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My children L-O-V-E granola bars as a snack!  And we can find premade ones pretty inexpensively at the local discount grocery store.

The only trouble is, the ingredients in the store version are often not that great.

Homemade granola bars use healthier ingredients and are so fun to make!  And this recipe is easy enough that older kids can make it themselves!

homemade granola bars

Why You’ll Love Homemade Granola Bars

  • Wholesome & Homemade: These granola bars are made with simple, nourishing ingredients—no preservatives or mystery additives.
  • Easy to Customize: Mix in your favorite nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or chocolate chips to make them just right for your family.
  • Perfect Grab-and-Go Snack: Great for lunchboxes, busy mornings, or an afternoon pick-me-up you can feel good about.

Ingredients

How to Make Homemade Granola Bars

Here are the step-by-step instructions for making this recipe:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease a 9″x13″ glass baking dish with butter.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and honey and mix well (I just use a plastic or wooden spoon to mix.)
  3. Add the oats, flour, baking soda, and vanilla and mix well.
  4. Stir in the add-ins by hand.
  5. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and press it firmly into the pan (and you can even use your hands for this part!).
  6. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  They won’t look or feel “done,” but instead they will still be very moist.  Don’t worry, they’ll harden as they cool.
  7. Allow the bars to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into bars.  Let them cool completely before removing and serving.  They can be stored at room temperature or you can even freeze them for later use.

Note: If you want your granola bars crispier, slice the fully baked bars and spread them apart slightly on a cookie sheet.  Bake them again at 200 degrees for 30-60 minutes until crispy but not browned.

Can I customize these granola bars?

Absolutely! You can swap in your favorite nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or chocolate chips to make them perfect for your family.

Do homemade granola bars need to be refrigerated?

They can be stored at room temperature for a few days, but keeping them in the refrigerator helps them stay firm and fresh longer.

Are these granola bars freezer-friendly?

Yes! These granola bars freeze well and can be thawed as needed for an easy grab-and-go snack.

This recipe comes from The Family Camping Handbook.  I altered the directions a bit, and the photo is mine.

This is just one of quite a few great recipes from The Family Camping Handbook that I plan to use when we go camping!

More Snack Recipe Inspiration

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment with a 5-star recipe rating and let me know! Thank you!

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Homemade Granola Bars

Learn how to make your own homemade granola bars with this easy recipe. It uses wholesome ingredients and they taste great!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 16 bars
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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup honey
  • 4 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup whole wheat or spelt flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Add ins of choice, mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, dried fruit, sunflower seeds, coconut, etc.  

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9″x13″ glass baking dish with butter.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and honey and mix well (I just use a plastic or wooden spoon to mix.)
  • Add the oats, flour, baking soda, and vanilla and mix well.
  • Stir in the add-ins by hand.
  • Pour the mixture into the baking dish and press it firmly into the pan (and you can even use your hands for this part!).
  • Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. They won’t look or feel “done,” but instead they will still be very moist. Don’t worry, they’ll harden as they cool.
  • Allow the bars to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into bars. Let them cool completely before removing and serving. They can be stored at room temperature or you can even freeze them for later use.

Notes

If you want your granola bars crispier, slice the fully baked bars and spread them apart slightly on a cookie sheet.  Bake them again at 200 degrees for 30-60 minutes until crispy but not browned.

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 162mg, Potassium: 125mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 355IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 19mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

Hi, I'm Joy!

I'm a homemaker and homeschooling mom of 5. For over 25 years I've been cooking from scratch and making homemade bread for my family of 7. I love sharing sourdough recipes, easy dinner ideas, and simple DIY projects for your home.

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6 Comments

  1. Jenny says:

    Hi! Thanks for sharing your recipe. I don’t have any wheat flour? Any good substitutions for it or can I use regular white flour (I have this on hand). Thanks!

    1. Joy Kincaid says:

      Hi Jenny! I think regular white flour should work just fine. If you try them, let me know how they turn out!

    1. Joy Kincaid says:

      Hope you like this one, Heather, we love it! I just linked up, thanks for inviting me. 🙂

  2. Amanda says:

    Those look delicious. I was going to whip up a batch of granola tomorrow and think I will try these as well. DD LOVES granola bars. Thanks.

    -Amanda

    1. Joy Kincaid says:

      Hope you enjoy them, Amanda! My children think they're wonderful, especially when they have chocolate chips in them! 🙂