These Granola Bars are naturally sweetened, easily customizable, require no baking, and are loaded with flavor! For an extra delicious snack, add a layer of chocolate on top!
Not the granola bars you’re looking for? Try these “Chewy” Copycat Granola Bars or Chocolate Granola Bars.
Granola Bars
Granola bars, muesli, granola, energy bites — I love them all! Truthfully, I’d rather eat these granola bars than a candy bar. Not only do they have plenty of (natural) sweetness and flavor, they’re also chewy, chocolate-y, and I always feel great eating them.
These bars are sweet, without refined sugar (depending on the chocolate used). They’re naturally sweetened with dates and pure maple syrup. (If you’ve never baked with dates, you’re in for a treat–literally!) Dates are the fruit of the date palm tree and they work wonders in naturally sweetening baked goods, smoothies, sauces, desserts, or these very granola bars. 🙂
You can read more about the health benefits of dates here, but for today I’ll be sharing how to use dates to make these Granola Bars.
Quick Tip
Dates grow on a specific type of palm tree. Medjool dates are very large (good for stuffing) and contain about 66 calories each. Deglet Noor dates are not as sticky and are smaller. They’re less sweet and contain about 20 calories (due to both size and sweetness).
Dates
- First off, here’s where to find dates in the grocery store. I typically use Sunsweet® or Natural Delights® dates and personally like Deglet Noor dates best, with Medjool dates as a close second — both work great in this recipe.
- Make sure the dates you’re using are pitted. An un-pitted date will wreak havoc on the blender blades. Trust me on this one!
- How to pit a date: Using a small serrated or paring knife, slice lengthwise down into the date. Pull open the date and you’ll see a long hard pit; remove it and discard. If the dates are soft, you can easily pull them apart with your hands and remove the pit.
- The dates should be soft enough that you can easily squish them or pull them apart to remove the pit by hand. If they aren’t this soft, you’ll want to soak before using in this recipe.
- How to soak dates: Soak them in warm water until they are soft enough to remove the pit by hand (anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours). Make sure to drain well and remove any excess water before using in Granola Bars.
- Blend the dates to a thick paste. The date “paste” is primarily what will bind and sweeten the bars. To blend dates down to a paste, it’s important to have a high-powered blender or food processor. Pulse or blend until a thick, smooth paste forms. This may take some patience and breaks to scrape edges and stir before blending again. (I use a miniature twister jar with a Blendtec® blender and it usually takes about 1-2 minutes to blend soft dates into a paste.)
Granola Bar variations
- Swap the nuts: We love chopped pistachios in these bars, but any nut will work, including almonds, walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts. Make sure to coarsely chop the nuts and use 3/4 cup (98g) in this recipe. If you’d like to leave out the nuts, replace them with equal amounts of coarsely chopped dried fruit (like dried tart cherries, dried cranberries, dried apricots, raisins, etc.).
- Use a different nut butter: Swap out the peanut butter for almond butter, cashew butter, or another nut butter. Depending on the nut butter used, you may need slightly more of it (almond butter tends to be slightly drier than peanut butter). You’ll know you need more if the mixture is crumbling and not coming together nicely. Add additional nut butter slowly; use 1-2 tablespoons at a time.
- Swap the sweetener: Switch maple syrup for agave nectar or honey. I would not recommend leaving out the dates or substituting anything else for them.
- Leave off the chocolate topping: Don’t love dark chocolate? Leave it off! The dark chocolate could also be swapped for milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate; the bars will simply be sweeter (with refined sugars). Alternatively, only melt 1/4 cup chocolate and drizzle it on top of these bars (like in this No-Bake Granola Bars recipe).
Quick Tip
For extra flavor (without extra effort) use roasted and salted nuts in these Granola Bars. If you only have raw nuts, you can quickly toast them in the oven. (Toast the oats while you’re at it!) Add the oats and nuts to a lined sheet pan and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees F, stirring once halfway through. The nuts and oats should smell fragrant, but not burned.
Granola Bar tips
- Use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer to thoroughly mix ingredients. This Granola Bar mixture can be thick and sticky. An electric hand mixer can be very helpful in ensuring the date paste incorporates thoroughly.
- Press the bars firmly into the pan. Once all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, that mixture needs to be compressed into the pan. The better compressed the bars, the less likely they are to fall apart later on.
- Add some salt. If you use salted nuts or plan on adding sea salt flakes to top the bars, don’t worry about adding salt to the base of this recipe. If you don’t use salted nuts or add salt flakes, I’d recommend adding a scant 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt to the base of these bars.
- Cut the bars with a large, sharp knife. These bars are more prone to falling apart if a dull knife is being shimmied into the bars.
Quick Tip
For gluten-free Granola Bars: The ingredients in these bars are naturally gluten free, but make sure to check all your ingredient labels to verify they weren’t processed in a facility with gluten.
More healthy snacks
- Granola reader favorite
- No-bake Energy Bites
- Parfait with yogurt and berries
- Healthy No Bake Cookies
- No Bake Healthy Breakfast Cookies
Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed pitted dates (See Note 1)
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup quick one-minute oats
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 3/4 cup roasted and salted pistachios, coarsely chopped (See Note 2)
- 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips (See Note 3)
Granola Bar Topping (Optional)
- 1 cup dark or milk chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
Instructions
- PREP: Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper or foil, adding an overhang for easy removal. Don't spray with cooking spray as it makes these bars greasy. Set aside.
- DATES: (See Note 1.) In a small blender jar or a food processor (I use the small Twister jar and Blendtec blender.), pulse the pitted dates to create a very thick and sticky paste. This takes some patience; stir with a spoon and re-blend as needed.
- ADD NUT BUTTER: Scoop out every last bit of the date paste and add to a large bowl. Add in the peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Use an electric hand mixer to beat until combined.
- REMAINING INGREDIENTS: Stir in the quick oats, old-fashioned oats, miniature chocolate chips, and coarsely chopped pistachios. (If the pistachios and peanut butter you are using aren't salted, add a scant 1/4 teaspoon salt here, too.) Mix until thoroughly combined. If needed, knead the mixture with your hands to get a well-combined and incorporated mixture.
- FORM INTO BARS: Transfer the mixture into the prepared 8x8-inch baking pan and very firmly press the mixture into an even layer. Use the bottom of a flat 1 cup measuring cup to help firmly press. Set aside.
- OPTIONAL CHOCOLATE TOPPING: In a large, microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil (measured when the oil is in a hardened state). Microwave in bursts of 15 seconds, stirring in between each burst for 15 seconds, until melted and smooth. Pour melted chocolate evenly over the bars, and tip the pan around to create an even layer of chocolate on top. Cover and refrigerate until the chocolate is completely set.
- CUT INTO BARS: Using the parchment paper overhang, remove the bars from the pan and cut into equal-sized bars. Store leftover bars in the fridge, covered, for up to 1 week.
Recipe Notes
- How to soak dates: soak them in warm water until they are soft enough to remove the pit by hand (from 30 minutes to 2 hours). Make sure to drain well and remove any excess water before using in Granola Bars.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have made this several times and it is incredible every time!!!
YAY! So happy you’re loving these granola bars! Thanks! 🙂