🧑🍳 You know those recipe sites that make you scroll forever to find the recipe? Not here! Recipe first — details, tips, and more ideas later! 🙂
This is a super simple healthy granola bar recipe at its core, just 3 ingredients! Keep scrolling once you’ve gotten the basic formula to see additional notes and my most recent version below!
3-Ingredient Granola Bar Formula
- 5 cups dry ingredients,
- 2 cups peanut butter (natural is easier),
- 1/2 cup honey (liquid)
Directions
- Mix the peanut butter and honey thoroughly. If they aren’t blending nicely, microwave it for 30 seconds.
- Pour the peanut butter & honey over the dry ingredients and fold together
- Press into an 8×11 baking dish and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Cut into rectangles of whatever size you like (I do 24 pieces, 4 by 6)
- Enjoy!
Extra Notes and Tips:
- Folding beats stirring: Rather than stirring, fold the mixture together. It takes less elbow grease and distributes everything more evenly.
- Use a smaller baking dish if you want thicker bars.
- No-bake = summer win: Great for hot weather — no oven needed!
- These bars do melt, especially in warm weather, so store them in the fridge.
What sources of omega-3 fat can you add to granola bars?
Omega-3 fats are an important part of an anti-inflammatory diet. EPA and DHA are primarily found in fatty fish, though we can also get some omega-3s called ALA from nuts and seeds.
The top options for granola bars:
- Ground flaxseed
- Chia seeds
- Walnuts
Ground flax and chia seeds have the highest ALA (omega-3) content. Walnuts are also a good choice, with the extra bonus of a satisfying crunch!
Boost the Iron (and Energy)
Iron deficiency’s top symptom is fatigue, and many people are not getting enough iron. In fact, we’ve probably been underdiagnosing it. In Ontario, the bar for iron levels was recently increased, and this is part of a trend. Before this, your blood levels of ferritin (a storage form of iron) would need to be below 10 or 15, depending on the lab where the bloodwork was done. Some providers would start treating before that, but not all. As of September, in Ontario, adults will be flagged if their ferritin is below 30!
For those of us with a health condition that causes fatigue or who lose iron through menstruation, it’s a good idea to discuss monitoring iron levels with your primary care provider. In the meantime, aim to get enough iron (11mg for men or older women and 18mg for women 18-51).
With the push towards plant-based diets, many people are significantly reducing their intake of red meat and wild game. While plant-based diets are associated with positive health outcomes, and the Mediterranean diet also recommends reducing red meat, it is the easiest source of iron in our diets.
Without regular red meat, it is important to gather up little bits of iron where you can, including from nuts and seeds! The best sources of iron that would work in a granola bar are:
- Pumpkin Seeds: 4.65mg per 60mL (1/4 cup) along with nearly your daily recommended intake of magnesium (317 mg out of 320!)
- Sesame Seeds Butter (Tahini): up to 6.25mg per 30mL/2 tbsp (varies by brand)
- Whole Sesame Seeds: 5.61mg per 60mL/38g of seeds
- Dark Chocolate (70-85%): 3mg per 25g (varies by brand)
- Hemp Hearts: 2.27mg per 30mL (2 tbsp)
- Fortified breakfast cereals: read the label to see how much (though this may change the ratio of peanut butter & honey needed to bind everything together)
(All nutrient data comes from the Canadian Nutrient File from Health Canada. When reading the nutrition facts label of Canadian products, you can either look at the mg or the percentage. The percentage is based on a recommended intake of 18g/day.)
Finding Your Sweet Spot
I use ½ cup of honey to keep the sweetness balanced, but feel free to adjust. The original recipe I started with used 3x as much honey, plus dried fruit, so there’s lots of wiggle room depending on your taste buds.
For extra pops of sweetness (and some nutrition), try:
- Mini chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate — spread that chocolate love throughout
- Dried fruit — raisins, cranberries, cherries, apricots, etc.
Dried fruits offer some fibre and a mix of vitamins/minerals. With dark chocolate, you also get a boost of iron and even a hit of dopamine. Win-win.
Add extra nutrition to your granola bars
This is one of my favorite snacks to make. The beauty of DIY granola bars is you can pack in the ingredients you enjoy. Here are a few tasty, anti-inflammatory, and nutrient-rich options:
- Oats – a great source of soluble fibre for cholesterol, blood pressure, and regular digestion
- Ground flax and chia – for fibre, ALA, and binding it all together
- Walnuts – for ALA, protein, and fibre
- Pumpkin seeds – for iron and magnesium
- Almonds – for healthy fats and calcium
- Dried fruit – for a touch of sweetness and some micronutrients
- Dark chocolate – for iron, mood support, and, let’s be honest… happiness!
Healthy Granola Bar Recipe
Healthy Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ¾ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
- 1 ¾ cup sunflower seeds
- 2 cups peanut butter, natural
- ½ cup honey
Instructions
- Mix peanut butter and honey thoroughly
- Stir the dry ingredients in a large bowl
- Pour peanut butter/honey mixture over. Fold to combine.
- Press firmly into a 9×13 baking dish then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Cut into 24 pieces
Notes
- Folding beats stirring: Rather than stirring, fold the mixture together. It takes less elbow grease and distributes everything more evenly.
- Use a smaller baking dish if you want thicker bars.
- No-bake = summer win: Great for hot weather — no oven needed!
- These bars do melt, especially in warm weather, so store them in the fridge.
FAQs
What dry ingredients should I add to a granola bar?
Anything you like — nuts, seeds, oats, shredded coconut, even dry cereal. Just keep in mind: cereals may need more peanut butter/honey to help everything stick together. Scroll up for nutrient-rich suggestions.
Can I make a no-bake granola bar without peanut butter?
Almost certainly — although I have not tested it yet. Look for 3–5 similar no-bake recipes with alternative nut or seed butters (like almond, sunflower seed, or tahini) and experiment from there. Expect a bit of tweaking!