Healthy 5-Ingredient Granola Bars

I love this but I used raisins and dried cranberries instead of dates and I also added ground fax and chia seed..it turned out excellent! I will be making this a lot! It was loved by all!

Just made these. Added some shredded coconut as well. Didn’t toast the oats but hope they turn out well.

I love this recipe! It’s quick and easy, also taste great.

My god this recipe is phenomenal! Was not sure but it is insanely good. I’ve altered to 1/3 cup of peanut butter and 1/3 honey since I was adding another 1/2 cup of shaved coconut and 1/2 cup of dried cherries. Yum yum yum… Can’t wait to make my next batch. Although I sub to salted peanut better to unsalted. Still great! Thank you for the recipe!!

just made these- and they’re so good! i used peanut butter and maple syrup, and pan toasted the oats beforehand. thank you!

I just made these and they came out delicious. Thank you for the recipe! I used what I had in the pantry which included prunes and pecans as substitutes for the dates and almonds. I toasted the oats and pecans and used a no-sugar PB. Fan-Tas-Tic. Thank you for the recipe! Oh, I added about a 1/4 tsp. of vanilla too!

I have dried unsulphured apricots sitting in my pantry going nowhere fast. I might try a batch with those next!

(Not so secretly hoping that these will help with my toddler’s BMs! Ha!)

Hi Dana!
I was wondering how long these bars last in the refrigerator/freezer?

Thanks

Wow, so great! Instead of dates i used dried figs i had just recently made. I also added pumpkin seeds which i ground up in my coffee grinder. Chia seeds, flax seed, chlorella and spirulina were also added! I love finding recipes so simple like these and adding a little extra of my things laying around. I wanted to add coconut but i have never liked the taste more less the texture. Thanks for this great recipe!!

This was the first time I made this. When I added the honey-peanut butter mixture to the rest of the ingredients, I was worried it wasn’t enough because I had trouble incorporating everything thoroughly. I added a little more of the honey-peanut butter mixture. It worked out great, but they are more chewy than crunchy. The next time I make this, I will follow the directions precisely, but this ended up being a happy accident because now I can get my granola on in two ways.

I just made these and OMG they are addictive!! I used only half the amount of honey and about 1 tablespoon more peanut butter than the recipe says and they were YUMMMMMMY! Making these again!

Hey Dana,
I love this recipe and have tried it many times before and I absolutely love them, and was just wondering if you can use crunchy organic peanut butter as well?
Thank you

How would you make these grain free? By taking oats our…what’s a good sub? Could you add white beans (slightly massed) to this?

What a great recipe! I’ve just baked them and my son loves them. I was looking for a healthy and filling snack for my son at school. These bars are exactly what I need. Thank you!!!

I second BJ’s comment, wow was absolutely my first thought when I tried these granola bars! I could not believe I made such a tasty treat with only five ingredients. I made them for my kids and they nearly at the whole casserole dish! I might have to use this as leverage over them going forward if they behave :).

I made these for the first time and…….Wow! So easy, so good! I like cranberry and my husband likes raisins so I made two batches. It was a bit of work to get the date paste blended in, but I kept chopping it in until it was well mixed. I never had a problem with them not sticking together and I followed the receipe to the letter. I think the secret is in getting it pressed down really good. The glass trick works like a charm. My only question is this….have you ever made them with a layer of chocolate on the bottom?

Is there a less sweet alternative to using dates? Or do you think it will hold together if I use less? I’m not a huge fan of the taste of dates and I think I would prefer them a little less chewy. Otherwise, these would be perfect. I brought them for my friends and I to hike up Mt. Washington and it was the perfect mid-hike refuel.

I have been making these for over a year now and love them. I add toasted coconut and dries cherries. In place of the Peanut Butter I use powered peanut butter (this reduces the calories a great deal) but, till fabulous flavor. I also mix the nuts up. I use the same about of nut but, I use a mix of toasted nuts.

Hi I love the recipe although I haven’t made it yet because I want to know being a type 2 diabetic could I substitute something else for the dates.thanks so much.

I’m excited to try this recipe! And I agree that I make things homemade to avoid processed foods, but as a Trader Joe’s fan I do want to say that they don’t have high fructose corn syrup in any of their products so that is a false statement. (The only product in the store that does have it is Orangina. Looking forward to eating these!

Hello,

I want to try this recipe but I have a couple questions.
The peanut butter I have is not salted, just natural, should I add salt?
Can the oats and almonds be toasted on the stove in case I don’t want to light the oven?

