Healthy Oatmeal Granola Bars

These low-fat, healthy oatmeal granola bars have a Rice-Krispies-Bar crunch thanks to tapioca starch, yet they also leave plenty of room for adding optional ingredients like nut butters or fruit jams. As a longtime granola bar enthusiast, I’ve found that variety is key to keeping homemade bars exciting and delicious. These bars are wonderfully versatile—you can tweak the fats, swap in different flours or grains, and experiment with your favorite mix-ins.

Serves: 8 bars
Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cooking Time: 15 minutes minutes – Total Time: 25 minutes

Helpful equipment

Baking sheet or large brownie pan
Parchment paper (optional)
Small saucepan

Ingredients

2 tbsp. tapioca starch
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup puffed rice (or more oatmeal)
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup mix-ins (read notes)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey (or similar substitute)
1.5-2 tbsp. oil
2 tbsp. nut butter, banana, margarine, coconut oil, dates, jam (optional, but nice to have)

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 325F (163C).

Step 2 (Optional)

Spread the puffed rice evenly on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5-8 minutes. This step enhances the flavor and makes the rice "pop" more with every bite. If desired, you can also toast the oatmeal during this step.

Step 3

Whisk together the dry ingredients: salt, oatmeal, puffed rice, and any additional mix-ins. If you are adding ingredients that may melt, such as chocolate chips, reserve them for pressing into the top of the bars or stirring in at the end.

Step 4

In a small saucepan, heat the honey over medium heat until it simmers and fully liquefies (see notes).

Pour the wet ingredients--oil, vanilla extract, optional fat/binder, and liquefied honey--into the dry mixture. Stir until well combined and evenly coated. Add the tapioca starch to the mixture, continuing to stir until the starch evenly coats the granola surfaces and no white powder is visible.

If adding chocolate chips, you can either mix them in now or sprinkle them on top later.

Step 5

Prepare the baking pan. Grease a baking sheet or large brownie pan with oil, or line it with parchment paper, to prevent sticking. Transfer the granola mixture to the pan and press it down firmly into one corner, ensuring it is evenly distributed to a thickness of about 1/3rd inch. Press the granola tightly to avoid holes.

Step 6

Bake the granola bars. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. A longer baking time will result in crisper, slightly more toasted bars. Once done, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool before slicing. The bars will harden further as they cool at room temperature.

Store the bars in an airtight container to maintain freshness and prevent them from further hardening.

Notes

Brown sugar (optional): These bars are already naturally sweet, but for a caramel-like sweetness, you can try experimenting with small amounts of brown sugar.
Store your granola bars in an airtight container. They will keep for up to a week at room temperature or in the refrigerator. For longer storage, freeze them.
Mix-in ideas: Feel free to experiment with a variety of mix-ins, including flax seeds, hemp hearts, goji berries, dried fruit (chopped), chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, a nut mixture (chopped), matcha powder, espresso powder, raisins, dried cranberries, coconut flakes, chia seeds, and more!
Tapioca starch: Vital wheat gluten can be used as a substitute, but please note the bars will no longer be gluten-free and will slightly alter in taste. Although tapioca starch provides mild binding, it primarily enhance the texture, giving the bars a store-bought feel and rice krispy treat crunch.
Honey: Honey acts as a crucial binding agent. However, heating honey above 94–104°F (34–40°C), as we do, destroys its beneficial enzymes. Using liquefied honey ensures the bars will hold together without the need for nut butters or other binders. If you prefer to retain honey’s nutritional benefits, include binders such as nut butters, which are listed as optional under ingredients.
Oatmeal: You can use any type of oatmeal—rolled, sprouted, quick oats, or steel-cut oats. Additionally, cereals or other grains can be used in place of oatmeal.
When substituting ingredients, be mindful that certain grains may require longer baking times, or you may need to cook them beforehand to ensure they are safe to consume.