Healthy Homemade Granola Bar Recipe

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I love Halloween. The fun costumes, the trick or treating and the festivities make it a fantastic holiday for kids of all ages. That is why I created this healthy homemade granola bar recipe. It is a simple treat to prepare and is low in sugar. (Not to be a killjoy, but what I don’t love is the insane amount of candy, sweets and sugary treats that are given out to children.)

Healthy Homemade Granola Bar Recipe (Low Sugar; Healthy Halloween Treat For Kids)

While I do think that everything is fine in moderation, I also think there should be healthy options out there as well…like crunchy homemade granola bars. Personally, I love them as a quick snack on the go as well as for their nutritional value since they combine complex carbohydrates with a healthy dose of protein.

The problem though is that many bars on the market are loaded with sugar and soy protein. To prepare for my healthy Halloween snack, I wanted a bar that was naturally sweet as well as one that was packed with nuts and oats as the main ingredients (instead of sugar).

I decided to also add dark chocolate chips as well as some cranberries, almond butter and coconut spread to help bind the bars. All in all, I was really pleased with these bars. They were super easy to prepare, tasted great and they were even a hit with my daughter!

They are easy enough to have around the house for an occasional treat (not just for Halloween!) and you can vary the ingredients. You can add some of your favorite fruits and nuts or even take out the chocolate to make this low-sugar granola bar recipe even better for your kids. Enjoy and have a happy and healthy Halloween!

Easy Healthy Homemade Granola Bar Recipe

Nutty Chocolate Granola Bars
Yield:  8-10 bars

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups agave cashews, chopped
  • 1/2 cup salted almonds
  • 1 cup of almond butter
  • 1 cup of coconut spread
  • 1/4 cup of cranberries (or raisins)
  • 1 cup banana chips, chopped
  • 2 cups quick oats
  • 2 cups brown rice crisp cereal
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • pinch of salt

Cooking Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lay out the almonds and cashews on a cutting board and crush them with a rolling pin. Place them in a baking tray and let them toast for 10 minutes.
  2. As the nuts are cooking, combine the oats and cereal into a mixing bowl.
  3. Check on the nuts. Turn off the oven and let them cool.
  4. In a pan, heat the syrup, almond extract, almond butter and coconut spread on a very low heat. Stir the mixture. After 3 minutes, add this mixture to the oats bowl along with the nuts. Stir. Add the cranberries and the chocolate chips.
  5. In a baking tray, add the mixture. Spread it out evenly and refrigerate it so that the bars can cool. (This also makes them easier to cut.)

*Recipe Note: You can get agave cashews at a health food store. If you can’t find them, you can substitute plain cashews and then add agave syrup.

If you found this recipe helpful, please share it. Thanks!

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{Updated on 10/22/20 for Nut Day.}