Healthy 5-Ingredient Granola Bars

Just made this tonight. Toasted the almonds & oatmeal & added dried cranberries- and I used Sukrin instead of honey. Wasn’t sure how it would work, but it was delicious!!!

I made these yesturday they were so quick and easy to make and they are simply delicious! I choped the almonds up a little more so it’s easier for my toddlers to eat them, and they love them too, so a big win in our house!

I just made Alton Brown’s seedy date bars, but I’ll be going back to these. Much less fussy, less expensive, and very satisfying. These are a great grab-and-go snack; I actually look forward to eating these. I like to pulse the toasted nuts and oats, set those aside, and then blend the dates. These are really versatile, and you can easily sub what you have on hand. I like to use walnuts and toss in some cinnamon and ground ginger. These will have a regular presence in my freezer. Thanks for sharing (and for including weight measures on your recipes)!

Yummy! Love them, thanks for this. They are so easy to make and taste ssooo good. I will keep this recipe for ever. Thanks. Got any more ideas, I wouldn’t mind hearing about it. When i want chocolate I just add chocolate chips. They are good either way!

I made these and they were great. I used cashews instead of almonds and honey instead of maple syrup. I put the roasted oats and cashews into the food processor with the dates to give the bars a smoother, softer texture. I used the microwave instead of the stove to combine the PB and honey. The bars turned out to be delicious! Thanks!

I really like these to go with my homemade fruit and Greek yogurt smoothies that are not super huge. Or a snack. A great recipe!

I added dried skim milk to mine to make it bind better, and sprinkled and pressed some sesame seeds onto the tops to make them less sticky.

If you make it with everything raw like I do, this recipe is more like a muesli protein bar than a granola bar.

I made these for my oldest daughter who is in the process of having her thyroid problems diagnosed. She requested energy/snack/granola bars that were gluten free.

Because we live in a very rural area, I had to order some things online and wait for them to come in, after I did some research online, too.

I used both my food processor for the figs and prunes, and my blender to chop the almonds.

I toasted the almonds and oatmeal in the oven.

I substituted dried figs and prunes for the dates and they turned out very well! Of course, we had to test them before sending to my daughter. Will definitely make them again and may try some of the add-ins just to change them up. I think I might try baking them a bit next time. (She lives 300 miles away. I have to mail stuff to her. Thank goodness for Priority Mail!)

Wow these are great! Have been trying to find healthy and less expensive substitute for Kashi trail mix bars. I did add some dried cranberries and apricots. Thank you sooo much!!

Just wanted to say, thank you very much for posting this recipe. I just can’t get enough of them! They are a bit of a bicep workout to get together, but the flavour is worth it lol. I’m going to try and experiment with other add-ins in hopes that I might be able to make a nut-free version for school lunches, but in the meantime it’s a great bar for the whole family outside of school :)

Love this recipe, such a great, simple alternative to sugar-loaded supermarket bars.

I make a double batch every couple of weeks and change up the mix ins to combinations of different nuts and seeds, coconut flakes, chia seeds and dark chocolate but they always turn out great!

The whole family love these bars. The first time I made them i didn’t have any dates so used prunes which every body loved but then tried dates and they are even better. I have to make at least two batches a week.

I made these yesterday. I had no issues with it being crumbly but found it easier to press down in the pan once it had chilled in the fridge for about 20 mins.
I kept to the recipe except for adding a pinch of sea salt and some vanilla. I drizzled 7O% chocolate over the top.
It is REALLY good! Thanks ?

Definitely 5 star recipe.

Delicious. Though must confess I slightly altered the method.
I used a piece of baking parchment to press down by hand without sticking.
Then baked for 12 minutes.
I also used mixed nuts instead of almonds. Thankyou for such an easy delicious recipe . I will take them on my travels for when nothing gluten free is available.

I made these without dates since my family and I prefer a chewy bar anyway, and they were perfect!

Pretty damn good recipe. I added dark chocolate chips to this and coffee extract. So good. Let’s do more recipes with coffee. Flavored coffee drinks, food and desserts. There’s a niche there ;)

Hello ! thank you very much for this recipe, i tried it yesterday and it is simply awesome! I added pecan nuts and raisins to the orgininal recipe, and tried with agave nectar too.