Tks. Marie

I made these for me and my daughter last night and they were absolutely amazing! We ate them as kind of a late night snack while watching a movie, I think I might make them slightly sweeter next time, but I’m for sure going to keep this recipe in my back pocket for get togethers with friends. Great job and thanks for providing us with such a stellar recipe.

This is a great recipe! I added 2 teaspoons of cocoa and some raisins and it was super yum. Mine were actually really sticky and gooey. I made them yesterday and there are only 2 pieces left as my whole family loved them. Thanks for the great easy recipe.

Hi! I am thinking of making these for my camping trip, but am not sure how they’ll do in warmer temperatures, especially with the peanut butter. Have you had any experience with that? Do they hold up in a warm backpack for example? THanks!

Really pleased with this recipe. I have been making homemade granola bars for a few years now but using brown sugar and honey as the glue. I knew I could find something better and tried this recipe. Fantastic. So much happier using dates. Now it’s time to experiment using some of the ideas from the other people here. Thanks.

Is it possible to bake the bars after the mixture is made so on a hot day they won’t just turn to goo?

I made these bars earlier this week as a snack for my boyfriend when he gets home from work and he loves them. I used brown rice syrup instead of honey and added 1/2 cup of coconut to the mixture. I also put a thin layer of chocolate on top since he wanted chocolate granola bars. I am curious though would I be able to use dreid cranberries instead of dates if i soaked them for 10 minutes?

just made these and they’re so easy and delicious!!!!

Sooooo good ! Easy, delicious and good for you ! Thank you ?
5?

Loved this! Didn’t have all the right ingredients on hand so modified with pecans and added sea salt– delish! My toddler loved it!

Delicious recipe, I made a couple of times already it’s a big hit!
I sometime mix half almond half Macadamia nuts and coconut flakes…
Yummy in my tummy!

Wow, AMAZING and so dam easy! I hate dates, oats and peanut butter but followed the recipe ‘as is’ – the only sub I made was Agave syrup for honey (didn’t have any). Oh and I added raw chia and hemp seeds. YUM YUM YUM!!!! Thank you for sharing.

Thank you for the good recipe, I made it as written and it was very good! I look forward to playing with substitutions for different flavours!

Dear Dana,

I used 1 jar of cherry preserves and double the oats, a few handfulls of chocolate chips, 1/4 cup of previously frozen fresh blueberries ( because of liquidy ), eyeballed the drizzle of agave, three spoons of chia seeds, three big spoons of Skippy peanut butter & two cups of loosely banged up almonds. Gave it all a really good blend up with a spoon and flattened it all in a 12-1/4″ x 8-1/4″ x 1-1/8″ lined pan. They are still soft enough to eat with a spoon after frozen, but the taste is very pleasant. Can easily be eaten with a little ice cream or a glass of milk – a nice snack all around. Wish that I could share images!

Tasted good, but was just a bunch of crumbs :( I would have added more dates or liquid ingredient.

These looks perfect for that extra energy you need when you are out walking in nature or doing other exercises. Packed with natural carbs and fats!

I’ve just made these after needing some extra fibre as pregnant and struggling with toilet.
They are amazingly tasty. Could only eat half a square as so lovely and rich. My taste buds are thro the roof mind. I think I might try substitute some of the honey for mushed bannana. Then freeze them to give them a longer life. Thank you for sharing such a scrummy receipe.

This looks like a great recipe. If I wanted to keep the bars longer for no more than a month. What’s the best way to store them? I wonder how Cliff and Kind bars are able to have a longer shelf life.

great recipe. I make them weekly! To cut down on sweetness, I subbed half the dates for prunes and some of the honey for molasses. I also ground the almonds more fine to make them kid friendly!

Super!I made them and its just super!thanks for this recipe! :D

Hi Dana!! I just made this recipe like an hour ago lol and they were DIVIBE!! I added Turkish apricots to mine and cut out the honey, but everyone in my family loved it!! It tastes so natural and yummy and so much better than regular granola bars!! So natural and now I don’t feel guilty eating them because there is no processed sugar involved!! You are an angel for creating this recipe!! Much needed!! :))

I just made these granola bars b/c I needed something to take with me on a long bike ride. Let me just say, they did not disappoint! I made them according to the recipe, but also added: pecans, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and dark choco chips. I would have posted a photo of them on IG, but they were devoured before I could. Will def. be making these again VERY soon!

p.s. I also prefer the toasted flavor of the oats and almonds, so good call there ;-)

Easy to make and taste fantastic. I also add a tablespoon each of flax, hemp and chia. Thank you for sharing a wonderful recipe.

It’s funny that you say that about prunes, I actually just made them a few days ago according to the recipe but prunes instead of dates because it’s what I had in my pantry. They worked out great, this is such a better option than store bought Granola bars.

