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Crispy Honey Nut Granola Bars

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Crispy and not too sweet, these granola bars are loaded with oats, nuts, coconut, and dried fruit.

Crispy honey nut granola bars on a counter.

I’ve tried dozens of recipes for homemade granola bar recipes over the years. This crispy, crunchy version loaded with oats, nuts, coconut, and dried fruit is one of my favorites. Surprisingly, the secret ingredient is Rice Krispies, which lend the bars a light and airy crispiness. Imagine a delightful cross between a granola bar and a Rice Krispies Treat—that’s exactly what you get here.

“Exactly what I was searching for- Crunchy and delicious, but not too sweet.”

Carole S

What You’ll Need To Make Crispy Honey Nut Granola Bars

Homemade Granola Bars Ingredients.
  • Old Fashioned Rolled Oats: The base ingredient, adding bulk and texture.
  • Chopped Walnuts: Add crunch and nutty flavor.
  • Sliced Almonds: Introduce additional crunch and a delicate, slightly sweet taste.
  • Shredded Unsweetened Coconut: Offers a hint of tropical flavor and nice texture contrast.
  • Honey: Acts as a natural binder and adds subtle sweetness to the bars.
  • Light Brown Sugar: Provides sweetness and helps with crispiness.
  • Unsalted Butter: Contributes richness and aids in binding.
  • Vanilla Extract: Enhances flavor complexity.
  • Crisp Rice Cereal: Adds crispiness and lightness to the bars.
  • Dried Fruit: Offers bursts of natural sweetness and chewiness. Also provides a nice color contrast.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-by-Step Ingredients

oats and nuts spread on baking sheet.

To begin, spread the oats, walnuts and almonds onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Place in the oven and toast for 7 minutes. Add the shredded coconut and toss well.

adding shredded coconut to baking sheet.

Place the pan back into the oven to cook for 4 to 5 minutes more. Keep an eye on it towards the end; you want the coconut to turn golden but not burn.

golden oats, nuts and coconut.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, vanilla extract and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat.

honey, brown sugar, salt, butter and vanilla in saucepan.

Whisk and bring to a rapid boil, then turn off the heat and set aside.

rapidly boiling honey mixture.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce heat to 300°F. Combine the oat mixture, honey mixture, rice cereal, and dried fruit in a large bowl.

oats mixture, rice cereal, dried fruit, and honey mixture in large bowl.

Toss well to combine.

tossed granola bar mixture.

Turn the granola bar mixture out into a foil-lined baking dish.

granola bar mixture in baking dish.

Using a rubber spatula, spread and pat the mixture into an even layer.

pressing mixture into an even layer.

Bake until lightly golden, 20 to 23 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely, 1 to 1½ hours. Use the foil overhang to transfer bars to cutting board.

block of granola bars on cutting board.

Use a large, sharp knife to cut into rectangles.

cutting the granola bars.

Store the bars in a single layer in an airtight container for up to a week (do not stack the bars or they will stick together and fall apart).

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I store granola bars to keep them fresh?

Store the bars in a single layer in an airtight container, or wrap them individually in aluminum foil, for up to a week at room temperature.

Can I freeze granola bars?

Definitely! These granola bars freeze nicely for up to 3 months. Ensure they’ve cooled completely, then store them in an airtight container with parchment paper or aluminum foil between layers. When you’re ready to enjoy, take them out of the container and let them thaw at room temperature.

Are there any variations or substitutions I can try?

Sure — as long as you keep the proportions of dry to wet ingredients the same, these are super versatile. You can switch up the nuts or dried fruits depending on your preferences or what you have on hand. Sometimes I’ll sprinkle some chocolate chips over top for the kids (you can’t mix them in or they’ll melt). Experiment and have fun with it!

granola bars on marble board.

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Crispy Honey Nut Granola Bars

Crispy and not too sweet, these granola bars are loaded with oats, nuts, coconut, and dried fruit.

Servings: Makes 12 to 16 granola bars
Total Time: 35 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • ½ cup sliced almonds
  • ⅔ cup shredded unsweetened coconut (available at Whole Foods or natural food markets)
  • ½ cup honey
  • 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup crisp rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies
  • ¾ cup dried fruit, such as cranberries, diced apricots, blueberries, currants, etc.

