I Finally Figured Out How To Make Homemade Granola Bars (no bake, zero waste, healthy) ft. 3 RECIPES

Hey girl hey. And boy.

As I’m going through my transition of eating habits from packaged to homemade, I’m constantly on the hunt for new snack recipes. I noticed that I eat granola bars way too often and all though store-bought granola bars seem like the healthiest you can get, I found 3 problems:

1. Too much sugar – store bought granola bars usually have additives and lots of sugar, making it not as healthy as one might think.
2. Not filling – I don’t know about you but granola bars just increase my appetite and I find myself eating more than the ‘one granola bar a day’ policy (shh don’t tell my parents)
3. Too much packaging – a pack of granola bars usually comes with 24 or 48  individually packaged bars; this all takes up space in landfills and leads to even more carbon emissions.

So I started searching online and after a bit of trial and error I finally found what makes granola bars stick together.

It’s heat.

(no way sherlock)

Earlier, I thought the same recipe we use for oat balls can be applied to a normal granola bar but it turns out that wasn’t the case.

People who use dry oats put it in the oven but the key to no baking is that the oats have to be heated on a stove top for 2 to 3 minutes or the peanut butter and honey mixture needs to be heated in the microwave for 20 or so seconds. Combined, these make the stickiest and chewiest granola bars but either one can work.

That’s it!

I also found that having date paste makes it turn out spectacular and that a peanut butter and honey mixture is better heated than simply mixed at room temperature.

But essentially, to make the most basic granola bar you will need:

1 1/2 cups of instant oats + 1/3 cup of peanut butter + 1/4 cup of honey 

(I think you can substitute peanut butter with alternative butters but I’m not a 100% sure)

and that’s it!

But because I like to be extra, here are my 3 go-to variations for granola bars.

And the best part?

1. There are no added sugars
2. It’s filling
3. It’s plastic free!

Whether it’s cheaper or not depends on what additions you put but with these basic ingredients it’s definitely cheaper. I will add calculation under each recipe so you could compare it to the Fiber One granola bars. Let’s get starteddd.

---

 

1. Basic Chocolate Chip Bars

This is my go-to when I don’t have nuts in the house.

What you need:

• 1 1/2 cup of oats (60 cents)
• 1/3 cup peanut butter (31 cents)
• 1/4 cup honey (18 cents)
• 1/4 cup of chocolate chip (28 cents)
• coconut sprinkle (optional)
• vanilla extract (optional)

Procedure:

1. Heat up the oats for 2-3 minutes on medium heat until warm. This is not necessary but I find it sticks them better together and it removes bloating that raw oats will cause.
2. Microwave 1/3 cup peanut butter with 1/4 cup of honey in the microwave for 20 seconds until smooth and easy to pour.
3. Combine oats and liquid mixture and gently fold in chocolate chips so they don’t melt.
4. Grease a square pan with a drop of oil or use parchment paper to mold the bars in place.  My mixture only fills around 3/4 of the pan so you can always increase the yield to your liking.
5. Refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze for 10-15 minutes if you’re in a rush (fridge works better tho)

Total Price for 24 Bars (homemade): $2.76

Total price for 24 Bars (storebought): $9.99

---

 

2. Mix Nut Trail Bars

What you need:

• 1 1/2 cup of oats (60 cents)
• 1/3 cup peanut butter (31 cents)
• 1/4 cup honey (18 cents)
• 1/4 cup of chocolate chip (28 cents)
• 1/4 mix nut trail (125 cents) (you can get it for cheaper in bulk)

Procedure:

1. Heat up the oats for 2-3 minutes on medium heat until warm.
2. Heat up 1/4 mix nut trail for 2-3 minutes until lightly roasted.
3. Microwave 1/3 cup peanut butter with 1/4 cup of honey in the microwave for 20 seconds until smooth and easy to pour.
4. Combine oats, nuts and liquid mixture.
5. Grease a square pan with a drop of oil or use parchment paper to mold the bars in place.
6. Refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze for 10-15 minutes if you’re in a rush (fridge works better tho)

Total Price for 24 Bars (homemade): 5.24

Total price for 24 Bars (storebought): $9.99

---

 

3. Date Bars (the tastiest!)

My family still compliments me for these bars and I’ll link the recipe here but this is the ingredient combo I used.

What you need:

• 1 1/2 cup of oats (60 cents)
• 1 cup date paste (256 cents)
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (24 cents)
• 1/4 honey (18 cents)
• 1/4 almonds (50 cents)
• 1/4 peanuts (30 cents)

Procedure:

1. Heat up the oats for 2-3 minutes on medium heat until warm.
2. Heat up 1/4 almonds and 1/4 cup peanuts for 2-3 until roasted
3. Microwave 1/4 cup peanut butter with 1/4 cup of honey in the microwave for 20 seconds until smooth and easy to pour.
4. Combine oats, nuts and liquid mixture and finally add a cup of date paste.
5. Grease a square pan with a drop of oil or use parchment paper to mold the bars in place.
6. Refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze for 10-15 minutes if you’re in a rush (fridge works better tho)

Total Price for 24 Bars (homemade): $8.76

Total price for 24 Bars (storebought):  $9.99

---

 

Anddd that’s all for today.

Have you ever made granola bars at home?

Which recipe was your favourite?

Do you have a favourite healthy snack? 

I’ll see you in my next post.

Bayyy. 💞