This recipe for hearty, soft granola bars is chock-full of dried fruit, nuts and the natural sweetness of honey and banana. If you love these cherry pie energy bars but want to mix things up every once in awhile, I think you’re going to love this recipe.
Apricots and figs work beautifully in these bars (and add a nice golden color), but you can use this recipe as a base and substitute any fruit and nuts you like. A batch makes 12 generous granola bars. I hope you love them as much as we do!
Fruit and Nut Granola Bar Recipe
Try these soft and chewy fruit and nut granola bars with a base of rolled oats combined with dried fruits and nuts and the with the natural sweetness of bananas and a little honey.
Servings 12 bars
Calories 211kcal
Equipment
- large bowl
- fork
- mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 2 medium size bananas
- ⅓ cup raw honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 cup almonds
- ⅓ cup dried apricots
- ⅓ cup dried figs
- ⅓ cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork.
- Add the honey or maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
- Stir in the oats.
- Use a food processor or knife to chop the almonds.
- Add the almonds and dried fruit to the bowl and stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan, spread evenly, and press to pack.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes at 350°F.
- Cool and cut into bars.
Notes
Another recipe that can be customized to fit your tastes and the contents of your pantry! Use whatever combination of dried fruits and nuts you like to total 1 cup of each.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 324mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 143IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg
What’s your favorite granola bar recipe?
Other Granola Recipes
- Healthy maple granola recipe – This recipe is so easy to make. Just toss some nuts, seeds, cinnamon, maple syrup, etc. together and bake. Voila!
- Pumpkin spice granola – This fall-inspired granola is great for busy mornings or on-the-go-snacks.
Alexandria Dyson
Okay ive made granola bars twice in the last few days and they are so crumbly. What can I do to make them not ?!
Alexandria Dyson
Okay ive made granola bars twice in the last few days and they are so crumbly. What can I do to make them not ?!
Amanda Wesley
These look yummy and full of good stuff
Amanda Wesley
These look yummy and full of good stuff
Rachel Stinman
Maybe a tad bit more honey? Make them stick?
Rachel Stinman
Maybe a tad bit more honey? Make them stick?
Brittany Logan Bischoff
You could add the “pin it” link pretty please! 😀
Brittany Logan Bischoff
You could add the “pin it” link pretty please! 😀
Mommypotamus
Brittany Logan Bischoff – Oops! Here it is http://www.pinterest.com/pin/125397170848809248/
Mommypotamus
Alexandria Dyson – I would try what Rachel Stinman recommended. Or try this recipe, which also uses banana to hold things together.
Melissa Barnes
Yum!! It’s says to mix the maple syrup but I didn’t read you needed that in the ingredients section am I missing something lol
Jenna Graziano
Vanessa Cano-gomez these are sooo good
Vanessa Cano-gomez
Sounds Yummy!
My kids probably my wouldn’t eat the apricots but I could sub another dried fruit.
Vanessa Cano-gomez
Sounds Yummy!
My kids probably my wouldn’t eat the apricots but I could sub another dried fruit.
Missy Johnson
Amy Irwin Jarosek
Jessica Zunino
Curious: Do you buy all your ingredients online?
Brittini Lee
Yum! Suzi Ward 🙂
Ruthann McFarlane
Is there anything that can be substituted for the banana?? We have a severe allergy in the house, so much so that we don’t even bring them into the house.
Mommypotamus
Ruthann McFarlane – Avocado with a bit of maple syrup or honey might work, but I can’t imagine it would be as pretty 🙂
Sandra Williams
They are so good!!! Didn’t have raisins at home so I added some cranberries.
Mommypotamus
Jessica Zunino – I buy some but not all. However, I provide brand recommendations for those who cannot find certain things locally.
CC Elms, The Christian Hippie
Whoa! Sharing THIS! Better yet, I may need to try this too!
Caitlin Serotkin
I wonder if I cold use fresh apricots? I happen to have some. Those look delicious!
Humaira Shaikh
Sadaf Shaikh
Jennifer Kittle
Looks Good !!
Heather Basma DeBra
Jessica Leuty
zeffie
Thank you for this recipe. I’m going to rural Alaska for one week next month and these will be a yummy addition to my real food packing list. Hopefully I don’t crush these too bad en route. I’ll send a pic of me eating them in the snow 🙂
Jan
Should we assume that the honey (listed in the ingredients) and the maple syrup (listed in the directions) are interchangeable? Or are they both supposed to be added to the recipe?
Heather
Oops! Let me double check with Suzanne on that one! I’ll update the post soon 🙂
Heather
Hi Jan, just heard back from Suzanne. The directions should have said honey instead of maple syrup. Thanks for catching that!
[email protected] Riffs
Suzanne always does such nice recipes, and this one looks terrific! Thanks so much for this.
Bethani
Could I just soak some regular rolled oats and use those? Also, are the dried fruit and nuts pretty interchangeable? I have dried cherries, pumpkin seeds and chocolate chips….Thanks!!
Heather
Hi Bethani, yes you could and yes they are 🙂
Bethani
Awesome!! Got my oatmeal soaking now! Thank you!!
Nicole
Hi,
I love your facebook page..
I have a question about the apriciot granola bars..do you have to add the walnuts..?
Thank you
Ceitllyn (Katelynn)
I ran across these again! Looking in the comments, I did not see any reference to the oven temp stated in the recipe 180C. If that is correct, what does that translate to in F? Thanks
Heather
Hi Ceitlyn, I’ve updated the post with the Fahrenheit temp 🙂