in the freezer to keep them extra fresh, but it isn’t necessary.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with maple syrup and unsalted peanut butter.
Kelly with little vegan boy says
I first my say thank you for all the great recipes and fabulous photos you share!
I have a little boy whom is allergic to eggs, diary and peanuts. I have tried several other recipes (from other resources), for all sorts of dishes, which have either egg and dairy replacements or both. None of these recipes worked very well or tasted delicious. It was very frustrating. Then I discovered your blog – the vegan baked beans was the first recipe I tried. It worked for my little allergic boy and for the rest of the family. Brilliant! I wasn’t cooking different food for him to the rest of us.
Your blog is now my go-to resource for most of my cooking. I do replace the peanut with almond (which he can eat) but other than that the recipes are as is.
You really have made my day so much easier! I am happy I can cook one meal that works for all the family and I am thrilled it all gets eaten!
Thank you and keep the delicious recipes coming.
Kathy Tegreene says
These are great! Thanks so much for sharing! I added extra salt and put them in the freezer.
Lauren says
I followed the recipe but I really wish I knew why my bars turned out so moist and crumbly! It’s hard to eat granola bars on the go when a plate and fork are required :/ This seems a pretty common issue from reading other comments. The flavor is great… Just wish the texture was right also…
Kristina Linenfelser says
If saying vegan lose the almonds too. No honey bees equals no almonds. Bees are transported by the millions to California during season.
Violet says
These bars were very frustrating. Even after freezing them overnight they were falling apart, and I couldn’t cut into them. They taste good, but they should be advertised just as granola, not bars. Also, for a no cook bar, they certainly were a lot of work, cooking the peanut butter & honey, and toasting the oats in the oven…
Toni says
Hi, any suggestions on what I could use in place of the oats to make these grain free? Thanks!
jo says
Wow, this is a keeper! Exceeded my expectations. The tastiness was enhanced by toasting the oats and using Grade B maple syrup. (Once I tasted that I could never go back to A.) This is going in my favorites!
Emily says
Just made these this afternoon. I followed the recipe except that I added some flax seeds (I can’t seem to make anything without tweaking the recipe at least a bit!)
I just ate my second one, and it was so delicious. I did toast the oats and almonds, which I think was a good idea for that extra crunch and flavor.
I do not have a food processor. (Will definitely be asking for one for my birthday this summer! Being a vegan with no food processor can be extremely frustrating, especially when you’re a vegan who reads Minimalist Baker.) For the date paste, I chopped my medjool dates into little bits, so it was already sort of a paste, then I simmered it briefly in water to soften them even more. Then I drained, saving the sweet date water for coffee or some other concoction, and simply mashed them with a fork. Worked like a charm. A datey, pasty charm. I didn’t even have to clean out the pot, just added the PB and honey (ok, so I’m a vegan who eats honey, don’t judge).
I think my next project is your peanut butter granola. I have to use up all my peanut butter; I just can’t have it in the house because I’m too tempted to dip late night spoonfuls of it.
I just want to say that I have tried several of your recipes, and they have all been absolutely wonderful. I think the first one I tried was the Vegan Cheez-its (seriously, you could post only recipes for liver, tripe and blood pudding until the end of time, and you’d still have a lifetime pass from me just for those freaking cheez-its). Just last night I did the crispy peanut tofu, though I didn’t have any cauliflower so I just used quinoa. Over Easter, with my family, several of whom are also vegan and/or gluten free, I made the tofu quiche, which should be called the Houdini quiche because it was there one second and gone the next. And your chocolate cake recipe has wowed many a non-vegan on many a birthday.
I guess what I’m trying to say, in an overly verbose way, is thank you, from the bottom of my uncongested, food-loving, vegan heart. Can’t wait to get that food processor so I can really let loose.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing and for following along, Emily! xoxo
Kaleigh says
These are amazing and so easy! I added a spoon full of coconut oil to my almond butter/raw honey mixture while it was heating the added walnuts, pecans, and some cinnamon to the dry mixture and WOW.
Dianedst says
A good oops, added some dark chocolate, the oats were still warm from toasting so the chocolate melted ! Yumm . Going to dothat again
One pan of these , one two day camping trip with uber health conscious peeps. All gone !
