Almond Granola Bars (Energy Bars)

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.

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.

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

• 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.

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.

Top Tips

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!

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.