Keto Granola Bars Recipe (4 Ingredients) (2024)

Low carb snacking alert- These keto granola bars will be your new favorite! Made with just 4 ingredients, they are thick, chewy, and loaded with delicious nuts!

Keto Granola Bars Recipe (4 Ingredients) (1)

When it comes to keto snacks, my favorite recipes to make are crackers, tortilla chips, and these low carb granola bars.

Now, these don’t actually have granola in them because, well, they aren’t keto-friendly (unless you use my keto granola!), but they are a fabulous alternative. Oh, and no oats.

Table of Contents
  1. Recipe highlights
  2. Ingrediends needed
  3. How to make keto granola bars
  4. Flavor Variations
  5. Storage instructions
  6. Frequently asked questions
  7. More keto snack recipes to try
  8. Keto Granola Bars (Recipe Card)

Recipe highlights

  • Quick and easy. They are quick to make and need just four ingredients to make.
  • Versatile. They are perfect to enjoy between meals to keep the snack monster at bay, and great for lunch boxes.
  • Zero sugar. And also grain-free and gluten-free, but you’d never tell.
  • Perfect texture and flavor. The texture is thick, chewy, and stable at room temperature. They are pleasantly sweet and easily customizable with your favorite nuts and seeds.

Ingrediends needed

As mentioned earlier, this recipe calls for simple low carb ingredients. Here is what you’ll need:

  • Almonds– Raw sliced almonds, with or without added salt. If you enjoy the sweet and salty combination, use the latter.
  • Cashews– Raw cashews that have been roughly chopped. Use a mix of finely and roughly chopped cashews, as the finer bits help hold the bars together.
  • Keto crispy cereal– A fantastic low carb substitute for crispy rice cereal.I typically buy mine at Costco or Sam’s Club, but you can find it online, too. No cereal? Try crushing up my homemade keto cereal or using chopped nuts.
  • Maple SyrupKeto maple syrup, to provide sweetness, but also holds the bars together.You can also use my keto honey or keto simple syrup. If you choose to use a store bought brand, make sure it has allulose as the sweetener, not erythritol or monk fruit sweetener.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

How to make keto granola bars

Step 1- Prep. Start by covering an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, and greasing generously.

Step 2- Make the base. Next, stir your almonds, cashews, and cereal together in a large bowl. Add your keto maple syrup and whisk very well, until completely combined. Transfer the mixture into the lined pan and using a rubber spatula, press into the pan.

Step 3- Bake. Bake the bars at 160C/320F for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely, before carefully slicing into bars using a sharp knife.

Keto Granola Bars Recipe (4 Ingredients) (2)

Flavor Variations

While these low carb granola bars taste delicious as they are, feel free to change up the flavors for some variety! Depending on what ingredients you use, the net carbs may increase to 3 grams per bar.

  • Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate– Replace the cashews with chopped peanuts and drizzle melted dark chocolate over the top.
  • Blueberry Pecan– Add 2 tablespoons of dried blueberries to the mixture. Replace the cashews with roughly chopped pecans.
  • Cranberry Almond– Add 2 tablespoons of dried unsweetened cranberries to the mixture and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.
  • Dark Chocolate Almond and Coconut– Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of coconut flakes on top of the granola bars before baking them. Drizzle melted dark chocolate over the top.
  • Vanilla Almond and Sea Salt– Replace half the almonds with smoked almonds, add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, and sprinkle the tops of the bars with sea salt.

Storage instructions

To store: Granola bars are fragile and sticky, so should always be stored in the fridge. Keep them covered, and they will keep well for up to 4 weeks.

To freeze: Individually wrap bars in parchment paper and place them in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Keto Granola Bars Recipe (4 Ingredients) (3)

Frequently asked questions

Why are my bars soft?

Your bars may be soft and a little limp if you don’t bake them long enough. Oven makes and models differ. If, at the 25-minute mark, your granola bars are still soft when touched, cook for a further 5-10 minutes.

Why are my bars hard and brittle?

If you wait too long to slice the granola bars, they will firm up too much and be difficult to slice.To make the granola bars easier to slice, heat the knife first, by pouring boiling water over it and lightly patting it dry.

Can I keep them unbaked?

As the keto maple syrup isn’t as thick as non-keto sweeteners (like brown rice syrup or honey), they need to be baked to ensure they hold together.

Can I use other nuts and seeds?

Yes! These bars work with walnuts, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, and even nut butters like almond butter and peanut butter.

More keto snack recipes to try

  • Keto Protein Bars– These taste like candy bars!
  • Low Carb Rice Krispie Treats– With homemade keto marshmallows.
  • Fat Bombs– Every keto dieter needs these in their snacking arsenal.
  • Energy Balls– Protein-packed and so delicious.

Keto Granola Bars Recipe (4 Ingredients) (4)

Keto Granola Bars

5 from 122 votes

These keto granola bars are thick, chewy, and stable at room temperature! Made with just 4 ingredients, they are loaded with nuts and seeds!

Servings: 12 servings

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

Rate This Recipe

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoon pumpkin seeds optional
  • 1/2 cup keto crispy cereal
  • 5 tablespoon keto maple syrup

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and grease it generously. Set aside.