Alexis says
Do these melt if not kept in the fridge? I’d like to bring some on a weekend camping trip! Tahnsk!
Alexis
Nope! They can get a little soft but definitely won’t melt. Have fun!
Ron says
I was promised they’d live up to the 1 week life, but they had a short life…3 days – I don’t know were they vanished! Some one sneaks in late nights and treats their sweet tooth! A munch here and chew there! Obliviously – they put all the granola bars and & ingredient list to shame, yet they out shine in flavor w/ simplicity, Dana – my family is hovering your website…for each and every meal n snack every day!! Keep up the good work…in the bargain kids are learning n consuming ingredients which were other wise challenged in spelling bees contest!!!
Jessie says
Your website is a dangerous place to be! I try to study, but instead I just end up reading all of your delicious recipes! I just made these today, but I used pumpkin and sunflower seeds instead of almonds and brown rice syrup instead of honey, since that’s what I had on hand. Still awesome! The dates were addictive – I kept pulling them out of the bag to eat on their own. Oy! Thanks for such an awesome recipe and site. :)
cindy says
Uh. Oh. I went to make these bars today and found I only had half of the almonds I needed. I subbed the other half with hazelnuts and um….they are kind of amazing. I would highly recommend it if you want to enjoy all of the deliciousness of this bar with a little twist!
Maria says
I just made those delicious bars! But because I didn’t have dates or any other fruit instead I added mashed banana. Turn out just as good yummy yummy! Thank you very much for this recipe. Just found this website and I will follow as I like everything in here :)
Carolina says
Absolutely delicious!
I tweaked the recipe a bit (something I try not to do, at least not the first time I’m preparing something) and used finely rolled oats, added a bit of dessicated coconut and omitted the honey as I didn’t want them to be too sweet.
Thank you very much for the inspiration!
Susan says
I’ve just made these using the dates, almonds, dried cranberries, blueberry trail mix and pushed dried banana chips into the pre-hardened product.
Wow. Just wow!
I love them! Healthy but sweet, (you can’t taste the dates), and I love how you can personalise them and play around with the recipe! Amazing!
Tara says
Hi there, just wanted to say thank you for posting this recipe. I absolutely LOVE it. I substituted hazelnuts for peanuts and raisins for dates. So GOOD! Funny side note- I read your bio and mistakenly misread the sentence, “together we make a great pair,” as “together we make great hair.” And I thought, yep I agree with that ;) Anyways, I loved the granola bars so much that I shared them on my blog beautyforruins.com. I followed all of your guidelines for posting. Just wanted to share!
Sanne says
Such beautiful pictures! That makes food so much more nice, but this must be nice on it’s own too!
Lovely. But I think I would make it with maplesyrup or ricesyrup or datessyrup, since I don’t eat honey.
Pinned, of course! Yum!
m says
Recipe is good, except entirely too sweet. The amount of honey and dates is too much. Would make again, and cut out honey entirely, or use half the amount of dates.
It is very sweet.
Glad I tried it though and dates pulverized with some bran or oat meal helps..
leslie says
A workout and a healthy snack in one! The only difficult part of this recipe is mixing it all together – being short, the counter is too high, so mixing this together with my hands was tough, but worth it. I did not soak the (medjool) dates, but did remember to remove the pits before chopping them in the food processor. Added dried blueberries, coconut, and cinnamon, and it came together, eventually, perfectly. Oh, and -hello- crunchy! peanut butter ;) Doubled the recipe and rolled it out between 2 parchment sheets into a jellyroll sheet with a heavy rolling pin = perfect.
Great recipe! Next time, mini chocolate chips.
Judy says
Great recipe! I substituted cranberries and added coconut flakes. I used chia seed peanut butter and even added a very ripe banana. I would leave out the banana next time but we really enjoyed the bars. I have never been satisfied with a healthy recipe I’ve tried until this one. Thank you so much!
Amber says
These are AWESOME!
I used oatmeal, cranberries, coconut, walnuts, chocolate chips and chunky peanut butter! Yummo!
laura says
Can you use raw honey instead of regular honey? Is there a downside to raw honey? Thanks!
Amanda says
Made these this afternoon additions to make them my own. Added 3 T brewer’s yeast and 2 T flax meal to support lactation, and added 3 heaping T cocoa powder for my chocolate craving and an anti oxidant punch. Super yummy, and I don’t feel a speck of guilt eating one of these for a snack.
