Seven healthy DIY granola bar recipes

The shelves are stacked with ‘all-natural’ cereal bars, which make on-the-go eating easy and provide a much-needed energy boost (without resorting to chocolate bars). But are they actually a healthy alternative? Mostly, no.

What really lies between the neatly packaged wrappers is over-processed, high in sugar, and low in nutrition. You might as well be munching a chocolate caramel bar. And we already know the benefits of avoiding processed foods and sugars. 

Making your own granola bars doesn’t require too much effort and you can pretty much use any nuts, seeds and berries to whip them up, cladding together with honey or maple syrup. But if you’re not sure where to start and don’t want to improvise, these recipes are easy, nutritious and most of all - delicious.

5-ingredient granola bars

Vegan and gluten-free, these no-bake granola bars from Minimalist Bakerfeature just five ingredients: dates, maple syrup, creamy peanut butter, roasted almonds and rolled oats (gluten-free for the coeliac snackers). Perfect if you’re short on time and ingredients.

No-bake superfood granola bars

Any healthy granola bar recipe with chocolate is one we can get behind. As well as a genius name, food blogger Domestic Gothesshas nailed it with her antioxidant-rich, high-fibre bars that fill you up for longer. From chia seeds to goji berries, the ingredient list is lengthy - but you get a whole lot of nutrients if you’re prepared to do the shop.

No-bake chocolate mint bars

Oh She Glowshas taken refined sugar out of the equation completely by using dates as a sweetener in her chocolate mint granola bars. There’s quarter of a cup of protein powder in there, making them an ideal post-workout snack. Whip them up and pop in the freezer - you’ll find the minty flavour intensifies when chilled.

Blueberry & buckwheat granola bars

Swap run-of-the-mill oats for buckwheat, then spice things up a little with cinnamon and cardamom. These vegan granola bars from Blissful Basilare the ideal portable breakfast or snack. Simply mix your seeds, whole grains, blueberries and spices together, spread into a pan and freezer for half an hour. That’s it.

Quinoa & fig nut-free granola bars

Can’t eat nuts? You don’t have to go without granola bars. These allergy-friendly no-bake bars by Ambitious Kitchenare stuffed with superfoods such as flax, chia, quinoa and oats, high in protein, and irresistibly delicious right down to the chewy, slightly crispy, gluten-free edges.

Tropical chewy granola bars

These exotic granola bars were inspired by an epic trip to Kauai, where plant-based food blogger Sarah B (aka My New Roots) ate coconut, banana, mango and macadamia nuts daily. You don’t have to be heading on a trail anytime soon to enjoy them, though - these tropical-tasting snacks are just as perfect as an office pick-me-up or bike-riding fuel.

Yoghurt-coated blueberry vanilla granola bars

Satisfy your snack cravings with these easy-to-customise granola bars from Halfbaked Harvest. There’s a lot of nutrition packed into the snack-sized delights - drizzled with a Greek yoghurt coating and crammed with blueberries, honey, coconut, almonds, vanilla, crisped rice, chia, rolled oats and nut butter.