Made these a few days ago. They tasted superb! The only nut butter I had was Nutella, so that was what I used. I had raw almonds & cashews, so I roasted them with the oats until lightly browned. The granola bars got finished so fast and I’m going to make them again. I’m running out of dates, so I’m going to replace it with prunes. Let’s see how it goes…

Im currently in a place where I have to improvise almost every recipe, Can I use quick cook steel
Cut oats? Also sorry if you’ve already answered this, I
Have limited data here, takes too long to load every comment

These bars are amazing. These are my go to breakfast everyday. I have modified the recipe a little to suit my needs and add some nutrients: I have added Dried Cranberries, Cocoa Nibs, Toasted Flax Seed, Himalayan Pink Salt and Puffed Rice. Cranberries for some chewy texture, cocoa nibs for the antioxidants, flax for the omega-3’s, Himalayan Pink Salt (coarse ground on top) for the electrolytes and 84 minerals, and the puffed rice (homemade “rice krispies”) for some very obvious and satisfying crunch.

Anyone know how to adapt this recipe for someone who doesn’t use grains or added sugars?

I made these last night for the first time and they were AMAZING! I pan roasted my oats for just a few minutes (watch them carefully or they’ll burn!), and I used freshly ground almond butter, added in some dried cranberries I had on hand, a dash of cinnamon, and a pinch of sea salt. I highly recommend trying a little sea salt, it makes a great compliment to the sweetness of the dates and honey. Thank you for making such a simple and delicious recipe. I will definitely be making these again. Probably this week since we already ate half the bars!

I am on a low sugar/low glycemic diet. Is there a way to make these with less dates or substitute something else in place of the dates?

Hi do you have a diabetic version or recommendation? Can I make them without honey or only use 1/2 of the dates? I can add dried cherries as a alternate. Thanks in advance.

This recipe looks amazing! But can I do it without peanut butter or almond butter ?

Wow! These bars were FANTASTIC!
I’m no chef, but these bars were simple enough that even I had success with them. I used almond slices and added coconut, both of which I toasted. After smashing up the dates in a food processor, I added them to the peanut butter and honey mixture on the stove. This mixed well and helped to make the dates more pliable for mixing and pressing into the pan, which was very easy. Everything ‘set’ perfectly and I was able to cut the mixture into squares, but they were still chewy and incredibly delicious and healthy. My kids are waiting for me to make more! Thank you so much for a terrific recipe!

Delicious? Check.
Super simple? Check.
4-year-old loves them? Check.
Used agave as suggested and loved them. A new snack staple.

(reminder to anyone adding any form of chocolate: wait for the mixture to cool down first; which i knew, but forgot)

Thank you!

Can I substitute the dates for anything?

Made this on the weekekend, great recipe. Tastes great.Thanks for sharing .

Unfortunately these did not work out for me. It might be because of all the substitutions I made due to my daughters allergies (nut allergies). I used sesame seed butter and fruit instead of nuts. They did not harden like a bar at all. Even when I left it in the fridge over night.

I’m getting ready to try this recipe however I’m really looking for something that is just like Millville peanut butter energy bars my husband and I love them but don’t love what’s in them! They are a soft bar and it seems like the interior of the bar has more dates. They could be baked I have no idea… any thoughts?

Is it possible to substitute the date paste for dried strawberries or strawberry paste?

These are delicious. I’ll be making these over and over. Thanks for the recipe!

Love these! Super easy to make! I only had dried chopped dates on hand instead of the nice fresh sticky ones, so I added about a Tablespoon of coconut oil. Also mixed in some walnuts because I didn’t have enough almonds on hand. My son is allergic to peanuts, so used an almond/coconut butter instead of the peanut butter. They came out great!! Love that this recipe is flexible and will be my “go-to” for snack bars – so much better and affordable compared to a store-bought version. My boys are taking them on their wilderness survival camp-out this weekend – if they last that long! :)

These bars are delicious! But mine won’t set, I can’t even slice them into neat bars like on your photo’s. I had to pack them separately in plastic wrap to store them, they are so moist and sticky they would otherwise glue together. I don’t understand what went wrong, since I followed the recipe to the letter. Could the problem be in the conversion from cups to grams? ‘a cup’ is simply a unit of measurement that doesn’t exist here.

You go girl love them i added figs and dates they are to live for thes are my snack. Of choice 5 star

I MEAN HOW MANY DAYS IN A RUCKSACK ? LOOKING FOR A CHEAP NUTRITIOUS FOOD SOURCE FOR HIKING . LIGHT TOO .

