No Bake Citrus Granola Bars

Granola bars are a classic snack food.  My girls and I love these no bake version because they are so versatile.  You can eat them for breakfast, lunch, or an afternoon snack.

Ingredients

Another great reason to make your own, is you can customize them.  All you need is a basic understanding of what goes into a granola bar.  Pick and choose what ingredients you want in each category.

I've broken it down to 6 categories:

• base
• dried fruits
• nuts and seeds
• binder
• sweetener
• spices

Questions

Are homemade bars more healthy?

When you make your own, you know exactly what ingredients are in there.  Since you didn't add any high fructose corn syrup or preservatives into the mix, they are much healthier for you.

What are the calories for one serving?

For a serving size of one bar, there is 368 calories with 51.8g of carbs.  For more nutritional information, scroll past the recipe card.

What do these taste like?

These have a delightful orange flavor from the orange juice and orange zest.

How to Make

• Gather all your ingredients.
• Line your pan with parchment paper for easy clean removal.
• Mix all the dry ingredients together. 
• Mix all the wet ingredients together.
• Pour the wet into the dry and stir well.
• Place the mixture into the pan and press hard with the bottom of a glass to compress it.  If you prefer to make into energy balls, just roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet.
• Cover and chill for 2 hours to harden.
• Using the parchment paper, lift the granola out of the pan and cut into bars.
• Store in fridge for the best texture.

Be creative with your add ins, and have fun making a batch that are exactly what you want to satisfy your cravings.

Pro Tips

• Store in the fridge, to keep them firm. 
• Want to take it to go?  Wrap in plastic wrap or put in a snack-sized Ziploc bag.
• Make them into energy balls by changing the shaping technique.

Looking for more afternoon snack ideas?

• Sardine salad
• Pimento cheese spread
• Boiled peanuts
• Croutons
• Dill pickle dip

The pleasure of a 5 star review would be greatly appreciated.

Recipe

No Bake Citrus Granola Bars

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5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Brooke
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: 12 bars 1x

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Description

No bake citrus granola bars are an easy, healthy snack that's packed with protein to give you energy!  Oatmeal, peanuts, dried fruit, and a hint of orange makes these chewy, gluten free bars a tempting snack.  Feel free to change them up to your tastes.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Base

• 2 cups quick oats (160g)

Dried Fruit

• 1 cup raisins (150g)
• ½ cup sweetened dried cranberries (60g)

Nuts and Seeds

• 1 cup roasted peanuts, crushed lightly (150g)
• ½ cup sweetened dried coconut, shredded (38g)
• ¼ cup ground flax seed (26g)

Extra Add Ins

• Zest of one medium orange, such as Minneola

Binder

• scant ½ cup liquid coconut oil (100g)
• scant ½ cup liquid honey (150g)

Sweeteners

• ⅔ cup brown sugar, packed (150g)
• 1 tablespoon orange juice

Spices

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon salt (optional)

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Instructions

1. Line the base and sides of a 9 by 9-inch pan with a sheet of parchment paper.
2. Crush the peanuts by placing ⅓ cup of them in a sandwich bag.  Lightly bang with a rolling pin until the peanuts are the size you want.  Repeat the process until all the peanuts are crushed.
3. In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients.
4. In a medium sized bowl, mix the wet ingredients together, then pour into the dry ingredient bowl.  If the coconut oil has solidified, warm it up in the microwave to turn into a liquid.  Thoroughly mix all the ingredients together with a large spoon.
5. Dump the granola mixture into the prepared pan.  Press the mixture into the pan using your fingers and the bottom of a glass to really compact it.
6. Cover with foil and place in the fridge for at least two hours so they can harden.
7. Lift them out of the pan and cut the square of granola in half with a sharp knife.  Cut each half into 1 ¼ inch bars.
8. Store the bars in the fridge.  Enjoy them as a snack or a dessert replacement.

Notes

• These bars are best stored in the fridge, since they soften quickly.
• If you plan on taking them in your lunch, wrap it in plastic wrap or put in a snack-sized Ziploc bag.
• Change the shape by rolling them into balls for energy balls.

• Category: Snack
• Method: Chilled
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: simple granola bar recipe, chewy granola bar recipe