A Spicy Perspective

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!

Easy Homemade Granola Bars - A copycat version of Whole Foods Granola Bars!

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!

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.)

Original Whole Foods Granola Bar Wrapper

Homemade Bars

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)
Amazing Homemade Granola Bars - A copycat version of Whole Foods Granola Bars!

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*

Homemade Granola Bars - A copycat version of Whole Foods Granola Bars! #healthy

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

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!

Print Recipe
4.94 from 29 votes
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Whole Foods Homemade Granola Bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
A copycat version of Whole Foods Homemade Granola Bars recipe that is moist, easy to make, and so delicious!
Servings: 35 + large

Ingredients

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 161kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Sodium: 39mg, Potassium: 120mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 1.1mg
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Author: Sommer Collier

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78 comments on “Whole Foods Homemade Granola Bars”

  1. 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. :)

  2. These granola bars are the best! They’re so chewy and delicious, and super easy to make too!

  3. 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!!

  4. 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. 

  5. 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?

  6. 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!

  7. 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. 

  8. 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.

  9. 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?

  10. 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! 

  11. We loooove the Whole Foods copycat granola bars! But I do have a question. . . .I have made the recipe twice and each time they fall apart whEn I cut them. . .even after they’ve been sitting in the refrigerator for a few hours. Should I put them in the oven? What do you recommend?

  12. Is there any substitute for brown rice syrup?

  13. I actually made these years ago – loooove them! So glad to have rediscovered your recipe (which I will now print and add to my recipe binder!). I have a question though. Is refrigeration required or just preferable? I don’t see any of the ingredients being perishable and I don’t like/can’t chew on cold foods. Curious, thanks!

  14. Pingback: 31 Great Granola Bar Recipes: Healthy Snack On The Go | Chief Health

  15. Made these without the rice syrup and turned out fine. Just a little crumbly at room temperature. Taste was awesome. Thank you

  16. Sommer,

    Made about three dozen bars last weekend by loosely using your recipe. I added things like sunflower seeds, pistachios, walnuts & some peanut butter, but the rest was pretty much the same. This is my 2nd or 3rd attempt at making relatively healthy granola bars at home and none have come close to these.

    I made the mistake of bringing some into work and now everyone wants more.

    Thanks for sharing.

  17. Hi there, today I will be making your copycat granola…looks so yummy!
    I have everything except the brown rice syrup. I live in a very small town we do not have a health food store here ..is the a substitute for the brown rice syrup?

    Thanks, 
    Denise

    • So I made these and they are absolutely the best!!! I used Karo corn syrup only because I did not have brown rice syrup. 
      Thank you for the recipe..it’s a keeper!

  18. This recipe is absolutely delicious!!!

  19. I make this recipe all the time- so easy and SO good!!

  20. I can’t wait to make them as I am right now eating one from Whole Foods. I did notice, however, that you left out the Sunflower Seeds, also listed as an ingredient on the Whole Foods brars.

  21. I buy the bars at Whole Foods at least once a week and love them. This recipe is spot-on. I will make these again and again. The colors are also perfect to do little Christmas “happies” for friends and co-workers. The recipe was easy to follow. Tip: If these sit in the fridge all day before you have a chance to cut them, you will have your work cut out for you. Better to do after two hours as suggested. Thank you!

  22. I am so happy to find  this recipe! I eat a WF granola bar almost daily for breakfast.  That’s @ $84 a month for just me.  I was specifically looking for a similar recipe. Can’t wait to try it! 

  23. made these the other day, they are amazing!! thanks for the recipe :)

  24. wow some very tasty and lovely makes there

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  28. Holy Moly — I know this is an older post, but I’m so glad that I found it. I’m making these this weekend!!!

  29. Hi, I have a question.
    Whole oats is similar to rolled oats ?

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  32. Has anyone tried to bake these?     I love the Whole Foods Bars and wanted to try to make them .  The bars  in the store appear to be browned on the pan edge sides.   I don’t see that your recipe calls for baking. Kindly advise. And thanks for the recipe.

  33. I was wondering what the nutritional values are for this granola bar. Is there a way to find out?

  34. I made these this weekend and they are FANTASTIC! I love that they are easy to make and can be easily changed for several flavor profiles. A great go to snack. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

  35. OMG I just made these and they are so good! I just used whatever nuts and dried fruit I had in the cupboard with the same measurements listed above. I also only needed to buy one ingredient (the brown rice syrup). My kids werent thrilled with them during the first tasting (they are used to peanut butter as one of the main ingredients in the granola bars I have made in the past) but thats ok as it means more for me! Thank you for sharing!

