No-Bake Fruit and Nut Granola Bars (Healthy Recipe!)
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This Healthy Fruit and Nut Granola Bars recipe is made with just 6 ingredients. These homemade granola bars are soft, chewy, and just as delicious as they are nutritious! Learn how to make homemade no-bake granola bars with this quick and simple recipe.
Fruit and Nut Granola Bars: The Perfect Healthy Snack
It’s great to make homemade granola bars, because that way you get to control what goes into them. This recipe is made with a bunch of good-for-you ingredients, such as rolled oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds and dried fruit. A naturally-sweetened base of pureed dates and honey binds everything together.
These homemade granola bars are perfect for snacking, because they are super tasty, portable and will keep you feeling full for a long time. They provide a good dose of healthy fats and fiber from the almonds, pumpkin seeds and oats. For the dried fruit in the recipe I used dried cranberries, but you could use raisins, dried cherries or any other dried fruit that you have on hand.
How to Make Fruit and Nut Granola Bars
Full instructions are included in the recipe below. But as a brief overview, to make this homemade granola bar recipe, simply:
- 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 the oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds and dried fruit together 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.
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Tips for Making No-Bake Fruit and Nut Granola Bars
Here are some pointers to ensure this recipe comes out perfect every single time:
- Use your hands: When adding the date paste to the dry granola mixture, use your hands to mix everything together! Using a spoon will not cut it, because the mixture gets super sticky (that’s why the granola bars hold together so well without baking).
- Press hard: Once all of the ingredients are combined, press the granola mixture very firmly into the baking pan with your hands, a flat dish or the sides of a mug.
- Chill well: Allow the granola mixture to chill and harden completely before cutting into bars. This will ensure that the granola bars hold together when sliced.
Optional: To really bring out the flavor of the oats, you can gently toast them on a baking sheet at 350°F for 10 minutes, just until they become fragrant.
Where to Get the Best Healthy Snacks
Although I love to make my own snacks, I, just like you, don’t always have the time to do so. It’s perfectly fine to purchase packaged snacks, as long as you buy the right ones. My favorite source to buy healthy, junk-free snacks from is Urthbox.
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More Healthy Granola Bar Recipes to Try
Looking for more nutritious, no-bake granola bar inspiration? Here are some of my favorite recipes:
- Healthy Nut-Free Granola Bars
- Apple Cinnamon Granola Bars
- Honey Almond Granola Bars
- Mango Coconut Granola Bars
- Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
For this Healthy Fruit and Nut Granola Bars Recipe, I recommend:
Here are a few tools that I suggest using to ensure this recipe turns out perfect:
- 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.
If you make this Healthy Fruit and Nut Granola Bars recipe, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating ★ below, because I love hearing from you! ♡
No-Bake Fruit and Nut Granola Bars (Healthy Recipe!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed Medjool dates, pitted
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1/3 cup chopped almonds
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
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 the dates and honey until they form a paste.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries.
- Add the date mixture to the oat mixture and mix, using your hands, until combined. Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan and firmly press into an even layer.
- Chill in the freezer for about 20 minutes until firm. Remove from the freezer and lift the granola mixture out of the pan using overhang on sides. Cut into bars and serve.
Nutrition
Notes
- To make this recipe vegan, substitute the honey with maple syrup.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- Leftover granola bars can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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These look good. I will try to make these. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Hi Janet! You’re very welcome! I hope you do get to make these – they get gobbled up very quickly every time I make them! 🙂
They look really delicious, I know my boys would love them!
Thanks Sheena! I love making them because they have so much less sugar than store-bought granola bars, but still taste good!
These bars look yummy…how long can I keep them in the fridge?
Hi Peter! Thanks so much! You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. 🙂 I hope you get a chance to make them soon!
Can peanut butter be added? Would I need to replace a different ingredient?
Hey Rebekah – I have never tried making the recipe with peanut butter before, so I can’t say for sure how it will turn out. If you do make it with peanut butter let me know how it goes!
These look fabulous Alia! I love the addition of the cranberries. I rarely use them but I like the sound of them in granola bars, yum! xx
Hey Sam! Thanks so much!! ♡ I love to use cranberries because I like the flavor and I always have them on hand at home. But you could honestly use any type of dried fruit you like! 🙂
I love that these do not have peanut butter. I am a huge peanut butter fan, but I have to start making nut-free snacks for my son’s preschool snacks! These look terrific Alia!!
