Looking for the perfect snack for your kids' lunchboxes or for your own? Almond Butter Granola Bars packed are the perfect handheld snack any time of day. They are healthy, gluten-free, and have no refined sugar. So unlike the sugary boxed stuff, you know exactly what ingredients are in these bars. It's guilt-free snacking at it's finest.
With all the chaos of the back-to-school season, it can feel overwhelming to get everything on the school supply list, juggle the changing schedule, and ensure you have plenty of nutritious snacks on hand! Fortunately, these healthy granola bars are extremely easy to make, so you can make them once and tuck them into lunch bags (or purses) for a healthy snack on the go. One batch makes 12 no bake granola bars and lasts for months in the freezer, so you can easily make a double or triple batch to stock up for a while!
Why You'll Love These Almond Butter Granola Bars
- Unprocessed. Unlike store-bought granola bars, these homemade ones only contain a short list of ingredients you know and love, like almond butter, oats, honey, etc. No corn syrup, additives, fillers, or junk.
- Customizable. Prefer a different nut butter? Go for it. Want to add mini chocolate chips or pumpkin seeds? They would be great! There are lots of ways to make these no bake granola bars your own.
- Nutritious snack. With plenty of fiber from the oats and almonds, healthy fats from the almond butter, and just enough sweetness from the honey, these energy bars will tide you over without adding too much sugar. Serve with fresh fruit and/or a protein shake for an easy breakfast or a filling post-workout snack!
- So easy to make. The best part of these almond granola bars might be that they are so easy to make! Just toast the oats and almonds, combine the ingredients, chill, and slice. So much easier that you might have thought it would be to make granola bars from scratch!
Ingredient Notes
To make these no bake Almond Butter Granola Bars, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- almond butter - or peanut butter for peanut butter granola bars instead.
- rolled oats - you want to use old-fashioned rolled oats, not quick oats.
- almonds - feel free to use sliced almonds or substitute with other types of nuts such as pecans or walnuts.
- honey - or keep it vegan by using maple syrup.
- coconut oil - or substitute with melted butter.
- chocolate - fold in some semi-sweet chocolate chocolate chunks or chocolate chips. Melt extra chocolate to drizzle on top, if desired.
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, large sheet pan, mixing bowl, spatula, and an 8x8-inch square baking pan.
How to Make the Best Almond Butter Granola Bars
- Toast oats and nuts. In a large sheet pan, add rolled oats and almonds. Toss to combine and spread out evenly. Bake in.a 350F preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until toasted. Keep a close eye on them towards the end to make sure that they don’t burn.
- Add remaining ingredients. Transfer the toasted oats and almonds to a large mixing bowl. Add almond butter, honey, and melted butter. Use a spatula to mix until combined. If the mixture is warm from the toasted oats or melted butter, then let it sit at room temperature until completely cool.
- Fold in chocolate. Once cooled to room temperature, fold in the chopped chocolate.
- Chill. Line an 8x8-inch square dish with parchment paper and allow for an overhang on two sides (for easy removal). Add the granola mixture and spread it across the bottom. Use a spatula or the back of a flat bottomed measuring cup or glass to pack it in very tightly and evenly. Transfer the pan to the fridge and chill until set, about 30 minutes.
- Slice. Once hardened, carefully remove the large granola square using the parchment paper overhang. Use a sharp knife to slice horizontally in the middle. Then, make 5 vertical slices to create 12 rectangular bars.
- Add chocolate drizzle (optional). On any of the granola bars, add a drizzle of melted chocolate. Place back into the fridge until the chocolate is completely hard.
Recipe Variations
- Change the nut butter. You can make these with many different nut butters, including sunflower seed butter, pumpkin seed butter, etc.
- Make them gluten-free. For a celiac-friendly snack, use certified gluten-free oats.
- Use a different sweetener. Instead of honey, try maple syrup, agave syrup, or even brown rice syrup.
- Add more chocolate. Add in 1-3 tablespoons of cocoa powder to give these granola bars an extra chocolatey twist.
- Adjust the flavors. Play around with the flavors by adding in some apple chunks, or raisins — or try using cinnamon, apple pie spice, or pumpkin pie spice for a different flavor profile. You can also stir in some chia seeds, ground flax seeds, cacao nibs, unsweetened coconut flakes, and more for extra flavor and a range of nutritional benefits.
- Drizzle them with chocolate. This makes these bars more of a dessert than a snack, but you can melt dark chocolate chips and drizzle them over the bars for a sweet pop of flavor.
