These blueberry granola bars are crazy easy and crazy good. You just mix, warm briefly, press into a pan, and chill for snack time.
Simple and delicious. These no-bake blueberry granola bars have saved me more than once this week! Mix the dry ingredients together, heat up the peanut butter and honey briefly, mix it all together, press it into a pan and let it chill for a couple of hours to set. Done. Snack time is ready. And it’s mighty tasty.
They’re homemade, good for you, and extremely satisfying. And, they’re easy to make in bulk (which I plan to do from now on, because we chowed down on these bars in less than two days).
I’m loving not baking in the heat while still having delicious treats, aren’t you? I mean, let’s not forget the no-bake French silk Oreo pie or chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies we just devoured. Keeping it cool!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- So very easy to assemble. Just stir, press, and chill!
- Perfect portable snack. Whether you’re out on the trail or in your backyard, these granola bars will be your new BFF. They are hearty enough for on-the-go breakfasts, too, in case of crazy school day morning rushes!
- Naturally sweetened. These bars have zero refined sugars! They’re just naturally sweetened from the honey and dried blueberries–and absolute win-win.
Professional Tips
- Don’t skimp on the chill time. I know it can be challenging to wait 2 hours for the bars to set. But, it will be harder if you don’t wait long enough, cut into them, and they fall apart. Be sure you set aside some time for them to chill!
- Press the granola mixture in the pan firmly. This is what will give you the structural integrity for such an easy, no-bake recipe!
- Warm the peanut butter and honey gently. We don’t want our oils to separate, so avoid overheating your mixture!
Ingredients
- Salt: Kosher salt is less salty than table salt, and it keeps the granola bars from having a flat taste.
- Dried Blueberries
- Old Fashioned Rolled Oats: Whole rolled oats are the main dry ingredient in these energy bites. They are gluten free and they act as a dry binder for all the wet ingredients.
- Cinnamon: Saigon cinnamon is my go-to when I’m making these, but if you have another favorite, I’m sure it’ll be great.
- Natural Peanut Butter: I use a natural creamy peanut butter in my healthy snacks like peanut butter banana energy bites. I also sometimes use almond butter or half coconut oil for a different flavor profile.
- Honey: Choose a local honey to get all the allergy-fighting benefits! Honey adds just a little bit of sweetness. You could use brown sugar instead if you wanted them even sweeter! Or, you could swap it with ½ cup maple syrup or coconut sugar. If you do that, the bars will be vegan!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- An easy fruit swap. Switch out the dried blueberries for dried cranberries, cherries, or strawberries. You could also sprinkle in some chopped almonds or walnuts for added crunch!
- Add some mini chocolate chips. Mix in 2 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips before spreading.
- Change the spice. Use my apple pie spice or this pumpkin spice recipe to add more spice. You could also add a teaspoon of vanilla extract for some added depth!
How to Make Blueberry Granola Bars
Further instructions and measurements can be found in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with foil. Spray foil lightly with cooking spray.
You could also use parchment paper for easier slicing, or a baking sheet for thinner bars.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, stir oats, blueberries, cinnamon and salt to combine.
Step 3: In a small saucepan over low heat, heat peanut butter and honey, stirring often, 3-5 minutes until just warmed through. You could also do this in the microwave! Pour over the oats mixture; stir thoroughly to combine.
Step 4: Using spatula, spread and press mixture firmly into prepared pan in even layer. Cover with foil; refrigerate 2 hours until cooled and set. Cut into bars. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
The bars slice best if fully chilled. For the cleanest cuts, chill at least 2 hours before slicing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Press the oat mixture very firmly into the pan before chilling. You can even use your hands! Also letting them chill for at least 2 hours will help them hold together when sliced.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can refrigerate them if you want them a bit firmer and chewier. You can also wrap them tightly and freeze for longer storage!
No, because fresh blueberries will release too much moisture. They’d make the granola bars soggy.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below! I love hearing from you and your comments make my day!
Blueberry Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ⅔ cup dried blueberries , 4 oz
- ½ tsp cinnamon, optional
- pinch kosher salt
- ¾ cup natural peanut butter, creamy
- ½ cup honey
Instructions
- Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with foil. Spray foil lightly with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir oats, blueberries, cinnamon and salt to combine.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, heat peanut butter and honey, stirring often, 3-5 minutes until just warmed through. You could also do this in the microwave! Pour over the oats mixture; stir thoroughly to combine.
- Using spatula, spread and press mixture firmly into prepared pan in even layer. Cover with foil; refrigerate 2 hours until cooled and set. Cut into bars. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this professional chef tested recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed snack recipes!
This is a great base recipe! I have been making these with dried cherries and sugar-free chocolate, and it is terrific. The blueberry also pairs well with white chocolate. I love that I can make these and have a snack for the week.
I have made these several times now, they are really good with freeze dried raspberries or strawberries. I’m going to try a batch with mini chocolate chips next. A great snack for school lunches or day hikes!
Thnaks for sharing this tasty recpie..
So I finally made these and was super disappointed…..I really wanted to love these but it is either the peanut butter I used ( a mix of peanut and almond butter fresh ground from store) or what but I followed the directions to the T and they fell apart while cutting into bars (squares did a bit better) and some of the mixture didn’t even get covered by the mixture —so I’m not sure that it’s enough…hoping to get an answer to my problems and have a back up just Incase I don’t. They were super simple though. They were in the fridge for almost 5 hours and I used an extra ounce of dried fruit —not sure that that would have made a difference though
Hi Sarah,
Oh, I’m so sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work for you! I wonder if the fresh-ground nut butter, combined with the added dried fruit, had something to do with it. Sometimes the consistency of nut butter can affect a recipe, and while I would think in theory the fresh-ground version should work, it might not be best (I used the organic peanut butter from Costco for mine, which has a finer, thinner texture). And the extra dried fruit might have also made it difficult for the mixture to come together since there were then more dry ingredients to combine. In any case, I am sorry you went through the trouble and these didn’t work out! I hope these tips can help in the future. xo
We fixed them!! Hubs thinks they are addicting….one last question–could you add more peanut butter and use less honey?
I must say peanut butter and chocolate chips sounds like a healthier version of a peanut butter cup! I may have to try that! 🙂
Ummmm, if you do that, save me a few! 😉
I don’t usually look twice at granola bar recipes. But I saw your beautiful pictures and decided to make them. My daughter & I just finished making them & they’re firming up in the freezer. We used cranberries. The batter tasted really good!
Yay, I love it! Cranberries sound like a fantastic idea. Hope you loved them!
Cannot WAIT to make these! love a good bar!
Hooray for bars! 🙂
would you be able to do this with another grain? just curious looks amazing and will have to try next week!!
I’ve never tried it with another grain, but it’s very possible! The peanut butter/honey combo helps it stick together really well, so another grain could maybe work. If you give it a try, let me know!