Crunchy granola bars are even easier to make than the chewy kind, and they're super healthy!
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The type of bars I usually make are like these chewy gluten free granola bars. They're made soft mostly with plenty of sugar. My whole family absolutely loves them.
These crunchy granola bars began with the ingredient list for Nature Valley Oats ‘n' Honey crunchy granola bars. And other than puffed rice cereal, I found something really interesting and fabulous in that ingredient list…
Nut flours! Now I know everybody is baking with almond flour these days in all sorts of Paleo baking, but I think their list was more like hazelnut, almond and something else that I don't remember. Protein! Good fats! Use up random raw granola ingredients!
Protein! Good fats! Use up random raw granola ingredients! It's absolute genius.
I tried this recipe twice, with a different mix of ground raw nuts each time. I loved them both, but I loved the almond-pecan-cashew combo best.
Rather than using blanched almond flour, like I would use for baking something like cookies or a cake, I just ground some whole raw almonds in my food processor. (And anyway you know it's serious if I'm willing to break out the food processor, the cleaning of which is going to put me in an early grave.)
There's a trick to making these granola bars flat, even and crunchy. Simply place the mixture in an even layer in a parchment-lined 9-inch by 13-inch baking sheet, lay another sheet of parchment paper on top, and then another quarter sheet pan on top of that.
Then press down to apply steady, even pressure on the granola. You'll be amazed at how professional it looks. So let's get this morning started off right! You bring the granola bars, I'll grab the coffee and the newspaper.
Crunchy Granola Bars
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (37 g) ground raw almonds
- ⅓ cup (37 g) ground raw pecans
- ⅓ cup (37 g) ground raw cashews
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt
- ½ cup (80 g) granulated coconut palm sugar
- 2 cups (200 g) old fashioned rolled oats (gluten free if necessary)
- 2 cups (60 g) puffed rice cereal (gluten free if necessary)
- 4 tablespoons (84 g) honey
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) virgin coconut oil melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line a quarter sheet pan with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, place the ground almond, ground pecans, ground cashews, salt and sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the oats and puffed rice cereal, and then the honey and oil, and mix to combine well.
- Scrape the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Cover the baking sheet with another sheet of unbleached parchment paper, and place another quarter sheet pan on top of the top sheet of parchment paper. Apply as much even pressure as possible on the top sheet pan to compress the mixture as much as possible.
- Remove the top quarter sheet pan and the top piece of parchment paper, and place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the bars are evenly golden brown.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the bars cool for 5 minutes before sliding them out on top of the parchment paper and slice into 3 rows of 5 rectangles. Allow to cool completely before separating the bars. They will crisp as they cool, and will hold together well once cool.
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Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Gail says
Made these today but substituted Puffed quinoa for the puffed rice. The hubs really loved them.
Genia Weaver says
Made them! There are very good! Used hazelnuts and walnuts due to allergies. I have a two year old and a three year old that wanted to eat them all! :) thank you!
Laurie Rambo says
Thank you so much for this recipe! There are lots of chewy granola recipes, but I really prefer the crunchy ones! I am looking forward to this breakfast alternative!
Susan Adriaens Kirk says
Sounds very yummy! How do you store them and how long will they stay fresh?
Julie Hodge says
I am so excited to try this!!! I hope my kids love them!!!
Laurie-glutenfreeyummy says
Do they hold together well? I do a fair bit of traveling & like to take along a granola bar for an on flight snack. Would they hold up well in a purse? They do look yummy!
gfshoestring says
Laurie, as I mentioned in the recipe they hold up well once they cool. In fact, they hold up as well as the packaged kind, which if you have ever had them you know that they do tend to crack if they are knocking around loose in a purse.
Nicole
Diane says
Oh those cups! They look like Corning ware but might be the old anchor hocking milk glass, guess I need a good granola bar to jump start the ol grey matter. ;). This recipe is on my to do list for today. Thanks again!
gfshoestring says
Corning, Diane! I love love love the old Corning white ware, and believe it or not I never saved any so I had to get this one on Etsy! :)
xoxo Nicole
Donia Robinson says
You are seriously kicking it old school with those mugs. We had that pattern growing up!
P.S. Do you think the world is divided on crunchy vs. chewy granola bars like they are on chocolate chip cookies? Because crunchy granola bars – I am not a fan. I’m sure yours are delicious, though. ;) I really can’t think of anything sweet that I like crunchy. I even like my cereal soggy. The horror!
gfshoestring says
These are not very sweet, Donia, so you might like them. I do really like crunchy, though, so not sure where that leaves you…
And totally old school. I love all the old Corning stuff. :)
xoxo Nicole
Jennifer Sasse says
these look delicious! Thank you for this recipe and all of your others.
We had the seasme chicken this weekend (check out Nicole’s post for this recipe) and AMEN to you sister – that was the best ever ever ever!! Thanks for all you do!
gfshoestring says
Thanks, Jennifer! I’m so glad you like the sesame chicken. My kids are always snooping around the kitchen (which by the way I seriously can’t stand) asking if I’m making that chicken again.
xoxo Nicole
Donia Robinson says
On a quasi-related note, I forbid the question “What’s for dinner?” in my house. Because if it’s something they don’t want, then they complain about it for however long it is until dinner. Sometimes I don’t have much desire to put dinner on the table, and if people are dreading it, it zaps what desire is there! :P Poor, poor me.
gfshoestring says
So do I, Donia. Not permitted to ask. Not permitted to snoop (which they do anyway as their recon skills at this point are stealth and really quite good). “What’s for dinner” is tied with “I’m still hungry” for my 3 least favorite words (well, when you say them together).
Mish Boreanaz says
I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one who can’t stand “I’m still hungry”!