Healthy 5-Ingredient Granola Bars

LOVE it. Super easy, super tasty.
I used honey and organic peanut butter and majdoul dates, Mixed nuts.

Delicious and most importantly (to me at least), easy!!! I added dried cranberries, dark chocolate chunks, and chia seeds. Next time I plan on adding dried apricots and pistachios to the mix.

And the rating 5 stars!

Super easy. Dates are key!

I made these (used honey – didn’t roast the oats) and they’re sooooo good!!! Thanks! :D

I made these bars to ship to my aunt in California. I figured they would be something that would ship well. I subbed out some of the dates with dried apricots and I definitely recommend toasting the almonds and oats. They tasted amazing! Might have to make some for myself

i am trying it but not following the recipe.
i didn’t have dates on hand.
i used prunes and some old dry cranberry and muscats.
added cranberry wine to moisten dried fruit subs and some peanut oil to the almond butter because it was too dry.
i wasn’t paying attention to recipe and going by the last one in my head and put em in in oven for 10 min at 350 degrees.
im going to toss some choco chips on top when it is out of the oven so they melt over then chill.

cant wait to try em. thank you for the simplified recipe.

I absolutely love these little bars, cut them quite small add they’re super filling as well.

Omg these are soooo yummy!! Never met a minimalist baker recipe I didn’t like :) these were easy and quick to make. I definitely recommend toasted the almonds and oats because it gives the bars such an amazing flavor! I omitted the honey and 1.5’d the recipe to make a total of 15 bars. I subbed chia seeds to help get the texture right and keep them from crumbling. My only complaint is they turned out to be a little high calorie than the typical bar such as an Rx or kind bar, but they do seem to keep me full for a while!
My recipe:
* 1.5 c almonds
* 2.25 c rolled oats
* .5 c peanut butter
* 20 dates
* 2 T chia soaked in 3 T water for 5 min
* Additional 3 T water added to mix
Nutrition: 250 cal, 12 g fat, 34 g carbs, 8 G protein, 0 g added sugar, 20 g sugar from dates

Love this recipe! I have made it several times and also passed to family and friends. Easy and delicious

This is not my first time making these delicious bars. I’m making a double batch this morning because my daughter’s friends are requesting them again?. I’ve got the oats and almonds in the oven so I thought I’d take a moment to say THANK YOU again for sharing this easy wholesome recipe. It gives me pleasure to see my family grab these before work or the gym! P.s. I’ve tried it with figs too, and it works well, for those who don’t eat dates.

Love the recipe and how easy it was to put together! II used dried prune instead of dates, as i like the tartness and lower sugar level. Added shredded coconut and dried blueberry – gobbled up my first bar and had to resist eating more!
Will be sure to try other combis soon.

Did this recipe yesterday in a rush before picking up kids, it had just cooled enough by the time we came home. Warm weather had the chocolate chips melt in the recipe and gave an AMAZING results. So fast to make for such perfect result…Thank you!

Very pleased with this quick, easy no-bake recipe for healthy energy bars. My 10 year old loves them and has asked me to make them nut free so she can take them in her lunch!

Thanks :)

These are delicious.
They keep for a long time in the refrigerator.
They are so good.

Really good. Held together perfect. I added chia seeds and pressed mini chocolate chips into the top.

Easy to make and great tasting bars. Thanks!

Made these last week and I could not stop thinking about them!! They are so good and filling and delicious and sooooo easy to make
I added almonds, flax seeds, dairy-free dark chocolate and dried cranberries to mine. I can’t wait to try other variations :)
Thank you so much for this!!!

I love love love this recipe! 5Stars for sure. Super simple and packed with flavor, and nutrients. I have made it 3 times. Great snack to take on the go, to work, anywhere! I played around with other ingredients and also added flax, chia seeds, pistachios, 1/2 cup coconut, dried apricots, sunflower seeds, sea salt, tsp of vanilla, and I used sliced almonds instead of whole. BEST part!!! I roasted the oatmeal and sliced almonds (see step 2), takes it to a whole new level!!!!!

