These no bake granola bars are an easy recipe with just 4 ingredients. They take only about 10 minutes to make and you can customize them with your favorite mix-ins. The recipe is easy enough that you can also make it with kids.

chocolate chip granola bars lined up on parchment paper.

Granola bars are a go-to snack in my house, so I love making my own whenever possible. What I love about these is that they are super easy to make, don’t require baking, and can be customized with various dried fruits, nuts, chocolate, or whatever you prefer in your granola bars.

Ingredients

  • Almond butter (or peanut butter)
  • Honey
  • Rolled oats (or quick oats)
  • Mini chocolate chips (or other mix-ins of your choice)

Almond butter: Make sure to use natural almond butter, the kind that is drippy and needs to be stirred. You can also use natural peanut butter or other kinds of nut butter. Just make sure you use an all-natural one – regular kinds are processed with hydrogenated oils and are too thick. You won’t be able to mix in the oats and mix-ins.

Honey: This adds sweetness. If you don’t like honey, you can use the same amount of pure maple syrup.

Oats: This recipe works best with rolled oats because the bars hold together better. However, if you don’t like the taste of rolled oats in no bake recipes (where the oats are not completely softened), you can make this recipe with quick oats. The quick oats will soften when coated in the nut butter mixture. But the granola bars won’t hold together as well. You will still be able to cut them, but once they soften, they will break apart more than the version with rolled oats.

Mix-ins: I like to use mini chocolate chips, but you can also try shredded coconut or chopped nuts like almonds, peanuts, or cashews. Dried fruit also works well, like raisins, dried cranberries, blueberries, or cherries. You can add up to a half cup of mix-ins, so feel free to mix and match them to customize your granola bars.

stacks of granola bars.

Recipe Tips

Mix the almond butter and honey first, and then mix in the oats and chocolate chips (or other mix-ins). Once the mixture is well combined, transfer it to a pan.

I like to place a piece of parchment paper on top of the granola mixture. This makes it easy to press the mixture into the pan without everything sticking to your hands.

Once you’ve pressed the mixture evenly into the pan, place another pan on top. It helps it it’s a little heavy – this will add light pressure so the bars are compact. This will ensure they don’t fall apart once you remove them from the pan.

I like to freeze the bars for about an hour. This helps them set quickly so you can slice and serve them. You can leave them out at room temperature for a few minutes so they soften.

How to Store Them

The bars are best stored in the fridge or freezer. While they can sit at room temperature, they tend to get a little too soft and break easily. I like storing them in the freezer and then letting them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before eating.

stack of two bars.

More Easy No Bake Snacks

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4.67 from 3 votes

4 Ingredient No Bake Healthy Granola Bars

Easy granola bars that are just 4 ingredients and easy to customize.
Servings: 12 bars
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup creamy unsweetened natural almond butter, or peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, or other mix-ins like dried fruit or nuts

Instructions
 

  • Line the bottom of an 8 inch by 8 inch (can also use a 9 x 9) baking pan with parchment paper.
  • Add almond butter and honey into a large bowl. Stir until the two ingredients are evenly mixed together.
  • Add in rolled oats. Stir until evenly combined and all oats are coated in almond butter mixture. Add in chocolate chips and stir until evenly combined.
  • Spread evenly into prepared pan. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the surface and press down to compact the granola. Place something on top of the bars to apply light pressure (I used another 8 x 8 pan). Place bars into freezer to set (at least 1 hour). Cut into bars with a sharp knife. Let bars soften a few minutes at room temperature before eating. Store uneaten bars in fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • You should add in at least 1/2 cup of mix-ins but no more than 1 cup of mix-ins.
  • If you're looking for a nut-free alternative, you can try making a paste with dates. Check out my energy bars recipe to learn more.
  • If you prefer sweeter bars, you can add a few more tablespoons of honey. I recommend making the recipe as is, and after you've combined all the ingredients, you can taste and stir in more honey if needed.
  • Make sure to use creamy natural nut butter, the kind that is drippy and needs to be stirred. If you use regular nut butter, you will need to melt it first as it will be too thick to stir in your oats.
  • The bars hold together better with rolled oats. However, if you don't like eating oats that haven't been softened, you can use quick oats. Quick oats will become soft when soaked in the nut butter mixture. The tradeoff is that the quick oat bars don't hold together as well.
Serving: 1bar, Calories: 244kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 6mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 14g, NET CARBS: 23
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!