Healthy Homemade Granola Bars (no refined sugar)

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Whip up a batch of these crispy puffed rice bars for a quick and easy snack! These healthy homemade granola bars are free of refined sugar and full of healthy nuts, seeds, and dried fruit for protein and energy on the go. Kid-approved!

I love to have healthy snacks to grab and bring when I take my kids to the beach, the redwoods, or on a hike with friends. Making double batches of favorite snacks and meals helps me stay ahead of hungry kiddos, whether it be whipping up a double batch of scones in the morning and freezing half, or prepping homemade hummus and carrots for the next couple of days.

Adventuring with kids can be a lot of work. Packing up the backpacks, the baby carrier, snacks and bars, water bottles, and tying all the hiking boots can feel overwhelming with a big family. But it is always worth the effort once we get out into nature, breathe the fresh air, and spend time with friends.

These weekly or bi-weekly adventures have been such a lifeline to me the past few years. I wrote a whole post about Motherhood on the Trail and what it means to truly do life with other mamas in this age of social media. It’s all too easy to feel like we are “connecting” because we are always scrolling and seeing glimpses into the lives of others. But finding friends with whom we can meet regularly and work up a sweat, while going deep in conversation and admiring the beauty of nature – this is far better for the body, mind, and spirit.

Ingredients For the Bars:

If you’re like me and keep a well-stocked pantry, you’ll have a lot of these ingredients already on hand. I love to keep many of these ingredients around for making homemade granola, salads, dressings, snacks, and more.

What you will need:

2 cups puffed rice cereal, unsweetened

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened

1/2 cup dried cranberries (use juice-sweetened ones if you want zero refined sugar, or use any other dried fruit such as dates or raisins)

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, raw or sprouted

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup almond butter (or peanut butter if you would prefer)

1/3 cup maple syrup (honey can be substituted)

1/3 cup coconut oil

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Tools You Will Need:

A 7″ by 11″ baking pan (or an 8×8)

Parchment Paper

A Small Saucepan

A mixing bowl

Steps to Make Healthy Homemade Granola Bars

In a large mixing bowl, combine the puffed rice, rolled oats, unsweetened dried coconut, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.

Coarsely chop the dried cranberries and add them to the bowl.

Stir until combined.

In a small saucepan, warm the coconut oil until it is liquid. Add the maple syrup and warm it a little too, just enough to help mix in the almond butter, but not until it gets hot.

Remove from heat and stir in the almond butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt, mixing until well combined.

The texture should be smooth and pourable. If it is not, heat it just a bit more so it will be able to coat the dry ingredients evenly. (see recipe tips)

Next, pour the almond butter mixture into the bowl with the other ingredients, and stir until all the dry ingredients are evenly coated.

Prepare a 7″ by 11″ pan (this is equivalent to an 8″ by 8″ pan which works as well), and line it with parchment paper. Using a little coconut oil, grease the sides of the pan where the parchment paper does not touch

Pour the homemade granola bar mixture into the pan, and using clean hands (you can lightly oil your hands with coconut oil), press the mixture into the pan as firmly as you can.

Alternatively, you can wrap the parchment paper over the bars while packing them in.

Press hard to make sure the bars won’t crumble when you cut them.

Once you have pressed it into the pan as firmly as you can, place the bars into the freezer for 30 minutes.

Slicing the granola bars:

After 30 minutes, it should be nice and chilled, and the coconut oil should be hardened which makes it easier to slice into even bars.

Use the knife to slice away or gently separate the edges from the pan, and then lift the bars out of the pan in one large brick.

Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice into even granola bars of whatever size you prefer.

Place the bars into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

These bars can be kept for up to 1 week in the refrigerator, or 2 months in the freezer.

Enjoy as a quick snack when you need an energy boost!

Tips for Success:

• Use a runny nut butter. This helps ensure that the oats and puffed rice are thoroughly coated and the bars can hold together. If your nut butter is too thick and dry, it won’t bind the bars together enough.
• Keep the bars refrigerated or frozen. Once you have sliced the bars, keep them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week. Or they can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. These bars are best kept chilled, so if you’re packing for an outing, place them in an insulated backpack or lunch bag with an ice pack.

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