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With just 5 minutes of prep and a food processor, you can make a batch of soft, chewy Homemade Granola Bars without turning on the oven! Naturally sweetened with dates, they are perfect for lunchboxes, road trips, or afternoon snacks.
Why These Date Granola Bars Work
I started making these date-sweetened granola bars because store-bought ones were either loaded with refined sugar or overpriced, and now they're the bars my family can't get enough of.
- Dates do the heavy lifting. They give these bars their sweetness and chew, just like they do in my no-bake energy bites.
- No oven, one machine. The food processor turns the dates into a paste, then mixes in the oats without grinding them down, so the bars keep their texture.
- Easy to fit your family's needs. They're dairy-free and vegan-friendly as written and gluten-free with certified gluten-free oats. There are nut-free and oil-free swaps below, too.
5-Star Reader Review
This is my go to recipe! It turns out great even without the maple syrup. Still very sweet and satisfying. I usually soak my dates and add the water to make up for the missing liquid. -Sharon
Notes on Ingredients
- Dates: Use whole dried dates, not pre-chopped, which are often coated in sugar and sometimes contain preservatives. Deglet Nour and Medjool dates both work. I usually reach for Deglet Nour because they're less expensive, already pitted, and I always have a big bag in my pantry. Have leftover dates? Use them in my copycat Larabars.
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: These give the bars their chew. Quick oats work in a pinch, but your bars will be on the softer side. Skip steel-cut oats.
- Coconut Oil: It helps the bars hold together and adds a nutty undertone, similar to store-bought bars. Melted butter works, but the bars will no longer be dairy-free or vegan-friendly.
- Maple Syrup: It adds sweetness and a rich, warming flavor. Honey works in its place, but the granola bars will no longer be vegan-friendly.
- Nut Butter: Use a well-stirred, all-natural peanut butter or almond butter. If yours is salted, leave out the salt.
- Add-Ins (Optional): They're great as written, but you can add mini chocolate chips, toffee bits, dried fruit, cinnamon, or chopped nuts. Keep it to ½ cup total or the bars will likely fall apart, and lightly chop anything large first.
Dietary Swaps
- Gluten-Free: Use certified gluten-free oats.
- Nut-Free: Swap the nut butter for sunflower seed butter or soy butter.
- Oil-Free: Replace the coconut oil with an equal amount of extra nut butter. The bars will still taste great but will be a bit more crumbly.
- Vegan: Use maple syrup, not honey.
How to Make Homemade Granola Bars
The steps and photos are here to help, but the recipe card at the bottom of this post has the full directions and quantities. There's also a video in the recipe card if you'd like to watch them come together.
- Line the pan. Line an 8×8 square baking dish with parchment paper. Don't skip this. The parchment lets you lift the bars out to slice and keeps your fingers from getting sticky.
- Soak the dates. If needed, slice the dates in half and remove the pits. Cover them with hot water and soak until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain, but save the soaking liquid.
Note from Kristen
Dates that have been in the pantry a while dry out. The soak softens them so the food processor can turn them into a smooth paste. That reserved liquid is what you'll use if the mixture comes out too dry later.
- Make the date paste. Process the dates in a food processor fitted with an S-blade until a thick paste forms. Add the maple syrup, coconut oil, nut butter, vanilla, and salt, then pulse until creamy.
- Pulse in the oats. Add the oats and pulse just until everything is moistened and holds together. If the mixture looks dry, add the reserved soaking liquid 1 tablespoon at a time. Pulse rather than run the processor. You want the oats mixed in, not broken down.
- Add mix-ins (optional). Add chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or dried fruit, then pulse 1 to 2 times, just enough to distribute them.
- Press into the pan. Transfer the mixture to the lined pan. Lay a second sheet of parchment on top and press it into an even layer.
- Chill and slice. Chill in the fridge or freezer for 15 minutes. Lift the bars out by the parchment and cut. They're technically ready right away, but chilling firms them up so they cut cleanly.
How to Store Homemade Granola Bars
- Refrigerate: Because these bars are made with coconut oil and no preservatives, the fridge keeps them firm and fresh. Store them in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers, and eat them within 7 days.
