Honey-Sweetened Almond Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Chewy, no-bake, healthy granola bars made simply with oats, honey, almond or peanut butter and chocolate chips. A simple and delicious gluten-free recipe!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
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I basically survived on granola bars in high school. Pre-packaged, too sweet, milk chocolate granola bars at lunch and before volleyball practice. Every day. Naturally, I’ve been pretty burnt out on granola bars for the past ten years.
Then my friend Sara (whom I met through the blog) texted me the ingredients list for a granola bar and requested that I recreate them. I trust Sara’s taste in granola bars and thought I’d better give these a shot, so I stopped at the nearest Kaldi’s Coffee shop to pick one up.
I made it out to my car before peeling off the packaging. One bite and I was hooked. This granola bar was unlike any other granola bar I’d ever encountered. I tasted honey, sea salt, dark chocolate, oats and cinnamon all at once—each flavor teetered on the edge of overwhelming the others yet somehow the sum was perfectly balanced. Plus, unlike those packaged, processed granola bars I’d grown up eating, these were legitimately healthy granola bars. I immediately added the ingredients listed on the back of the package to my grocery list and headed to the store.
It took me five tries to get these granola bars just right. I thought Kaldi’s granola bars were baked because the oats weren’t entirely intact, but my baked bars were all wrong. Then I tried no-bake bars with old-fashioned oats. While the flavor was pretty spot on, the texture of the oats was too distracting.
Finally, it occurred to me to use quick-cooking oats—oats that have been rolled out thinner and cook in about 60 seconds—to get the right texture. Quick-cooking oats did just the trick and I delivered a bag of pre-packaged bars to Sara as a belated birthday gift.
I think you guys will appreciate these, too. The bars hold together well, although each batch I’ve made has turned out slightly different. I suspect the differences boil down to slight measuring discrepancies between the batches. For the most firm bars, you might need to sprinkle a few more oats into the bowl—enough that you think it’ll be almost impossible to mix them all in. Once you put some arm muscle into it and get those oats mixed in, you’re in business.
You might also want to tinker with the amount of salt. I’ve been using unsalted Trader Joe’s almond butter, which is nice and spreadable, plus I can control the salt content. I like my bars a little salty (and therefore totally addictive), so I go with the full 3/4 teaspoon, but you might want to scale back to suit your preferences. Feel free to change up the mix-ins, too. Check the recipe notes for details!
Honey-Sweetened Almond Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Chewy, no-bake, gluten-free granola bars made simply with oats, almonds, almond butter or peanut butter and chocolate chips. This healthy granola bar recipe is so delicious and easy to make. Homemade granola bars are great to keep on hand for traveling or whenever hunger strikes! Recipe yields 14 to 16 bars.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups quick-cooking oats (or old-fashioned oats, pulsed briefly in a food processor or blender to break them up)
- 1 ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- ⅔ cup mini dark chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt, to taste (decrease if your almond/peanut butter is salted)
- 1 cup creamy unsalted almond butter or peanut butter
- ½ cup honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line an 8 to 9-inch square baker with two strips of criss-crossed parchment paper, cut to size. In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, almonds, chocolate chips, cinnamon and salt. Whisk to combine.
- In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, measure out the nut butter. Top with ½ cup honey and the vanilla extract. Whisk until well blended. If you must, you can gently warm the liquid mixture on the stovetop or in the microwave, but make sure it’s cool before you pour it into the dry mixture (the chocolate chips will melt).
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a big spoon to mix them together until the two are evenly combined and no dry oats remain. The drier the mixture, the more firm the bars will be, so stir in extra oats if the mixture seems wet.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared square baker. Use your spoon to arrange the mixture fairly evenly in the baker, then use the bottom of a flat, round surface (like a short, sturdy drinking glass), covered in a small piece of parchment paper (see photo), to pack the mixture down as firmly and evenly as possible.
- Cover the baker and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight. Use a sharp knife to slice the bars. For portability, you can wrap individual bars in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Bars keep well for a couple of days at room temperature, but I recommend storing individually wrapped bars in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for best flavor.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction and Smitten Kitchen.
