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–+ servings
overhead view of 4 flavors of granola bars on a sheet pan.
Lexi

Granola Bars

4.25 from 4 votes
These homemade granola bars are so much better than store-bought! They're sweetened with dates instead of regular sugar, but still have a satisfying chewy texture. We made four flavors: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Cranberry Almond, Blueberry Cashew and Apple Cinnamon. It's so easy to customize these and they can be made vegan, gluten free and nut free! 
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chill time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 12 granola bars
Course: Snacks
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars: 
Blueberry Cashew Granola Bars (make the following changes): 
  • Omit chocolate chips and add in ¾ cup chopped dried blueberries
  • Substitute chopped peanuts with chopped cashews unsalted
  • Substitute peanut butter with cashew butter
  • Optional: add 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Cranberry Almond Granola Bars (make the following changes): 
  • Omit chocolate chips and add in ¾ cup chopped dried cranberries
  • Substitute chopped peanuts with chopped almonds unsalted
  • Substitute peanut butter with almond butter
  • Optional: add 1 teaspoon orange zest and sub ½ teaspoon vanilla extract with ½ teaspoon almond extract
Apple Cinnamon Granola Bars (make the following changes): 
  • Omit chocolate chips and add in ¾ cup chopped dried apples
  • Substitute chopped peanuts with sunflower or pumpkin seeds
  • Substitute peanut butter with ¾ cup sunflower butter

Method
 

Make the Date Paste:
  1. Add the dates to a bowl, cover with very hot water and soak for 5-10 minutes to soften. Reserve a few tablespoons of the water, then drain the dates.
  2. Place the dates in a food processor with 1 tablespoon of the reserved water. Pulse several times until it forms a mostly smooth paste. Add in another tablespoon of water if needed. Measure out ¾ cup of date paste, and reserve any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Make the Granola Bars:
  1. Line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper. 
  2. In a large bowl, stir together ¾ cup of date paste, honey, nut/seed butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. If you are adding zest, other extracts, or spices, add them at this time.
  3. Add the oats, dried fruit, chopped nuts, and any other mix-ins, and stir thoroughly to combine (this may take a few minutes, as it will be a thick mixture).
  4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press firmly into the pan, using your fingers or the flat bottom of a sturdy measuring cup. Freeze for 1 hour (or up to overnight) – this makes cutting the bars much easier. You can cut them right away, but they may fall apart slightly. You can reshape any loose pieces with your hands. 
  5. Preheat the oven to 325˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  6. Remove the bars from the freezer. Transfer the granola bars to a cutting board (on top of the parchment paper). Slice in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 6 evenly-sized bars for 12 bars total. The bars may crumble slightly when cut, so just press any loose pieces back into the bars. 
  7. Transfer to the baking sheet and bake for 20-22 minutes, until they are light golden brown on the bottom. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Notes

Storage: Keep the granola bars stored in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper. You can store them at room temperature for about a week, the refrigerator for a few weeks, or the freezer for up to 6 months. 
Freeze the bars before slicing: While this step is not 100% essential, we tested this recipe multiple times and freezing makes it much easier to slice the bars. We slice before baking so all of the edges dry out and get chewy, which is how store-bought granola bars are made. If you skip this step, just keep in mind that the mixture may crumble quite a bit, but you can always press it back together with your hands. 
The nutritional information below is for the peanut butter chocolate chip granola bar recipe. 

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