My family loves granola bars. They’re tasty, portable, non-messy (usually)… but in most cases, they’re really not that healthy. I recently looked at the nutritional value of a granola bar from a well-known oatmeal company and was unpleasantly surprised to find merely 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein. Granted, I know they are granola bars, not fiber bars nor protein bars, but c’mon! Granola bars were designed for the sole purpose of filling up your belly with something delicious and nutritious that will hold you over until the next meal… or in some cases, being the meal itself.
Or at least that’s the purpose in my book.
Fiber and protein are two factors to consider in the “filling up” category and since those numbers were well below where they should be, I set out to find a better bar. We switched fom Quaker to Nature Valley, and then switched again to Kashi. They’re known for producing all-natural and non-articifical products centered around whole grains. When I find a good deal on Kashi granola bars (like $.74 box last week), I stock up!
However, while in the process of finding a better granola bar, our stockpile dwindled a bit and I tinkered with many homemade versions. I thought it would be easy – dump & mix & voila! Instant success! I quickly realized though that creating a delicious, well-formed and nutritious granola bar is a science, if not an art.
Sure, the basics are easy: oats, fruit/nuts and glue. It gets tricky though when you consider the numerous different types of glue (honey, maple syrup, butter, oil, brown sugar, coconut oil, peanut butter…) and the ratio of your glue to the oats, and then your oats to your fruits/nuts. Too many oats and it has no taste. Too much fruit/nuts and it’ll crumble in your hands. Too much glue and your bar folds like a wet noodle. And then to top it all off, all the flavors have to balance so that it tastes good!
Overhelmed? Don’t be. I’ve already been there and done that for you!
You’re welcome. 
After much experimenting and taste testing (thanks Jessica & Desiree!), I’ve finally come up with a formula that works AND tastes good (because I’ve definitely made some that haven’t, lol). These bars are also rich in fiber and protein to hold the littles (and their mommies) over until the next meal (or through a shopping trip).
Below is my recipe and one batch makes 16 bars, but customization is the name of the game! Add more, less, none or all of whatever you’d like or have on hand. If you want to modify the recipe, read the notes at the bottom first!
Homemade Granola Bars
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup dried prunes
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup dried dates
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds (ground or whole)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 2/3 cup oats
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk1. Line a 8×8 or 9×9 glass pan with two large pieces of parchment paper that overhang the edges. You want to create “handles” on each edge to help life the granola out of the pan once it’s cooled. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Chop any big pieces of fruit into smaller pieces. Everything should be about the size of a dried cranberry. You don’t want to take one bite and get a mouthful of fig. (Trust me on this one.)
3. Once everything is chopped, put everything except the oats and milk into a big bowl. Mix the fruit and nuts thoroughly, breaking up any pieces of fruit that are stuck together. Add the oats and again mix thoroughly. Add the milk and stir until everything all (or nearly all) the ingredients are moist.
4. Carefully pour (or scoop) your mixture into your glass pan. Using either greased hands or another piece of parchment paper, press the mixture very firmly into the bottom of the pan, ensuring that it’s level across the pan and into corners.
(In order to press it firmly enough, I had to put the pan on the floor and use my full body weight. This may sound silly, but it was effective!)
5. Once the mixture is pressed firmly and evenly, bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes. You want the edges to be slightly brown, so check every few minutes or so after you hit 20.
*** If you would like to modify the recipe, here’s where the artsy science stuff comes into play. No matter what combination of fruits and nuts you want to use (apples, raisins, chocolate chips, walnuts, macadamia… whatever), you need about 5 cups total for the above measurements of oats and milk to work. If you want less or more bars, here’s the math:
(total cups of fruits & nuts) / 3 = (cups of oats)
(cups of oats) / 2 = (cups of milk)
So say you want to put this in a 9×13 pan. You’d essentially need to double the recipe: 10 cups of fruits & nuts, 3 1/3 cups of oats and just over 1 1/2 cups of milk. If you only have 4 cups of fruit and nuts, use the formula above to get the right amount of oats and milk.
Disclaimer: Experience from failed attempts leads me to believe that your measurements can be slightly off. Not by a ton, but a little spillage of cranberries or picked out chocolate chips won’t ruin the batch.
My apologies for the techy math stuff. I figure if you’re willing to try to make a granola bar, you’re willing to be a little risky and pull out a calculator. 
What are your favorite ingredients in a granola bar?
This recipe was featured at: This post is shared at Frugal Follies, Mom on Time Out, Made in a Day, Somewhat Simple, Momnivores-Dilemma, My Sweet & Savory, Couponing & Cooking, Inspire Me Mondays, Serendipity & Spice, Sew Can Do, Making the World Cuter, Skip to My Lou, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Keeping It Simple, Be Colorful, Mop It Up Mondays, Delicate Construction, Flour Me With Love, Our Delightful Home, Lines Across My Face, Eye Heart, Marvelously Messy, Making Monday Marvelous, Yummy Inspirations, Blessed with Grace,Sugar Bee Crafts, Adventures of a DIY Mom, Crazy for Crust, Funky Polkadot Giraffe, Tuesdays at the Table, Naptime Creations, 33 Shades of Green, Mandy’s Recipe Box, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Chef in Training, BruCrew Life, Delicious Dishes, Reasons to Skip the Housework, Kids in the Kitchen, Rook No.17, Titus 2 Tuesday,Gooseberry Patch, Seven Thirty-Three, JAQ’s Studio, Trendy Treehouse, Passionately Artistic, Rae Gun Ramblings, Creations by Kara, Mrs. Fox’s Sweets, Free Pretty Things for You, Organize Your Stuff Now, unk in their Trunk, The Shady Porch, Frugally Sustainable, Newlyweds-Blog, We are THAT Family, Someday Crafts, My Girlish Whims, This Chick Cooks, Polkadots on Parade, What’s Cooking Love, Everyday Tastes, Gluesticks, Fireflies & Jellybeans, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, The Shabby Creek Cottage, A Glimpse Inside, The Crafty Blogstalker, A Creative Princess, Those Peas Taste Funny, No Minimalist Here, 36th Avenue, Bear Rabbit Bear, Diana Rambles, Two Yellow Birds Decor, Michelle’s Tasty Creations, Katie’s Nesting Spot, My Crowded Kitchen
I love this recipe! So full of good stuff … definitely pinned it to my “Recipes to Try” board. Thank you
… and btw no, I don’t mind the geeky math stuff at all, but then, I’m a geek, so my opinion is a little biased.
