100+ Recipes for Granola Bars, Bites, and Cereal (2024)

This collection of homemade granola recipes includes granola bars, bites, and breakfast cereal. Making these snacks at home is not difficult and allows you to customize the ingredients to suit your taste buds. Plus? It will save you some serious cash at the checkout stand. The hardest part will be deciding what to make first!

Originally published February 2018; this post has been updated.

100+ Granola Recipes

Granola bars are a great snack for busy days when families are on the go (hey, Little League season!) or for taking along on longer excursions. Whether you’re planning for a camping trip, taking a plane ride, or heading out on a long road trip, they’re a wholesome way to fill the hunger void.

The trouble with store-bought granola bars?

• They’re expensive at a couple bucks (or more!) a pop.
• They come packaged in individual wrappers that will end up in the trash.
• Not all of them are as clean as the label would have you believe.

Happily, these granola recipes are easy to make at home!

Below you’ll find everything you need to start making these snacks at home. I’ve gathered recipes for a variety of basic granola bars, as well as homemade granola bars that are gluten-free, Paleo, and raw. There’s even a section that includes breakfast cookies.

There’s some overlap on this collection of recipes. Some of the breakfast cookies are paleo. Many of the paleo granola bar recipes are also gluten free. No matter which one(s) you choose to try, with these recipes, you’ll be able to replace those store-bought snacks and make the switch to making homemade granola bars at home.

What you’ll need to make homemade granola bars

Most kitchens are equipped with the gear you’ll need for making homemade granola recipes, but there are a few things that will make your granola bar-making easier.

• Food processor: This is a must for many of the raw recipes included here, as you’ll need to grind nuts and seeds into a fine grind.
• Scoop: While not necessary for making energy bites, a cookie scoop can help keep the dough size uniform as you make them.
• Silicone baking mat: I’m a big fan of these baking mats, as they prevent sticking and eliminate the need for the disposable parchment paper called for in some recipes.

Packing homemade granola bars with less waste

If you’re switching to homemade granola bars in part because you’d like to create less waste, you’ll want to take that into consideration when you pack these to go.

• Reusable snack bags are easy to make at home. If you’re not up for making your own, try these.
• Stainless steel snack boxes are a bit expensive, but they are durable and will last almost forever.

Storing homemade granola

Whether you add it to yogurt or serve it with milk, you’ll want to keep your homemade granola in an air-tight container to preserve freshness. I’m a fan of 1/2 gallon canning jars for this, but there are a number of other pantry storage options here that will work, too.

Basic Homemade Granola Bars

The standard granola bar recipe requires mixing natural ingredients and pressing them into a pan or tray for baking. Cut them into squares or rectangles once they’re baked and you’re ready to snack. Most granola bar recipes freeze well, too.

• from Attainable Sustainable
• Cinnamon Raisin Granola Bars from Raia’s Recipes
• Soaked Granola Bars from Raia’s Recipes
• Soft and Chewy Protein Granola Bars from Running with Spoons
• Chia, Quinoa, and Banana Granola Bars from Ambitious Kitchen
• Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Granola Bars from Running with Spoons
• Chewy Peanut Butter Granola Bars from Frugal Living NW

No-Bake Bars and Bites

No-bake, raw homemade granola bars and energy bite recipes don’t require any baking, making them a great option for summertime snacks. No need to turn the oven on and warm the house up to pull these recipes together. Some of these recipes are pressed into a tray and cut into bar shapes; others require rolling into balls for a bite-sized energy boost.

• Raw Apple Pie Energy Bitesfrom So, Let’s Hang Out
• No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Chia Seed Bars from Running on Real Food
• No Bake Granola Bars from Live Simply
• Bite Sized Power Bites from Conveying Awareness
• Snack Bars from Traditional Cooking School
• Cherry Nut Larabarsfrom Live Simply
• Enzyme Rich Larabars from Traditional Cooking School
• Raw Power Energy Bars from Small Footprint Family
• No Bake Almond Butter Granola Bars from To Simply Inspire

Paleo Granola Bars

These grain-free granola bar recipes work for those who are sticking to special diets like Whole 30 or aiming for a lectin- or gluten-free diet. Double check the ingredients for these granola recipes to make sure that these fit your required eating plan.