Great! Thanks for sharing Amanda!
eMilie- says
I’m so glad I found your recipie! I was looking for an easy vegan ones and it’s great! Many thanks for sharing it with us! I also suscribed and got your detox ebook…couldn’t be happier ;) eM- from France.
Wonderful! So kind, emilie!
Tina says
This is an excellent, simple recipe that you can have fun with and make simple swaps. Thanks so much! I made a batch yesterday with raisins instead of the dates and added cinnamom and crushed cardamom seeds for an Indian twist. So good!
Nic says
Granola bars just got healthier. Love almonds
rebekah says
Does anyone have any tips on actually getting them to stick together? Mine never turn out like bars. They kind of crumble apart. I stick them in little snack bags and kinda just pinch pieces out to eat it on the go. I have been successful at getting decent size chunks to stick together but after I actually cut them apart they crumble like crazy. I have also tried adding more dates, peanut butter and nectar. I have left them in the fridge/freezer too before cutting them.
Kate says
I am impressed by this recipe! Even without a food processor, they are quick to put together. I followed the recipe except used mostly minced hazelnuts (as I ran out of almonds), maple syrup instead of honey (which goes phenomenally well with peanut butter!) and a big pinch of sea salt. Toasting the oats and nuts really brings out the flavor.
I look forward to trying more recipes on this blog!
Angela says
Hi, I made these bars a few weeks ago and absolutely loved them (so did everyone else). The only thing is they were very crumbly. Still so good and edible but now I want to make about 50 of these bars to send to a friend … do you think the soaking of the dates would help keep the bars together? Or should I be adding some additional honey??
Thanks! :)
Diane says
Great recipe, delicious and so simple, loved by all! I found adding the dry to the melted ingredients (and adding a bit more honey) easier. I also roasted the almonds and oats. This will be a staple recipe in my house, thank you.
Laura says
Hi, can I use figs in stead of the dates?
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
x
Angela Vullo says
Great recipe! I used blanched almonds and ground them down a bit in the food processor. I used cashew butter and added a couple tbsp. coconut oil. Then I added mini choco chips and shredded coconut. I make a similar recipe with all nuts but it calls for way more nut butter and sweetener. They come out so sweet and can still be crumbly. I love the dates in this one. They stay together so well. Thanks so much for this simple recipe!
Simona says
I made these bars yesterday. Only can agree with the rest – they are indeed amazing. Simplicity at its best!
Ah, thanks Simona! xoxo
Lila says
The bars came out too soft. Perhaps I used too much of the water that the dates were soaked in. Have been in the freezer for a while and still very soft.
Any suggestions of how I can get it to be a harder?
Hmm, perhaps it was the water. Leave them in a single layer in the freezer and they should firm up!
Snowflow, Yoga For Riders says
Awesome and delicious! We just shared this on our blog :)
Thanks!
Jane says
Don’t hate the date! Once pulverized, it just sweetens; there’s not texture or taste issue!
Hellestorm says
Ok. I realize that my comment here is very late to the party, but… I just made these today and stumbled upon a really easy tip: Since I couldn’t find my square brownie pan, I lined 2 identical (meaning, they nest) loaf pans with waxed paper sheets. The sheets were too wide so I folded them to fit the pan, and the excess length I used to cover the bars once they were filled and hand-flattened. When stacking the pans to put in the fridge, I realized I could use the top loaf pan to perfectly flatten the bars in the pan beneath! Swap pans and repeat… I hope I explained this well, it worked great!
Totally made sense! Thanks for sharing!!
Katie says
Soooo yummy. Tastes basically like a honey PB sandwich :)
Heather says
LOVED it…and everybody that ate it LOVED it too. I went half and half with the honey and maple syrup and toasted my oats and almonds- yum!! Thank you for sharing :-)
Heather says
These are fantastic! They’re easy and fast to make, healthy, and delicious! They will be a regular snack at my house from now on!
Chrystina T says
I just realized I only bought 3/4 cup of dates. Can I add more honey or PB?
