Made with whole grain oats and chewy dates, these Easy Homemade Oatmeal Date Granola Bars are perfect for a quick and healthy snack on the go! They are definitely better than store-bought granola bars!
If you know me, you know I always have some kind of granola bar or energy ball on hand for a grab-and-go snack! We love my Chewy Popcorn Granola Bars, these Easy No-Bake Granola Bars, these strawberry filled Vegan Oatmeal Bars and especially today's recipe for Oatmeal Date Granola Bars! Oh and for some extra protein, I usually make my Vegan Protein Balls or Protein Bars. Not only are homemade granola bars incredibly easy to make, they also often contain fewer ingredients than store-bought granola bars and are cheaper too. Like so many others who have made this recipe, you all will absolutely love this recipe!
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Why I Love This Recipe!
- Seriously, what's not to love about a homemade granola bar?! I love knowing that my homemade granola bars have been made with minimal ingredients and love, two things that should fuel us well throughout our busy days.
- You'll only need 6 ingredients to make these granola bars, most of which you probably already have in your pantry.
- These granola don't crumble easily like some homemade granola bars do. They hold their shape well making them perfect for traveling and running errands!
- If you need a healthy snack or breakfast on the go, these granola bars are just what you need!
Ingredients
- Rolled oats - Rolled oats are inexpensive, easy to find and a great way to add fiber to your homemade granola bars.
- Shredded or desiccated coconut - Not only does the coconut in this recipe add a delicious flavor, but it also adds whole-food richness.
- Nut butter - I love cashew butter and almond butter in this recipe, but for a more inexpensive granola bar, stick with peanut butter
- Medjool dates - Medjool dates are super big and juicy, making them the perfect "glue" to hold these granola bars together. Oh, and they make these oatmeal date granola bars naturally sweet!
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions
- Rolled Oats - If you don't have rolled oats on hand, use quick oats instead.
- Nut Butter - Any nut or seed butter will work for these oatmeal date granola bars. I've made these with peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, tahini and even Sunbutter (sunflower seed butter). Basically, you can't go wrong!
- Medjool Dates - Medjool dates are definitely my favorite kind of dates to make homemade granola bars with, but if you can't find them, another type of dried date should work. If your dates are soft and sticky, soak them in some hot water for a few minutes. Then drain off the water and continue with the recipe.
- Coconut Oil - I you don't like the flavor of coconut, you can omit the desiccated coconut and use melted vegan butter instead of the coconut oil. If you omit the desiccated coconut, you probably won't need as much butter.
How to Make Oatmeal Date Granola Bars
Step 1: Start by pulsing some oats, coconut and salt in a food processor until combined.
Step 2: Then you'll add in some drippy nut butter and sticky, pitted dates and process the mixture again until a crumbly dough form.
Step 3: The dough will still be a little dry, so you'll need to stream in some coconut oil while the processor is running until a sticky dough forms. You'll know the dough is ready when it sticks together when pressed between your fingers.
Step 4: Lastly, press the dough into a prepared 8x8 baking dish and let the dough sit in the fridge for about an hour until it has set.
Step 5: Cut the dough into any shape you desire and you've got a delicious, nourishing snack!
Expert Tips
- Use Medjool Dates if you can! They are sweet, sticky and oh so delicious!
- Make sure you really pack down the granola bar mixture into your baking dish, either with your hands or the bottom of a glass. If you don't get all the ingredients to stick together, you'll end up with a crumbly mess when you go to cut the granola bars.
Recipe FAQs
The trick to getting homemade granola bars to stick together is to use lots of sticky dates, nut butter AND coconut oil. If you don't the coconut oil in this recipe, these granola bars would be dry and crumbly. The oil makes them moist and hold together.
"Healthy" is such a relative term. However, for our family, when it comes to finding healthy granola bars, I care most about ingredients, that means which ones and how many. What is healthy for you may be different than what is healthy for someone else.
Homemade granola bars will keep for different amounts of time, depending on what ingredients you use and how you store them.
These oatmeal date granola bars last for about a couple weeks for us when I store them in an airtight container in the fridge!
I usually store my homemade granola bars in an airtight container in the fridge and we finish them off way before they go bad. If you don't go through yours as quickly, then you can wrap the granola bars individually in plastic wrap and store them in a bag in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
When you need a granola bar, simply remove one or two from the freezer the night before and allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge. You can also place a frozen granola bar in your backpack in the morning and it should be thawed by lunchtime.
Some granola bar recipes require no equipment or baking. Those are your no-bake granola bars (or energy bites)! Other granola bars are best made using a food processor. These kinds of bars are often made with sticky dates and/or whole nuts which need to be processed down.
More Delicious Granola Bar Recipes!
And if you like to make your own homemade version of store-bought treats, try out my homemade Clif bar recipe!
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
📖 Recipe
Easy Homemade Oatmeal Date Granola Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup nut butter
- 2 ½ cups about 30 packed, pitted Medjool dates**
- 5-6 tablespoons coconut oil
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add in the nut butter and pitted dates and process until everything is broken down into a crumbly mixture.
- Run the food processor again and stream in the coconut oil 1 tablespoon at a time until a sticky dough forms. It should be able to hold together when pressed between your fingers. You should have to use between 4-6 tablespoons.
- Press the mixture firmly into a lined 8x8 baking dish. The mixture may feel a little oily, but the bars won't taste oily. They will just hold together really well!
- Place the pan in the fridge for about 1 hour until the dough has set. Cut the dough into rectangles or squares. I get about 24 small rectangles.
- Store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Any nut or seed butter should work.
- I have only tried these bars with sticky Medjool dates!
- You can always halve this recipe for fewer bars or bars that are thinner.
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