HOW LONG WOULD THESE LAST ON A HIKE ???

I tried to twitter you but I don’t know if you will see it, do you have more diabetic friendly alternative to dates or anything in the date/raisin/fig family? These things tend to be high in carbs. Would LOVE to try these, but wondering if there is a different base? thank you so much!

Mine didn’t want to stick together :( I wonder what I did wrong lol..

yay! I’ve just made them and had to put them in the freezer or they would have disappeared…they have all the perks: fast, easy, almost no bake…I used cheapo dates, but they were very moist and worked fine (medjool would make them even more delicious, if that were possible, that is!), I used my own peanut butter and added more chopped peanuts instead of almonds (I’m a peanut addict!). As even my dates had collected into a thick ball, I put them in the pan with the honey and pb on a very low heat, in order to make it easier to mix the lot. I did toast the oats and that was a wise choice. These bars are delicious and I believe lots of seeds and spices could be incorporated successfully! Thanks a million!

Hi!
Do you think I can make them without the honey? I’m trying a no sugar diet and would like to put only dates. Would it work? Thanks à lot for the receipe!

Love these bars! I’ve tried so many granola bar recipes and this is by far my favorite. I added sunflower seeds, raisins, vanilla, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. I wish I had toasted the oats first, though, as the raw oats are a bit too chewy for my preference. But I will definitely make these again and again!

Wow Ive got to say these are amazing! I used almond flakes instead of almond and found no trouble. My only complaint is they were quite dry. I’m a child and can make this, so I am sure you can
Thanks for the recipe!

Hello, this recipe looks fantastic! But I had a couple of questions:

– What do you think of replacing the dates with figs?
– Doesn’t the peanut butter give you loads and loads of processed sugars? At least, the peanut butter I can buy at the store is almost pure sugar. Could you perhaps give me the name of the brand you use, so I can see if it’s available in my country? (I looked for almond or sunflower butter, but I can’t find those either)

Thank you!

Is safe to put dates in the food processor if they are pitted?

Sorry – I just read in the recipe NO bake !!! I am liking this even more now :)

Just wanna double check that it is 350 you bake the granola for? It says to roast the almonds @ 350…. I assume that temperature stays the same to bake the bars?

I made this with the paleo 14 day, but used just dates, cranberries, almond, dark chocolate, and coconut. I’d freeze them, cut, and place in baggies. It’s hard chopping the dates. So I did a double batch. The calories are surprising, but not to bad I guess. Going to try this one soon. Thanks

Ever since I found this recipe a year or so ago, I have been making them batch-after-batch. Always have them on hand. They turn out best if recipe is followed exactly, otherwise they are too dry or too moist. I toast the oats and almonds first for nicer texture and flavor.

I was thinking..
Can you add frozen raspberries?

how long will the granola bars last if they are vacuum sealed.

-JISELLE WILSON

I am a date novice so I bought dried and ended up soaking in hot water to soften them up. I also didn’t realize they would still have the pit in them so, I had to do a little surgery before grinding them. One child is tree-nut allergic so we went without the almonds but used crunchy peanut butter to get the texture. I also baked mine for about 10 min at 350 because I’m not a no-bake texture fan. I would like them a little sweeter so I will add more dates or some of the suggested substitutions above. Great foundation recipe. Thanks.

Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I used salted almonds, that’s what I had, and a mixture of dates, prunes, cooking raisins, dried cherries, cranberries and apricots. I put all the fruit in my nutrabullit and pulsed until it formed a ball, then added the toasted oats, chopped almonds, a large tbsp. of coconut flakes and the honey/peanut butter. They turned out wonderful and my kids and husband loved them. Packed them individually in tinfoil with smile stickers. Thanks again. A true keeper for our family.

These are delicious. Although I have the same problem as a few of the people who have commented before. The dates I buy are always moist and I have issues with no-bake recipes, as they never seem to set. Can I simply add less dates, or perhaps add more oats to offset this?
Thanks!

Hi. I love the look of this granola recipe. However, can I just leave out the peanut butter and replace the dates with dark chocolate? Is there anything that I need to do to make it a acceptable change?

I have made these multiple times now with different variations to take on my hiking trips with friends. They always get great reviews. The most recent variation I tried was inspired by ginger snaps and they turned out delicious. Replace honey with molasses. Replace PB with cashew butter (homemade). Replace almonds with pecans. Add 1.5 tsp each cinnamon and ginger. Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips because chocolate. Totally delicious. So happy to have found a recipe that is so easy to make and doesn’t contain any oils or refined sugar!