Tiger says
I love this recipe made with roasted nuts, I have added more to it though and the whole family raves about them! Some of the things I have added:
1/4 cup chia seeds with 1/4 cup flaxseed
Sprinkled seasame seeds in the mix (probably 1-2 tablespoons)
1/4 desiccated coconut
Mixed nuts with cashews, pecans, almonds and walnuts
When lacking on dates in the cupboard, have substituted figs, prunes or a mix of the 3
Whatever I do to it, it’s the only thing my hubby eats for breakfast, it’s the kids favourite breakfast too, doubles up as a snack bar and is mega healthy…. Win win! And I thought that highly of it, this is my first ever comment on a blog post ;) thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Jo says
We make these or a version of these every week and take them for lunch snacks, they are so easy to make and taste great. Thank you for sharing!
Yay! Glad you like them. Thanks for sharing, Jo!
Kim Hans says
Hey, you guys, do a little research on agave. It’s actually worse for you than HFCS. Maple syrup or honey are your best-bet non-processed (or minimally processed) sweeteners. That said, this looks FANTASTIC, and I will be trying it soon. :)
Yvonne says
looks like a dream
Rosalyn says
These bars are so delicious. My husband doesn’t like dates but loved these.
I sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon- 1/2 teaspoon salt into the mixture – it adds another depth of flavor.
Bessie says
My daughter and I made these bars yesterday and it was so easy and delish!! Thank you for taking the time to share your amazing food creations! I will defiantly be trying more of your recipes! Thanks again!!
April Gibson says
WOW! Just made these and they are wonderful. I’m allergic to almonds so I subbed toasted pecans with just a pinch of cinnamon. Toasted the oats and added a handful to the dates in the food processor. They won’t last long…….I’m going to try them out on the toughest critics of all-my grandkids!
Karen says
Just stumbled on your blog. Love it. Printed out many recipes to try. Just made these bars too. Very yummy. Mine also didn’t stick together after being in the frig but no big deal. They are still really good.
joan storer says
have you any tips for diabetics on this receipe thank you i am going to try and make some as i am eating processed shop bought ones and iam not supposed to have the sugar.
Thank You
Joan Storer
Renee says
I adore these!! And your blog as a whole! My husband begs for me to make these weekly…cause they never last longer than 5 days in our house!!
I even have the neighbours, friends, and family overseas making them…delicious!
Your biggest Australian fan :)
Denise says
I found your website last fall and have since made these bars many times for my family, for friends, even took them to work a couple of times to share (they were gone within minutes). They are always a huge hit. Just wanted to say how much I appreciate y’all! Minimalistbaker.com is the bomb!!!
Mariah says
These have changed my life. I also recently discovered my favorite granola bars had corn syrup in them. These are a brilliant alternative and so much more satisfying!
alaskamom says
I just made these. Had to put them in the freezer to get them to stick together better. They are really chewy and taste better than store bought. The second batch i added craisins instead of dates, hemp heart seeds and flax seeds.
Misha says
Hi! This looks delicious, I cant wait to give it a try. My only concern is that only the instant/quick rolled oats (Quakers) are available where I live. Would this recipe work with quick oats should I add something else to it?
Thanks in advance
Didi says
Instead of bars I got a crumbly, albeit tasty, mess. I followed the directions to a T and THEN saw the note at the end about “if your dates aren’t sticky and moist…”
That comment should be in the directions. I had to freeze the granola crumbles and they taste good, but I was hoping for the convenience of a bar. Thanks for the recipe, but put all directions and notes in the text, not at the end.
Amna says
Will it taste good if you add cinamon and what can you put instead of honey
yes + agave or maple syrup
Dave says
Like “De” my bars did not hold together but unlike “De” for me it’s not a complete waste of time and money because I simply decided instead of failed granola bars I made healthy and delicious trail mix.
Tammy says
These are delicious! How many kilojoules are they per serve?
Jane Kannar says
I also added sunflower seeds, pepitas + dried cranberries and used crunchy peanut butter (all i had). Easy to make + delicious! Thanks
Heather Bennett says
I just made these! I think they will turn out okay. In the refrigerator cooling and hardening. I took a tsp of coconut oil and three small blocks of some organic dark chocolate and melted in microwave. Drizzled over them to give that small chocolate taste.
Heather Bennett says
Yeah….so I just cut a sliver to try it and OMG!!!! Soooo delicious. I have never eaten dates much, but since I am eating clean, they are amazing!
