Homemade Granola Bars are one of my go-to healthy snacks for kids. They’re super easy to make, require minimal added sweeteners, have a texture that even babies and younger toddlers can chew, and store SO well. And you can make them allergy-friendly as needed too!
Homemade Granola Bars
These bars are seriously delicious—and versatile. They’re a great way to save money on groceries (since a batch is much less than buying a similar amount of store-bought bars) and you can vary the flavors by adding fruit or veggie puree.
Plus, they’re loaded with nutritious ingredients and minimal sweeteners, so they’re a satisfying healthy snack for kids. The texture is a nice balance of crisp edges, but a softer texture.
And the flavor is so, so good!
Soft-Baked Granola Bars
I made these granola bars regularly when my middle child was one—she loved nibbling them—and I always shared them with her.
There’s a subtle peanut butter flavor in this healthy bar recipe, though you can trade in almond butter or sunflower seed butter if you prefer. The nut or seed butter adds healthy fats, which help this bar satisfy those little bellies longer.
TIP: This recipe is super streamlined for busy parents and stores nicely.
Ingredients You Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Rolled oats
- Shredded unsweetened coconut
- Flour
- Chia seeds
- Honey
- Nut or seed butter
TIP: You can use you can use gluten-free flour if needed.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the easy process involved in making this granola bar recipe. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- Add ingredients to a food processor, choosing your flavor. Grind until the mixture starts to hold together.
- Pour the batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and press flat.
- Score the batter with a knife, which makes them easy to break into pieces once they’re baked.
- Bake, let cool, and enjoy.
TIP: In Step 1, you’ll see the batter start to pull together and you can also check it by squeezing a bit between your fingers—it should be sticky enough to hold together when you squeeze it. Add a little more water or puree if it’s not quite sticky enough.
Can I make these without chia seeds?
Sure! See the variation at the bottom that calls for omitting them and slightly increasing the nut butter. This keeps a good amount of healthy fats to ensure that the bars hold together and that the kids get a nicely balanced snack.
Can I make these gluten-free granola bars?
These bars are naturally egg-free and dairy-free. They’re also easy to make gluten-free by choosing gluten-free oats and a gluten-free flour blend.
How long do these healthy granola bars last?
I store our homemade granola bars in the fridge (because I like them cold) in an airtight container and serve them up until we run out.
- In the fridge in an airtight container, they’ll stay fresh for about two weeks.
- At room temperature in an airtight container, they’ll last about 1 week.
- In the freezer, you can place cooled bars in a sealed zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Can I freeze granola bars?
Yes, this granola bar recipe freezes really well. Simply let them cool and place into a zip top freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature, or directly in a lunchbox.
Flavor Variations
I’m so happy that a reader suggested this because it works so well to use a fruit or veggie puree instead of water in the original recipe! I’ve tried making Applesauce Granola Bars, Banana Granola Bars, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, and Pumpkin Granola Bars.
Look in the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for the info.
Best Tips for Success
- For kids under one, you can substitute brown rice syrup for the honey. You can also try using applesauce.
- You can make them in the basic flavor, or banana, apple, sweet potato, butternut squash, or pumpkin.
- To make these without coconut, omit and use additional oats.
- To make these without chia seeds, omit and increase the nut butter to ¼ cup.
- To make this without a food processor, use quick or instant oats and stir everything together. (Or grind the oats and coconut in a blender, then stir the ingredients together in a bowl)
- Add chocolate chips to this recipe by pressing a few into the top of the rolled out batter just before baking.
- Use room temperature honey and nut or seed butter to make the batter come together easily, or warm them briefly.
- Wet your fingers or use a piece of parchment to press the batter down if it’s sticking to your hands.
- You may also like No-Bake Granola Bars, Breakfast Bars, my Easy Oatmeal Bars, and my 3-Ingredient Cereal Bars.
I’d love to hear your feedback if you try this recipe so please comment below to share!
This post was first published Jun 2017.