• Copycat Kind Bar Recipe from Wholesome Yum
• Homemade Protein Bars from Fit Mitten Kitchen
• Grain Free Granola Bars from My Darling Vegan
• Mocha Almond Kind Bars from Plaid and Paleo
• Paleo Pumpkin Energy Bars from Unbound Wellness
• Nut Free Granola Bars from Raising Generation Nourished
• Low Carb Granola Bars from Beauty and the Foodie
• Paleo Granola Bars from Oh The Things We’ll Make

Gluten-Free Granola Recipes (Bars and Bites)

Gluten-free recipes often include grains like oats and quinoa that are not a fit for grain-free, paleo plans. The paleo granola bars above may fit within a gluten-free diet, though, so be sure to give those a once-over. (Hard to keep up, isn’t it?)

• Sweet Potato Breakfast Bars from Dishing Delish
• Grain Free Nut Butter Breakfast Cookies from Vintage Kids, Modern World
• Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bars from The Good Hearted Woman
• 5-Ingredient No Bake Granola Bars from Naturally Loriel
• No Bake Chocolate Chip Walnut Energy Balls by Drugstore Divas
• Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal Squares from My Gluten Free Kitchen
• Fig Breakfast Bars from Raising Generation Nourished
• Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal Bars from Beaming Baker
• Chewy No Bake Granola Bars from The Big Man’s World
• No Bake Almond Cranberry Bars from Life Made Sweeter
• Sweet and Salty Trail Mix Bars from Running with Spoons
• Savory Power Bars from QuitoKeeto
• Chewy Granola Bars from Schneiderpeeps

Breakfast Cookies

Cookies for breakfast? Sounds indulgent, but similar to a granola bar recipe, these cookies feature natural ingredients and less sugar than your average cookie. They take a bit more effort than making granola bars, but they’re a tasty alternative to baked granola bars.

• Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies from Rootsy
• Granola Breakfast Cookies from Common Sense Homesteading
• Grab and Go Banana Breakfast Cookies from The Cook’s Pyjamas
• 20-Minute Breakfast Cookies from Chef Savvy
• Breakfast Oatmeal Craisin Cookies from Dishing Delish
• Breakfast Cookies from Spend with Pennies
• Apple Pie Breakfast Cookies from Kristine’s Kitchen
• 3-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Cookies from One Clever Chef
• No Egg Gluten Free Coconut Cookies from Low Carb Yum
• Energy Cookies from Cooking Classy
• Blueberry Breakfast Cookies from Sally’s Baking Addiction
• No-Bake Grain Free Breakfast Cookies from Health, Home, and Happiness
• Eggless Almond Flour Cookies from Rachna’s Kitchen
• Grain Free Pumpkin Raisin Cookies from Raising Generation Nourished
• Paleo Pumpkin Spice Protein Cookies from One Clever Chef
• Hazelnut Flour Keto Cookies from Low Carb Yum
• Easy Breakfast Cookie from Teaspoon of Goodness
• Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies from To Simply Inspire
• Breakfast Cookies from Farm Fresh Feasts
• Breakfast Snack Cookies from Schneiderpeeps
• Sugar-Free Breakfast Cookies from Homestead Lady

Homemade Granola Cereal

Most store bought cereal is full of ingredients that don’t exactly fit with a wholesome eating plan. And goodness, they’re expensive! Try some of these granola recipes for making your own breakfast cereal at home.

• How to Make Granola: Breakfast Cereal That Won’t Break the Bankfrom Attainable Sustainable
• Sunflower Granola from Homespun Seasonal Living
• Persimmon Granolafrom Attainable Sustainable
• Paleo Granola from The Real Food Dieticians
• Maple Pumpkin Granola from Attainable Sustainable
• Paleo Cinnamon Granola from Jay’s Baking Me Crazy
• Strawberry Granola from Delicious Obsessions
• Maple Pecan Cinnamon Granola from Garlic and Zest
• Pumpkin and Spice Granola from Delicious Obsessions
• Easy Granola with Honey and Nuts from Inside the Rustic Kitchen
• Sweet & Crunchy Oats and Honey Granola from Reformation Acres
• Pumpkin Coconut Almond Granola from Grow Forage Cook Ferment
• Fruit and Nut Granola with Chia Seeds and Coconut from Delicious Obsessions
• Coconut Pumpkin Granolafrom Casey the College Celiac
• Grain Free Paleo Granola from West Coast Mommy