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Healthy Protein Granola Bars are low-calorie, gluten-free, balanced, and delicious! An easy higher-protein snack that's chewy and healthy for you! They're gluten-free and low-calorie.
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Granola bars are a healthy snack, but often lack protein (remember peanut butter is a fat, not a protein!). We always want meals and snacks balanced with healthy protein sources.
It all started with my recipe for healthy chocolate protein bars! They're delicious and easy to make, truly one of my most popular recipes. This high-protein granola bars recipe is equally delicious. It's also easy to make with simple ingredients, is low in calories, higher in protein, and is gluten-free!
I know you'll enjoy baking this homemade granola bar recipe for a lower-calorie snack! It's one of my favorite snack recipes along with homemade banana pudding and chocolate chia pudding recipe.
Why You Will Love This Protein Granola Bar Recipe
- Low Calorie: Each bar is 184 calories. The number of calories isn't as important as the balance of protein, fat, and carbs. That balance really has a significant impact on the hormones that control hunger. Having a lower-calorie snack is great but the balance (and satisfaction) is really most important!
- Higher Protein with Healthy Fat: This recipe adds protein powder to give the homemade granola bars a protein boost. Each bar has 8 grams of protein! And the bar only has 7 grams of fat with only 2 grams of saturated fat (less ideal fat).
- Gluten-Free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free.
- Customizable: You can easily add flavor and make swaps to use ingredients you prefer or have on hand. Just remember that changing the recipe does change the nutrition as well.
Ingredients
Here's what you need to make healthy low-sugar granola bars. You will also need an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish along with a mixing bowl to make the recipe.
- Gluten-Free Quick Oats: Use quick oats instead of rolled oats. I found they didn't work as well with this recipe. The quick oats are more processed and hold together a bit more easily. If you don't need the recipe to be gluten-free you can use any quick oats.
- Vanilla Protein Powder: I used vegan and gluten-free vanilla protein powder for this recipe. I always recommend you use a protein powder you enjoy. If you don't enjoy the flavor of a protein powder mixed with water and milk, chances are you won't enjoy it in a recipe. So choose something you've had before and know you like! Protein powders I recommend are: Garden of Life Plant-Based, Garden of Life Whey, Orgain, Active Stacks, Collagen, Legion Whey, Legion Plant-Based, Nuzest Clean Lean
- Ground Flax Meal: A source of healthy fats and fiber. It's important to use ground flax meal and not flax seeds. The ground flax also works to hold the bars together in this recipe and can't be substituted.
- Nut Butter: You can use peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, or any nut butter you enjoy. Also, if you need it nut-free you can use sun butter (made from sunflower seeds).
- Vanilla Extract and Cinnamon: Provides a natural sweetness, aroma, and warmth to the granola bars.
- Honey: Sweetens and provides some stickiness holding them together. You can use a honey-flavored All-u-lose for a lower-carb option or agave instead. Maple syrup doesn't work.
- Almond Milk: You can really use any milk you prefer.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: Use semi-sweet, dark, or dairy-free as you prefer.
Remember when you make substitutions and swaps, it will alter the nutritional values from what you see in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog post.
Variations
Here are some quick ideas for changing up the flavor of your homemade protein granola bars.
- Chopped Nuts: Swap half of the chocolate chips for some nuts or seeds. Chop them up so they mix into the granola mixture better.
- Dried Fruit: Add raisins or cranberries instead of chocolate for a bit of fruitiness.
- Chocolate: Use a chocolate protein powder to make chocolate granola bars.
How To Make Protein Granola Bars
Making granola protein bars is easy! You'll enjoy baking this recipe and it's not complicated at all. Here's a look at the main steps. Before you get started, preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare an 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
Step 1: Combine the quick oats, protein powder, ground flax, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the nut butter, honey, milk, and vanilla extract.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredient mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix together fully and then fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 3: Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Spread the mixture evenly in the pan, pressing it firmly down into the pan. Bake for 18 minutes or until the bars turn golden brown.
Step 4: Remove the pan from the oven and cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. While the bars cool, melt 2-3 tablespoons of chocolate in the microwave. Once the bars are cooled, drizzle the top with the chocolate then slice into 10 bars.
Storing Tips
- Storing: These are best stored in the refrigerator in a container or plastic storage bag. The granola bars will get moist sitting out at room temperature and will not hold together as well. Depending on the climate where you live, you may be able to get away with this.
- Freezing: You can also freeze these healthy granola bars for up to 60 days. To eat, remove them from the freezer and thaw them in the refrigerator overnight.
Expert Tips
- Use Quick Oats. These are processed a bit more and simply hold together better when making granola bars with protein. I find the bars don't crumble as easily.
- Use Parchment Paper. Lining the pan with parchment makes your protein breakfast bars so much easier to remove from the pan. Make the piece a bit larger than the pan so you have edges to grab and pull the entire sheet of granola bars out of the pan.
- No Mess Drizzle. Place the granola bars on a wire rack placed over a baking pan to drizzle. This way any excess drips onto the pan and makes cleanup easier.
- Cool Before Removing and Cutting. The bars will still be a bit fragile when they first come out of the oven. As they cool they firm up more.
Recipe FAQs
No, not really. Other sources such as yogurt or cottage cheese which I often use to add protein in baked goods, don't work in this high-protein breakfast bars recipe. They simply add too much moisture. I find that protein powder is truly the best option.
Yes, you can but they truly work best when kept refrigerated. I recommend packing them in a lunch box with an ice pack.
More Bar and Snack Recipes
Here are more healthy snack and bar recipes to try!
If you tried this protein granola bars recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Healthy Protein Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups Gluten Free Quick Oats
- ½ cup Vanilla Protein Powder
- 2 tablespoons Ground Flax Meal
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Peanut Butter unsalted with no added sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Honey
- ½ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
- ⅓ cup Mini Chocolate Chips plus more for the drizzle
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare an 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the quick oats, protein powder, ground flax, cinnamon and salt.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the nut butter, honey, milk and vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined then add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared baking pan. Spread the mixture evenly in the pan, pressing it firmly down into the pan.
- Bake for 18 minutes or until the bars turn golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven and cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. While the bars cool, melt 2-3 tablespoons of chocolate in the microwave. Once the bars are cooled, drizzle the top with the chocolate then slice into 10 bars.
Video
Notes
- See the ingredients section of the blog post for recommendations for substitutions.
- These are best stored in the refrigerator in a container or plastic storage bag. The granola bars will get moist sitting out at room temperature and will not hold together as well. Depending on the climate where you live, you may be able to get away with this.
- You can also freeze these healthy granola bars up to 60 days. To eat, remove them from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Nutrition
I made these bars and love them. They have become a great snack to have on hand when I need one.
Easy and tasty recipe
I really like this recipe, I make them just about every week! The only issue I have is that there is no measurement for the vanilla extract listed.
I have been using 1 tsp, but not sure if that's right. Other than that, great recipe, but I'm sure some people would want the specific measurements!