Whole Foods Homemade Granola Bars
Whole Foods Homemade Granola Bars – A copycat version of Whole Foods Granola Bars recipe that is soft, chewy, easy to make, and so delicious!
Why We Love This Homemade Granola Bar Recipe
Amazing homemade bars just like the ones you buy at Whole Foods Market. This copycat version of Whole Foods Granola Bars is a lunch box staple in our house, because they save money and are completely irresistible! Plus, this is an actual healthy granola bar recipe!
You know those moist chewy granola bars that are always sitting up at the checkout counter at Whole Foods Market, begging to be purchased?
The ones that cost around $2.50 – $5.00 a chunk, but are so wonderful you can’t stop yourself from buying them every time you enter the store??
(Surely I’m not the only one who does this.)
We’re making that healthy granola bars recipe today… We’re making a lot of them for a lot less money.
In fact, most of the items necessary are always in my pantry and freezer. The first time I made these bars, I only needed to buy brown rice syrup to create these ultra moist and chewy copycat Whole Foods Homemade Granola Bars, packed with nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and coconut.
And even if you don’t have a freezer/pantry full of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit like I do, you’ll still save money by buying the ingredients from the bulk bins in your grocery store.
What Ingredients You Will Need
- Whole oats (or part oats + part oat bran)
- Raw almonds, whole or sliced
- Raw cashews, chopped
- Raw pepitas
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- Dried cranberries
- Raisins
- Sesame seeds
- Brown sugar, or substitute palm sugar
- Honey
- Brown rice syrup
- Coconut oil
- Vanilla extract
- Sea salt (or swap 1/2 teaspoon sea salt for kosher salt)
How to Make Granola Bars
Instructions…
- Place the ground and whole oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, and dried fruit in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Line a large 13×18-inch rimmed baking sheet with wax paper and set aside.
- Place the brown sugar, honey, brown rice syrup, and coconut oil in a sauce pot over high heat. Bring to a roaring boil, stir well, then remove from heat immediately. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Then pour the syrup over the dry ingredients.
- Mix well, so that all the dry ingredients are coated, then scoop the mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread the mixture out evenly in the pan. Use another sheet of wax paper to press down on the mixture until flat and packed. Refrigerate for 2 hours to set, then cut into squares. Wrap well, and store in the refrigerator, or in a cool dark place for up to 2 weeks.
Seriously, it’s that easy.
Notable Tips
Brown rice syrup is a key component in the homemade granola bars recipe because it holds the mixture together better than any other “healthy” syrup available.
Also note, the texture of store-bought Whole Foods Granola Bars is slightly finer than what you see here. In the recipe below, I’m asking you to grind part of the oats to help the mixture pack and hold together. Yet, you could grind all the oats if you want a finer texture. We just personally like a little more chunk in our bars.
My kids beg for my copycat version of Whole Foods Granola Bars, and I never mind making them because they are such a time and money saver.
I even slip one in my purse when I head out to Whole Foods Market, so I’m not tempted to buy one at the counter. *wink*
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Do These Healthy Granola Bars Last?
You can store these healthy snacks in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks.
What Other Variations Can I Make With This Dish?
You could add in flavor by mixing in sunflower seeds, peanuts, walnuts, pecans, banana chips, cinnamon, slice apricots, unsweetened coconut, or mini chocolate chips as some wholesome ingredients as mix-ins.
Other Bars To Check Out
- Peanut Butter Granola Bars by A Couple Cooks
- Paleo Bars with Nuts and Chocolate Drizzle
- Breakfast Oat Bar
- Keto Cereal Bars (Low Carb)
- Energy Oatmeal Bites
Check out the printable recipe card below for nutrition information including calories, carbohydrates, cholesterol, protein, and fiber percentages. Make sure to share this recipe on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Whole Foods Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole oats, or 3 1/4 cups oats + 3/4 cup oat bran
- 3/4 cup raw almonds, whole or sliced
- 3/4 cup raw cashews, chopped
- 1/2 cup raw pepitas
- 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, or substitute palm sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Pour 1 1/2 cups oats in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground.
- Place the ground and remaining whole oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, and dried fruit in a large bowl. Mix well. Line a large 13×18-inch rimmed baking sheet with wax paper and set aside.
- Place the brown sugar, honey, brown rice syrup, and coconut oil in a sauce pot over high heat. Bring to a roaring boil, stir well, then remove from heat immediately. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Then pour the syrup over the dry ingredients.
- Mix well, so that all the dry ingredients are coated, then scoop the mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread the mixture out evenly. Use another sheet of wax paper to press down on the mixture until flat and packed. Refrigerate for 2 hours to set, then cut into squares. Wrap well, and store in the refrigerator, or in a cool dark place for up to 2 weeks.
We like these even BETTER than the granola bars from Whole Foods! I also like that I can customize the ingredients to our tastes or what I have on hand. :)
These granola bars are the best! They’re so chewy and delicious, and super easy to make too!
We go through so many granola bars every week, so making them at home & making a big batch, saves me money & trips to the store!! Plus, they taste better!! My kids love these!!
My friend made this and brought to a tennis match for 4 of us. We all loved them and asked for the recipe absolutely delicious. Yummy.
What else I can add instead of brown rice syrup to form a glue or as a binding agent?? I want to sell my Granola Bars, but it looses and fall apart if not keeping in fridge. Do you recommend xanthum gum as a binding agent for Granola bars?
Hi Leena,
I have used all honey before when I ran out of brown rice syrup. They still turned out great! :)
I used to work for Whole foods and we always baked these. that’s why they’re falling apart.
These look delicious and I will try the recipe, but I’m searching for the Whole Foods Vegan Granola cookie recipe. It has nuts and chocolate chips. I’m not vegan, but I definitely buy these every trip. They have stopped making them at some stores, so it’s a hunt to find them and I was hoping to get a recipe to make at home. They may include coconut, I’m not sure, but the name is correct. Can you replicate or find the recipe for me? Much love!
Can these be frozen? Any suggestions on how to handle if frozen? How should I defrost/remove from freezer. I would live to make these ahead of time in large batches.
Hi Felicia!
Yes, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Just wrap them very well. Then thaw at room temperature when ready to use.
These are excellent. I couldn’t find brown rice syrup so used agave and some corn syrup instead. When you mention boil on the syrup I assume you meant until it fully starts to go into a foam, but for people who haven’t made candy before you might want to mention how things look/react at that point.
I did bake them about 10min at 350 and they set up nicely and have a really good crunch/chewyness to them.
Should this recipe be baked? Instructions don’t indicate to but at the top next to the prep time it’s says bake time 5 minutes. Would this solve the falling apart? Refrigerated overnight and still falls apart. Is it to caro syrup not as thick or sticky as Brown rice syrup?
Hi Beth,
If you are using brown rice syrup they should stick, without baking. However, if you are swapping ingredients you may need to bake them, so they set properly.
We live this recipe! I substitute nuts and dried fruit and I have them. I also subbed one cup of oats for gluten free rice crisp cereal for some added crunch!