No-bake fruit and nut granola bars are an easy snack to meal prep for your work week! Made with pantry staples, and bursting with flavor thanks for the dried cranberries and blueberries!
Just like our double chocolate granola bars, and monster granola bars, these fruit and nut granola bars are a kid-friendly snack that is easy and fun - with just 10 minutes of prep work!
No-bake fruit and nut granola bars are the perfect blend of crunchy, chewy, and lightly sweetened. Prep them ahead and store in the fridge for your afternoon snack cravings!
Best of all, these easy fruit and nut granola bars are a great alternative to packaged snacks, and they happen to taste way better than store-bought as well!
Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
- they are the perfect homemade treat to satisfy your sweet cravings
- they are free from preservatives that packaged granola bars may contain
- it's no bake, and simple to prepare
Ingredient notes
- honey - acts to bind as well as sweeten these bars. Maple syrup does not work in these bars, and other alternatives have not been tested.
- coconut oil - also acts to bind; butter may work but has not been tested. Liquid oils may not be swapped.
- rolled oats - may also be called 'old fashioned' or 'large flake' oats; do not use quick oats or steel cut oats for this recipe.
- nuts - we're using almonds and pecans, but you could swap for your favourite nuts such as walnuts, pistachios, or peanuts
- fruit - dried cranberries and blueberries add a burst of juicy flavor and chewy texture. We have found that cranberries and blueberries are the ideal size (not too large so as to cause the bars to crumble apart). You could swap for any other finely chopped dried fruit (ensure that is chopped finely) such as dried apricots or dried tart cherries
Step by step directions
Simmer Coconut Oil & Honey
Place a pot on a kitchen scale and weigh out* the honey and coconut oil. If you are making a variety with nut butter, add it in too.
Bring the pot to a simmer, and when it looks like it does in the image above (lots of bubbles), start a timer. Cook for exactly 1 minute, then remove the pot from the heat.
*Alternatively - you can use measuring cups, but weighing the pot helps avoid the extra dishes
Rest
When time is up, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, and cocoa powder. Let it cool down for 10-15 minutes.
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Prepare Pan
While the pot is cooling, prepare a 9x9 inch baking dish with parchment paper (I secure mine with binder clips).
Add Dry Ingredients
After the mixture has cooled for 10-15 minutes, stir in the oats and chocolate chips until evenly coated. Use a spatula to mix it in evenly. The chocolate chips might melt, but that's OK- it helps hold the bars together.
Press into baking pan
Press the granola bar mixture into the pan - HARD. You want to do multiple rounds with your spatula. You can also pop it in the fridge for 5 minutes, and do a second round of pressing. This is key to prevent bars from crumbling. Scatter a few extra chocolate chips into the top of the bars and press them in gently.
💡 TIP - Spray a spatula with oil and press down into the pan. Press firmly (I go through and press 2-3 times, spraying spatula again as needed).
Chill
Cool in the fridge for 4 hours- overnight (overnight is best!), before slicing into bars.
FAQ
This recipe was tested (unsuccessfully) with maple syrup - the result was very crumbly granola bars, as the honey helps to bind everything together.
This recipe has not been tested with butter, however, I have seen some homemade granola bar recipes that use butter...so it could be worth a try! If you try this, would you let us know in the comments how they turn out?
For this recipe, the honey and coconut oil work together to bind the bars together.
Other important steps to getting them to stick together: simmer the honey and coconut oil for exactly one minute, do not over-measure the dry ingredients, press the bars firmly into the pan, multiple times, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before cutting.
Other than the answers above, storing these bars in the fridge is key to keeping them from falling apart. As the coconut oil and honey soften, so do the bars.
This recipe has only been tested as no-bake, however you might enjoy these baked oatmeal cups or these healthy apple almond butter snack cookies instead.
Storage + Meal Prep
These fruit and nut granola bars MUST be stored in the fridge, otherwise, they become too soft and will crumble.
- fridge - stored in an airtight container, they are good for 1 week in the fridge.