I found this recipe a few years ago and I make them all the time. I even make them in large batches and freeze them. Sometimes we toast the nuts, we always change up the dried fruit, sometimes we add protein powder. The variations are endless. Excellent recipe, thanks so much for sharing.

This recipe is great! I used about 10-12 pitted medjool dates and used hazelnuts and walnuts instead of almonds. I mixed almond butter with 1/2 honey and 1/2 maple syrup. I found it to be easier to keep everything in the food processor and mix it there. It all turned into a ball, which I pressed into a rectangular pyrex dish with parchment paper along the bottom and up the side to pull out the bars when done. I was wondering: could this also work with other dried fruit, like dried figs, apricots or peaches?

I just made this. Super yummy! Accidentally made with peanut butter instead of almond butter but that means I will have to make again.

These are one of the best things I’ve ever made!!!! I used raw almonds. raw sunflower seeds and pepitas and they turned out beyond perfect. Everyone now asks me to make these for them. Thank you so much for the recipe. ?

Eating these right now and currently in love !! I melted some dark chocolate i had lying around and drizzled it on top, sprinkled a little sea salt. Oh my Lord.

So simple and satisfying! I loved that I had the ingredients on hand!

I made these bars today and let me just say, WOW! Glad I doubled the recipe! I used a 9×13 pan and they came out perfectly. These are so tasty that I am having trouble staying out of them. Made them for the kids school lunches and snacks. I will definitely be using this recipe again with some added dried fruits or chocolate chips. Love how easy it will be to make a variety of flavors with it.
Thanks so much for this recipe!

I made these this morning and they are so good. I later looked at the nutritional values. I’m assuming the higher sugar content is due to the dates? A natural sugar. And I think I will add chia seeds next time I make them. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

OK – I am not the handiest or most adventurous in the kitchen. But my 3 athletic kids have been plowing through high-end protein bars. It was expensive at $8 per box of 4 RX bars and they still had additives I wasn’t crazy about, and a texture my kids didn’t love. So I tried these and they are simply AWESOME! Easy to make, minimal ingredients, and the kids love them. Everyone gets one a day before their practice, and they really do sustain them before dinner. I am now making them twice a week, but hey – its a lot cheaper! Thank you – game changer for us!

This is one of our favorite treats- ditch the store bought bars and make these! So adaptable. The add ins are endless and are sure to satisfy any flavor craving! We just made a batch with hemp seeds, coconut flakes, walnuts, and cocao nibs. Always amazing and keep so well in the fridge. I saw the comment about subbing the dates for figs- I wish I had thought of that! Looking forward to trying that next time :) thank you for inspiring us to get in the kitchen!

I seriously love this recipe. It is my favorite kind of wonderful – easy, adaptable, and delicious! I’ve been making it for what seems like forever, but it can’t be that long… we haven’t had the internet forever.

I have tried it with almond, sunflower, and peanut butter – all fabulous. I have changed up the nuts, added sunflower, pumpkin, chia, and sesame seeds (always toasted with the oats), all manner of dried fruit – raisins, craisins, currants, whatever is in the pantry, mini chips… seriously anything goes. I just keep the ratios the same, so it will hold together.

My only (always) sub is figs – I trade out some, or all of the dates for dried figs. I just prefer the taste and sweetness. I can’t take a lot of sweet and figs seem to take the sweetness down a notch, without sacrificing the sticky factor. I almost always use honey, and not as much as called for – just enough to hold everything together – it’s that sweet thing again.

Seriously, thank you for a forever-favorite recipe! I have shared it often and will love it always!

Used this recipe for a work buffet with a healthy theme and they went down a storm!
The recipe was quick and easy to follow and I will definitely be making it again.

I made these today and will never purchase granola bars again. The recipe was simple and delicious. Thank you!

Super simple recipe delivers truly satisfying granola bars. I cut the sweet stuff (honey) by 2 thirds as I found them a little sweet, but just excellent

I have made this recipe several times now and I always have problems with it being crumbly and falling apart when I cut it. I follow the recipe exactly, and keep it in the fridge overnight before cutting. But, it still ends up a crumbly mess. It just doesn’t seem like 1/4 cup of pb and 1/4 cup of honey is enough to hold it together.