Make it gluten free: Be sure to buy certified gluten-free oats.
Make it vegan: Substitute maple syrup for the honey and use dairy-free chocolate chips.
Make it dairy free: Use dairy-free chocolate chips.
Change it up: Feel free to substitute chopped, toasted nuts for the sliced almonds, and chopped, dried fruit for the chocolate.
If you love this recipe: You’ll also love my honey almond granola, maple peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
These are fabulous! I’ve made them a couple times and they have turned out amazingly. When made with peanut butter (one that hasn’t had the oils removed), these taste better than a Reese’s cup and without all the GM nasties that go with it. And the salt is a perfect addition ;) Wonderful! Thank you <3
You’re welcome! I’m glad you love them :)
Could the honey be subbed for brown rice syrup then baked for X amount of time? I made another homemade granola bar and it sticks together wonderfully but the key ingredient is brown rice syrup then is baked at 300 degrees for 18-20 minutes then cooled to room temperature and then refrigerated for an hour to allow them to set. They are sweet but not overly and love them but just curious if this could be done with these?
Hi Kelli! I haven’t tried these with brown rice syrup, or tried baking them, so I’m really not sure. If you love the recipe that you referenced, perhaps start with that one and adjust the mix-ins to match what I’ve used here?
I just made these, and several things come to mind. First, I’m making a bowl of dry ingredients to be my muesli. It looked awesome. Then, the wet ingredients are CRAZY delicious…making that for toast. But altogether as a bar?!?! Ridiculous. I can’t wait for my afternoon cup of tea. My husband has already had two, and they’ve just been cut.
I’m happy to hear that, Heather!
Just made this for my other half as a lock-down running snack and he LOVES them. No more buying shop bought granola / energy bars for us! Thanks for the recipe :)
Hi, I like this recipe but looking for one that is baked. Has anyone tried to bake it? If yes please share the changes made.
You are a literal angel sent from heaven. There used to be a Kaldi’s right by my house, but it closed and I have since been longing for a granola bar! You nailed it!
Hi ! Looks good but wasule like to know the nutritional info as well please. Thanks in advance!
Toddlers love these! The hint of salt, almond butter and sweet honey taste amazing together. Used unsalted almonds, salted almond butter and added 1/4 tsp salt. Easy and everyone loves them – thank you for finally giving me a recipe my little ones will eat!
I’ve made these many times—me and the family love them. And they are a ringer for the Kaldi’s original.
I love it! Thanks for letting me know, Joe.
Best granola bars so far! YUMM
Just a quest, will adding more oats make them stiffer than usual? Im thinking to add 3/4 cup more! Thank you
Thanks Lea! Yes, more oats will make them stiffer, but could also make them crumbly. You could try adding more oats a couple of tablespoons at a time—I’m afraid 3/4 cup would make them quite crumbly.
This was pretty good, but I had trouble getting the dry ingredients to stick with the wet, so I had clumps of almond butter and honey, and completely dry oats just sitting there. I blame this on my Ninja blender, because it absolutely failed at making almond butter, which is what I used. I didn’t want to waste the batch so I put it all into the oven and baked it for a bit to soften it, which helped but also made it a chocolaty mess! When we get our Vitamix I will try this again, it should definitely work better :)
How long can it be stored in the pantry ?
Bars keep well for a couple of days at room temperature, but I recommend storing individually wrapped bars in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for best flavor.
Since finding this recipe, we no longer purchase granola bars. My kids love love love them. We make a double batch every week to 10 days. Some get stored in the freezer, most live in the fridge. Kids request them when we run out. They will not let me try any other recipe. I have tried others, but also think this is the best. The only improvement I can think of is to find almond butter that does not separate. I hate stirring that jar.
We love so many recipes on your site. This is my go-to site when looking for recipes. So many that we love and I love the tips that help modify to my needs. Thank you!!