How to Serve
These homemade Almond Butter Granola Bars are delicious served on their own as a snack or breakfast on the go, or packed for lunch alongside some other snacks including:
For more recipes, see our 50 Best Healthy Snacks.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Chill before cutting. After baking, the granola bars will still be soft and pliable. Let them cool completely before slicing and wrapping.
- Prep the pan. Line the pan with parchment paper to make it easier to remove the bars in one piece.
- Store properly. Homemade granola bars will last for 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature, but they'll last for several months in the freezer! I like to wrap them in wax paper before storing for easy serving.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
You can store homemade granola bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
How to Freeze
These homemade granola bars are freezer friendly. To freeze, slice and place them on a parchment lined baking tray and freeze for an hour. Then transfer the bars into a freezer bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
FAQ
Yes! You don't have to splurge on almond butter at the store—make your own! Toast the almonds on a sheet pan at 350 for 5-10 minutes to warm them up, then blend in the food processor until smooth and creamy (about 5-10 minutes). Stir this homemade creamy almond butter into the oat mixture, and bake like normal. You can mix and match different nuts, too.
Honey not only adds sweetness but also helps hold these chewy almond butter granola bars together. If you don't have any, replace it with another syrupy sweetener, like maple syrup or brown rice syrup.
That depends on the quality of your ingredients. Oats and honey aren't typically very expensive, but if you use local, raw honey or organic sprouted oats, they can be! Almond butter tends to be a bit pricey, but you can often get it for a more affordable price at Costco or other bulk stores. Fortunately, this recipe can be made with any nut butter, so you can adapt the quality of ingredients to your budget.
More Granola Recipes
Chewy Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Did you make this recipe? I would greatly appreciate a comment and rating below, letting me know what you thought of the recipe. You can also snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.
Don't forget to sign up for my email newsletter so that you don't miss any recipes. You can also follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more recipe updates.
Recipe
Almond Butter Granola Bars
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 granola bars
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Looking for the perfect snack for your kids' lunchboxes or for your own? Almond Butter Granola Bars packed are the perfect handheld snack any time of day. They are healthy, gluten-free, and have no refined sugar. So unlike the sugary boxed stuff, you know exactly what ingredients are in these bars. It's guilt-free snacking at it's finest.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups rolled oats
- ¾ cup whole almonds
- ⅔ cup almond butter
- ⅓ cup honey (or maple syrup)
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil (or butter), melted
- ⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or chips
- melted chocolate (optional, for drizzling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a large sheet pan, add rolled oats and almonds. Toss to combine and spread out evenly. Bake for 10-15 minutes until toasted. Keep a close eye on them towards the end to make sure that they don’t burn.
- Transfer the toasted oats and almonds to a large mixing bowl. Add almond butter, honey, and melted butter. Use a spatula to mix until combined. If the mixture is warm from the toasted oats or melted butter, then let it sit at room temperature until completely cool.
- Once cooled to room temperature, fold in the chopped chocolate.
- Line an 8x8-inch square dish with parchment paper and allow for an overhang on two sides (for easy removal). Add the granola mixture and spread it across the bottom. Use a spatula or the back of a flat bottomed measuring cup or glass to pack it in very tightly and evenly.
- Transfer the pan to the fridge and chill until set, about 30 minutes. Once hardened, carefully remove the large granola square using the parchment paper overhang. Use a sharp knife to slice horizontally in the middle. Then, make 5 vertical slices to create 12 rectangular bars.
- Optional: On any of the granola bars, add a drizzle of melted chocolate. Place back into the fridge until the chocolate is completely hard.
Notes
How to store: You can store homemade granola bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
How to freeze: To freeze, slice and place them on a parchment lined baking tray and freeze for an hour. Then transfer the bars into a freezer bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Chill Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Snacks
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Food Blogger Business School
A step-by-step program that teaches food bloggers how to grow and scale their blogs into a full-time business
in less time and without posting endless content until you burn out.
Esther says
Yum! I have been looking for a bar to make for my toddler that mama and papa also enjoy. These are the ones! Easy to make as well. I didn’t have sliced almonds so I used sprouted pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds. I decreased the honey in batch two and they were still good. I also left batch two in for 5 extra minutes to see how they would be a little more crunchy, the edges burned a tad, but east to cut off. I think I preferred the less crunchy though. Thanks for the recipe!