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Home » Recipes » Snack

Almond Granola Bars (Energy Bars)

Published: Feb 22, 2023 Updated: Aug 13, 2024 Author: Roxana Begum· This post may contain affiliate links.

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Almond granola bars pin image.

These almond granola bars have a delightful toffee-like flavor thanks to the addition of coconut, cardamom, and a touch of brown butter. They're not too dense and can be baked or chilled for a no-bake version. Perfect as a snack, breakfast, or treat, these bars are made with maple syrup, so they are also refined sugar-free.

Almond granola bars arranged in a white plate.

What Are Granola Bars?

A granola bar is a snack food made with rolled oats, puffed cereals, nuts, honey or other sweeteners such as maple syrup, brown sugar and flavorings. These bars are often baked until they are toasted and golden brown, making them crunchy or chewy. They are a popular choice for a quick breakfast, lunchbox treat, or a snack.

Granola bars are incredibly convenient for a quick and easy snack. However, most recipes can be repetitive and taste similar. So I created these delicious almond granola bars, which stand out with their unique flavor and texture.

A stack of almond granola bars on a plate.

Why This Recipe

  • Toffee like flavor and taste, due to the addition of coconut, ground cardamom, brown butter and maple syrup. This flavor profile is similar to our Homemade Granola with Cardamom and Cashew, a much loved gift among family and friends.
  • Not too dense. Although these almond granola bars have a rich flavor, these granola bars are actually not too dense, because we use puffed rice, which lightens them up.
  • No-bake or baked. Chill them for a no-bake version or bake them for a traditional bar.
  • Refined sugar free and I also share other dietary variations.

Ingredients and Substitutes

Ingredients needed for the recipe.
  • Almonds: These are the star of the granola bars. Toasted for enhanced flavor. You can also mix these with other nuts like walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, cashews, or macadamia.
  • Rolled Oats: Best choice for granola bars, but you can also replace with flaked grains such as millet, quinoa, brown rice, barley, or buckwheat. Use gluten-free if needed.
  • Dried Coconut Flakes: Choose the unsweetened version. Bob's red mill is one of the brands I use.
  • Puffed Rice Cereal: You can find puffed brown rice or alternatives in most grocery stores. These give the bars more body, while being light. Look for whole grain options without added sugar, like Arrowhead Mills.
  • Creamy Almond Butter: Acts as a binder and enhances almond flavor. Choose a creamy and thin variety. If the almond butter is very thick and dry, add some oil and/or maple syrup to help bind the ingredients. Substitute with other nut butters or sunflower butter for allergy-friendly bars.
  • Maple Syrup: Sweetens and binds ingredients, better than honey for baking due to its caramelizing properties. It also thickens to increase the binding.
  • Slivered Pistachios: I top the granola bars with pistachios, which gives a nice visual appeal. Can be replaced with pumpkin seeds for a bright green color.
  • Seeds: Pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds can replace almonds for allergy-friendly bars.
  • Flavors: I use ground cardamom and vanilla. You could also try a hint of almond flavor instead of cardamom. Other options are ground cinnamon or holiday spices.
  • Brown Butter, Ghee or Coconut Oil: Adds a nice aroma and makes the bars more firm.
  • Salt: A small amount of salt enhances sweetness and flavor.
Breakfast bars made with almonds and wrapped.

Step by Step Visual Overview

Full recipe with measurements is at the end of post.

  1. Toast oats and almonds in a baking sheet. This will make these ingredients more dry to help absorb the wet ingredients well.
  2. Mix almond butter, maple syrup, ghee, ground cardamom, vanilla and salt.
  3. Combine rolled oats, coarsely chopped almonds, coconut flakes and puffed cereal.
  4. Thoroughly mix the wet and dry ingredients.
  5. Transfer mixture to baking pan, sprinkle pistachios and press firmly.
  6. Chill for 1 hour or bake 20 minutes. Cool, let harden, and slice.
The process steps for making almond granola bars.

Top Tips

Quantity and Pan Size: Use about 4 cups granola mixture for one 8 x 11 inch baking pan to ensure the bars are thick enough to hold together.

Ratios: You can change oat-to-puffed cereal ratios, swap nuts for chocolate chips, or replace puffed cereal with oats.

Extra nut butter can help make firmer granola bars that stay intact better.

Toast the grains and nuts to enhance flavor and texture. Do not over bake the nuts, or they may burn.

Increase almond butter and maple syrup if adding more dry ingredients to help with binding and to balance the taste.

Use a spatula, flat utensil or the back of a flat glass to press the granola mixture to compact.

Several energy bars served on the table.

How to Store Granola Bars

  • Refrigerate the chilled bars up to a week. Store the baked granola bars at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
  • The bars can also be frozen food in safe freezer bags for two months. Place parchment paper between layers of bars, if they are sticky.

More Healthy Treats

  • Date Bar Cookies
  • Healthy Strawberry Shortcake Bars
  • Avocado and Date Truffles
  • Amaranth Energy Balls

★ DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE COMMENT AND GIVE IT A STAR RATING BELOW!

