After having a third baby, convenience foods started showing up in my cart more than I’d like to admit. Granola bars were one of the first things to slip in. One day, I flipped over a familiar package, and the ingredient list made me pause – especially with little ones around. That’s what brought me back to this recipe.
I used to make these all the time, so I already knew how simple they were. Five ingredients, one bowl, and a few minutes is all it takes before they go into the oven. Even on busy days, they come together quickly without much thought. What I like most is that they actually feel like real food. They’re soft-baked, peanut buttery, a little chocolatey, and made with ingredients I recognize. Now I keep coming back to them instead of grabbing a box at the store, mostly because they’re better than anything packaged I’ve tried.
Why I Love This Recipe
- It’s incredibly simple. Five basic ingredients and one bowl are all I need, and the mix takes only a few minutes to prep before going into the oven.
- These bars use real food ingredients. Each batch is made with pantry staples like oats, peanut butter, and eggs – with no need for refined additives.
- It’s flexible. Swaps like nut-free seed butter or egg-free flax eggs make it easy to adjust based on dietary needs or what I have on hand.
Skip The Grocery Store
My biggest issue with store-bought granola bars is that many have long ingredient lists, refined sugars, and preservatives to keep them shelf-stable for months. While convenient, plenty of packaged granola bars are no healthier than candy bars when I looked closely at the label. That’s why I prefer making them at home. These easy granola bars are made with real food ingredients; I know exactly what’s going into every bite. Plus, they still have everything I want in a good granola bar: peanut buttery flavor, a soft-baked texture, and just the right amount of sweetness.
An added bonus of homemade bars is that you can control the nutrition. This recipe contains about 9 grams of sugar per bar, along with fiber, protein, and wholesome ingredients like oats, peanut butter, and eggs for a more balanced snack that keeps me full. Once I realized how easy they are to make, I stopped reaching for the boxed versions altogether.
Ingredients To Gather
- Rolled oats: Use simple, old-fashioned rolled oats. These are a great source of soluble fiber, which has been linked to supporting healthy cholesterol levels, gut health, and more stable blood sugar. That’s why I love a bowl of oatmeal or homemade granola, too!
- Peanut butter: I like the drippy kind made with only peanuts and maybe a little salt, but I can always use whatever I have on hand. Feel free to sub any kind of nut butter or seed butter, such as almond butter, cashew butter, or sesame seed butter. Natural peanut butter provides healthy monounsaturated fats, plant-based protein, B vitamins, and magnesium.
- Eggs: Eggs help bind everything together while adding high-quality protein, healthy fats, iron, and two eye-health ingredients, lutein and zeaxanthin.
- Maple syrup or honey: I can also substitute a sweetener like brown rice syrup. This is the part of the recipe that helps the oats bind together. If I’m having trouble getting my bars to bind with the maple syrup, honey is a little stickier.
- Chocolate chips: I say these are optional in this recipe, but maybe less so if I’m craving chocolate chip granola bars. Chocolate and peanut butter go together so well! Use milk or dark chocolate.
Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.reat list of her family’s favorite substitutions and mix-ins (more on that below).
Make These Nut-Free
These chewy granola bars are easy to adapt if I need a nut-free option. I’ll swap the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter, tahini, or pumpkin seed butter for a similar texture and binding effect. Each option adds its own subtle flavor, but they all work well and keep the bars soft.
Substitutions And Notes
I’ve tested these granola bars in so many different ways, so I know they’re easy to adapt depending on dietary needs or whatever I have in my pantry:
- Gluten-free: Rolled oats are naturally gluten-free but may come in contact with gluten-containing grains such as wheat, barley, or rye. I always make sure to use certified gluten-free oats if my granola bars are intended for someone with celiac disease.
- Dairy-free: I use dairy-free mini chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life, if I want to keep the recipe completely dairy-free. That said, the chocolate chips can be omitted, but that’s not as much fun!
- Egg-free/vegan: I substitute 2 flax eggs in place of the eggs. To make them, I mix 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed with 5 tablespoons water and let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes before adding it in. As a bonus, flax eggs help the bars hold together even better.
- High-protein: If I want these granola bars to have a protein boost, I’ll add in my favorite protein powder! I substitute ½ cup of protein powder for ½ cup of oats to make these into protein bars. Here are my breakdowns of the best whey protein powders and plant-based protein powders.
How To Make Homemade Granola Bars (Video)
For serving size and the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition analysis, listing calories (kcals), protein, carbohydrates/carb, fiber, sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and more per serving.