- Freeze: Freezing works, but the texture is a little different from a fresh bar. To freeze, slice the bars, then wrap each one individually in parchment paper. Place the wrapped bars in a freezer-safe bag, freeze for up to 30 days, and pull out one or two at a time. Let them thaw completely at room temperature or in the fridge.
FAQs on Homemade Granola Bars
The dates are hard to replace in this recipe. You can use soaked and drained raisins, but keep in mind the texture may not be the same and the bars may not form as easily.
Yes. You can cut the honey or maple syrup in half. I have even had readers say they omit it altogether. You'll likely need a little extra reserved soaking liquid, and they won't hold their shape quite as well, since the honey or maple syrup helps keep them intact.
More Easy Snack Recipes
If you like these homemade granola bars, here are favorites to keep in the rotation.
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars: Another no-bake treat that takes just 5 minutes to prep.
- Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies: These cookies are sweetened with dates, applesauce, and bananas.
- Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups: You don't need any special equipment for this copycat recipe.
- Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars: A one-bowl bar sweetened with maple syrup, for when you want chocolate in the mix.
- Easy Homemade Granola: The same oats-and-maple idea, made crisp.
Browse all my snack ideas for kids for more.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Homemade Granola Bars
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole dried dates, pitted
- ¼ cup maple syrup, or honey
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 3 tablespoons creamy nut butter, all-natural is best
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, omit if you are using salted nut butter
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup optional add ins, chopped nuts, raisins, mini chocolate chips, dried fruit, sesame seeds, chia seeds, etc.
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 square baking dish with parchment paper or wax paper.
- If needed, cut the dates in half lengthwise and remove the pit. Unless your dates are incredibly soft, place them in a large heat-safe bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain the dates, reserving the liquid.
- Place the dates into a food processor fitted with an S-blade. Process until a thick paste forms. Add ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, 3 tablespoons creamy nut butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon sea salt(if your nut butter isn't salted). Pulse until combined and creamy.
- Add in 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats and pulse until just combined and all the oats are moistened. If needed, add reserved liquid from soaking the dates, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together.
- If desired, add optional add-ins like chocolate chips, chopped nuts, etc. Pulse 1-2 times briefly to incorporate, but not breakdown the additions.
- Transfer the oat mixture into prepared pan. Using another piece of parchment paper, press the mixture into the pan into an even layer. Place in fridge or freezer for 15 minutes until set up.
- After chilling, use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan. Cut into bars.
- Store the bars in an airtight container, separated by layers of parchment paper.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
SOOO GOOD!!
This is my go to recipe! It turns out great even without the maple syrup. Still very sweet and satisfying. I usually soak my dates and add the water to make up for the missing liquid.
That is a great tip on how to omit the maple syrup! Thanks for sharing!
I already had everything needed to make these in my pantry. Love that! They were easy and fun to make, and I love that I can control the ingredients. The best part is that they were delicious! What a great back-to-school recipe! Whether we're in the classroom or not, we're all going to be on a different daily schedule and healthy snacks are a must, even for teachers like me! Thanks, Kristen. 🙂
So glad you enjoyed Kristina! Thank you so much for teaching and my thoughts and prayers go out to you right now as you deal with all the new guidelines!
If I don’t have dates or coconut oil, can you recommend any good substitutes for them?
Thank you!
Hi Janelle, while the bars may not hold together quite as well, you can use raisins in place of dates and extra nut butter in place of coconut oil.
My kids eat granola bars like there is no tomorrow! This will be fun to have them make them with me & of course, we like to add chocolate chips! These are perfect!
My kids LOVE adding chocolate chips Kristyn too! So glad your kids enjoyed!
Can I use applesauce in place of dates?
Hi Madison! Applesauce is not as sticky as dates, so the bars will not hold together well. You can opt to use extra nut buter/honey or raisins.
These were so good! I love being able to control what goes in my granola bars so they're exactly how I like them.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed!
My kiddos love granola bars. This will be so fun to make with them while we're stuck in the house. Thanks for the recipe. It looks great.
It is a great recipe to have kids make! glad they enjoyed!