Easy Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1½ cups rolled oats
- ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut (or use ½ cup additional oats)
- ¼ cup honey (or maple syrup or applesauce)
- ¼ cup whole-wheat flour
- 3 tablespoons peanut butter (or sunflower seed butter or 1 egg)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- ¼ cup water (or ¼ cup mashed ripe banana, pumpkin puree, applesauce, butternut squash puree, OR sweet potato puree)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Warm the honey and peanut butter for about 15 seconds if not stored at room temperature.
- Place the oats and coconut into the bowl of a food processor and blitz to grind into a coarse texture (similar to quick oats).
- Add the remaining ingredients, including the peanut butter and honey, and blend well.
- (You can also grind the oats or use instant oats, then mix everything together in a bowl.)
- Add ¼ cup water and blend until batter comes together like thick cookie dough. You should be able to press the batter together between your fingers and have it stick together. If it doesn't, add a bit more water.
- Place batter onto the center of the prepared baking sheet and use your hands to press thin, about ¼-½-inch thick and about 8x8-inches big. I measure roughly using an 8x8-inch baking pan. (You can also roll out the dough—just cover it with a piece of parchment paper first to make sure it's easy to do.) Use a knife to lightly score lines for squares in whatever size you like.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, remove from oven, and let cool completely on the pan.
- Break into squares and serve.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge or a week at room temperature. To freeze, place cooled bars in a sealed zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Notes
- To make these with fruit or a veggie flavor, omit the water in Step 4. Choose one flavor from below. Proceed with the recipe as directed, though know you may need to bake up to an additional 10 minutes. Look for the edges to start turning golden brown. It just seems to take a little longer when you add a puree.
- Banana: Add ¼ cup mashed recipe banana or banana puree.
- Pumpkin: Add ¼ cup pumpkin puree.
- Apple: Add ¼ cup applesauce or Apple Puree.
- Butternut: Add ¼ cup butternut squash puree.
- Sweet Potato: Add ¼ cup sweet potato puree.
- To make these without coconut, omit and use additional oats.
- To make these without chia seeds, omit and increase the nut butter to ¼ cup. Or use ground flaxseeds.
- To make this without a food processor, use quick or instant oats and stir everything together. (Or grind the oats and coconut in a blender, then stir the ingredients together in a bowl)
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free cup for cup flour in place of the whole-wheat.
- Add chocolate chips to this recipe by pressing a few into the top of the rolled out batter just before baking.
- Use room temperature honey and nut or seed butter to make the batter come together easily, or warm them briefly.
- Wet your fingers or use a piece of parchment to press the batter down if it's sticking to your hands.
Nutrition
I doubled my first batch of these (used a sheet pan), leaving out 25%-ish of the honey, subbing 1/2 c raw quinoa in the 3 cups of oats, and using applesauce as the moistener instead of water. They turned out great and the kids loitered around the stove asking for more bits!
I forgot to score the dough beforehand, so when I pulled them out I ran a pizza cutter through them, and much later even used a fun cookie cutter shape to make little circles and triangles! I am a big fan of this new recipe and think it’d be ideal to always have them on hand!
These taste delicious! Made them on the thicker side (1/2”) and cooked for less time (~16 min) and they came out chewy! I added chopped mini chocolate chips to the mix, and a drizzle of PB on the top once they were cooled – toddler approved. Will definitely be making these again to try some of the other variations and flavour combos!
These came out a bit dry for me. Is the 1/4 cup water in step 5 in addition to what’s listed in the recipe ingredients? Step 3 says to add all remaining ingredients, but I’m not sure if this is meant to exclude the water (which I substituted with mashed banana anyway).
Super easy and tasty! I’m looking forward to playing around with the variations. These were fast to make and are a great addition to lunchboxes.
My 1 year old has been developing some taste preferences and has been pickier about his snacks (roll eyes and a deep sigh) but he loves these! He ate them up so fast! I made it with maple syrup and sweet potato puree.