Close view of almond granola bars arranged in a white plate.
5 from 5 votes

Almond Granola Bars (Energy Bars)

These almond granola bars have a toffee-like flavor from coconut, cardamom, maple syrup and brown butter. Not too dense, they can be baked or chilled. Perfect as a snack, breakfast, or treat, and made with maple syrup, they're refined sugar-free.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Total Time35 minutes mins
Print SaveSaved!
Course :Snacks
Cuisine :American
Servings: 16 bars
Calories: 225kcal
Author: Roxana Begum

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups rolled oats gluten free if needed
  • 1 cup almonds
  • ½ cup dried coconut flakes
  • 1 cup puffed rice cereal
  • ¾ cup creamy almond butter 1 cup if not using brown butter or ghee
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons ghee brown butter or coconut oil
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom use 1 teaspoon if not using vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar or extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons pistachios slivered, or pumpkin seeds
US Customary - Metric

Equipment

  • Baking Sheet
  • 11 X 7 Baking Pan
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Instructions

  • Toast: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread oats and almonds on a baking sheet, in separate areas, and toast for about 10 minutes.
  • Chop: Cool and process almonds in a food processor, using pulse option, until coarsely chopped.
  • Dry Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, chopped almonds, coconut flakes, and puffed cereal.
  • Wet Ingredients: In a small saucepan, gently heat almond butter. Stir in maple syrup, ghee or coconut oil, ground cardamom, vanilla and salt. Remove from heat.
  • Granola mixture: Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and combine very well. Transfer the mixture to an 8 x 11 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle pistachios on top and pack down with a flat glass or utensil.
  • Chill or Bake: Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or bake at 325°F for about 20 minutes until edges are barely golden brown. Let the mixture cool and harden, then slice into bars using a sharp knife.

Notes

  1. Use about 4 cups of the mixture for an 8 x 11 inch pan.
  2. You can change the ratios of oats to puffed cereal, or replace nuts with chocolate chips.
  3. Extra nut butter helps the bars hold together better.
  4. Increase almond butter and maple syrup if adding more dry ingredients.
  5. You can replace cardamom with ⅛ teaspoon natural almond flavor.
  6. Variations below.

Nutrition

Serving: 1granola bar | Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?I would love to know about it. Tag me @thedeliciouscrescent.

Variations

These almond granola bars are gluten-free, vegetarian, low sodium, soy free and egg free.

  • Vegan and Dairy Free: Skip brown butter or ghee, and use coconut oil.
  • Gluten Free: Use gluten-free oats and puffed rice cereal
  • Nut Free: Replace almond butter with sun butter; and use sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead of almonds and pistachios.
  • More Protein: Increase the amount of hemp seeds as they are a great source of protein. You can also add more chia seeds or flaxseed meal.

Are granola bars good for you?

Many store-bought granola bars are often marketed as healthy but are packed with artificial ingredients, fillers, and excessive sugar. Similarly, some homemade recipes can be calorie-dense, making them more suitable for weight gain than a balanced diet.

These almond granola bars offer a healthier alternative. Made with whole foods, they are nutrient-rich, free from artificial ingredients, high in fiber, and low in sugar. For a balanced treat, look for recipes that combine grains, cereals, nuts, dates, and natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup, using nut butters instead of dairy butter.

Incorporating puffed cereal with rolled oats helps to lighten the granola bars, reducing calories and carbs without compromising on flavor or texture.

This post was previously published and has been updated for your benefit.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Valentina

    September 17, 2018 at 8:06 pm

    I could totally use one of these right now. Or about every hour! ;-) Love all of the variations. Chocolate please! :-)

    Reply
    • Roxana Begum

      September 20, 2018 at 10:20 pm

      Thanks Valentina. Chocolate my favorite too :)

      Reply
  2. Krissy Allori

    September 17, 2018 at 6:58 pm

    Such an easy and healthy way to make delicious snacks!

    Reply
    • Roxana Begum

      September 20, 2018 at 10:19 pm

      Definitely :) Thanks Krissy.

      Reply
  3. Kelly

    September 17, 2018 at 6:46 pm

    I love granola bars as a quick + healthy snack. Thanks for the tips on how to keep them packed together!

    Reply
    • Roxana Begum

      September 20, 2018 at 10:13 pm

      Yes Kelly, I tried the recipe a few times and collected all the tips.

      Reply
  4. Courtney

    September 17, 2018 at 6:44 pm

    These granola bars sound delicious! Love all the healthy ingredients, and that they are refined sugar free.

    Reply
    • Roxana Begum

      September 20, 2018 at 10:13 pm

      Hope you give it a try. Thank you!

      Reply
  5. Jaclyn Anne

    September 17, 2018 at 6:37 pm

    Granola bars are a favorite in our house, and I love making our own. Thank you for this great recipe!

    Reply
    • Roxana Begum

      September 20, 2018 at 10:11 pm

      So happy you like it Jaclyn. Thanks.

      Reply
  6. Kelly Anthony

    September 17, 2018 at 6:35 pm

    This is something I always buy from the store, but have wanted to try making at home! Thank you for the awesome recipe!!!

    Reply
    • Roxana Begum

      September 20, 2018 at 10:11 pm

      Thanks Kelly. Hope you enjoy making it :)

      Reply
5 from 5 votes

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Hi, I'm Roxana, registered dietitian and recipe developer. Here I share wholesome & delicious recipes with room for cravings. Healthy makeovers. Step-by-step photos & videos.
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