These homemade, all-natural Oats and Honey Granola Bars are baked until slightly crunchy, making them perfect for breakfast-on-the-go or as a wholesome, portable snack.
I’m so excited to share this recipe with y’all today! Around this time last year, I posted my beloved No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars, which my family adores and which went on to become a reader favorite. After all, they’re easy to make, customizable, and downright delicious. The only downside to those granola bars, however, is that they get pretty soft if they’re not kept chilled…which makes them great for eating straight out of the fridge but not-so-great for throwing in your purse or diaper bag as a convenient snack.
The Oats & Honey Granola Bars that I’m sharing today, though, don’t need to be refrigerated. More along the lines of crunchy Nature’s Valley-type granola bars, these baked treats not only travel beautifully, but they’re loaded with oats and pure honey goodness!
These granola bars are not soft and chewy, but they’re not rock-hard crunchy either. Rather, I would consider them to be firm and moderately crunchy. Don’t mistake that for crumbly, though…I’ve actually been extremely pleased with how well they hold together, even in the backpacks of a rough-and-tumble PreK-er and 2nd grader. My boys have been taking them to school for snack time all week, and my daughter/photography assistant has requested one for breakfast each morning. I may have enjoyed one here or there as well… 😉
I think the key to this recipe is packing down the oat mixture in the pan after you’ve thoroughly incorporated all of the ingredients. And I mean you really need to pack it down. Rather than using a Pyrex 9- by 13-inch baking dish (which would work just fine, mind you), I decided to make these granola bars in my metal baking pan with perfectly square corners. Consequently, I searched my cabinets and found a mini bread pan that also boasts perfectly square corners. I then used it to press down the granola bar mixture as firmly as possible.
I did this before baking and again immediately after baking and, as a result, I ended up with firm, crunchy-ish, non-crumbly granola bars. Success!
So if you love granola bars but don’t care for the artificial additives in store-bought ones…or if you splurge on all-natural/organic granola bars but could do without the high price tag…or if you’re looking for a wholesome, homemade, portable breakfast or snack…these Oats & Honey Granola Bars are for you! I’m happy to have a crunchy version to alternate with my aforementioned favorite chewy recipe, and I hope that you have a chance to try them (and love them!) both. 🙂
Oats & Honey Granola Bar Recipe
Oats & Honey Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cups crispy rice cereal
- 2/3 cups oat flour, see Tips & Tricks below OR whole wheat pastry flour
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together oats, crispy rice cereal, oat flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Measure honey, melted coconut oil, and vanilla into a measuring cup, then drizzle over oat mixture and stir until all ingredients are completely combined.
- Transfer oat mixture into prepared pan and press down very firmly into an even layer. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown on top. Remove from oven and use the flat bottom of a small pan or dish to press down granola bars again. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, and then use parchment paper sling to carefully lift granola bars out onto a cutting board (you can leave them sitting on top of the parchment paper). Cool for 5 more minutes and then cut into 12 bars. Remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- To make oat flour, use a blender or mini food processor to grind 3/4 to 1 cup oats into a fine powder. Measure out 2/3 cup of oat flour for the granola bar recipe after grinding. If you have leftover oat flour after measuring, you can always save it for a Blueberry Muffin Healthy Oat Smoothie. 🙂
- To save a dirty dish, I melt the coconut oil in a measuring cup in the microwave and then measure the honey and vanilla on top. The coconut oil helps the honey slide out of the measuring cup.
- Baking these slightly longer will make them slightly crunchier, but be careful not to burn them! My granola bars were perfect at 22 minutes.
Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes
- Homemade Whole Wheat Pancake Mix
- Wholesome Breakfast Cookies
- Green Chile Cheddar Egg Bake
- Healthy Oat Smoothies ~ Blueberry Muffin & Peach Cobbler Flavors
- Whole Wheat Pancake Bites
- Easy Strawberry Cream Cheese Pastries
Anna @ Sunny Side Ups says
These bars are fantastic! You’re right–the store-bought bars either are packed with ingredients I don’t recognize, or are uber expensive, so I really love your homemade option! 🙂 Looks delicious!!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Thanks so much, Anna! I hope you enjoy these if you have a chance to try them. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Amanda says
You’re a mind reader! Lol, I was just talking to my husband about making our own granola bars last night 🙂 And you made it look so easy! Pinning and making soon 😀 ♥
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Awww…I hope you love these, Amanda! They are definitely easy to make. 🙂 Thanks so much for the pin!
Megan - The Emotional Baker says
I love granola bars, but haven’t had a lot of luck making my own. Can’t wait to try these!
Diane says
Thanks so much for sharing these great recipes. My kids love granola bars but they are so expensive – especially when you have 5 kids that like to snack! I will totally give these a try.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
You’re so welcome, Diane! And I can’t imagine how many snacks five kids go through…I feel like my three kids already eat me out of house and home! 😉 Hope your crew loves these…I need to make another batch this weekend myself!
Bethany @ The Southern Couture says
I love that this is something I can make at home and know exactly what is in it rather than the processed stuff. Thanks for sharing at the Motivational Monday Link Party!
Bethany from The Southern Couture
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Thanks, Bethany…and I honestly think it tastes way better! 😉 Thanks for taking the time to comment and I hope you have a great week!
Adrienne says
Thanks so much for mentioning the pressing of the granola! I just made my first batch of home made granola bars last week (peanut butter & Nutella!:) and didn’t know they needed to be pressed. As a result, they were unusually crumbly! But I will definitely be making this recipe next week for sure. Thanks again!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
You’re welcome, Adrienne! I actually have a version of peanut butter granola bars in the oven right now and I made sure to firmly press them down — ha. 😉 Hope these turn out well for you when you try them!