- freezer - wrap loosely in parchment paper, and place in a meal prep container or sturdy freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Fruit and Nut Granola Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup honey 156 g; note 1
- ⅓ cup coconut oil 74 g; note 2
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 ½ cup chopped nuts almonds & pecans
- ½ cup dried fruit cranberries & blueberries
- 3 cups rolled oats 284 g; note 3
Instructions
- Simmer - Combine honey and coconut oil in a medium pot. Bring to a simmer, and once pot starts bubbling up all over, start the timer for 1.5 minutes (see note 4).
- Rest - When time is up, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, and salt. Let it cool down for 10-15 minutes.
- Prepare pan- While pot is cooling, prepare a 9x9 inch baking dish with parchment paper (I secure mine with binder clips).
- Combine - Stir in all dry ingredients including dried fruit, nuts, and rolled oats. Mix until evenly coated and press into the prepared pan. Spray a spatula with oil and press down into the pan. Press firmly (I go through and press 2-3 times, spraying spatula again as needed). (See note 5)
- Chill- Cool in the fridge for 4 hours- overnight (overnight is best!), before slicing into bars.
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Tips:
- Maple syrup may not be substituted. Other sweeteners have not been tested.
- Refined coconut oil recommended for a less coconut-prominent flavor.
- Also called 'large flake' or 'old fashioned'. Quick oats or steel cut oats will not work in this recipe.
- Make sure to take the time to simmer the mixture for 1 minute! This is extremely important in helping the bars stick together.
- If the bars are too warm to press down thoroughly, place in the fridge for 10 minutes, then press them down a second time.
- fridge - stored in an airtight container, they are good for 1 week in the fridge.
- freezer - wrap loosely in parchment paper, and place in a meal prep container or sturdy freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
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Grace says
Hi Denise! I just made these bars last night and tried one this morning after sending some with my husband as he was leaving for work. They are delicious! They taste even better than the Nature Valley kind I used to buy all the time. I love the vanilla flavor. I've been wanting to make bars like this for a long time.
I need your input on how I can firm up the bars. I did let the honey/coconut oil bubble for 1.5 minutes then removed from heat, added vanilla and salt, and cooled for 10-15 minutes before mixing it with the dry ingredients. I very firmly pressed the bars by using the flat bottom of a measuring cup and it stayed in the fridge overnight. I'm worried that maybe I used a little too much coconut oil because I didn't use an exact measurement. I just scooped it out of the container and eyeballed the amount. I noticed that the mixture didn't get as bubbly as what yours looks like in the picture. This morning I cut them into bars and wrapped each one in a piece of wax paper and put on a tray and back in the fridge. I might put a couple in the freezer. Any suggestions? Thank you for this great recipe!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Grance, WOW what amazing feedback! Thanks for sharing your method, feedback and review. I think perhaps using exact measurements next time could help? I am not sure if I understand your question - did the bars turn out / firm up ok? If you have a kitchen scale, we do include weight measurements in the recipe card to make measuring even easier!
Grace says
Hey Jasmine,
Yes I think the first thing I need to do is make sure the coconut oil is more exact. I haven't worked with coconut oil much, so I didn't know how to get a precise measurement when it is in solid form. So I just scraped it out of the jar and roughly estimated. I realized after my post that I probably could melt the coconut butter first then easily measure it. Would that be ok? I don't have a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients.
I also looked more closely at the detailed instructions that go with the pictures and read that the honey/oil mix needs to get as bubbly as in the picture first before starting the timer. Before I thought it just got that bubbly during the 1.5 minute cook time. I think the right amount of oil and cooking the liquids better should help the next batch hold together more. Thank you so much Jasmine!
Grace says
I meant to answer your question of how my bars turned out. They did not firm up very much overnight and fell apart easily just minutes after coming out of the fridge. Next time I am also going to try chopping the nuts more finely and maybe chopping the fruit somewhat so that smaller pieces stick together more. I will let you know how it turns out!
Ben | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Thanks for the update Grace. We look forward to hearing how it turns out