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These homemade granola bars are chewy, lightly sweet, and packed with healthy ingredients like oats, almond butter, and maple syrup. Baked to golden perfection with a hint of cinnamon and crunch from sliced almonds, they’re the perfect grab-and-go snack or quick breakfast for busy days. Simple to make and easy to love, these bars are a healthy upgrade from store-bought granola bars.

This recipe is also a great way to fuel up before a workout. Check out my other pre-workout snacks for more simple, nourishing ideas.

stack of oatmeal raisin bars on parchment paper.

What's in this post

For Active Days, I Make Homemade Granola Bars

I love to hike, walk and run for the fitness benefits but also because of the snacks I get to enjoy along the way. These homemade granola bars are one of my healthy motivators to do more miles. Here’s why:

  • Wholesome, flexible ingredients: Made with simple, plant-based pantry staples you can easily swap (nuts, seeds, dried fruit), so you can customize every batch to your taste or what you have on hand.
  • Sustained energy that actually lasts: A balanced mix of oats, healthy fats, and plant-based protein (thanks to almond butter + chia seeds) keeps you full and fueled longer—no crash an hour later. Want more chia goodness? Check out my collection of chia seed recipes.
  • Naturally sweet, warm, and cozy flavor: Maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla create that classic oatmeal raisin vibe with a soft, chewy texture and just the right amount of crunch.

More healthy snacks recipes: roasted almonds, healthy granola, lemon chia pudding, vegan protein bars, no-bake energy balls, and banana muffins.

freeA bowl of ready-to-eat creamy vegetable soup next to silver spoons.

November 9-13, 2026

Jen’s Free Soup Challenge

I’d love for you to soup it up with me! For 5 days, I’ll send you a daily veggie-packed soup that’s easy enough for a busy weeknight and makes enough to freeze and pull out all winter.

homemade granola bars in a stack next to a baking pan on a wooden table.

How to Make Healthy Homemade Granola Bars

This recipe makes eight bars and needs an 8×8-sized pan (like what you use for brownies). You also need a bit of parchment, an oven and a mixing bowl. Ready? Set. Bake!

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of an 8×8 pan with parchment paper. You can grease the pan instead, but I find parchment works better.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. You can either mix them well with a spatula or use the beater attachment of a standing mixer to combine them.
  3. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Let the bars cool completely in the pan before removing them, as they will be crumbly if still warm.
  4. Cut into eight rectangles and wrap in parchment paper or enjoy immediately.

Common Questions

Is it worth it to make your own granola bars?

I think it’s worth it to make homemade granola bars since they are super easy to make and then I know exactly what’s in them. It’s not easy to find good snack options with ingredients I love, so I make my own to get the taste and texture I want with ingredients I can feel good about giving to my kids.

Are homemade granola bars healthier?

My chewy granola bars recipe uses all real, plant-based ingredients. I’m sure you could find some store-bought ones with even fewer ingredients, yet this is a pretty affordable option and easy for me to make.

What is the best binder for granola bars?

My granola bars use almond butter as the main binder. Stir them together well and make sure any mix-ins are chopped up so that they aren’t too large and cause the bars to crumble.

Recipe Card

Homemade Granola Bars

Jen Hansard
4.8 (30)
These homemade granola bars bake rolled oats, almond flour and almond butter into 8 chewy bars that taste like an oatmeal cookie, with raisins, chia and a little nutmeg. I sweeten them with maple syrup only, and they hold together well in a lunchbox.
Review Save Print Pin
Homemade granola bars on parchment paper.
Serves8 bars
Prep10 minutes
Cook25 minutes
Total time35 minutes

Recipe Video

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Heat the oven to 325 °F. Grease an 8-by-8-inch baking pan or line the bottom with parchment paper.
  • Combine the oats, almond flour, almonds, maple syrup, raisins, almond butter, chia seeds, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl and stir until evenly mixed.
  • Press the mixture firmly into the prepared pan. Bake until lightly golden at the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan.
  • Cut into 8 bars and serve.

Equipment

wood handled knife
Japanese-style knife set
parchment paper sheets
Set of gold measuring cups with white powder on marble surface.
Le Creuset measuring cups
Set of gold measuring spoons on a white surface for cooking and baking.
Le Creuset spoons

Recipe Notes

  • Ingredient Swaps: Use oat or gluten-free flour for the almond flour, any nut or seed butter for the almond butter and other nuts or seeds for the almonds. Any chopped dried fruit or mini chocolate chips can replace the raisins.
  • Nut-Free: Skip the almonds, use oat flour instead of almond flour, increase the oats to 2 cups and use sunflower butter.
  • Gluten-Free: Use certified gluten-free oats if you need the bars to be gluten-free.
  • Storing: Store in an airtight container with parchment between layers for up to 1 week, or freeze in a sealed bag for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Calories343 kcal
Carbohydrates39 g
Protein9 g
Fat19 g
Fiber7 g

Serving: 1 bar | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Sodium: 79 mg | Potassium: 351 mg | Sugar: 13 g | Vitamin A: 2 IU | Vitamin C: 1 mg | Calcium: 134 mg | Iron: 2 mg

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chewy granola bar recipe in a baking dish lined with parchment paper, ready to be cut into squares.