Healthy, no-bake granola bars with just 5 ingredients and a sweet, crunchy texture. Peanut butter and maple syrup complement each other perfectly in this ideal portable breakfast or snack.
Recipe by Minimalist Baker on May 16, 2013
Prep time: PT10M
Cook time: PT5M
Total time: PT15M
Rating
4.82 stars (691 reviews)
Keywords
granola bars
Ingredients
1 heaping cup packed dates ((pitted // deglet noor or medjool)*)
1/4 cup maple syrup or agave nectar ((or honey if not vegan))
1/4 cup creamy salted natural peanut butter or almond butter
1 cup roasted unsalted almonds ((loosely chopped // see instructions for roasting nuts))
1 1/2 cups rolled oats ((gluten-free for GF eaters))
Process dates in a food processor until small bits remain (about 1 minute). It should form a "dough" like consistency. (Mine rolled into a ball.)
Optional step: Toast your oats (and almonds if raw) in a 350-degree F (176 C) oven for 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Otherwise, leave them raw - I prefer the toasted flavor.
Place oats, almonds and dates in a large mixing bowl - set aside.
Warm maple syrup (or agave or honey) and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over oat mixture and then mix, breaking up the dates to disperse throughout.
Once thoroughly mixed, transfer to an 8x8-inch baking dish or other small pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper so they lift out easily. (A loaf pan might work, but will yield thicker bars // adjust size of pan if altering batch size).
Press down firmly until uniformly flattened - I use something flat, like a drinking glass, to press down and really pack the bars, which helps them hold together better.
Cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and let firm up in fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes.
Remove bars from pan and chop into 10 even bars (or 9 squares // as original recipe is written). Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. I kept mine in the freezer to keep them extra fresh, but it isn't necessary.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 bar
Calories: 231 kcal
Carbohydrates: 33.9 g
Protein: 5.8 g
Fat: 9.7 g
Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
Sodium: 30 mg
Sugar: 20.7 g
Unsaturated Fat: 7.92 g
Reviews
Jennifer on 2026-06-06 (5 stars): These bars are delicious! I made a batch following the recipe with only an addition of 1/4 cup chia seeds. My husband ate them all in 3 days so I'm making another batch now!
Thank you!
Jennifer on 2026-05-14 (5 stars): This was so delicious and easy to make. Thanks so much! I only had 3 dates on hand, and the sweetness turned out just right for me.
Patti Hinton on 2026-04-27 (5 stars): I have made these twice now -- as the recipe is written and as written with dried cherries added, both very yummy -- thanks! Quick question, what would happen if you baked these?
Anne Green on 2026-04-20 (4 stars): Thanks. Next time I'll skip the soaking. The flavour, though, is truly yummy!
Anne Green on 2026-04-18 (2 stars): The taste of these is delicious but mine came out quite sticky and not holding together well at all. I expected them to be more crunchy but they're soft, almost doughy. I did soak my dates first as they weren't very moist but otherwise followed the recipe closely.
Diane on 2026-03-01 (5 stars): I have never made any kind of granola bar before but need to avoid eating refined sugar / processed foods due to health concerns and unfortunately I have a sweet tooth!!
I bought a silicon mould with space for 12 deep bars and yours was my favourite recipe I found. Made and pressed down as instructed - the mould was absolutely packed.
Have used prunes in place of dates but otherwise followed the recipe as is and added a few dried cranberries, small sprinkle of banana chips and some walnuts as my optional additions.
Just tried one as soon as the 20 minutes in the fridge was up - oh my goodness! Perfect for what I need! Thank you so much for your recipe, will be looking at your other recipes now :)
MG on 2026-01-28 (5 stars): The best granola bars I have made myself yet! Thank you for sharing, this is exactly the consistency I was looking for! Instead of using almonds, I used pepitas (toasted as well) and raisins. Will definitely make again!