Delicious and we make these all the time! We use a mix of honey, maple syrup, and molasses. We freeze them because otherwise they fall apart for us (b/c we don’t just use honey? probably not, judging by the comments), and they are still crumbly when eaten. Delicious, just not very portable for us.
FYI they are very difficult to mix, but a pastry cutter/blender does the job nicely.
Hi David! I’m sorry to hear that. It’s like the the mix of sweeteners.
A friend of mine made these and gave me half a batch to take home. It was love at first bite.
I beg her for a new batch when I run out and keep these hidden from my kiddo so they last longer. She has yet to find them
Well, I guess my friend got tired of being my supplier since I found an email with this link and nothing else from her.
I’m excited to try my spin on these as I’ve asked her to edit the recipe each time to add or subtract things to my preference.
I reduced the honey, too sweet, and increased the pb but used a non nut butter. I throw in chopped cranberries too. Delicious and they accompany my morning coffee to help power through my mornings.
I plan to make my first home batch this weekend. Exiting!
I’m excited you plan to make your first batch! Be sure to let me know what you think when you make them, G.
I have made these about ten times – such a great substitution for the sugary bars I used to buy! Delicious.
I doubled the last batch and lost track of time…they’ve been in the fridge for about a week and a half. Are they still good to eat? I skimmed the comments and didn’t see anything so far about how long they might last in the fridge. If they are still good I will go ahead and move to the freezer. Thanks!
Hi Kelsie! I would say use your best judgement and check for signs of spoilage.
I use so many of your recipes and they always turn out amazing so I know I am doing something wrong with these bars. They just crumble and never set. I had to add more peanut butter and even dates to get them to stick I am thinking it is because I chopped up my nuts and maybe they become too much like almond flour. I did decrease the oats but without the extra wet ingredients, they still would not stick. So what I am doing wrong – the nuts?
Hi, I’m sorry this one isn’t working for you. Unfortunately, changing the elements like you did of this recipe will cause inconsistent results.
These are the granola bars my kids request all the time. In fact, they are the only ones they want. We have been making them constantly for the last few years. There is always a batch in the fridge waiting to be eaten, and often a reserve batch in the freezer. Absolutely delicious!
I love that! Thank you for sharing and for your review.
My picky toddler absolutely devoured these! Huge mom win! Thank you for another amazing recipe.
That is a great win! Thank you for sharing, Carrie. I’m glad this one was a hit for you and your little one.
I haven’t made this recipe yet but I just wanted to say that this is my go-to website any time I’m looking for a recipe. I have been wanting to make my own granola bars and was so happy to see you have a recipe. Thank you for being awesome!!! This is my favorite recipe site for sure.
I made these yesterday and my family LOVED them! Both my husband and daughter are rather selective in their food choices; and these passed the test with flying colors. I will add this recipe to the rotation. (Substitution: raisins for nuts) Refrigerated for 80 minutes and they held perfectly. Thank you for the recipe
Love this recipe! I wasn’t sure if I needed to add more oats so I didn’t just in case, but next time I would cause I think I have more wet ingredients than dry and it’s a little overpowering. This is honestly the best granola bar recipe I’ve found. I can’t wait to change it up with the addins to come up with some different options.
My whole family loves these!! Thank you so much for an awesome healthy recipe.
Great to hear, Sarah! Thank you for your review.
OMG these are off the charts good!!!!
I’ve made Kate’s other granola bars and the ones with pecans and craisins are my go-to, but these are just spectacular!
There are not enough stars for me to say how good these are.
One tiny change I made…I didn’t have mini chocolate chips so I used mini M&Ms instead.
OMG. I’m addicted. They’re SO good. And individually wrapping them for the freezer makes them super convenient to grab & go when I’m in a rush. I enjoy them just fine straight from the freezer. Thanks Kate! This will be a regular go-to for me now.
I love it! Thank you for your review, Laura.