These are great! I used apple puree and peanut butter. My 1 year old loves it, even though they came out a little dry. Maybe I baked them too long? or maybe my combination didn’t yield the best result. I will definitely try again.
Made 2 batches so far 1 with pumpkin/egg combo, 1 with peanut butter and chocolate chips and I love them! My 2 yr old kept biting them but kept spitting them out. I’m going to try another batch without chia seeds. Wondering if it’s a texture thing. Great recipe!
My 2 year old, 6 year old and I all love these! I’ve only done them with pumpkin and they’re fantastic. We love cinnamon so I always do a little extra but otherwise follow the recipe exactly
I am addicted to these granola bars! Originally made them for my toddler, who is an incredibly picky eater, but it ends up being me eating them. I didn’t use coconut or chis seeds (didn’t have them) but I did use crushed pumpkin seed and mini chocolate chips. They are so good! I cannot believe how much of a hold these bars have on me!
I made these using applesauce instead of water. Followed the recipe precisely. However, they came out too soft – fell apart when I picked them up. Suggestions? Thanks.
Did you change anything else?
I never leave reviews anywhere but these bars are amazing and people need to know about them! I make these for myself every week to have with an evening tea or even for a quick breakfast. Have tried other bar recipes and my heart always comes back to this one right here. Just made a batch this morning so had to share! So, so good.
I’m so glad I found this recipe. I needed a fuss free snack I could grab at any time, knowing that it was healthy for my toddler – and me! So far I’ve only made it with banana which worked really really well AND my LO loves them. I’m keen to try the other flavour suggestions, and experiment with others to get some secret nutrients in.
I’m so glad to hear that!
I made these with applesauce and instant oat version for my almost 13th month old and she loves them! Love this recipe and my husband loves them too lol
I’m so glad!
Do you think almond flour would be a good substitute for whole wheat here?
I’m not sure that it will hold together the same way.
So delicious! We all love them! Made the recipe as written.
I’m wondering about the chia seeds because where I’m from (Finland) it’s recommended that chia seeds soak in water before use of any kind. This is because they can swell up to at least 10 times their size and can cause problems in the digestive tract if eaten raw. So I’m scared of using them raw. How would you modify the recipe if the chia seeds had been soaked? Thanks!
I haven’t made this recipe any other way and the seeds absorb some of the liquid that’s added and help to hold the bars together. If you try soaking them first, let me know how they turn out!
I made them this weekend but they came out a bit crispy. What should I try to make them softer?
You could make them a little thicker? Though usually they do soften in storage so they could be softer now?
Hi! I want to eat these with my toddler. but hubby and I are doing Whole30. Can these be made without the oats? I plan on using almond flour and then applesauce to sweeten. Could you also sweeten with dates?
I haven’t made them any other way so I can’t say for sure but let me know how it turns out!
Hi,
I don’t like to add sweeteners to my toddlers food yet. Would this recipe work without the honey? If so, do you recommend adding additional nut butter to keep it together?
Hi- I would use additional of whichever fruit you’re using to ensure it has enough flavor.
I have tried this before and it was a hit. I have a 7 and 13 year old. I like how sipmle this recipe is and how easy it is to add or omit somw things. My oldest needs extra things in baked goods. This time I added 1tlbs chia and 1 of flax along with some hemp protein powder, sunflower seed and mini chips so because of the extras I needed to add some more water. I also normally don’t do the egg but did it this time so I am excited to see how the bars turn out. Your recipes are wonderful and it says toddler food but they don’t just have to be for toddlers. 🙂
I made these with almond butter instead of peanut butter, maple syrup instead of honey, and applesauce instead of water. They are awesome and my toddler enjoys helping me make them! I want to try pumpkin puree in the fall!
Great recipe
I used maple syrup, peanut butter and a baby pouch of prune purée that I had. They turned out lovely. I felt great giving them to my 3 year old in place of packaged snacks and she really liked them. I’ll be making more and plan to try sweet potato next along with a different nut butter (so a peanut allergy friend can have them). Thank you very much!