I just found them very soft, even after freezing for 30 mn, i don’t know if it should be like this ?

Anyway thank you for this super easy and tasty recipe !

Ah those are just amazing, plus it’s so versatile! I looked at this recipe for plain guidance in terms of how to go about making granola bars, in terms of do I add oil, do I cook them etc, and it was exactly what I was looking for! I used sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, almond flour and chia seeds as my base. I also added some buckwheat flakes (full of fiber and SO healthy for you!), peanut butter and agave nectar. Basically I put it all except the PB and agave into the oven at 200 C (390 F) for like 5 minutes or so, then mixed in the peanut butter and agave, pressed it into a pan and off to the fridge it was! I love that you can pretty much use anything you’d like, and this is definitely a staple for me on the road to becoming vegan (currently vegetarian ^^ cutting out eggs and dairy after watching What The Health). It was also my first experience with agave nectar instead of sugar and honestly, it tastes so much better :)

I only had slivered almonds and not enough, so I added walnuts and some cinnamon. These are simple, easy and delicious. I will definitely make again.

I have made these quite a few times and every one that has tried them loved them. I do them with honey and sliced blanched almonds. I do toast the almonds and oats and everything else just like the recipe. They come out perfect every time. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe.

Delicious! Just a little too sweet for my liking :) But would definitely make it again with a bit less honey/maple! I also added some dessicated coconut ;)

Best and easiest bar recipe I’ve found for myself and my kids! (And I’ve tried a LOT of bar recipes!!)

These turned out beautifully for me. I added a little extra peanut butter and honey to the mixture , then spread melted dairy free chocolate on top after the bars were pressed into the pan. Everything held together perfectly. So much better than store-bought. It will definitely be adding these to the monthly repertoire. Thanks!

Great base recipe! I made the first batch exactly as stated, delicious. Then I played around with it…one batch I swapped the almonds for cashews, PB for almond butter and added dehydrated blueberries. Yum! Another I did half dates/half dehydrated strawberries for the base, swapped the PB for almond butter and drizzled those in chocolate. Another winner.

I made these bars because my Dad felt like he needed something between lunch and his evening workout. And these bars have done the trick! Although they aren’t just being used for their original purpose, we are eating them at all hours of the day. Quick breakfast bite, on the go post workout snack, or snagging single bites then putting it back in the fridge (sister… and me, at least we are showing some control right?!). I would definitely recommend roasting the oats and almonds it truly does take the bars to the next level! These bars are SO delicious they have been requested for the 3rd week in a row in my house, and my boyfriend asked for his own container. Thank you Dana!!!

Excellent granola bars. Super!!! Thank you. I added roasted buckwheat and added cocoa butter to help it stick together. I enjoyed them so much. I did not succeed with the baked version. It turned into granola. I would like a tip on that. Thanks again.

Delicious recipe. I substituted whole pumpkin seeds for half the almonds and molasses for half the honey. (The only plant products I know of that have B12 are molasses and seaweed.) Ashley, I wish I had seen your comment with the coconut. Next time.

Amazing! I used raisins instead of dates, and almond butter instead of peanut butter, since I had those on hand. They were quick and easy to make, and best of all: hubby and kid approved!

This recipe is easy, delicious and makes the best breakfast bars. I eat one of these and it holds me for a good three hours. I did add 1/2 C chopped chocolate chips, a little more peanut butter (1/3 C) and subbed whole grain cereal for the almonds because I didn’t have any. These would be awesome with almonds – I just used what I had in the pantry and they turned out great! No bake and delicious!! Thanks so much for this recipe!

Thank you for this great recipe! I’ve made it several times now substituting or adding ingredients here and there. Today I used Nutella instead of peanut butter, added unsweetened coconut flakes and topped with mini chocolate chips (well, that’s every time ? ).
I always use my Ninja blender smoothie cup to make the date purée and then add it to the liquid ingredients to “melt” them altogether. Perfect! Thanks again!

I made these tonight and they are SOOOO GOOD! Thank you for this recipe. I’ve been having trouble finding a healthy snack bar to put in my daughter’s school lunch. I’ve tried several recipes and she didn’t like any of them. I gave her one of these tonight and she loved it and asked for a 2nd one! They are yummy and easy to make.