Chris says
Hey, great recipe. Easy, simple and delicious for my long mountain bike rides and races. Just wondering should I bake the final product so it wont fall apart in my back-pack when I am riding?
Add more dates! They’ll help bind them together.
Liz says
Just save yourself some time and go ahead and double this recipe!! These are so easy and super yummy. Finally something the whole family loves :)
Hannah says
I just made these and shared them on my blog. So delish! I just added pumpkin-spice and vanilla extract to give them a little Fall finesse.
Ellen Silveria says
LOVE these – I’ve been making a fall version substituting Pumpkin Butter (I used Trader Joe’s) for the honey, and using almond butter. I also add walnuts, flax and chia seeds, and cinnamon. I keep them in the fridge at work and have made them several times because everyone gobbles them up :)
What is the best food processor to use for dates? My old cuisinart couldn’t handle them.
SaigeofInsanity says
I’ve been looking for a decent substitution for my Bear Naked addiction… Whipped these bad boys up, and voila! My wallet and I thank you ever so much for helping me get my lunch break fix. :-)o
Joe says
I used 1/8c penut butter, 1/8c almond butter, and added chocolate chips for flavor and unsalted sunflower seeds for added energy. This is really tasty. Thanks for sharing.
Joe says
Even my wife (who doesn’t like almonds or traditional, “trail mix” granola bars) likes this a lot. I’m impressed with how this turned out.
Maria says
Also, will instant oats work?? :/
Maria says
Can i use dry figs instead of dates?? And should i soak them in water too if theyre too dry??
Please answer soon!
I haven’t tried using figs but I think it would work. If they’re dry, just soak them in warm water for 10 minutes then drain. As for the oats, rolled oats are best, but instant will work in a pinch.
Jane says
How long does one batch of this lasts?
A couple months in the freezer. Up to 1.5 weeks in the fridge, I’d think and probably longer.
Arunima says
Just made a batch of these granola bars, they came out beautiful…Thank you, for posting such a simple, easy granola bar recipe.
agens says
I also thought that 20 grams of sugar was ridiculous, but investigated because it didn’t seem possible. The only added sugar is the honey – the dates have fiber and thus don’t count against your sugar counting. (unless your a diabetic, don’t know how that works). Honey has 17 grams of sugar per tablespoon and their are 4 tablespoons in the entire recipe. So its less than 7 grams of added sugar per bar. Not bad, about what I allow for store-bought. Thank you!!
Peter Forrest says
Mine fell apart after coming out of the pan. I love the flavor but these don’t hold together as bars. Any hints?
Diane says
How do they hold together? I’ve made granola bars before that just fall apart.
Mia says
Will it effect the flavor allot if I skip the honey or only take half of it? I really want an super healthy granola bar :)
And I’m allergique to almonds! What should I replace it with???
Thanx allot//Mia
Maren says
I really want to love these, but I cannot get them to bind together. When they didn’t set, I added more honey, PB and dates, but they still crumbled as soon as I took them out of the pan. Suggestions? I love the flavor of these and would happily make them weekly if I could actually get them to be “bars.” Thanks!
Jorge Mory says
Thanks! simply but good recipe. I tried with dried fruit intead of dates (i dislike them) and works perfect. Now i am going for my second try ;). Greets from Chile. (sorry for my poor english)
Yay! Glad you liked it. Thanks for sharing, Jorge! Jealous of your location! We hear Chile is amazing.
Lauren says
Made these today substituting the dates for raisins. Taste is super duper! Only one problem – they aren’t very firm and don’t hold their shape well. Think the raisins were a little too juicy after soaking (oops). Will be trying again with dates in the near future as the simplicity and taste of this recipe is absolutely fab! Thank you so much for sharing :) xx
ashton says
Hi! I love your site! Such cute photos. How do you know what the nutrition information from your recipe? I have a wordpress blog too! How do I get the cute recipe plug-in that you use for your site?
Thank you!!
A
The recipe plug in is easy recipe and I use caloriecount.com to provide nutrition estimates. Hope that helps!