Made these today and my 15 mo picky eater has already eaten 2! My husband and I love them too. Thanks for the great recipe!
To note I subbed almond flour and used maple syrup in place of honey and apple purée in place of water. Baked for 22 minutes and came out perfect.
Awesome and I appreciate knowing that almond flour worked!
This is wonderful! We are on the go A LOT so I was looking for a healthy snack option for my littles. These are easy to make and travel well (not too messy/crumbly). I pat into a parchment lined 8×8 and it bakes well that way.
We love these. I put the chocolate chips on top. Then, when the bars were fresh out of the oven, used a metal spoon to spread the chocolate evenly over the bars. I doubled the recipe. Next time, I’ll quadruple the recipe so I have plenty for the freezer.
Awesome!
Made these this morning for our road trip tomorrow and the kids are loving them so much that I’m not sure if they’ll last until then!! Thank you!
Easy and turned out great! Made them with maple syrup since my baby isn’t 1 yet. Will be making these again with some of the different flavor suggestions.
Question- if I wanted to make a batch for my hubby and add in some protein powder, how would I go about that?
Thanks!
These are so good! I made a pan for baby and I using applesauce, coconut, banana where that worked for substitutes and I love them! I could eat them all in one sitting if I let myself. Consistency, oven temp and time, and softness of the bars are on point. Thanks!
These are AWESOME. We are soy, dairy, and egg free and it can be hard to find fun recipes that my little one will eat but these were a huge hit! Thank you!!
I’m so glad!
We love these! I made them for my 9 month old (sub maple syrup for honey) but my 2yo loves them too and he’s usually such a sweet tooth I wasn’t expecting him to be interested.
I sub the coconut for extra oats and blend the oats in a magic bullet then just mix everything in a bowl. Using pumpkin has been our favorite so far.
I used prune juice, a little cocoa and blended up a few chocolate chips. Little man loves them! They are sweet, and I’m sure they will pack a punch! Ha!
These are so yummy and easy! I might even let the toddler have some 😂
The texture is nice, but these really needed a bit of salt. Without it, we don’t taste any flavor.
Looks amazing! We ran out of whole wheat flour and are snowed in! Can we use white flour? What changes would need to be made? Thank you for any help you can provide!
I think it would work similarly with all purpose flour!
Is it baking powder or baking soda? I’ve seen both listed above and i just wanna make sure I do it correct for my students at school during home ec. Thank you 🙂
Baking powder as is listed in the recipe card.
These are delightful! Week after week my son’s specific soft baked granola bars have been out of stock so I looked online and found this recipe. I made it today and these are great! I subbed applesauce for honey and subbed pumpkin puree for water to pack in a little extra nutrition. The texture and taste are perfect. Everybody loved them, my one year old included.
Do you think subbing almond butter for peanut butter would work similarly?
Yes, it should as long as the almond butter isn’t super runny.
My kids (7 and 2) loved these! Super easy to make and this will easily become a staple recipe in the house. Thank you! I followed everything above, used water. Next time will try with mashed banana!
Mine came out super pasty…any tips? I did measure, but maybe I mis-measured something. They’re like eating glue. The flavor isn’t bad, just the texture! Still leaving 5 stars since everyone seems to love them
Hmmm, are they wet? Maybe they didn’t bake quite long enough? They should be a soft, but firm bar. Glad everyone likes them anyway!
I dont reccomend using coache’s oats…! Using them turned out very dry.. maybe more water? I cant wait to try this recipe with regular oats!
I’m not sure what kind of oats those are, but regular oats work well!
Can I replace the peanut butter? since nowadays is not allowed at school? if yes which ingredient could be?
Thanks
You can use sunflower seed butter (common brand is Sunbutter) to replace the peanut butter.
Loved the collection of recipes using simple ingredients.