Awesome recipe…But one problem is there…My refrigerator will break soon… Opening it so many times to eat these little devils.

Hi Dana, I love these bars and make them often as portable breakfast on work days. At least 5 friends have taken the recipe!
Do you think pear concentrate would be a good substitute for the honey?

Part of my weekly routine, thank you for the fantastic recipe!!!!

I love these granola bars. They are super easy and healthy. I could not recommend them more

I made these bars exactly to the recipe using maple syrup and oven roasting the almonds and oats for a potluck. First the flavor was great and I was asked over and over for the recipe which being so simple I could recite easily. I put them in the freezer for about an hr and then the fridge overnight to set them, this worked pretty well. At the potluck I had left some on a napkin in my front seat since they wouldn’t all fit into my container, I made a double batch, and when I came back out to my car after about 5 hrs they had dried a little bit and could now much more easily be handled. So I think after they are made do not store them in the fridge or freezer but on the counter to let air dry and stay firmer.

This 5-ingredient granola bar was delicious! I was somewhat apprehensive at first to try it because I’m not a granola (or peanut butter) fan at all, but I was looking for a healthier alternative for my kids. So, hesitantly I gave it a try (expecting an unpleasant outcome)…but I am quite impressed at how everything came together with only 5 ingredients. The best is that there is a sweetness to it without any added sugar! Plus, it was easy-peasy to make! My kids love it, I love it, and my husband (who is a salty chips kinda guy) loves it too! Thanks for this incredible recipe!

These are SO freakin’ good!
I made them the other day and can’t stop eating them. I actually think the flavor and texture improves after being in the fridge for a day or two. I will definitely make these often. Thank you for sharing your recipes!

These bars are totally delicious. Made them a few weeks ago and put them in the freezer for easy snacking. Well, I ran out and was desperate for some more yesterday. My dates were a little dry so I soaked them in water before putting them into my magic bullet. For anyone doing that, MAKE. SURE. TO. DRAIN. DATES. WELL!!!!!
My bars looked ok but when I tried one, it was too wet :(
They taste not too bad so I’m trying to eat them still but I don’t want anyone else to have such a painful experience when these granola bars are super amazing!
You have been warned. You’re welcome.

Mmmmmm so good! I really loved these bars. I used sunflower butter and honey, which was da bomb. I also couldn’t seem to mix my “date dough” and ingredients, so I blended it all together and it was SO GOOD. Next time I would add the almonds (or other nuts/seeds) in at the end so the bars look like the pictures above. If you make the bars, they are kinda like a crossover of a Larabar and a KIND bar which is amazing BTW). :)

Wonderful granola bars! All my friends want the recipe! Just one thing – the recipe takes soooooo long to open on my tablet. Maybe a few less of the gorgeous photos?!

Thanks for the recipe! These bars are great!! I made them to have as a post-swim snack when I get sooo hungry.
I don’t have a food processor but I cut all the dates up by hand and mixed by hand extra vigorously and it still turned into a nice smooshy mixture. Also, just because I was a bit lazy, I didn’t heat the agave or peanut butter and again just mixed them straight in. It all worked out good!

Yum! I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfect! Toasting is definitely the way to go. So excited to try more add ins on these, I think some sesame seeds would be good too.

These were amazingly delicious and pretty easy to make. They taste so much better than any granola bars you would buy in the store (and healthier too!). I make my own peanut butter with my food processor that I used in this recipe. I forgot how good the combination of honey and peanut butter is! I pulsed my almonds a couple times in the food processor so I wouldn’t have to hand chop them. This recipe does create a lot of dirty dishes but it’s worth it. It also makes quite a few bars so it should last me a while. Thanks!

I tried making these bars for the first time 3 weeks ago and it turned out so delicious, this has become our go to snack, dessert, breakfast?. I have been making these every week ever since I discovered this recipe.
Love love love this recipe~ Thanks a million??

OH. MY. GOODNESS. I must confess that I started making these and realized I only had a few tablespoons of honey and no agave or maple. Even though I upped the peanut butter, my result was more of a granola than a granola bar. But boy oh boy is it addicting stuff! I have never been a huge granola person, but this will become a staple in my cupboard/freezer!

PS: This was my first time working with dates, and the tip to add oats to the food processor was very helpful.