Marie's Paradise says
My husband tried this recipe…and it is really so so delicious!! I will not buy granola bars in the supermarket ever again! If you don’t mind, I think I will put your recipe on my blog (maybe I’ll add a few ingredients…and I will of course make sure your blog is mentioned)! :-)
Olga Amaya says
I love these granola bars, the best recipe ever. This is my favorite blog!!!
Thanks Olga! xo
Catherine says
These are soooo good and easy to make, perfect for the lunch box, I didn’t have whole almonds so I used flaked, which I toasted.
Wendy says
19 g of sugar in one bar is hardly healthy… Look delicious though.
Leanne says
Mary says
Dana I just made using unpasterized warmed honey and added a
bit of light canola oil to maximize on the holding.
Also I added Tblspn of Fr.s Coaco pwder for extra taste.
Hannah says
Thanks!
haha made them as study snacks. They were so quick and easy that I could make them in one study break, and they lasted me a few days (cut it into 36 little squares though)
Isabelle says
I made some so our two live-in college students can more easily fight the hungries and not give in to junk before they can get home again. I shared half the bars with a friend whose family found them so perfect, she’s going to make them for her family now, too. Thank you so much.
Great! Thanks for sharing, Isabelle!
fifi parker says
Hi dana, is there like a substitute for honey? Because I dont have a lot of that.
Isabelle says
I forgot to rate this along with my comment.
Jeanette says
Delicious. Didn’t have almonds but used pecans which I toasted and some coconut which I also toasted, added the vanilla, used half honey and half maple syrup. So simple and easy to put together, made them yesterday and they barely lasted the day. Thanks for the recipe!
Heather says
Very easy to make, the honey and peanut butter only took 1 min in the microwave.
Sally says
Just made these, they are quick and easy and taste delicious! These delights will be taking the place of my chocolate bar addiction. Love love love ! Will also be perfect for those busy days when you skip breakfast. Thank you for my happy joy granola bars!
Lisa Smith says
These are so awesome. I can’t believe how great they taste with so few ingredients. I’ve made them several times, already & shared the recipe with all my friends! I’ve added pecans both times so technically, mine were more than 5 ingredients! I used figs once instead of dates because I had them on hand which worked fine as a substitute. They just have little minute seeds in them but the texture works well to hold the bars together. I also added some dried plums (prunes) once, as well. This recipe is so yummy & versatile, you could use all sorts of different things! I dry fresh fruit from my farmers market so I’m planning on making some with the different fruits over the winter. I store my granola bars in the freezer in a rubbermade container which is perfect to grab one out to put in my lunch. I wrap it in a small piece of foil. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe with us!! I would encourage everyone to try it. You won’t be disappointed and you won’t feel any guilt because they are so simple and healthy!
Renee says
Amazing! Will never buy store bought granola bars again! And I don’t even like dates…usually! Thanks so much for sharing!
I toasted my oats and slivered almonds, used chunky peanut butter, added mini chocolate chips and dang brand coconut chips. Irresistible! Can’t wait to try other combinations!
Seth says
Thanks for posting this recipe! For someone who is not a date fan, do you have another recommendation to use in its place?
Crystal says
Hi Seth, I’ve tried similar recipes using figs or raisins – the raisins need to be super soft, you can soak them in warm water 5-10 mins first to soften them – and they’ve worked great. Hope that helps!
Candace says
Any particular type of raisins? I’m allergic to the entire coconut/palm family so dates and figs are out but raisins I can do, anything else you would recommend to try?
Any ideas are welcome!
Thx
Jesse says
Have you found the honey/agave syrup to be a necessity? (as a bonding agent) I know the dates are sweet enough as they are, so is the additional sweetness required?
Not at all! It’s more for extra stickiness and binding. But add a few more dates and then go without!
Ruchi says
We tried it without honey/agave syrup and it turned out sweet enough for us. The recipe is so easy that the whole family pitched in. My husband processed the dates and our four year old added chocolate chips. It turned out great! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Ayu says
Hi Dana, oh it looks delicious. how long do they keep in the fridge or at room temp?
In the fridge several weeks. At room temp at least a week. In the freezer for months!
Wesley says
Yum…added dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and hemp harts so I increased the peanut butter and honey by a little bit to add some extra bind. Can’t wait to havethese as a snack at work.
Kimberly says
I prepped this in 15 minutes! Delicious and organic and homemade…doesn’t get any better!