  36. Hi Sommer, just found your blog, and love the granola recipe….in the ingredients you say 4 1/2 cups oats, but in the insrtructions you only used 1 1/2 cups ! when do you use the rest of the oats ?

    One of your reviewera asked, but I did not see an answer…. can you please email me the correct amts. and where the rest of the oats are used ?

    Thanks,  

  37. Thank you, thank you, thank you Sommer! The recipe is perfect & perfectly delicious!! You have made my taste buds dance for joy :)

  38. I’ve made this bar twice already!! They r awesome.. I’m going to donate these bars for bake sale.  I’m sure it will be hit!!!

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  40. I absolutely love these bars and was searching everywhere for the whole foods recipe; so glad I found your site! Do you know how many calories are in each bar though? I tried to put this recipe into my fitness pal and it said 155 calories per bar (if you split your batch into 35 servings). I cut them into whole foods size at about 4″x4″ square which made about 6-7 bars per batch which would then make each bar over 900 calories. Do you think this is accurate? Just wondering if I should be watching the amount I consume a little closer; it is so easy to eat these delicious bars!

  41. Yummy yummy. This is a perfect recipe. Thank you <3

  42. Pingback: 10 Bento Lunches for Summer - Veg Girl RD

  43. Have made these twice now. The recipe is simply perfect. Even my dad, niece and sister liked them….and they’re often quite suspicious and skeptical of any healthy food I make them. Thanks for this recipe – it’s a keeper.

  44. Just made these for my track running, gluten free, eating me out of house and home teenage son. Delicious! And HE loves them, too! I changed things up based on what I had here…..added chia, flax, and cacao nibs. Omitted coconut, raisins, and sesame seeds. Left out the oil on accident, oops! Still hold together well (thanks for the tip to use the wax paper. Worked like a charm to press it all down really well Great recipe!!

  45. Just made these today for the first time. Couldn’t find brown rice syrup so substituted pure cane syrup and they are holding together very well. Love these! Thanks for sharing your recipe.

  46. Hi Jamie! I’ve made them with just honey and maple syrup before. They will hold together if you keep them in the fridge, but not so much in the pantry.

  47. Sounds great! One question. I read recently about arsenic in rice and rice products. Do you know if the rice syrup is arsenic free?

    Thanks!

  48. The last granola bars I made completely fell apart – this recipe looks much more substantial (and delicious)! I WILL be trying this soon.

  49. Sounds really good, but I was wondering what I can substitute for the coconut and coconut oil? Don’t like coconut. Thank you!

    • Hi Michelle, You can use any flavorless oil you like and just omit the shredded coconut. (Or add another type of nut/seed.)

  50. Been wanting to try out a granola bar, they are heathy and great fuel pre-workout. Best part is that you can control the ingredients and minimize any preservatives! Such a great snack for the road without having to wonder how long it’s been sitting on that convenience store shelf! May make these tomorrow night during the big game!

  51. I love these bars, they look so much much better than store bought!

  52. I could snack on these all day!! Delicious!

  53. Your granola bars and its ingredients are just lovely – luv the ingredients you used and will have to look into the brown rice syrup to cut down on the amount of honey I usually include in granola bar recipes. The colors of the bars are inviting too!

  54. I love homemade granola bars of all types. I’ve never seen the bars at WF, but these look fantastic!!!

  55. I can’t wait to make these… delish!

  56. These look amazing!! Love!!!

  57. I love homemade granola bars!!! These look over the top delicious!!!

  58. Genius Sommer! These look amazing!

  59. Homemade granola bars are seriously the best! Thanks for a great recipe :)

  60. I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be able to stop eating these. What an amazing pan of granola bars!

  61. Sommer these look beautiful! I just made some VERY similar and I love using the rice syrup because my cane sugar allergic daughter can have it! perfect snack!

  62. Great recipe! Pinned it and I will make it. I just love all the healthy ingredients in them:)

  63. I’m always looking for new snacks!! These look fantastic, Sommer!

  64. I’ve never had a whole foods bar but now you’ve just made me want one! Help there’s no Whole Foods around. Guess I have to make them myself. ;-)

    Happy Wednesday Sommer!

    • 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. 

  65. These remind me of the ones they sell at Costco too! I LOVE them but way easier to make at home!!

  66. YOU DID NOT JUST MAKE THESE?! I love you! These bars rock my socks…but my wallet? notsomuch.
    Totally obsessing over these copy-cats! Pinned!