I’ve made these the last 2 weeks they are great! My family love them. I’m currently in the stages of starting my own blog, its a diary of the things I cook at home and the recipes that I use. Todays entry is about these granola bars, I’m adding a link to your recipe. I just added a little more peanut butter and a little more maple syrup and they came out perfectly! Love your website.

This recipe is fantastic just as is. Of course I experimented a little after making a couple batches exactly per recipe. I did toast oatmeal. This is my method for getting my husband to get a little fruit and some good fiber every day. I make him take one with his lunch to have a snack later in the day. I am so happy he has promised me not to use the vending machines at work.

I made a batch for two friends with rave reviews too.

Tried again, with dates this time. They made all the difference – they are so wonderful and i’m so proud of myself haha thank you for sharing! Also added some cranberries and dark choco chunks. yummm :)

These are really good! I had a couple issues with mine, namely that processing the dates actually killed my food processor. I’m guessing through a combo of too many dates at once and a cheap food processor. So I had to cut the dates by hand, and that may have been one of the reasons the bars at the end didn’t really stick together. But silver lining: I now have really good granola! I added cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to the peanutbutter part, and it was super tasty. Reading through the comments had been really helpful too, so I’ll probably take some of the advice here when I try again. Thanks for the recipe Dana, I can always count on your blog of vegan recipes that are easy and dont use exotic, hard-to-find ingredients.

I am so glad I found this non-bake recipe. Baked granola bars need more liquid sweetener to hold together and mine never cut nicely into bars. As I didn’t have an 8×8″ pan (rather 10×12″) I added another cup of oats, 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds, another 1/4 cup (well, a bit more poured out) PB, and chopped raisins. Also added 1/2 cup ground flaxseed. Skipped the extra agave. These are fabulous and versatile. I didn’t have luck adding oats when processing the dates – still had to be chopped by hand. I toasted the nuts and seeds in a pan and warmed the PB and agave in the microwave. Maybe I’ll try soaking and/or warming the dates as others have suggested. They will chop more easily if very cold too. And as we have dates galore here (Israel) these bars will be a staple in our household. Thank you SO much Dana.

Forgot about the dates at the grocery store. Added an extra large dollop of heated pb and maple syrup to make a drizzle over the top to try to make up for the sticking. Also added some granola and stuck in the freezer. Still rather crumbly, though. Either way, Delish!

Fantastic! Added a little coconut oil to the warm peanut butter/honey mixture. Toasted the nuts and oats. Added golden raisins, a few pecans…a little vanilla and almond extract. A little dark chocolate, which melted in the hot roasted oat nut mixture (also helped hold bars together). Added a dash of kosher salt. These are beyond fabulous. And hubby loves em! We’re not vegan, GF or anything else, just looking for healthier alternatives. Thanks for a great, very customizable recipe!

I used my mini food processor because it seemed silly to pull out the big Cuisinart for 1 cup of food. But next time, I will! The little motor did not like the dates. And they were so sticky that they pulled the blade up and it just stopped working.
I used chunky (natural) peanut butter, because that’s what I had, and honey.
I ended up mixing with my hands, because there’s no way the dates were going to break up and disperse evenly with a spoon.
The end result seemed sticky, but dry. But sticky. If that makes any sense! The mix is tasty, and I have high hopes that they will solidify nicely.
Next time I might try figs instead of dates, just because I like figs.

I bought granola bars that are all natural and vegan when there was a sale at the grocery store. My husband fell in love with them. The sale ended, and I am way too cheap to spend $5 on a small box of granola bars, so I decided to give this recipe a try. The texture is great. There is lots of flavour. I added a few chocolate chips. These are husband approved!

Excellent! Didn’t modify at all! Used honey. Great snack for high intensity workouts! Can’t wait to see how they will hold up in hot weather outside!

Best recipe ever! I’ve made them with and without toasting the oatmeal and almonds, toasting definitely improves the flavor. The last batch, I soaked the dates in very hot water for about 10 minutes. It plumped them up nicely and made them much easier to chop and make into a paste without using a food processor. I’ve added coconut, flaxseed meal, swapped muesli for the oatmeal. The recipe is very versatile. A solid 5 stars.

