Make these homemade easy granola bars for a quick and healthy breakfast or snack recipe the whole family will love!
The best part? You only need 3 ingredients for the recipe!
Seriously, these portable, chewy granola bars couldn’t be easier to make from scratch and can be customized for unlimited delicious flavor ideas.
Pack the healthy bars in a school lunch box, take them with you for breakfast or grab a high-fiber healthy afternoon snack. It’s always a good time to eat these granola bars, no bowl or spoon required!
Also try this Chocolate Mug Cake
Watch the step-by-step granola bar recipe video above
Flavors of homemade granola bars
Chocolate Granola Bar: Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder and 2½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract. Dip finished bars in melted chocolate.
Nutella Snack Bars: Make the chocolate version of the recipe above, substituting an equal amount of store-bought or homemade Nutella for the nut butter.
Cookie Dough Bars: Use cashew butter and add 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract before mixing together.
Strawberry Granola Bar: Stir a third cup of freeze-dried strawberries into the granola. Drizzle the bars with melted coconut butter or white chocolate chips, if you like.
Peanut Butter Granola Bars: Use smooth or crunchy peanut butter and optionally stir in a third cup of crushed peanuts or peanut butter chips as well.
Marshmallow Bars: Chop up 1/2 cup of mini marshmallows or vegan mini marshmallows. Stir this into the mixture with the muesli.
Other granola bar flavors you can make include snickerdoodle, birthday cake batter, frosted lemon, caramel, chocolate peppermint, raspberry, or pumpkin pie. Or try Oreo cookies and cream, vanilla bean, maple and brown sugar, crunchy coconut or s’mores.
As you can see, the flavor possibilities are endless!
Trending this week: Applesauce Muffins
The best ingredients for granola bars
Here’s what you need to make the easy breakfast recipe: your choice of dried cereal, liquid sweetener, nut or seed butter, and optional salt and protein powder.
Agave, honey, or brown rice syrup all work well in this recipe. Use agave syrup or brown rice syrup instead of honey when serving to vegan guests.
Pure maple syrup is a thinner sweetener. It can still work if you add more peanut butter to make up the difference in thickness so the bars still hold together.
Feel free to use your favorite nut butters. I like granola bars with peanut butter, but almond butter, cashew butter, macadamia butter, or nut-free sunbutter also work.
*For a low-calorie option, you can technically cut the nut butter back to 1/2 cup if desired. The bars are fine if you keep them in the freezer, but are much more delicate and don’t hold together as well at room temperature.
What kind of granola do you use for 3 ingredient granola bars?
Choose a cereal with small flakes or shapes like Cheerios, Fruit Loops, or Rice Krispies. Vegans should look for branded natural alternatives to Kellogg’s or General Mills cereal, which often contain vitamin D3.
Cheerios or granola-like shaped bars are about 160 calories each.
I haven’t tried Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Golden Grahams, Frosted Flakes, Special K, Cocoa Puffs, Trix, Fruity Pebbles, Lucky Charms, or their vegan counterparts.
If you’re experimenting with a grain not mentioned above, or a grain-free keto cereal, get in touch and let us know your results!
How to make granola bars for breakfast
Start by lining an 8-inch pan with wax paper or parchment paper.
If your nut butter isn’t already soft and easy to stir, gently heat it in the microwave or on the stovetop until it stirs easily.
In a large mixing bowl, stir all of the granola bar ingredients together until evenly combined. Transfer the granola mixture to the prepared pan. Place a second sheet of parchment paper on top and press the mixture evenly into the pan.
(Be sure to press the mixture very firmly, as this will prevent the granola bars from falling apart after slicing later.)
Remove the second sheet of parchment if you like. Chill or freeze the homemade granola bars until firm enough to cut into bars.
Cover leftovers and store in either the refrigerator or on the countertop in a cool, dry place. Leftover bars can also be frozen.
The recipe was adapted from these four ingredient homemade protein bars and from my Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats and Strawberry Oatmeal Bars.
How to make milk and granola bars
If you grew up a fan of those packaged grab-and-go milk and granola bars, here are three ways you can achieve a similar look and taste at home.
The first option is to pour 1/2 cup of melted coconut butter or white chocolate chips over the top of the bars before slicing. Cool to set the coating.
For a healthier milk and granola bar coating, stir together 2/3 cup Greek yogurt with 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil or butter and 3 cups powdered sugar or erythritol powder. Let it sit until thick, then spread on the pan and cool.
- 3 cups Muesli of your choice
- 2/3 Cup Peanut butter or nut butter of your choice
- 1/2 Cup Agave, honey or brown rice syrup
- optional 1/2 tsp salt
- optionally 3 tbsp protein powder
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*Be sure to check out all of the granola bar flavor ideas above!Line an 8-inch pan with wax or parchment paper (or double the recipe for a 9×13-inch pan). If necessary, heat the nut butter slightly until it is easy to stir. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the granola mixture into the pan. Place a second sheet of parchment on top and press the granola firmly into the pan. Press down very firmly so that the muesli bars don’t fall apart after you cut them. Freeze for half an hour or until firm enough to cut into bars. cover leftovers. Store in the fridge, freezer, or on the counter in a cool, dry place.View nutritional information
More healthy breakfast options
Healthy Blueberry Muffins
Cranberry Orange Bread
Avocado smoothie
Scrambled eggs with tofu
Blender Muffins
Chocolate Banana Bread