Thank you Katherine! I know that’s one thing you definitely have to be careful about for school snacks. I hope you get to try the recipe sometime! 🙂
Hi, I toasdted the oats and pumpkin seeds and almonds just like when I make granola. Turned out great. Thanks
Hi Stephanie! Toasting the oats, almonds and seeds definitely brings out their flavors even more, so good job! I’m so glad you liked the recipe! You’re welcome! 🙂
Hi…thanks for amazing recipe. I will definitely try making this…My only concern is after chilling it in freezer can I store it in airtight container and leave it at room temperature or I will have to store it in refrigerator?
Hi Krinita! You can definitely store leftover granola bars in an airtight container at room temperature, but I recommend storing them in the refrigerator, because they will last longer (up to 2 weeks).
They look good and I want to make them
Can you provide nutritional information please?
Hi Diana! Thank you, I hope you get a chance to make them! I have added a nutrition label to the recipe above, which includes values for calories, protein, fat content, etc. per serving. 🙂
I have tried these, but I could not get them to hold together. At the end, I added a little melted butter and soft brown sugar and then mixed together. Tasted fantastic.
Hi Lystra, thanks for your feedback. I’ve never had an issue with them not holding together, because I always make sure the granola mixture is completely chilled and hardened before cutting it into bars. I’m happy that you got the recipe to work in the end and that you liked how the bars tasted! 🙂 Hope you have a great weekend!
This recipe is OUTSTANDING and so ridiculously simple!
I didn’t have any almonds so I toasted some pecans and used those instead and it was fantastic!
Will never buy in store again!! Thanks!
Hi Jennifer! Wow thank you so much for your lovely feedback! 🙂 Toasted pecans would definitely taste delicious in these bars. You are very welcome!! I’m happy you liked the recipe!
Might be a silly question but is the 190 Calories per bar?
Hey Emily! That’s not a silly question! Yes, it is 190 calories per granola bar. Whenever I post calorie counts, it is always per serving. So in this case, one serving is equivalent to one bar. 🙂
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I tried it yesterday and it came out perfect. tasted really yummy.
Hi Priya! You’re welcome! I am so happy you liked the recipe! 🙂
Just made this recipe and I toasted the oats, seeds, and almonds. Added dried apricots and sunflower seeds. When I licked my fingers after adding the date and honey paste I was a bit worried it may be too sweet…but it was all a huge success! Thank you so much for the recipe. 🙂
Hey Cinnamon! I am so glad you enjoyed the granola bars! 🙂 You are very welcome!
Amazing! I tried to mix the dates with creamy honey which was a bit difficult. Maybe liquid honey would be better. The first time i made these, they didnt stick together, so this time i put them in the warm oven just to warm the honey up. Best bars ever! I finished them 10 minutes ago and they are almost gone now! Thank you for this awesome recipe!!!
Hi Iris! I am so glad you enjoyed the granola bars! I always use liquid honey to make mine, so maybe try that next time you make them! I also have a few other granola bar recipes on the blog if you want to try something different! You’re very welcome!! 🙂
Thank you for sharing the recipe! I’ve made this for my11 yo son who wants easy quick breakfast. Just trying to figure out how to make it less sweet for his taste without compromising date/honey mixture. Will try to add dark choc chips for my younger daughter so she will eat it too 🙂
Hi Esther, you’re welcome! To make the granola bars less sweet, you could try substituting the dried cranberries with more almonds or pumpkin seeds. That would make the bars less sugary overall. 🙂
This looks so good! What a yummy one to make with your kids for their school lunch!
Hi Suzanne! Aww thanks so much! <3 I hope you get a chance to try them sometime!
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
Hi Vanessa! You’re welcome! You can store leftover granola bars in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. They are also freezer-friendly – just wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap or parchment paper and freeze for up to 3 months. 🙂
What would you suggest for those who don’t like dates or can you not really taste them
Hi Olivia! Honestly I’m not the biggest fan of dates myself, but you can’t really taste them in this recipe. The dates just act like a sweet, sticky glue that holds the granola bars together. The rest of the ingredients are really flavorful, so the bars don’t really have much of a date flavor. 🙂
Best granola bars ever!!!
Thanks so much!
Is there a way to make the date paste without a food processor?
Hi Elizabeth, I have always used a food processor to make the date paste in this recipe. However, if you have high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix, Blendtec, or Ninja, you might be able to use that instead. You may need to add a bit of water to help your blender run a bit more smoothly though. Please let me know if you do try that and if it worked for you!
I make these quite often. I’ll add a few mini chocolate chips or coconut if I have them. I also toast them for about 10 minutes after there cut into squares. Perfect for my snack at work.
Hi Dawn! Yay, I’m so glad that you are enjoying my granola bar recipe! I like making these bars too, because they are way more healthy than most of packaged granola bars that you can buy at the store. If you want a change, I also have a few other varieties of granola bars on the blog. Just search “granola bars” in my blog’s search box and they should all pop up. 🙂