Crispy Homemade Granola Bars

Easy, chewy-crispy homemade granola bars made with toasted oats, almonds, coconut and puffed brown rice — no dried fruit required.

Recipe 39 of The 100 Recipe Project

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We’re back to school here in Tennessee! With two of my boys starting at a Montessori school this year, I’ve been thinking a lot about lunches and snacks, especially easy things I can make ahead and have ready to grab in the morning.

These homemade granola bars were inspired by Ina Garten’s classic recipe, but I adapted them for my own kids. They’re not fans of dried fruit, and chocolate chips, while they would be delicious here, aren't allowed in their snacks at school. The funny thing is, my boys have never been granola bar kids in general. I’ve tried so many different brands over the years that I wasn't particularly optimistic they'd eat my homemade version either.

But they did! All three liked them.  The combination of toasted oats, extra almonds and coconut with crispy puffed brown rice makes them chewy, crispy and just sweet enough. I individually wrapped the bars in parchment for easy school snacks, then crumbled a few extras into a jar to use as homemade granola on my morning protein yogurt bowls.

This recipe was inspired by Ina Garten's Homemade Granola Bars, adapted with more almonds and coconut, puffed brown rice and no dried fruit.

Why You’ll Love These

• Kid-approved — even by kids who don't usually like granola bars.

• Perfect for school lunches — wrap them individually and they're ready to grab.

• Great for make-ahead prep — one batch gives you snacks for the week, plus plenty of delicious crunchy bits for yogurt bowls.

MY FRANKLIN KITCHEN

Easy, chewy-crispy homemade granola bars made with toasted oats, almonds, coconut and puffed brown rice — no dried fruit required. Prep Time: 10 minutes · Bake Time: 25–30 minutes · Cooling Time: 2–3 hours · Makes: About 12–16 bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

• 1¼ cups sliced almonds

• 1½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut

• 1 cup puffed brown rice cereal

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• ⅔ cup honey

• ¼ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

• 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8 x 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang to make the bars easier to lift out later.

2. Toast the oats, almonds and coconut. Spread them together on a sheet pan and bake for 10–12 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the coconut and almonds are lightly golden and everything smells toasted.

3. Transfer the toasted mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the puffed brown rice cereal. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

4. Make the binder. Combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.

5. Immediately pour the warm honey mixture over the oat mixture. Stir well, making sure all of the oats, nuts, coconut and cereal are evenly coated.

6. Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking dish. With damp fingers or a piece of parchment paper, press the mixture down very firmly and evenly. This helps the finished bars hold together.

7. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the bars are lightly golden.

8. Let the granola bars cool completely for at least 2–3 hours before lifting them from the pan and cutting into bars. They'll firm up considerably as they cool.

9. Enjoy right away or wrap the bars individually in parchment paper and store them in an airtight container for easy grab-and-go snacks.

A Couple Ingredient Notes for Homemade Granola Bars

Unsweetened coconut: I like using unsweetened coconut here because the honey and brown sugar already give the bars plenty of sweetness. The extra coconut also gets beautifully toasted in the oven.

Puffed brown rice: This replaces the wheat germ in Ina’s original recipe and gives these bars a lighter, crispy texture. Stir it in after toasting the oats, almonds and coconut so it keeps some of that crunch.

And if you’re making these at home rather than for school?

Chocolate chips would be such a good addition. Just let the mixture cool slightly before stirring them in so they don't completely melt. Franklin Kitchen Tip

Make a batch of these during your Franklin Kitchen Reset. Once they're completely cool, cut and wrap the bars individually in parchment so they're ready to tuck into lunchboxes or grab on the way out the door.

And don't throw away the crumbly pieces left on the cutting board! I keep mine in a jar and sprinkle them over Greek yogurt with fruit for an easy breakfast.

Make It Part of Your Franklin Kitchen Reset

One thing I’m trying to do this school year is keep more ready-to-eat food in the kitchen, not just a refrigerator and pantry full of ingredients that still require work.

These granola bars are exactly the kind of small prep that makes a difference. Make one batch, wrap them individually, and school snacks are handled for several days. Add some washed fruit, a few easy lunch options and a little dinner prep, and suddenly the week feels much more manageable.

That’s the idea behind my Franklin Kitchen Reset: a little thoughtful prep now to make real family life easier later.

For more of our back-to-school routine, read Back to School, Back to Rhythm. More From My Franklin Kitchen

If you're getting ready for another busy school week, try my Fluffy Cottage Cheese Protein Pancakes for an easy protein-packed breakfast.

For something cool after school, my Homemade Summer Popsicles are made with simple fresh fruit and are perfect for these last hot weeks of summer.

And while you're packing everyone's lunches, make yourself a Blueberry Iced Matcha Latte — one of my favorite afternoon pick-me-ups.

From,

Alexis at My Franklin Kitchen — Recipe #39

Simple, seasonal recipes for real family life.