I saw granola recipe an hour back.it sounded so easy, yummy n crunchy that decided to make it.very easy n came out well.I have loved the taste n munching. Have even finished quarter of it n my hubby is yet to come.
Thank you so much for simple and nutritious recipe.

Three times a charm! Increase the following for total amounts: dates 1-1/3c, agave 1/3c, peanut butter 1/3c; process dates 1/3c at a time with a sprinkle of oats each time so they don’t ball up (either food processor, vitamix or knife); toast oats & almonds 300F for 10-12 minutes; use a large glass bowl place dates across bottom wait until toasted oats & almonds are finished & agave & peanut butter are softened (not boiled & don’t let cool down) – place oat/almond mixture top of dates – evenly place agave/peanut butter mixture top of oat/almonds – use wooden spatula to slice & mix completely through mixture – use parchment paper for a 8×8 square glass pan – place & press (must press) the mixture into the pan – if you have a silicone mat use that to press your mixture if not use another piece of parchment paper – if you don’t want your chocolate chips (1/4c) to melt, wait until mixture is mostly pressed into pan then place & press them afterward using silicone mat or parchment paper – cover mixture with cling wrap & place in refrigerator for 2 hours.

I make these for my daughter’s volleyball tournaments – we try to keep the food and snacks healthy so they can have energy all day. These are just perfect for a long day.

Michelle

SOOOOO delicious! It’s a such a treat to eat these! I have been making these for awhile now and don’t know why I waited to leave a comment until now! This recipe is very easy to sub various nuts, seeds, and fruit. Can get enough of them!

Thank you so much for this great recipe. I decided yesterday that I was cutting out store bought protein bars and then I found your site and this recipe. I made it with toasted pecans and steel cut oats and it is awesome. I only hope that I don’t gain weight from it:) I am a world record holder in wide grip pull-ups and I think this will be perfect fuel before my long training sessions.

I have just made them. They are amazing. Instead the whole portion of honey I opted for half honey, half coconut oil. It’s the most wonderful thing :)

Beautiful, I just put mine in the freezer can’t wait. I used cashews/almonds and some pumpkin seeds, coconut, cranberries and a bit of sea salt flakes. I also added a teaspoon of coconut oil to the nut/honey mixture to loosen it a bit. Off to look at the rest of your site. Thank you so much ????

These are absolutely delicious and so quick and easy to make. I used brown rice syrup in place of the sweetner and my bars stayed together perfectly. I made them to take on a road trip and they kept their shape, stayed fresh and never got gooey even in a warm car. These are in high demand at my house now!

i just made and put them in a fridge. i tasted the dough a bit. oh yummy! crunch and sweet! they will be really good snacks and a quick meal. thanks!!

Delicious! I made the mistake, though, of putting the chocolate chips in too soon. The almond butter and honey hadn’t cooled enough and I ended up with melted chocolate chips mixed in, giving the granola bars a distinctly chocolate taste. They were good, but the next time I’ll wait to put the chocolate chips so that I get a chocolate treat in some bites and not just the chocolate flavour. I also added toasted sesame seeds and I used cinnamon honey. Very delicious.

Finally an oat bar that not only tastes great but was firm. I made the basic recipe and added my own extras ( craisins and cacao nibs) and for decadence drizzled home made chocolate over the top. Delicious.

Thank you so much for this recipe. I have an 8 year old niece with a lot of diet restrictions and I’ve made her these granola bars three times now. She LOVES them! They come together easily and it’s nice to be able to make them together. Sometimes I’ll melt some dark chocolate and drizzle it on top before freezing. She gobbles them up either way. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I have made this recipe over and over and just love it. I cut the bars to about a 2×2 square and have it with my cuppa joe in the morning. My spin is using half & half peanuts and almonds. I also prefer toasting the rolled oats and the nuts. These bars really take me, who is lookin’ for a bite to eat every hour of the day, from morning to afternoon without snacking.

I tried this recipe and the taste was great, however, it couldn’t keep together. I had to add more melted peanut butter and honey. Please tell me where I went wrong.

Thank you

Marie

This is the second time I made these granola bars and my oh my are they so yummy! They are very easy to make and fun to add your own spin on ingredients. I added coconut flakes, flax seed, chia seeds and goji berries! Next time I think chocolate chips are a must. Thanks!