These bars are the perfect healthy treat when you just can’t have ANOTHER piece of fruit. I made a few alterations: I did toast the coconut; I soaked the dates in boiled water for 15 minutes before draining and processing; replaced the almonds with 1/2 c raw cashews and 1/2 c unsweetened coconut. I used honey and peanut butter and added a bit of vanilla as well. They’re delicious, thank you! They’ll never make the freezer, though. :)

Great recipes!! So I tried these for the firat time last night and mine never quite set; I think i made them too moist. very tasty though! I will persevere…. and try making them again and again until they are right. but quick question – if they are too moist, would baking them for 10 mins help? (I know they are no bake lol but would it aid setting by drying them out a little?)

I loved making these! I improvised some additional ingredients, including sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, and more! It was super easy. Mine were a bit more gooey because I also added more maple syrup and pb. But, I loved it. So yummy and easy.

These are so great. I have been making them with the following modifications/additions: crunchy peanut butter, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, 1 tsp vanilla, and sometimes raisins. I’ve also sometimes used other nuts in combination with the almonds (together totaling a cup). If necessary, I’ve added a little more honey or peanut butter to the heated mix (or just more honey to the whole thing at the end) to make sure everything sticks. They’ve been a big hit… and one fan suggested adding marshmellows….. I’m intrigued. :) THANK YOU!

I love this recipe! I decided to add some seeds to this as they needed to be used :)

These are AWESOME! I made them vegan with the maple syrup, and used pre-sliced almonds because they are easier to work with. I also used crunchy peanut butter because that’s what I had. Otherwise, I followed just as it says. The date paste was a little bit of a workout to mix in, but it was worth it! And they make a fabulous grab and go breakfast! And so delicious!

I made these with prunes because I didn’t have dates on hand, and they came out well! I will say that be careful if you toast your oats because mine burned at 15 minutes. I threw in a second batch for 10 minutes which was just right in my oven. The toasted flavor of the oats and aroma in the kitchen is a nice added touch. Thanks for this versatile recipe, no need to buy store bought granola bars. =)

Can’t get enough of these. I always triple the recipe. So yummy. I add unsweetened coconut, flax seed, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and a small amount of vegan chocolate chips. Thanks for the great recipe.

I’ve been making these for the last year. Still love them! When I originally started making them I was unaware I was allergic to peanut butter, almonds and oats. (Had the symptoms didn’t know what was causing them.) Today I made them for the first time with quinoa flakes, sun butter and walnuts! They’re still amazing!!!

These granola bars are incredible! I was looking for something to replace store bought ones, which my 10 yr old son eats and then half an hour later is hungry again. I needed something healthier and more filling. These were so simple to make, delicious tasting and crunchy and one bar fills you up for hours. My whole family loves them. I replaced my usual two breakfasts (bowl of cereal, followed by toast a couple of hours later because the cereal isn’t filling), with just one of these bars. My son would ask for one the minute he came in from school – which is high praise indeed! About to make another batch…

Made these today and love them! To everybody that is leery of the dates, because ‘they don’t like dates’ – you need to try these without substitutions. We’re not the biggest date fans over here, and nonetheless, we loved ’em! You honestly can barely taste them.

I used almond butter and added around 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips to mine. Will definitely be making again!

Absolutely love these, and the brownie version. Made them twice now for my 5am starts (breakfast show producers get the worst hours!) and they keep me going til I can grab a coffee!

I’ve substituted every nut/date for something else at one point or another and they always turn out great.

I LOVE this recipe and have been making it for the last year. So easy and delicious every time. This recipe inspired my recent post on my own blog, focused on adapting a recipe when you just don’t have all the ingredients on hand. My newest batch, with some modifications, turned out delicious, too! Check out the post to see how you inspired me, Dana!

I made these when I went trekking and they were awesome!!! Perfect energy food when you need to pack efficiently & light. I re-named these to trekking bars. I did’t have almonds so I used pecans, sunflower seeds, & pepitas, tasted great! I also used normal cheap dates so to moisten them I blended them with around 1/4 cup of coconut oil. This also adds bonus calories & increases the longevity of the bars (no water for them to go mouldy). 10/5 stars!!!

Hi Dana

I get dates paste in my part of the world. Do you think I would still need 1 cup of dates? I cook by the book and don’t experiment at all. Hence the question.

Is the nutritional information for the lot or per bar?

Oh my goodness, this recipe is AMAZING!!! I added a SMALL handful of crushed peanut M&M’s (to make it seem more appealing to my four year old daughter), flaxseed, and a bit of Coconut Oil to help the mixture stick together a little better. It was AWESOME! She actually asked me if she could have some MORE! Thank you for the recipe!