Almond Raisin Granola Bars

5 from 1 vote

Sep 04, 2014, Updated May 07, 2023

Delicious and healthy Almond Raisin Granola Bars are naturally sweetened with dates and super easy to make at home!

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How was your long weekend? Mine was great, we went to Yellowstone National Park! The place is stunningly beautiful, I had never seen something so scenic in my life. It was so fascinating and exciting to spot bisons, deer, elks on roads. The weather played spoilsport on the day we arrived but it was bright and beautiful for the rest of our stay. Seeing the geysers erupt was the most unique experience and one that I will cherish for life. Truly fascinating stuff!

I’m back home now and sharing with you my new favorite granola bar recipe – Almond & Raisin Granola Bars. Packed with nutrients, these bars are easy to make and can be ready in minutes. These are great to munch on and will also satisfy your sweet craving. These granola bars have:

Oats
Rice Krispies
Raisins
Sliced Almonds
Whole Almonds

They are sweetened with natural sweetener – dates and maple syrup/honey, so there’s no added sugar here. Now I know one of the most common problems that people face with homemade granola bars is that they don’t stick together. Trust me, they will if you use dates! Here’s what you need to do and if you follow these steps the bars will come out clean and not break at all!

* Process dates in a food processor till they are almost crushed and form a dough. If you don’t have a food processor, you can chop them using a knife but make sure you chop them very finely.

* Add the crushed dates to the oats mixture and mix using both your hands. Yes it’s important to use both your hands so that you break the “dates dough” dispersing it throughout the mixture.

* You also need to use moist dates, do not use dry dates. If the dates that you have are dry, soak them in water for some time and then use in the recipe.

These granola bars are great for breakfast or as a post-workout snack!

Method

In a bowl mix together rolled oats, rice krispies, sliced almonds and whole raw almonds.

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with silicone sheet or parchment paper. Spread the oats mixture on the pan in a single layer.

Toast the oats mixture in oven at 350 F degrees for 13-15 minutes till light golden brown in color. Transfer to a bowl and add raisins.

Measure 1 heaping cup of dates [I used medjool, around 14-15 dates]

Transfer the dates to a food processor.

Process the dates till it’s all crushed and forms a dough.

Add the crushed dates to the oats mixture.

Heat coconut oil and maple syrup [or honey if not vegan] in a pan for 2-3 minutes till it’s all smooth.

Pour it over oats mixture.

Use your hands [use both hands] to mix everything together so that the dates are spread thorough out the mixture. If the liquids feel too hot to touch, wait for 5 minutes and then add it to the oats mix.

Line a 8 X 8 square pan with aluminium foil. Transfer the granola mixture to the pan and press firmly using your hands. You can also press using the back of your measuring cup. Do this for 2-3 minutes till it’s all firmly pressed in.

Sprinkle some sliced almonds on top and again press firmly for a minute or so.

Cover with a cling sheet and refrigerate for 2 hours. Cut into bars using a sharp knife.

* Sore in an airtight container. I would recommend keeping the bars in the refrigerator if the place where you live is warm. The bars stay firm in the refrigerator.

* Rice krispies can be replaced with poha (flattened rice).

* Additional ingredients that can be added to these bars – sunflower seeds, chocolate chips, chia seeds, flax seeds etc. You can also add any other nut of your choice.

* Use maple syrup for vegan version and honey if you don’t intend to make these bars vegan.