Everyone in the family loved them! The texture is exactly what we needed, not too crunchy, not too soft either. I made them with whole grain tahini instead of PB (we love it!) and you really can’t tell the difference. Thanks for another great recipe!
So so good! My toddler AND I love these and they kept him full for longer than the usual snacks. Thanks!
I’m so glad!
Hi! Can I skip the baking powder? Or use baking soda instead?
Thanks
You could likely use 1/8 tsp baking soda if you prefer or skip it.
Yet another great, easy and versatile reecipe!
I made these today for my 2 year old and he ate 2 as soon as he woke up from his nap.
I used pumpkin puree, quick outs and sweetened coconut because it’s what I had on hand and increased cooking time by 10 minutes as suggested and they turned out great! I do not have a food processor, but i do have a little coffee grinder i used to bllitz the shredded coconut and oats only a little bit and otherwise just used a spoon to work together all the ingredients. The texture was satisfyingly chewy, but perfect for younger and older ages.
I’m so glad to hear that!
Thank you for this recipe! Such a great find since so many granola bars at the store use peanut as the main protein! I use almond butter since we have a little one with a peanut allergy! Thanks again!
I’m so glad!
Hi can these be made without food processor?
If you use quick oats, you can just stir everything together in a bowl.
How do I do this without a food processor?
To make this without a food processor, use quick or instant oats and stir everything together in a bowl. (Or grind the oats and coconut in a blender, then stir the ingredients together in a bowl)
Hi Amy, can you bak these without the flour??
I haven’t tried them that way so I can’t say if they’ll hold together the same. Let me know if you try it!
Hi! I’m really happy to find your site. I wanted to know if these turn out chewy or more on the crunchy side?
Julia
Hi-They are fairly soft (while holding together well). The edges might be a little crisp, but they are not crunchy.
Thank you very much, it has become one of my son’s favorite snacks!
How many granola bars does this make?
It makes as many as you like depending on how you cut them, but I usually get about 16
How many servings does this make? Can I add raisins and how much would I add?My three year old really Iikes raisins
It makes as many as you like depending on how you cut them, but I usually get about 16 bars. You can add raisins. I would do maybe 1/4 cup and cut them in half with kitchen scissors (the batter is thin and they might puff up a lot if they are left whole) Enjoy!
Thanks I just made these and they came out great he loved it.
love this!!!!! I was tired of spending money on those thin crunchy kashi bars as they are really good but I knew I could easily make similar and unprocessed ones myself. These ingredients I always have in my pantry so I make a batch pretty much every week and keep them in a Tupperware in my freezer. Not too sweet, so yummy! I personally add some salt to the batter as my pb is natural and unsalted. Also I bake mine slightly longer (abt 25-30 min) because I like them crunchy 🙂 apart from that I always make the recipe as is and i love it! thank you for sharing!
Thank you for such a quick and delicious recipe. I used water instead of purée and baked for 5 minutes extra. Loved the end result, crunchy, snackable and not too sweet or overpowering with peanut butter. I also pulverized cranberries into the mix too.
I’m so glad!
I made these today for my 18MO and I think she’ll love them! I love easy recipes I can freeze and take out for a quick snack or breakfast for my kids. Your site is loaded with quick ones like muffins and these granola bars. Thank you for sharing!
Perfect!
I made these with a small peach since it’s been peach season here and they were great! I also didn’t realize until the second time I made these that I left out the flour by mistake and they didn’t even seem to need it.
The second batch I made I used some leftover canned pineapple chunks that I put in a food processor. It ended up being about 1/3 c and also no flour. They were Sooo good. I even eat them as a snack sometimes. My 16mo loves them. Great recipe.
Adding those fruits sounds so good!
These are my new, quick staple that my 1 year old has never rejected. I love the lack of packaging and feeding her wholesome snacks. Thank you!
I am so glad that she enjoys them!
Toddler tested, Mommy approved! I went with the banana version because I had one extra ripe and ready to be used. Added some dried berries as well for a little extra variety and another texture. They were the perfect (not quite hard, but just soft enough) for my little one to eat.
