Granola bars are an easy and convenient snack, perfect for busy days when you’re on the go. We’ve been making our own granola bars for years and love the control that we have over what goes inside them. Don’t get me wrong, I love a Kind bar but they are a little pricey and I can make something almost exactly like that at home. Here are some reasons why you should try your hand at making your own bars too!
1. Control Over Ingredients
When you make your own granola bars, you have full control over what goes into them. No more worrying about hidden sugars, artificial additives, or preservatives. You can choose organic oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, ensuring that every ingredient is high quality and nourishing. Whether you’re gluten free, vegan, or prefer whole, natural foods, the possibilities are endless. Plus, you can tailor the ingredients to suit your taste preferences—more chocolate chips, fewer nuts, or extra protein powder.
2. Customizable to Your Needs
Everyone has different dietary requirements or goals when it comes to snacks. Homemade granola bars allow you to customize your snack to meet your specific needs. Need a post workout snack? Add protein powder and nuts for muscle recovery. Want to boost your energy levels? Throw in some chia seeds or flaxseed for a healthy dose of omega-3s. You can even make bars low in sugar or high in fiber to keep your hunger at bay for longer.
3. Cost-Effective
Buying premade granola bars can get expensive, especially if you’re purchasing high-quality or organic brands. Making your own granola bars is an affordable alternative. With basic ingredients like oats, honey, and nuts, you can create a large batch that will last you the whole week, all at a fraction of the cost. Plus, many granola bar recipes use simple, everyday ingredients, which you might already have in your pantry.
Have I convinced you yet? Here is my go to granola bar recipe 🙂
Fruity Granola Bars
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup peanuts, chopped
- ¼ cup cashews, chopped
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 1 tablespoon flaxseeds, preferably golden
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 cup unsweetened whole-grain puffed cereal or Rice Crispies if you can’t find it
- ⅓ cup craisins or dried currants
- ¼ cup dried blueberries
- ⅓ cup chopped dried apricots
- ⅓ cup chopped golden raisins
- ¼ cup creamy cashew butter (or your favorite nut butter)
- ¼ cup turbinado sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish/pan with parchment or spray with cooking spray.
- Add your oats, nuts, fruit, seeds, and cereal to a large bowl. Toss to combine.
- Combine cashew butter, sugar, honey, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles lightly, 2 to 5 minutes. If it looks really thick add a splash or two of water. This is the glue that will hold your bars together!
- Immediately pour the cashew butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until no dry spots remain. Transfer to the prepared pan. Press the mixture down firmly to make an even layer.
- Bake until the bars look lightly toasted and the nuts are fragrant, about 10-15 minutes.
- Refrigerate until fully firm, about 30 minutes; cut into bars, we get about 10.
- Store in an airtight container, in your pantry or fridge.
Note: If you want to add protein powder, mix it in with your dry ingredients.
Switch up the dry ingredients but try to keep similar measurements, they still need to form bars.
There’s something incredibly satisfying about making your own food from scratch. When you go to grab your snack, you can think…I made this and it’s damn good. 🙂
Cheers!
