Strawberry Granola Bars

These Strawberry Granola Bars are soft, chewy, easy to make and perfect after a workout or a healthy breakfast-on-the-go. They’re made with simple to find pantry ingredients and are gluten free and refined sugar free. With low carb, paleo, keto options.

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EASY BREAKFAST BARS FOR ON THE GO

Looking for more quick and easy snacks for on the go? Energy bites, breakfast cookies and granola bars are a few of our favorite healthy snacks to make ahead for the week.

These strawberry granola bars are soft, chewy and super easy to make. They’re perfect now that it’s strawberry season and even in the fall for packing into school or work lunchboxes. And the no bake granola bar recipe option is perfect for summer when it’s too hot to turn on your oven  

You can even pack a few of these strawberry oatmeal bars with you on a hike or to the gym for after a workout when you’re in a hurry and need to eat on the run.

WHY MAKE GRANOLA BARS AT HOME

What I love about making homemade granola bars is that you can customize them based on what you like or have in your pantry and kitchen. Plus, these strawberry granola bars are so much healthier than store-bought granola bars since they are not filled with a bunch of ingredients you can’t even pronounce.

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED FOR STRAWBERRY OATMEAL BARS:

For this granola bar recipe, you’re going to use:

WET INGREDIENTS TO BIND THE GRANOLA BARS

• coconut oil
• almond butter
• liquid sweetener – I used coconut nectar for my kids but if you are low carb keto, you can can also sub with sugar free maple syrup such as Lakanto, Sukrin Gold, brown rice syrup or honey
• vanilla extract

DRY INGREDIENTS FOR FLAVOR AND TEXTURE

• gluten free old fashioned rolled oats – for a low carb / paleo / keto granola bar, sub with flaked coconut from Bob’s Red Mill
• ground oat flour OR almond flour for low carb / paleo / keto
• sliced almonds
• shredded coconut
• ground cinnamon
• Himalyan pink salt or sea salt
• freeze-dried strawberries
• mini chocolate chips – use your favorite vegan or sugar free chocolate like Lily’s

HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY GRANOLA BARS:

1. PREP YOUR BAKING PAN – Line a baking pan with parchment paper leaving an overhand for easier removal.
2. HEAT THE WET INGREDIENTS & BRING TO A BOIL: In a large pot, heat coconut oil, almond butter and sweetener over medium-heat. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt.
3. ADD THE DRY INGREDIENTS: Stir in the oats, almonds, coconut, cinnamon and salt. Fold in strawberries.
    
4. TRANSFER TO BAKING PAN: Spread the batter evenly into the baking pan and press down firmly either with your hands over a parchment paper or a spatula.
5. BAKE OR FREEZE: Depending on the recipe, bake at 350 for 15-28 minutes or chill in the freezer until set.
6. CUT INTO SLICES: Using a sharp knife, cut into bars.

HELPFUL TIPS FOR SOFT AND CHEWY OATMEAL BARS:

1. For easier removal: line the baking pan with parchment paper with a slight overhang
2. Try NOT to go overboard with your mix-ins, otherwise, the granola bars will crumble and fall apart
3. If granola bar mixture seems too dry, the trick is to add just enough warm water (1-2 teaspoons at a time) to the mixture to help the ingredients bind and stick.
4. Other ingredients that help granola bars bind well: egg, flax egg, pureed banana
5. Alternatively, if granola bar mixture seems too wet, experiment by adding some more oats, shredded coconut or ground flax-seeds, finely ground oats or almond flour to help everything bind.
6. Another important step is to press the granola mixture down VERY tightly and firmly into the pan. Use a spatula or lay a piece of parchment paper over the mixture while pressing down very hard using your hands.
7. If the recipe calls for baking – try not to overbake and allow to cool completely before slicing into bars
8. Chill the pan in the fridge or freezer prior to cutting into bars for a cleaner slice.

DO YOU HAVE A RECIPE FOR NO BAKE SNACK BARS?

During the summer, not everyone wants to heat up their house to bake granola bars.

As much as I love a good no bake recipe, popping the baking pan into the oven for just 15-20 minutes helps the granola bars hold together without crumbling apart at room temperature.

But if you’re trying to avoid turning on the oven, you can pop the baking pan in the freezer for 1 hour until the bars are set and then be sure to store them in the fridge until you’re ready to eat them so that they hold their shape and don’t fall apart.

ARE STRAWBERRY GRANOLA BARS HEALTHY?

Making your own homemade granola bars means you can skip the store-bought stuff. Many of these chewy granola bars have questionable ingredients with words you may not be able to pronounce.

That’s why I love how simple these strawberry granola bars are to customize. You can pack them with a ton of wholesome & feel good ingredients. These chewy granola bars are healthier, more delicious and take no time at all to make!

More granola bar recipes you might like:

Pumpkin Granola Bars

5 Ingredient Granola Bars

No Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars

More strawberry recipes you might like:

Strawberry Cookies

Keto Strawberry Ice Cream

Low Carb Strawberry Cheesecake

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Print

Strawberry Granola Bars

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: breakfast, gluten free, granola bars, kid friendly lunch ideas, snacks, strawberry

Servings: 12 bars

Calories: 297 kcal

Author: Kelly

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2/3 cup drippy almond butter
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup coconut nectar , can also sub with sugar free maple syrup such as Lakanto, Sukrin Gold, brown rice syrup or honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats , can sub with flaked coconut from Bob's Red Mill for low carb / paleo
• 1/3 cup finely ground oat flour OR superfine blanched almond flour
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt or sea salt
• 1/2 tablespoon water
• 3/4 cup freeze-dried strawberries or dried strawberries
• 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips , optional (use vegan or sugar free brand such as Lily's as needed)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang for easier removal. Set aside.
   

2. In a large pot, heat coconut oil, almond butter and sweetener over medium-heat until the mixture comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Remove pot from heat. Stir in vanilla and salt
   until combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the oats, flour, almonds, coconut, cinnamon and salt until dough is combined and sticks together. Add the water and fold in the strawberries.

3. Transfer the mixture into the prepared pan while pressing down very firmly and flattening with a spatula until tight and compressed. Press in the optional chocolate chips.
   

4. Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, until edges are slightly brown. (For no bake granola bars - freeze pan for 1 hour, or until bars are set).

   Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, remove bars, use
   the parchment overhang to transfer the uncut bars to a cutting board.
   Using a sharp knife, cut into even bars.

Nutrition Facts

Strawberry Granola Bars

Amount Per Serving (1 bar)

Calories 297 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Carbohydrates 26g9%

Fiber 6g24%

Sugar 14g16%

Protein 6g12%

* Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy using the WPRM recipe calculator. It is best to make your own calculations to ensure accuracy. We expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.