Customize With Add-Ins
One of my favorite things about these granola bars is how easy they are to customize. The base recipe is simple and versatile, so I love yummy mix-ins to change up the flavor and texture every time I make them. Some of my favorite additions to my oat mixture include:
- Almonds (or almond extract)
- Chia seeds
- Chopped dates
- Cinnamon
- Coconut flakes, unsweetened
- Dried blueberries
- Dried cherries
- Dried cranberries
- Hemp seeds
- Nutmeg
- Pecans
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Pumpkin seeds
- Raisins
- Sunflower seeds
- Vanilla extract
- Walnuts
If I’m planning to eat these bars as part of a quick, healthy breakfast, they pair great with a hard-boiled egg, yogurt, or a handful of nuts and seeds. I find that’s my favorite way to get plenty of protein and calories to start my day off strong!
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“These are a fan favorite at our house! So easy to throw together too!”
-Debbie
Store At Room Temp Or Freeze
I almost always include homemade snack bars in my meal prep for the week, and these granola bars are one of my favorites because they store so well. Once they’ve fully cooled, I transfer them to an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 10 days for an easy grab-and-go snack throughout the week.
They also freeze well, which is perfect for the weeks when meal prep doesn’t quite go according to plan. After the bars are cooled and sliced, I put them in a freezer-safe container or bag, separating each layer with parchment paper so they won’t stick together. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months this way.
When I’m ready to enjoy one, I let it thaw on the counter or warm it in the microwave for a minute or 2 until it’s soft and delicious again.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I want my granola bars to hold together better, I make sure not to skip the eggs or other binding ingredients, since those are what help keep everything cohesive. I also press the mixture firmly into the pan before baking and let the bars cool completely before slicing. If I’m still having trouble getting the bars to bind when using maple syrup, I swap it for honey instead, since honey is naturally a little stickier.
Granola bars can fit into a balanced diet for someone with diabetes, but I always recommend paying close attention to the ingredient list and sugar content. Many store-bought granola bars are loaded with added sugars, which can cause blood sugar spikes.
That is one reason I love making them at home, since I can control exactly what goes into them and keep the sugar lower for a healthy snack. Keep in mind that cutting too much sweetener can make granola bars crumbly since it also helps bind dry ingredients together. With diabetes, it’s always important to consider your full nutrition profile, portion sizes, and how your body responds to carbs as you meal plan.
Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe
Once I realized how easy it is to make homemade granola bars, I stopped buying the packaged kind altogether. These peanut butter granola bars are soft-baked, naturally gluten-free, and made with simple ingredients for a delicious, wholesome snack.
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (use verified gluten-free, if needed)
- ¾ cup natural peanut butter*
- ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup (both work well and taste great but I feel honey helps hold the bars together better)
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
- 2 whole eggs (use flax egg for vegan-friendly**)
- Optional add-ins: pinch of salt (omit if peanut butter is salted), walnuts, pecans, almonds, chia, sunflower, or pumpkin seeds, or dried fruit
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. If your peanut butter is solid at room temperature, heat it for 10-15 seconds to make it a more drizzly consistency before adding it to the mix.
- Line a 9×9-inch baking dish or pan with parchment paper. This makes it much easier to remove the bars from your dish once baked.
- Transfer the mixture from the mixing bowl to the prepared dish or pan.
- Very firmly press the mixture into the pan in an even layer. The firmer you press, the better the bars will stick together.
- If you’re using chocolate chips, sprinkle them on top, then press them down into the bars.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the center is baked through and the edges are just starting to brown. Start checking at 14 minutes, as all ovens are different.
- Remove from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack.
- Let the bars cool completely before cutting them into 16 squares with a sharp knife.
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Notes
*Use certified gluten-free oats to make these gluten-free and celiac-friendly.
**These chewy granola bars are easy to adapt if I need a nut-free option. I’ll swap the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter, tahini, or pumpkin seed butter for a similar texture and binding effect.
***To make these egg-free/vegan, substitute 2 flax eggs in place of the eggs. To make them, mix 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed with 5 tablespoons water and let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes before adding it in.
For the perfect chewy texture, avoid overbaking these, since even a few extra minutes in the oven can make them crispy and crumbly. I also make sure to use enough moisture-rich ingredients like peanut butter (with a drizzly consistency) and maple syrup or honey.
I prefer cutting the bars into squares, and that’s what the nutrition facts below are based on. However, I can also divide the pan into 12-14 longer bars, if preferred.
Use a sharp, non-serrated knife to slice the bars, and avoid dragging it through. Instead, press straight down for clean cuts and to help keep the bars intact.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 200
- Fat: 9 g
- (Sat Fat: 2 g)
- Sodium: 64 mg
- Carbohydrate: 25 g
- (Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar: 9 g)
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 17 mg
Dietary
Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.
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Can you use regular peanut butter?
Should work fine, Nancy!
Could I use agave instead of honey?
Should work fine, Sarah!
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! I’ve made these so many times and they’ll remain a staple in my weekly recipe rotation.
Great, Elizabeth!