Granola bars are lunchbox staple, and it would be remiss to overlook them in any school day menu planning. Homemade granola bars with whole grains, dried fruits, seeds and nuts (though bars that contain these ingredients might not be school-friendly) are a nutritious snack seemingly adored by kids everywhere. Store-bought granola bars are available for purchase at most food shops, but sadly many of them are sugar laden and full of fat, leaving much of their nutritional benefits to be desired. Luckily homemade versions are easy to assemble, and the variety of baked and no-bake options are endless, leaving you with plenty of options to suit your busy schedule.
Once you decide on your granola bar recipe, consider double or even quadrupling the recipe. Granola bars are an excellent candidate for batch cooking, and will keep in the freezer for weeks if sealed tightly in plastic wrap and stored in a freezer safe container.
Granola Bar Recipes
These homemade granola bars are high on taste and low on nutritional deficiencies. Using whole grain cereals, natural sweeteners and seeds for protein, they come together quickly and only require a quick chill in the fridge before they’re ready for consumption.
No-Bake, Naturally Sweetened Granola Bars (adapted from Do It Delicious)
- 1 2/3 cups multigrain cereal
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ¼ cup ground flax seeds
- ½ cup brown rice syrup
- 6 tablespoons natural almond butter
- 2/3 cup sunflower seeds or chocolate covered sunflower seeds
- No-stick baking spray
Spray an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Combine the cereal, oats, coconut and flax in a medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the rice syrup and almond butter and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until melted and creamy.
Pour over the oat mixture and stir until well combined. All to cool slightly, then add in the sunflower seeds and combine.
Press evenly into the prepared pan and let cool completely (about 30 minutes). Slice into bars and serve.
Other Granola Bar Recipes:
- Walnut Granola Trail Bars – These good for you goodies are packed full of fiber and are perfect for post-school sports and activities.
- Thick Chewy Granola Bars – Heavy on the dried fruit, these thick, soft bars are great for toddler snacks.
- No-Bake Granola Bars – A simple ingredients list makes these perfect for getting kids into the kitchen to make their own school snack.
- Gluten-Free Granola Bars – If your child or family lives gluten-free, these easy to make, healthy bars will be a wonderful addition to your repertoire of snacks.
- Sweet Treat Granola Bars – These colourful granola bars will make a fun addition to a birthday or classroom party, while keeping some of the celebration sugar bugs at bay.