Too much sweet

I made these tonight with my husband and they are ssssoooo good! This was my first time trying dates and they are delicious. My bars didn’t cut quite as pretty as the pictures so I’m thinking I added too many oats but they still taste amazing! I’m so glad I found this recipe because store bought granola bars have wayyyy too much sugar. Thank you! :)

Yummy! Perfect snack / treat I take them to golf to keep me going.

I made this recipe to add a healthy snack to my busy workday eating routine. It is excellent! Very simple ingredients but produce an amazing flavored bar. I was worried that the dates would make it taste too much like a Lara Bar, but it was far from that and much more delicious. A few recipe notes, I modified it by adding chocolate chips which melted nicely after adding the heated honey and substituted almond butter for peanut butter, toasted oats, flax and chia seeds, along with cacao nibs for some crunch, and ended up pulsing the dough back in the food processor to make the consistency more smooth. I highly recommend this recipe!

Just made these this aft and my son (he’s 21) and I love them!

I didn’t bother with roasting the oats or almonds – I was aiming for super simple (aka lazy). I kept the almond pieces nice & big (love the crunch) and added some sliced ones I had on hand too.

I used unsweetened almond butter (a little more than called for) and maple syrup. After a largely failed attempt to process the dates, I tossed those in the pan too (… with the odd bit of oats because I’d tossed the mangled dates in the bowl with them before deciding to heat the dates up). That made it much easier to mix all the ingredients together!

I happened to have some flax seed, chia and currants so I added roughly a couple tablespoons of each.

I used an 8×11 pan and cut them into smaller bars so I can decide if I want just one bite … or 6.

Super little recipe! Easy and quick! The second time I made them I opted to add the processed dates to the heated maple syrup and cashew butter, it was easier to combine. Chopped pistachios and almonds (because I only had a 1/4 cup of almonds in the pantry) and added a 1/4 cup of coconut because people around here love coconut. Thanks for the inspiration!

This recipe become my life time favorite. I was making this granola bars many times, adding once in a while extra ingredients, like other dries fruits, dark dairy free chocolate chips (good with dried cherries), chia seeds. Made them for my older daughter to take to college with her for quick snacks, for several people whom I just wanted to thank for something they did for me, and everybody just looooved them.
I usually don’t write comments, but this time I feel really obliged to thank you for this awesome recipe, and for your website generally, I use your ideas very often. Grillable veggie burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, key lime pie – so yummy, and don’t require complicated ingredients.

These are delicious and have been a big hit with everyone. Worst thing about them is that you want to eat too many. I have not actually been able to make them with dates yet, but have made them with prunes (once) and apricots (twice) and added some chia seeds. Dangerous!

I made these yesterday and they’re perfect! I used agave nectar for the sweetener and added cranberries, sunflower seeds, and coconut flakes. This recipe is great and so easy! It feels good to include these in my husband’s lunch instead if the store bought bars. My daughter and her boyfriend loved them. Looks like I’ll be making them again very soon. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

Oh my gosh these are so good! I made them to get rid of some really creepy old dates and I’m about to make my second batch with all new dates because they were that good! I roasted the almonds and oats but coarsely chopped half the almonds for some texture variation. I also added some mini dark chocolate chips and dried berries, so so yum!

I just had to make these today!
Ended up with less than a cup of almonds from the pantry, so filled it up with pistachio nuts I had (far too lazy to go to the store for a few nuts).
The slight burst of salty pistachio is a lovely “break” from the sweet bar. Will definitely add a bit of sea salt to the next batch ( Lindt’s Sea Salt Chocolate anyone? ;) )
I can’t eat peanut butter, so used cashew nut butter instead. Came out amazing!
These will become staples in our home now!

