These delicious granola bars are made with rolled oats, almonds and honey for a perfect breakfast on-the-go or easy snack. They’re super easy to make and gluten-free too!
Meet your new favorite granola bars. They’re naturally sweetened with honey, naturally gluten-free, easy to throw together and they store wonderfully well in the fridge or the freezer. What’s not to love?
They’re perfect for on-the-go breakfasts and snacks and it’s very satisfying to make a batch of these and know that your breakfasts and/or snacks for the week ahead are covered.
For more delicious breakfast-on-the-go recipes check out our chocolate chip muffins and banana muffins.
What you need for this recipe
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Rolled oats – also known as old fashioned oats, provide the chewiness in these granola bars. Don’t substitute this for instant oats as they will not work nearly so well. Make sure to buy certified gluten free rolled oats if you want this entirely gluten-free.
- Raw almonds can be switched for a different kind of nut such as hazelnuts, brazil nuts, pecans, cashews etc as you like.
- Honey works extremely well in this recipe as it is very sticky so works with the other ingredients for the bars to set. Brown rice syrup will also work. Maple syrup works but it’s not sticky at all, so the bars are more crumbly and don’t hold together as well.
- Dried cranberries can be swapped out for any dried fruit.
How To Make Granola Bars
Full instructions and measurements can always be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Spread the rolled oats and chopped almonds evenly across the baking tray. Bake for 12 minutes (stirring once halfway through) until lightly toasted. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Add butter, light brown sugar and honey to a saucepan and melt them together, stirring all the while.
- Pour the melted butter, sugar and honey over the toasted rolled oats and almonds in the mixing bowl.
- Add in vanilla extract, salt, dried cranberries and chocolate chips and mix everything together. The chocolate chips will melt a little and this is perfect.
- Line an 8×8 square dish with parchment paper so that there is overhang on either side. Transfer the granola bar mix to the 8×8 square dish and spread it out evenly.
- Take a piece of parchment paper and place it on top of the granola bar mix and then take a measuring cup and press down on it from the top so that you get the top really smooth. This also packs it in tightly so that it sets well. Place it into the fridge to set completely (about 2 hours).
- When the granola bars are set, remove them from the dish using the parchment paper overhang.
- Cut into 10 equal bars and they’re ready to eat!
Recipe FAQ
It’s a combination of the honey, brown sugar and chocolate chips that gets these granola bars to hold together and they do hold together perfectly. The chocolate chips melt a little and that together with the honey and brown sugar, makes the mix super sticky so when it sets it holds together perfectly.
Keep them stored in the fridge where they will stay good for at least a week.
They are freezer friendly for up to 2 months. Just take a bar out the freezer and let it come to room temperature (about 30 minutes) before enjoying.
More Breakfast Recipes
- Perfect Homemade Pancakes
- The Best Banana Bread
- Eggless Pancakes
- Blueberry Muffins
- Zucchini Bread
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below.
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below.
Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 and ½ cups Rolled Oats Old Fashioned Oats
- ½ cup Raw Almonds Coarsely Chopped
- ¼ cup Butter
- ¼ cup Light Brown Sugar
- ⅓ cup Honey
- ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ½ cup Dried Cranberries Coarsely Chopped
- ½ cup Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Spread the rolled oats and chopped almonds evenly across the baking tray. Bake for 12 minutes (stirring once halfway through) until lightly toasted. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Add butter, light brown sugar and honey to a saucepan and melt them together, stirring all the while. Pour this over the rolled oats and almonds in the mixing bowl.
- Add the vanilla extract, salt, dried cranberries and chocolate chips and mix everything together. The chocolate chips will melt a little and this is perfect.
- Line an 8×8 square dish with parchment paper so that there is overhang on either side. Transfer the granola bar mix to the 8×8 square dish and spread it out evenly.
- Take a piece of parchment paper and place it on top of the granola bar mix and then take a measuring cup and press down on it from the top so that you get the top really smooth. This also packs it in tightly so that it sets well. Place it into the fridge to set completely (about 2 hours).
- When the granola bars are set, remove them from the dish using the parchment paper overhang. Cut into 10 equal bars and they're ready to eat!
Video
Notes
- Almonds can be switched for a different kind of nut such as hazelnuts, brazil nuts, pecans, cashews etc as you like.
- Honey works extremely well in this recipe as it is very sticky so works with the other ingredients for the bars to set. Brown rice syrup will also work. Maple syrup works but it’s not sticky at all, so the bars are more crumbly and don’t hold together as well.
- Dried cranberries can be swapped out for any dried fruit.
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Keep them stored in the fridge where they will stay good for at least a week.
They are also freezer friendly for up to 2 months. - For gluten-free: Buy rolled oats that are certified gluten-free.
Super easy, tasty, pantry ingredients what else do you need! Thank you for sharing.
Awesome! Thanks Liz!