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine your nuts and seeds with your crispy cereal. Pour the sugar free syrup over it and mix very well, until completely combined and all your nuts/cereal is coated in the syrup.

  • Transfer the granola bar mixture into the lined pan and using a rubber spatula, press down to ensure a uniform layer. Bake for 25 minutes.

  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, before slicing into bars.

Notes

TO STORE: Granola bars are fragile and sticky, so should always be stored in the refrigerator. Keep them covered, and they will keep well for up to 4 weeks.

TO FREEZE: Individually wrap bars in parchment paper and place them in a ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 98kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 4gFat: 8gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 2gCalcium: 33mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 2g

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Author: Arman Liew

Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Recipe originally published October 2020 but updated to include new information for your benefit.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsem*nt, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.

Keto Granola Bars Recipe (4 Ingredients) (2024)

FAQs

What makes granola bars stick together? ›

Honey – Along with the nut butter, it helps all these ingredients stick together! I love its warm amber flavor in this recipe. Vanilla extract – It amps up the bars' warm flavor.

What ingredient makes granola stick together? ›

Clumpy Granola Method: Add Egg White

The idea is that the egg's protein will help the oats bind to each other and create delicate clusters. Results: Not only does the egg white work as a glue to hold the oats together, but it also gives the granola an incredibly crispy bite.

What granola bars can you eat on keto? ›

The Best Keto Granola Bars To Boost Your Weight Loss Journey
  • Best Overall: Munk Pack Keto Granola Bar Shop Now ➔
  • Best for Low-Sugar Diets: Atkins Keto Granola Bar Shop Now ➔
  • Best Tasting: Perfect Keto Keto Granola Bar Shop Now ➔
  • Safe and Natural: Zero Sugar Brands Keto Granola Bar Shop Now ➔
Mar 29, 2024

What is the binding agent for homemade granola? ›

Nut butter is a super flavorful fat that serves multiple purposes in granola. It acts as a binding agent—along with additional coconut oil and whatever natural sweetener I've chosen—helping to pull the dry ingredients together into a wet, sticky mass for baking.

How do you keep homemade granola bars from falling apart? ›

If your granola bars are falling apart or seem too crumbly, here are a few tips. Make sure you use honey or another sticky sweetener such as maple syrup in the liquid part of the recipe; this recipe calls for honey. This will help bind together the ingredients and keep that signature bar shape.

How to get homemade granola bars to stay together? ›

Honey - this helps everything stick together! Agave nectar will also work but I love making homemade granola bars with honey! Brown Sugar - more flavorful that white sugar!! Vanilla - you could also use chocolate extract if you prefer.

Why didn't my homemade granola stick together? ›

If so, the reason that your granola isn't clumpy already is because it was deliberately stirred and broken apart while it was baking, and it might be possible to make it re-clump! Try putting a scoop in the microwave and heating it in 30 second bursts on high. If it starts to get sticky, you're golden.

Should you soak oats before making granola bars? ›

Fill the bowl up with water to completely cover the mixture – enough that you can stir to combine. This soaking process will help the oats and seeds digest better. After the oat/seed mixture has soaked 8-12 hours, add the rest of the ingredients and combine.

Why is my homemade granola not crunchy? ›

I aim to let it hit room temperature, whatever that may be; the real point is to give it ample time to shed excess heat and steam. This should take about 45 minutes; if left out indefinitely, the granola can turn sticky or soft, so do try to put it away as soon after cooling as you can.

What chocolate can you eat keto? ›

On a ketogenic diet, the best chocolate option is dark chocolate. Specifically, you should aim for dark chocolate that contains a high percentage of cocoa solids – ideally above 70%.

What is the best binding agent for granola bars? ›

While there are several different sticky ingredients that you can use, we've found that the binding agent that works the best is honey! When added to your homemade granola bars, honey acts as glue that sticks all the pieces together.

What can be used as a binding agent instead of flour? ›

You can pick up other binding agents at your local grocery, specialty store, or Amazon.
  • Gelatin.
  • Milk.
  • Oatmeal.
  • Tapioca.
  • Corn starch.
  • Cracker crumbs.
  • Gluten in flours.
  • Ground flax.

What are natural food binders? ›

Materials used as binders included egg, wax, honey, lime, whey, linseed oil or bitumen.

What sticks granola together? ›

Flaxseed is wonderful for this, because after 30 minutes it soaks up the water, and turns into a gluey mass that will bind all your granola ingredients together.

Why do my no bake granola bars fall apart? ›

to not go overboard with your mix-ins otherwise your bars will fall apart (always happens to me..). that if your mixture seems too dry to add a bit of water (start with just 1 tsp) to get a stickier consistency. that if your mixture seems too wet to add more oats/oat flour/shredded coconut/or other dry ingredient.

What is glycerin in granola bars? ›

Glycerin, a common ingredient in all high-protein bars, helps to reduce water activity, keeps the dough pliable and less sticky and helps to maintain bar softness during shelf life. The ingredients are mixed together to form a dough.

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