I have loved these bars for years. I have a major sweet tooth, so when I’m working on eating healthier, I bring this recipe back out. I have shared it with friends and family, and they are always well received. I make the recipe exactly as written (I go by metric, not US measurements), but for the sake my little ones, I use sliced almonds rather than chopped. They seem to be able to chew them up better. My kids love them and are always asking if I can make them more “chocolate” bars, and I refuse to tell them that there is no chocolate in them ?
Recently I discovered that I have an intolerance to refined sugars (honey and maple syrup are about the only sweeteners I can ingest without crippling stomach pain). For months I’ve been struggling with the idea of saying goodbye to candy and desserts. Three weeks ago I finally accepted it and eliminated refined sugars from my diet. Today I felt an almost desperate need for a candy bar. I grabbed my wallet to go to the nearest convenience store to subdue the craving, when I remembered these granola bars, my kids favorite “chocolate” bar. The hope of “indulging” without the consequences of stomach pains changed my plans. Instead of going to the convenience store, I drove to the grocery store to buy a few supplies. I came home, whipped these up and took a bite! So good! But to my surprise, it was a bit sweet for the taste buds. I guess I’ve adjusted a bit to my new, sugar-free lifestyle. ? I will definitely continue making these (but maybe with a bit less honey) and keeping them on hand for when another candy craving overtakes me! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!

Hi
Nice snack found them dry though think one cup of oats is ample will try with less next time may add bit more of the honey peanut Butter mix

I did not add the dates. I toasted the oats coconut,pumpkin & Chia seeds. For the binder I used ground hazelnut butter instead of peanutbutter. I doubled the honey & hazelnut butter to make up for lack of binder from the dates. This was a huge hit for the whole family. They especially loved the light crunch from the chia seeds & soft dense texture of the bar. Will be making more & experimenting more ingredients combos very soon.

Hardly knew what a date was and had definitely never cooked with them but wow. I followed the directions almost exactly except I used 2 tbsp pure maple syrup and 2 tbsp honey because I couldn’t choose. I added 1/3 cup chocolate chips. I’m shocked how much flavor these have and definitely don’t regret roasting oats and almonds first! Thank you! These will be made again and packed with us on our family vacation this weekend!

Delicious!!!

I made these for Mother’s Day last year using dried apricots instead of dates, and they were so good! It started my mom on a homemade granola bar kick!

We loved it. My daughter can’t stop talking about how delectable it is how easy, and how she wants to make it again.

One of my go-to recipes! When it comes to snacking, this is one healthy classic! I reduce the maple syrup by half (dates are sweet enough for me!) and it’s perfect every time <3 Thank you so much for creating this recipe!

Have tried many homemade granola bar recipes, and this is the one we keep coming back to! Thanks for the great recipe!

I came across this recipe and instantly knew I had to try because it sounded delicious, nutritious and easy to make. I split the recipe in half to make two batches so I could add different ingredients. I also used loaf pans because I knew I would be using smaller amounts. I used this recipe as a guideline and inspiration. Followed exact ingredients for oats and almonds, roasted them, and used exact measurements (1/4cup for liquid ingredients). I added a couple spoon fulls of chia seeds, almond flour, flax seeds and wheat germ. Divided into two bowls. Added maple syrup, honey, dried cranberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries to first batch. Added honey, peanut butter, and bananas into second batch. Spooned mixtures into loaf pans, patted down with spoon and spatula and froze. They look and smell delicious, I can’t wait to try them and share with family and friends. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us.

So delicious!! Our family has gone gluten and dairy free and these are an excellent snack for the kids! They are sweet enough to feel like a treat, super healthy and filling!! I even eat a bar before a run!! Perfect for energy!! Thank you for creating such a stellar recipe!!

i made these this morning . i burnt my almonds toasting them so i used pecans. i had a little issue with them sticking so i added a touch of water. they are amazing i also added currants next time i will follow the recipe and add mini dairy free chocolate chips.. thank you so much a grab and go breakfast or snack

Wanted to keep the sugar as low as possible and actually didn’t have maple syrup or honey equivalent (have type 1 diabetes so these are rare in our house) so made these without and added more dates and some prunes for the base. Ended up working well so I made a few batches! Used a few variations of extras, including chia seeds, dried cranberries/goji berries and choc protein powder, so yum! Kids and hubby were pinching them before I even had them wrapped ? Thanks!

