These homemade granola bars are a perfect way to start your day, especially when the chilly weather strikes and you’re not in the mood for a cold breakfast. They’re highly nutritious, extremely protein-rich, and filled with warming cinnamon spice. Make a batch of these at the beginning of the week and you’ll be set for days!
Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped into small chunks
- ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped into small chunks
- ½ cup hemp seeds
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup quick-cook oats
- ½ cup dates, roughly chopped into small chunks
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Gently grease or line an 8x8 baking tray with parchment.
- In a large bowl, mix together the coconut, nuts, seeds, oats, dates, spices, and salt. Set aside.
- Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla to a small pot. Mix together and gently heat the mixture until the peanut butter is softened.
- Pour the mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix together well. You may find it necessary to use your hands.
- Transfer the mixture to the baking pan and spread it evenly. Press down well. Bake the bars for 15 minutes on the center rack of your oven.
- Remove the tray from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
One-Bowl Cinnamon Breakfast Bars?
These breakfast bars are incredibly easy to make. All you need to do is toss all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl, mix the ingredients together, and set it aside. Then, gently heat the peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla together in a small saucepot until the mixture softens and comes together nicely. Lastly, combine the wet and dry ingredients and then press the mix into a baking pan. Bake for just 15 minutes and you have these beautiful breakfast bars!
There is nothing better than a recipe that is super easy to make, especially when you can meal prep and make multiple servings that will last for days. The batch for this recipe makes 8 large bars. These bars are not only great for breakfast but of course, they’re amazing for snacks too. One bar would be a light breakfast that is still rich in protein. 2 bars is a very filling, very protein-rich breakfast. You can even eat a bar on the side of fruit or a smoothie at the beginning of the day for an extremely balanced breakfast.
The bars are sweet from the maple syrup and dates, but not too sweet. They are so delicious though that you can even eat them as a nice healthy dessert.
Easy Breakfast Bars On The Go!
This homemade granola bars recipe is extremely easy but I do have one quick tip for making them. In the recipe instructions, it’s noted that you can either grease the pan gently with a neutral oil, or you can use parchment paper. You can absolutely do either option, but it is just a little bit easier to use parchment because you can lift the finished product right out of the pan and cut it into really nice bars.
Also, I didn’t test this but I’m pretty certain that as an alternative to bars, you can use this exact same mixture and make granola! Just spread out the raw product onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake until golden. Feel free to experiment with this delicious recipe and make it your own!
It’s All In the Balance!
As a nutritionist, I try to make healthy, balanced, nutrient-dense meals whenever possible. I get so excited when I create a recipe that is extremely abundant in nutrition.
These homemade granola bars are loaded with fiber, protein, and healthy fats. In fact, 1 breakfast bar has 14 and a half grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber! They contain a completely balanced amino acid profile. These bars are loaded with vitamin A, E, and various B vitamins. You’ll be thrilled that these bars are completely vegan, made of whole foods, and naturally gluten-free (just use certified gluten-free oats if you have celiac disease or are allergic to gluten because of cross-contamination)!
There are some ingredients in this recipe that I’m seriously in love with. I love nuts and seeds so much and love finding new ways to use them because they are so nutritious. Here are my favorite ingredients in this recipe and their benefits:
- oats are amazing for improving cholesterol levels
- walnuts are rich in omega 3 fatty acids that support brain health and cognitive function
- pumpkin seeds, one of my absolute favorite superfoods, are PACKED with minerals including magnesium, iron, and zinc
- pecans are rich in antioxidants and they are anti-inflammatory
- maple syrup is my favorite natural sweetener as it’s minimally refined and very mineral-rich
Mixing It Up!
Aside from all the health benefits, you’ll love the taste! I love the flavor of walnuts and pecans in the fall and winter. These seasonal ingredients are super delicious and add tons of protein and healthy fats to these bars.
To make this recipe taste even more like fall, add a tsp or more of pumpkin spice! Or if you don’t have pumpkin spice mix already, you can add a dash of nutmeg, allspice, or cloves, or a combination of any of these spices.
If you don’t have all of the ingredients for this specific recipe, you can absolutely make some ingredient substitutions.
- Instead of using peanut butter, you can use almond butter or cashew butter. Either of these options would be extremely delicious, especially if you want to make these for your kids for their peanut-free school environment
- You can use whole rolled oats instead of quick oats, just make sure that the mixture comes together nicely and add more peanut butter or maple syrup if you find the mixture isn’t coming together and it needs to be more sticky
- You can use sesame seeds instead of hemp seeds if you prefer
Homemade Granola Bars: Perfect School Or Work Take-Along Snack!
Some of my all-time favorite recipes are those that are healthy, easy, quick, simple, and meal-prep friendly. These cinnamon breakfast bars are also very easy to transport which makes them awesome for snacks at work and school (just substitute the peanut butter with another nut butter if you are bringing them to a peanut-free environment, as noted above).
To store the bars, simply cut them up and store them in an airtight container. If you know they will be eaten in a couple of days (I wouldn’t blame you), you can store them on the counter. If you won’t eat them quite so quickly, keep the container in the fridge. You can also absolutely freeze these. Just place them in a freezer-safe, airtight container and keep them separate from each other so they don’t stick together. You can remove them from the freezer the day you will eat them as they don’t take too long to thaw.
More Yummy Vegan Breakfast Ideas?
Homemade Granola Bars photos by Kathy Chrzaszcz for World of Vegan. Recipe and photographs copyright of World of Vegan™, all rights reserved. Please note that this article contains affiliate links which means shopping through them helps lights on at World of Vegan!
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Leave a Comment
Love this recipe!!
I’ve never made granola bars at home before and this looks so easy! Can’t wait to give it a try :-).
All of my favorite ingredients in one place! lol. I’m a total crunch-a-holic and these bars have everything in them that’s delicious in the world – seeds, nuts, peanut butter, maple syrup, cinnamon and coconut. I can’t help but drool as I make them. These bars are really convenient to have on hand when I’m rushing out the door and the fact that they’re so yummy makes it even easier to grab and go. A batch of these granola bars are not only cheaper than conventional bars at the store, but they’re also much healthier and definitely fresher. My husband loves to take these hiking with him. A must try recipe!
I love the convenience of just grabbing one of these bars as I run out the door. They are delicious and I know I am eating something healthy and nutritious while on the go. Great bars!!!
Now that I have a little one, homemade vegan granola bars will be a regular in my home! I’m always blown away by how easy they are to make and think: why don’t I make these all the time?!
I adore these granola bars! By making them at home you can avoid all the nasties some of the store-bought brands have and you can add some extras to make sure your little ones have enough energy to get through their day!