These cranberry coconut granola bars are made without oil and instead use mashed banana as a binder! They’re soft, chewy and also happen to be nut-free so they’re perfect for back to school.
This granola bar recipe actually took quite a few tests to perfect it! My goals? It had to taste good (duh) and stick together, but I also didn’t want the bars to have a ton of sugar. I thought this was an easy task, but it turned out to be quite the adventure! I knew this batch was a winner as soon as I cut into them. When I tried a bite that consisted of a combination of toasted coconut, dried cranberries and chocolate, recipe development was done! They have the perfect amount of chewiness and a bit of crunch from the brown rice cereal.
Banana Sweetened Granola Bars
I know it’s so easy to just buy granola bars at the store, but I’m here to show you that homemade granola bars are super simple to make and much healthier! These granola bars are made with just 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and no oil! The banana in the recipe replaces the oil and adds a hint of sweetness. No need for the sugar and oil laden snacks that will have your kiddos bouncing off the walls. Opt for this recipe with whole ingredients instead!
Here’s What You Need:
old fashioned rolled oats
coconut flakes – look for the unsweetened variety
crispy brown rice cereal
dried cranberries
chocolate chips – I’ve made these with regular chocolate chips and Lily’s white chocolate chips. Both work great.
ripe banana – be sure your banana is ripe (yellow with a few black spots). This insures it will mash easily.
sunflower seed butter – I used sunflower seed butter to keep these school-friendly but any nut butter will work
maple syrup
vanilla
sea salt
Kid-Friendly Snack
The sunflower seed butter keeps the bars from getting too dry and also helps them stay together. You could certainly experiment with using a different nut butter in place of the sunflower seed butter. I chose it because I like the flavor but it also keeps the bars nut-free. If your kids are going to school or daycare, this is a great nut and peanut-free snack!
Kids will love these bars because they have a bit of sweetness and us adults will love them because they’re healthy, homemade and include only 10 ingredients.
How to Make Granola Bars
Toast your oats and coconut: Start by spreading the oats and coconut flakes on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 350ºF until just golden brown. Let cool slightly.
Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, stir together the cooled toasted oats and coconut, cereal, cranberries and one tablespoon of chocolate chips.
Process: In a food processor or blender, pulse together the banana, sunflower butter, maple syrup, vanilla and salt until evenly blended.
Combine and prep: Stir the banana mixture into the oat mixture until combined. Spread the mixture on a baking pan or stone lined with parchment paper. Press down into a rectangular, flattened shape. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips and use your hands or a spatula to press the chocolate into the mixture. You want the mixture to be as compact into the pan as possible!
Bake: Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the bars are golden brown. Cut into bar shapes before they have a chance to really harden and then let cool completely before transferring to an airtight container to store.
Storing Homemade Granola Bars
If you prefer a softer, chewy granola bar, I recommend storing on the countertop in an airtight container for up to five days. If you like a harder texture, you can store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer! They will last up to two weeks in the fridge and up to three months in the freezer.
If you make these cranberry coconut chocolate chip granola bars, please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Your feedback is super helpful for the EBF team and other readers who are thinking about making the recipe.
These homemade granola cranberry coconut chocolate chip granola bars are nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and perfect for back-to-school. They’re chewy, a little crunchy and absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut or coconut flakes
Toast your oats and coconut: spread oats and coconut flakes on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until just golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Line a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together cooled toasted oats and coconut, cereal, cranberries, and 1 Tablespoon of chocolate chips.
In a mini food processor or blender, pulse together banana, sunflower butter, maple syrup, vanilla and salt until evenly blended. If you don’t have a food processor/blender you can do this in a bowl, just be sure to really combine the mixture.
Stir wet ingredients into the bowl with the oat/coconut until combined.
Spread mixture on the prepared loaf pan with parchment. Press the mixture lightly with your hands or a rubber spatula to flatten, then sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over top. Again, use your hands or the spatula to press the chips into place and compact the mixture into the pan as much as possible.
Bake at for 12-15 minutes or until bars are golden brown. Cut into 5-6 bars before they have a chance to really harden up, then let the bars cool completely before transferring to an airtight container for storage.
OMG I’m SO excited!!! I’m nut-free (peanut & tree nut) and can never have any granola bars and changing the nuts to seeds sometimes make the whole thing fall apart! Thanks Brittany!!
These look amazing – I love making homemade granola bars (especially the infamous “glo” bar!) and will never go back to store bought again. Can’t wait to try this recipe! Pinned 😀
I love the idea of these – so simple and with ingredients on hand. How strong is the banana flavor? Is it noticeable or more in there to act as a binder?
I used a 9X13 baking stone (the one in the photos) but the mixture definitely didn’t fill out the stone. I just pressed the mixture out (using the side of the stone to help make straight edges) and shaped them into a rectangle.
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Can I use almond butter instead of sunflower seed butter? Or will that take away from the taste
Hey Jessenia! You can use any nut or seed butter you prefer. 🙂
Love all things oaty!
Mine never stay together so I will be giving these a go ASAP!
These look AMAZING! Wondering if you could sub out the banana for something else? (just found out I’m allergic 🙁 ) Time to experiement!
These look WONDERFUL! I love your incorporation of banana in the mix. I’ll have to give them a try 🙂
OMG I’m SO excited!!! I’m nut-free (peanut & tree nut) and can never have any granola bars and changing the nuts to seeds sometimes make the whole thing fall apart! Thanks Brittany!!
Yay! I hope you get to try these. 🙂
These look amazing – I love making homemade granola bars (especially the infamous “glo” bar!) and will never go back to store bought again. Can’t wait to try this recipe! Pinned 😀
These look fantastic!
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I love the idea of these – so simple and with ingredients on hand. How strong is the banana flavor? Is it noticeable or more in there to act as a binder?
I can’t really taste the banana, it’s more for the sweetness and to help bind the bars together. 🙂
What is brown rice cereal?
Thanks! Excited to make these during my weekly meal prep 🙂
It’s brown rice crisp cereal like Rice Krispies but made with brown rice. Here’s the type I used: http://www.attunefoods.com/products/Erewhon-Organic-Cereals/erewhon-crispy-brown-rice-gluten-free-cereal
I’ll add crispy to the recipe to clarify. 🙂
What size pan did you use? I love that this recipe is all pantry staples!
I used a 9X13 baking stone (the one in the photos) but the mixture definitely didn’t fill out the stone. I just pressed the mixture out (using the side of the stone to help make straight edges) and shaped them into a rectangle.