My husband and I FREAKING love these granola bars. I used your recipe as a template, since I didn’t have almonds at the time. And, I added some Trader Joe’s pumpkin pie spice, because I’m feeling the Fall flavors. I can’t wait to make more when this batch runs out! Thank you!

These bars are delicious and easy to make. I started looking for a recipe for granola bars because the store-bought ones are expensive and many of them have “natural flavors.” Those flavors may be natural, but if we really knew what they were, we probably wouldn’t choose to eat them. I love this recipe because it’s made with real food and it’s simple. I was worried about the dates as I only have a mini-food processor, but they were easy to handle. I make a pan and then pop it in the freezer for a couple of hours. Then I cut them into bars, wrap them in parchment paper and store them in the freezer. A great snack to take on-the-go!

I doubled the recipe and the only tricky part was mixing it all together. The biggest bowl you have is the way to go! Delicious. I pressed it into a cookie sheet using a rolling pin and then popped it in the freezer for the few minutes to firm up.. That worked very well. This is for a classroom of students and I like that the bars are sweet but not too sweet.

I love this recipe! I make a batch and pack a bar for my son’s school lunches. I of course snag some for myself. I added toasted coconut (shredded) and substitute pecans and walnuts. Just finished another batch for the week! Thanks!

This recipe is so simple, but an absolute winner!
Since medjoul dates are quite pricey in my neighbourhood, and I wanted a bar without peanuts, I did my second batch with soft prunes and cashew butter instead. And it worked wonderfully too. For those who find the original recipe too sweet, go for prunes! Also, I added the maple syrup to the chopped prunes, which really helped my hand-held blender turn those prunes into a dough. Then I stirred in the cashew butter. So no need to heat the wet ingredients before adding them to the dry ones. And I ground the toasted almonds, which ultimately gives you bars with a fine, soft texture. Awesome! To roll out and flatten the combined ingredients, I, simply placed the mixture between 2 sheets of parchment paper, then used a rolling pin to flatten it. Once set, the paper was easy to remove, and the bars very easy to cut. I set the mixture in the freezer for some hours, then defrosted overnight, and cut them the next morning. Now they’re in an air-tight container in my snacks cupboard. Will be eaten up in the next week or so!

These are amazing! They’re healthy and filling and taste great!! I now use Lyle’s golden syrup instead of the maple syrup or honey, and I find they hold together even better. Thanks for a great recipe!

I really love the consistency of these bars. The dough is easy to work with and shape. The flavor is okay. I’m not sure that my kids will like them as much as I hoped they would. I added dark chocolate chips and used maple syrup instead of honey. Although I cook fairly clean, I still have to find “treats” that taste very close to non clean foods for my kids to eat them. And these bars taste pretty raw (which I get they mostly are) I wonder if toasting the oats would get that raw flavor out? If my kids end up liking them I will come back and edit my comment :-).

Made the second batch of these today with almonds and tart Montmorency cherries — they are fantastic. Last batch included dried apples and walnuts and just as delicious. I use the large Medjool dates which are more pliable to utilize in the food processor. I also use toasted gluten free oats and almond butter from the farmer’s market that contains no extra additives as well as maple syrup.

Wonderful recipe, thank you so much!
I modified only a few things for food allergies, using crunchy almond butter and maple syrup (I added vanilla to this part), then toasted the oats, chopped (pre-roasted & salted) almonds and added flaked coconut and toasted it all together at 325 for 10 minutes, tossing in the middle. This flavor turned out lovely. The dates I had were whole & dried so I had to de-seed them and I had almost two cups of dried, non-packed dates afterwards, which I processed until it was a ball as you described. I added a small handful of mini-enjoy-life chocolate chips to the dates which melted nicely when I added the toasted oats, almonds and coconut, giving a darker color and a hint of chocolate. I used a pastry cutter to cut in the date/oat mixture which worked much better then a spoon or fork. After, drizzled the melted almond butter-maple-vanilla mixture & mixed, and after packing down & freezing briefly these turned out TO DIE FOR!
Great recipe! I can’t wait to mix up the ingredients, thanks again! I am having to fight my family off of them.