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil.
  2. Spread the oats, walnuts and almonds onto the prepared baking sheet. Place in the oven and toast for 7 minutes. Add the coconut and toss well with a rubber spatula, then place back in the oven to cook for 4 to 5 minutes more. Keep an eye on it towards the end; you want the coconut to turn golden but not burn.
  3. In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, vanilla extract and salt in a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Whisk and bring to a rapid boil, then turn off the heat and set aside.
  4. Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300°F. Combine the oat mixture, honey mixture, rice cereal, and dried fruit in a large bowl and toss well. (Reserve the aluminum foil.)
  5. Use the reserved foil to line a 9x13-inch baking dish, then spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Turn the granola bar mixture out into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly, patting down with a spatula. Be sure the heat is reduced to 300°F, then bake until lightly golden, 20 to 23 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely, 1 to 1½ hours. Use the foil overhang to transfer the bars to a cutting board, then use a large, sharp knife to cut into rectangles. Store the bars in a single layer in an airtight container, or wrap the bars individually in aluminum foil, for up to a week at room temperature.
  6. Note: You can swap in your favorite nuts and seeds as long as you keep the proportions of dry to wet ingredients the same. On occasion, I’ll sprinkle some chocolate chips over top for the kids (you can't mix them in or they'll melt).
  7. Note: Be sure your oven is fully preheated before toasting nuts; the initial blast of heat to preheat the oven can burn them.
  8. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The granola bars can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove them from the container and let them come to room temperature.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (16 servings)
  • Serving size: 1 bar
  • Calories: 140
  • Fat: 7g
  • Saturated fat: 3g
  • Carbohydrates: 19g
  • Sugar: 12g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Protein: 2g
  • Sodium: 60mg
  • Cholesterol: 4mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • These are so tasty, and not too sweet. Also approved by picky eater that doesn’t eat any bars whatsoever.

    • — Maya on February 9, 2024
    • Reply
  • These are the best! I’ve been looking for a granola bar that tastes similar to the Kashi granola bars I used to love – lots of the good stuff, not too sweet. These are exactly that! I can pack a few in the car while running errands and I’m good to go. I’ve shared the recipe with others who have asked for it after I shared some bars.

    • — Nancee on January 15, 2024
    • Reply
  • These bars are fabulous in all ways! I followed the recipe as written, only I put parchment paper over the aluminum foil and that worked perfectly. Thank you, this is a keeper!

    • — Anne Davids on October 16, 2023
    • Reply
  • This is a fantastic recipe! I think I may have cooked them too long because they are hard to cut. Also, I was wondering if you can add a nut butter to the melted ingredients to boost the protein? Also, if you add the nut butter, would you need to add an egg white after mixing the dry and wet ingredients to make sure the bars stay together? Thanks again for another winning recipe!

    • — Heidi on October 6, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Heidi, I have a wonderful peanut butter granola bar in my first cookbook. I’m happy to email it you if you’d like; just send a request to jennifer@onceuponachef.com.

      • — Jenn on October 7, 2023
      • Reply
  • Made these again using honey and they held together beautifully 😋 out of the three versions I’ve made from your recipes we can’t decide which we like best. Need to go through and make them again. Thanks Jenn. Btw we’re in Australia and all your recipes are new to us 😉

    • — Catherine on September 10, 2023
    • Reply
    • 😊

      • — Jenn on September 11, 2023
      • Reply
  • Mine fell apart 😔 still delicious though. Will def be baking again, maybe maple syrup doesn’t hold as well as honey 🤷‍♀️

    • — Catherine on September 2, 2023
    • Reply
  • LOVE this recipe. Have been looking for a breakfast bar I can grab on the go and now I have a way to use up all the small dribs and drabs of nuts and seeds and dried fruit in the pantry. Thank you!

    • — Diane on April 8, 2023
    • Reply
  • Great recipe. Turned out just the right texture. I’ve been searching for this recipe for years!

    • — Cathy weisz on February 11, 2023
    • Reply
  • Best oat bars. It’s my first time making it and it came out well.

    • — Kudakwashe Tashaya on May 17, 2022
    • Reply
  • The granola bars turned out great and will be making them again and again. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

    • — KL ang on April 5, 2022
    • Reply
    • I’ve made a couple different granola bar recipes recently and mine seem to have difficulty binding when cooled. They’re crumbly. I used 1/2 cup honey and 1/3 cup peanut butter as the binder with 2 cups oats and 1 cup nuts. Not sure why they don’t bind. Any advice before I make your recipe? I need something that holds together well for my 5 yr old granddaughter to hold without it crumbling into pieces.

      • — Jody on November 12, 2022
      • Reply
      • Hi Jody, Would you be open to trying a peanut butter granola bar? I have a wonderful recipe in my first cookbook (that’s not crumbly at all) that I’m happy to share with you. You might also try this recipe — they are a bit chewier than these and hold together really well.

        • — Jenn on November 12, 2022
        • Reply
      • To create the solid bar, BEFORE placing the mix back in the oven for the last round, using the bottom of a measuring cup (or anything like) give a quick swipe over butter so that no granola stick to the cup, press the granola flat. Once the whole tray has been done, continue with the rest of the instructions.

        • — love 2bbored on March 21, 2023
        • Reply
  • Excellent recipe!!! Used what I had on-hand which meant chocolate-sea salt oatmeal, coco puffed riced cereal, sweetened coconut, and chopped cashews in place of the slivered almonds. I cut the brown sugar to 1 TBSP to negate the sweetness from the coconut. These were so good, eaten by family and friends at once for dessert along with fresh fruit. I can imagine making a sweet/savory combo might be good as well with rosemary and raisins leaving out the sugar. Will try that next. Thanks Jen!!

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