Thanks Ann, and so versatile too! Easy to adapt for allergies or taste preferences. Thanks for the geek-support!
Wow! These would be amazing for breakfast! Would love you to share this at Breakfast Ideas Mondays!
These are great for meals – add a piece of fruit and you’re all set!
YUM! What great timing too! I was just looking at some recipes to make our own granola and you shared this with us at Kids in the Kitchen! Thank you so much!!! I can’t wait to make it!
I hope to see you again next Tuesday! We would love to have your share with us every week. Blessings!
You’re welcome Carrie! I hope your family enjoys them as much as we do. My kids love all the fruit (and I just slying leave out the part about the seeds seeds, lol)!
I learned the hard way – this is no easy task! thanks for posting such a great recipe! happy you are linking with Kids in the Kitchen!
A very deceiving snack! You’re welcome, and thanks for visiting!
These granola bars looks really good. I like how they have so much nutrition in them. I would love if you would share this and any other posts at Showcase Your Talent Thursday. I hope to see you there!
These look delicious, my kids love to eat granola bars. the store bought ones I would rather make them myself. Thank you for sharing stopping by from the Show me what you got at ODH link party
It always feels better giving our family what we made, especially when we can control exactly what goes in it!
[...] Homemade Granola Bars by Don’s Waste The Crumbs [...]
CONGRATULATIONS!!! Your recipe is being featued today on Menu & Party Idea Round Up from Cast Party Wednesday #41!
Thanks for sharing your recipe with us! —Sheryl—
Oooh, I have been on the lookout for an awesome granola bar for some time and my criteria is the same as yours. Looks like this is my lucky day. Thanks so much for sharing at our party this week. I am pinning,..right now.:)
I was just thinking that I needed to find a good granola bar recipe. Since school’s almost out, I have more mouths to keep full between meals. Pinned! Thanks for sharing at Terrific Tuesday.
Rachel
adventuresofadiymom.blogspot.com
These are wonderful and I don’t mind pulling out the calculator for them at all! So happy I dropped in from Creative Thursday. I would love to invite you to come party with us on our Fabulous Friday link party. Have a great weekend!
I can’t wait to try these! Thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday
MMM! Those look and sound delicious! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Thursday’s Temptation.
Jill
My family loves granola bars. We’ve tried several recipes but these by far look the most filling. I can’t wait to try them. I’m pinning them now. Thanks for linking up to Titus 2 Tuesdays on Cornerstone Confessions!
Kathy
These look and sound delicious! Thanks so much for linking up to Creative Thursday this week. I can’t wait to see what you link up next week. Have a wonderful weekend.
Michelle
Hello, just stopping by to let you know that you have been featured at Anything Goes At Eye Heart Monday’s.
Thanks for posting. This recipe looks so good.
Tiff these are seriously amazing. I’ll taste test for you anytime! I can’t wait to get all the ingredients to make a batch for myself!
Thank you Desiree! Be sure to let me know how your own batch turns out!
Hi Tiffany,
These look really good. I have a few questions:
- Are they crunchy or chewy ?
- Can we use the food processor instead of chopping by hand ?
- Can we replace condensed milk with something else ? (ex: agave nectar and milk ?)
- How long do they keep ?
- Can they be frozen ?
Thank you !
As you can see, I have made a few recipes and really like granola bars so I usually make a lot at a time.
Hi Clauda! These are not crunchy. I’d call them a “firm chewy,” as in they won’t break apart in tiny little pieces, but you won’t break your teeth either, lol. You can use the food processor, but I wouldn’t recommend it on the prunes (or any other super wet fruit). The first time I used a food processor and they never really broke up into pieces, but rather smeared onto the blades (which didn’t help the chopping process for the other items). My food processor isn’t the best though, so if you have a good one, I’d say give it a whirl. Worst case scenario is having to go over the mixture with a rough chop of the knife. Feel free to use the food processor on the nuts though – just pulse so you can get pieces instead of crumbs. Using condensed milk is the only successful “glue” that I’ve found, but that doesn’t mean others don’t exist. If you can find a good substitute for condensed milk that uses agave nectar and milk, I’d say go for it. I think the key is to start with a super thick glue so that when it’s baked, will stay just as firm or even become more solid. I once tried a honey/brown sugar mixture and that didn’t work at all (but it could have just been that recipe). I’ve had them in a container for at least 6 weeks (and it’s probably closer to 8 or 10), lol. A tupperware container with a secure lid should be fine. Yes, they can be frozen! My last batch was bigger and I couldn’t fit them all in my container, so I used plastic wrap and froze 4 bars at a time and just took them out last week. Once thawed, you can’t tell the difference!
Please let me know if any other questions arise! Good luck and I hope you like them!!
You can use brown rice syrup instead of sweetened cond. milk.
Thanks for the idea Crystal! I’ve heard of it, but don’t know anything about it. Can I find this at a regular grocery store? Or should I check the health food stores?
Some grocers carry it in the health food section, but definitely a natural foods market. Thanks for the recipe.