6 simple ingredients are all you need to make this no-bake, Healthy Apple Cinnamon Granola Bars recipe. These homemade granola bars are chewy, super easy to make and taste just like apple pie! A gluten-free, kid-friendly recipe that can easily be made vegan.
If you have ever made homemade granola bars, you know that they are so much better than store-bought snack bars. They are less processed, less sugary and they just taste better.
This homemade granola bar recipe is made entirely with nutritious ingredients, such as rolled oats, walnuts, dried apple and cinnamon. Pureed dates and honey act like a glue that binds everything together, while infusing the bars with natural sweetness.
How to Make Healthy Apple Cinnamon Granola Bars
- Make the date paste: Add the pitted dates and honey to a food processor. Process until they form a sticky paste.
- Combine the dry ingredients: Stir together the rolled oats, cinnamon, dried apple, and walnuts in a bowl.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients together: Combine the date paste with the dry oat mixture and press into a lined, square baking pan.
- Freeze and serve: Place in the freezer until firm, then cut into bars and serve.
Tips for Making Healthy Apple Cinnamon Granola Bars
These three steps will ensure that the granola bars to hold together when sliced:
- Use your hands to combine all of the ingredients together. The date-honey paste is super sticky, so using a spoon will not cut it! This is also a fun step that your kids can get involved in. 😉
- Firmly press the granola mixture into the baking pan with your hands, the sides of a mug or a flat dish.
- Allow the granola mixture to chill and harden completely in the freezer before cutting into bars.
Optional: To enhance the flavor of the oats, you can lightly toast them on a baking sheet at 350°F for 10 minutes, just until they become fragrant.
These granola bars make an ideal on-the-go snack, because they are perfectly portable and will keep you feeling full for hours. Once you try these wholesome, flavorful granola bars, you will forget about buying the boxed ones for good!
More No-Bake Granola Bar Recipes to Try
- Nut-Free Granola Bars
- Mango Coconut Granola Bars
- Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
- Fruit and Nut Granola Bars
For this Healthy Apple Cinnamon Granola Bars Recipe, I recommend:
- Cuisinart Food Processor – This is the one I use and love! I have had mine for years and it is one of my favorite kitchen tools. I use it all the time to quickly mix ingredients and to make sauces and dips.
- KitchenAid Mixing Bowls – This is a 3-piece set that is great for combining ingredients. The bowls nest together, so they are super easy to store.
- Baker’s Secret Square Baking Pan – This pan is the perfect size for this recipe. It also works beautifully for making brownies and cake.
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If you make this Healthy Apple Cinnamon Granola Bars recipe, let me know! Rate it and leave a comment below, because I love hearing from you! 🙂
Healthy Apple Cinnamon Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed Medjool dates pitted
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (certified gluten-free if necessary)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chopped dried apple
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides for easy removal. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, process dates and honey until they form a paste.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats and cinnamon. Stir in the dried apple and walnuts.
- Add date mixture to oat mixture and mix, using your hands, until well combined. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan and firmly press into an even layer.
- Chill in freezer for about 20 minutes until firm. Remove from freezer and lift granola mixture out of pan using overhang on sides. Cut into bars and serve.
Notes
- To make this recipe vegan, substitute the honey with maple syrup.
- To ensure this recipe is gluten-free, use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
Nutrition
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Your granola snack bars sound so easy to prepare! I love non bake desserts and sweets because that means there is a low chance I will mess up the recipe, haha.
Thank you Sarah! 🙂 Haha aww, yes this granola bar recipe is pretty much foolproof, so you should be just fine!