The Wellness Wife says
Great recipe for “clean” granola bars. So much better than the processed ones at the store! Visiting from Create Link Inspire.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Thanks so much for stopping by, Lisa! I hope you enjoy these if you have a chance to try them. 🙂
Kirsten says
Loved these! Thanks for the tip about pressing them down. Those tips are one reason why I love your blog so much. Any idea how I might incorporate nut butter into this recipe for a variation? Thanks for the great recipes!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Oh, I’m so happy that you find those tips helpful, Kirsten! Sometimes I worry that I over-explain a bit… 😛 And it’s funny that you ask about a nut butter variation, because I actually tried one this past weekend! But it got mixed reviews from my kids and I’m not 100% satisfied with how it turned out, so I’m going to keep tweaking it. Stay tuned…eventually I plan to share it! 🙂 Thanks for the comment and hope your week is off to a great start!
Mila says
These look fantastic, Samantha. Do you think it is essential to use coconut oil, or can I use canola? I want to try these soon, adding to my “snacks” board.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Canola oil should work just fine in these, Mila. 🙂 Hope y’all enjoy these!
Jessica says
I gotta say these are exciting to me. My son loves granola but all of the bar recipes I’ve found contain nuts which my son is very allergic to. I can’t wait to make these! Thank you!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Oh, I’m so glad this recipe will work for your son, Jessica! Hope he enjoys them! 🙂
DANIELLE says
HI I TRIED YOUR RECIPE IT TASTE AMAZING BUT IT NEVER GIT CRUNCHY IT ACTUALLY GOT SOFTER WHEN IT COOLED WHAT DID I DO WRONG
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
I’m sorry to hear that, Danielle. 🙁 Without more information, I’m afraid I can’t be of too much help, but my first guess would be that maybe your granola bars needed to be baked a bit longer? At any rate, I hope these turn out to your liking if you try them again!
Andrea says
Hello, I just discovered this recipe and am eager to try it for a low budget snack! I was wondering if I could add other ingredients to this, such as seeds or dried fruits, or would that end up altering the makeup of the “batter” too much? Thanks!
Cynthia says
I’m so excited to try this recipe! Do you have any advice for storing? I plan to send it into a care package and don’t want it to go bad! Thank you so much!
Michelle says
I have now made your granola bars at least 4 times and they are always a huge hit! I have made one substitution, however as we don’t really keep much cereal in the house. Instead of the Rice Krispies, I use crushed up Kashi Sprouted Grains which resemble bran flakes. They are delicious and I think a bit healthier than the Rice Krispies. Thanks so much for the great recipes!!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Michelle! I’m so glad your family enjoys these granola bars, and thank you for sharing your ingredient substitution! I usually use “puffed brown rice cereal” when I make these, but I love the idea of trying crushed up Kashi Sprouted Grains instead…sounds yummy! I appreciate you taking the time to share and I hope you have a great rest of the week… 🙂
Claudia says
These are amazing. I added peanut butter to mine and they came out smashing!!!
Amy Veselsky says
We love these oat bars and I have been making them for about three weeks (2 batches for a week of bars for 2 people) and love the recipe! We add a tablespoon of cinnamon to the mix and sprinkle on top. Thank-you!!!
crisha says
These are fantastic! Instead of flour I us powdered peanut butter and they turn out great. My picky husband asks for more!
Bridget Harrison says
How much powdered peanut butter did you use?
Mike Fuller says
Thanks for the Oats and Honey recipe. been looking for a good recipe to use the honey I have
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
You’re welcome, Mike…hope you enjoy! 🙂
Emma says
Hi there!
I am really looking forward to baking these bars on Saturday! I was wondering if there was any way to make this a chewy bar instead of a crunchy one. What ingredients/measurements would I change?
Thanks.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Emma! I don’t know that this recipe could be adapted to be chewy instead of crunchy, but I do have some good chewy granola bars on my site that are entirely different:
https://www.fivehearthome.com/chewy-no-bake-granola-bars-with-coconut-oil/
I also have some soft-baked oatmeal bars and energy bars that are on the chewy side:
https://www.fivehearthome.com/?s=oatmeal+bars
Hope that helps!
Lisa says
Is there anything else I could substitute for the coconut oil? My daughter is allergic to it, but lives granola bars. I would like to make some for her and these look so good but I can’t use the coconut in them.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Lisa! You should be able to substitute any baking-suitable vegetable oil (such as safflower or canola). Enjoy!
Tatiana Guido says
I’m making these right now as I’m typing this message. It smells so good and super easy to make. Can’t wait to try them!!
Risë says
I love these crispy granola bars! We use sprouted crisp rice for our crisp rice cereal and coconut sugar instead of brown sugar, but I doubt it alters the flavor. I love a crispy treat with wholesome ingredients! Thanks!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Glad these were a hit, Risë! And thank you for sharing your modifications…they sound delicious. 🙂
Nicole says
Is there a way to make these with out the oil?
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Nicole! I haven’t tried making these granola bars without the oil, so I’m not sure how well they would hold together.
Sedrah Riaz says
Hi dear Samantha,
Me and my husband really like healthy food and also granola bars 😀 he asked for nature’s granola bar as lunch snack from me and i thought why not to make some at home and I stumbled upon your recipe which looks really nice. I just had one query can I skip baking soda in the recipe?
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Sedrah! I haven’t tried making these granola bars without the baking soda, but they don’t rise much, so leaving it out shouldn’t affect them too much. Please let me know how they turn out if you give it a try! 🙂
Gina Dwyer says
Hi Samantha! Question for you: Do you think I could sub some seeds/nuts for the cereal as I don’t have any currently? These look yum! Love that I found something that travels well 🙂
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
That should work, Gina! Your granola bars may just turn out slightly harder/denser without the rice cereal to puff them up a bit. 🙂