Hi Kate, Thank you so much for this granola bar recipe! I make them quite often. They are healthy and so tasty! I also love your Banana bread recipe. I’m looking forward to trying many more of your recipes. Would you happen to have a pumpkin pie recipe? Thank you
Hi! I’m glad you love it, Joanne. I don’t have a pumpkin pie recipe just yet. Maybe next season!
these are THE BEST, THE BEST. The perfect amount of salt, and soo much better that a store version! easy to make, easy to cut, easy to store, these are a winner. i made 1x the recipe and set it in two loaf pans and the bar size is good. Looking forward to taking these to work for an afternoon treat. Thanks Kate!
I’m excited you love them! I appreciate your comment and review, Lee.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! They are such an improvement over the store-bought versions.
My husband loves taking these on long bike rides. I call them “Mike’s Energy Bites.” They taste great and give him a second wind when his energy flags.
I change up the flavors by using different kinds of nut butters and either vanilla or almond extract. I cut them into pieces, wrap each energy bite individually, and store them in zippered bags in the freezer for long-term storage and at room temperature if he’s eating them soon.
You’re welcome, Arlene! Thank you for your review.
Hi Kate
Just received your cool book and loving it! My sons’ school is nut free so what suggestions would you have for making these granola bars without the nut butter?
Hi Kerry! I hope you love it. For granola bars, you could try a sunflower seed butter. Let me know!
Would love to try these for an upcoming trip – but will these bars travel well? Since they aren’t baked and need refrigeration – I was wondering if they’ll fall apart while on the road…..
Hi, I would suggest placing them in a cooler for best results.
These are seriously so yummy! Easy to make. I keep them in the freezer because I like them to have more of a crunch! I’ll definitely make these again. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Mindy!
Love these and so does my 8 year old!
Delicious. I can’t get them to not be crumbly and they never stayed together in the fridge, so we freeze them. Make them all the time. Lately I’ve been replacing 1/3 to 1/2 of the quick oats with puffed quinoa, and it takes these to another level adding some crispiness like a rice crispy treat. (Packaged puffed quinoa; I never can make it right at home)
I’m glad you loved it, David! I appreciate your review.
Hi. Is there a substitute for almond butter as it is very expensive in the place where I come from?
Hi, you could try a different nut butter or sun butter if you like.
Can you make this with oats that are closer to instant? I live in China and old fashioned oats are expensive.
Hi Janelle, I haven’t tried. Quick oats are the best I found. I hope you get a chance to make them!
Made these. LOVE this recipe. I made it my own and it is so yummy! Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Michelle! I’m excited you love them.
These bars look great! Just wondering if I can substitute honey for
for date syrup and how many carbs and calories are in the bars
Thank You
Hi! I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. Sorry!
Just made these with my 5 year old, and they are super easy and so good!
This is my go-to recipe now. I take them with me every day for work and they are the best snack! My extended family aren’t into the healthy food scene and even they all like these granola bars. So much flavor. I use Cox Honeyland Creamed honey and it is *chefs kiss* Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Will these last throughout the week? Can they be frozen?
Sure! I would wrap them individually to store them.
It seems on the recipes where you can multiply the ingredients it doesn’t change in the instructions. Can you please check this as it says under 2x use 2 cup measuring to add the nut butter and 1/2 cup honey but should be 1 cup honey and remove the 2 cup container. Thanks. :) Love your recipes also.
I know this recipe is a few years old but I wanted to let you know I’ve made it for years but instead of making them into bars I used a scoop and made them into easy to grab bites. I keep them in the frig and my boys grab them for snacks. I am going to play around a bit now and add some protein powder to increase the overall protein content. Thanks again for such a great, long standing recipe!
Amazing!
Really good! Not at all healthy this is loaded with sugar from the honey.
Great to hear, Mary! I appreciate your review.
Woah!! SO GOOD!! I made these for the first time over the weekend and I am in love!! I made them exactly as written (I had peanut butter) and cannot wait to make them again!! I think I will throw in some flax seeds next time (which will probably be next weekend). Thank you so much for this delicious recipe and alternative to store bought granola bars!!
You’re welcome, Meeshee!
Has anyone tried adding protein powder to the recipe? Thanks!