Awesome!
Hi, can I use regular all purpose flour? I have all of the other ingredients and would love to make these without having to wait for the normal grocery trip! Thanks!
Yes, that should work just fine!
I’m looking at the recipe and I don’t see any water . So how much fruit of veggie can I add to this recipe?
The water amount is in Step 4 and the fruit and veggie info is in the recipe Notes.
Is there a substitution you recommend for the honey? Babies under 1 aren’t supposed to have honey, but these sound delicious & easy!
maple syrup or applesauce will work!
Curious if you can bake these to be slightly thicker in a 8×8 baking pan?
I haven’t tried that but I am sure it would work. You might just need to bake them for a few more minutes.
Will this recipe work with buck wheat instead of flour?
I don’t know that it would hold together the same.
Definitely going to try this as I have a corn allergic 1 yr old. Finding safe foods is hard. However what can I substitute for the baking powder or can I just leave it out? Baking powder is literally straight corn.
I think you can leave it out since it’s such a small amount!
Can you freeze these?
Yes, they freeze well! Place cooled bars in a sealed zip top freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Can you tell me what the texture is like? Is it soft or a hard granola?
They are a soft bar that holds together well with slightly crisp edges when freshly baked. They are not hard and crunchy.
Thank you so much for the tip on how to make these without a food processor! I have all the ingredients so I think I’ll make these for a trip this weekend!
Are the chia seeds whole or ground?
whole
Wonderful low in sugar I use blue agave syrup it’s supposed to be better for you love this got in from a daughter in law for our granddaughter! Great thanks!
Hi, can i use nuts with unsalted butter. Instead of nut butter/peanut butter. Pls advise.
I haven’t tried it but I think using melted butter instead of the peanut butter would work. Are you wanting to add chopped nuts?
I loved this recipe! Ive been trying lots of bars for my toddler but most of them are banana based (I mean kid-friendly ones), which leaves a soggy consistency and … always simply taste like banana! :S I am sure this will be a staple here now. Thank you so much!
I’m so glad to hear this!
Love the look of these granola bars! I also try and make some for myself but I hadn’t thought about what a great snack they’d make for kids too. Busy parents can make these with the kids on a Sunday and then snacks are sorted for the week.
We love this recipe SO much! My 1.5 year old wants these every time he goes to the pantry. I’d love to see this with some fruit in it!
I have made several healthy granola bar recipes, and this one is the easiest to come together, with the best taste and texture. Make a double batch. You’ll be glad you did.
Can i use normal unsalted butter instead of peanut butter?
I haven’t tried it with regular butter so I can’t say for sure!
This is my go-to recipe for soft baked bars for my toddler. She loves them and I do too! They are much more cost-effective and healthier than pre-packaged bars. I’ve made them already several times !
I’m so glad to hear all of this!
This granola bar recipe is perfect! I made them for my 1 year old daughter as a snack because I was finding it difficult to find her snacky things. She loves them. I used quick oats and stirred by hand. I did make them a little thinner by using a rolling pin and a jelly roll pan. (They didn’t fill the pan) I will continue to make these and share this recipe with my mom-friends who are looking for healthy snack ideas!
I’m so glad to hear that and thanks for sharing the recipe!
Made these tonight for my 21 month old. I really like the list of simple ingredients. They were easy to make. I tried a small bite…it was delicious. I was going to save them all for him, but I’m going to have one now!
I’m so glad to hear this Lauren!
What is the sub for honey? Maple syrup? Thanks and I’m looking forward to making this soon! ?
You can use maple syrup!
Can I use almond flour instead?
Hi! I haven’t tried that and I can’t say for sure if they would hold together the same way. I’d love to know if you try it that way!
did you try with almond flour? if so, how did it come out?
Hi does 1 tsp Vanilla means vanilla extract?
yes!
Thank you! My toddler loves this recipe! I’m back to make it a second time.
Awesome, I’m so glad to hear that!
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