This No Bake Homemade Keto Granola Bars Recipe has just 6 ingredients and takes 10 minutes to make. My delicious and healthy granola bars are perfect to keep in your purse for emergencies or send in your child's lunchbox to school. This easy low carb granola bars recipe is also dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
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I grew up taking lunch to school and Quaker Chewy Granola Bars were always a staple. I liked all the flavors but my favorite was the classic chocolate chip.
There are times now when I'm running errands that I wish I could just grab a granola bar and keep going. But of all the prepackaged granola bars I've tried none of them hit the spot.
When I decided to make my own Keto Granola Bars Recipe I knew that I wanted simple flavors, simple ingredients, and chocolate chips. This combination of flavors and textures reminds me of those lunch box chocolate chip granola bars I grew up on.
These granola bars are chewy, crunchy, sweet, and have just the right amount of sugar free chocolate chips. In my opinion, this is the perfect healthy chewy granola bar recipe! This is one of my favorite keto recipes for on the go.
Ingredients in Low Carb Keto Granola Bars
- Xylitol - You NEED 1:1 sweeteners for this recipe. You cannot use a more concentrated sweetener.
- Erythritol - If you have pets and avoid xylitol all erythritol will work.
- Coconut Cream - Heavy Cream can be used instead if you do not need these to be dairy free.
That's right. There are only 3 necessary ingredients to make the sugar free syrup that binds these together. After that, you can choose what you put into your granola bars that suit a low carb diet.
Plus YOUR CHOICE of 3 cups of Mix-Ins:
- Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans, Peanuts, Cashews
- Coarse Sea Salt
- Coconut
- Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Flax
- Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, Sunflower Seed Butter - don't count these within the 3 cups but you can add 2 tablespoons of your choice to the syrup
- Sugar Free Dried Cranberries
- Any variety of sugar free chocolate chips - think white chocolate, mint chocolate, peanut butter chocolate, butterscotch - whatever you enjoy!
How to make Keto Granola Bars
To make sugar free granola bars you just hold some ingredients together with syrup. You can make them with almost anything and I'm sure you've seen some odd ones in the store before. Pumpkin Seeds + Goji Berries + Raw Cacao Butter + Pistachios + Himalayan Sea Salt.
I think I'll stick with almonds, coconut, and chocolate chips. But if the above combination for no bake granola bars sounds good to you give it a try! As long as you have 3 cups of mix-ins to the amount of syrup I have listed it could work.
Step 1: Make the syrup by cooking the sweeteners and coconut cream. Making the syrup for this recipe is similar to making caramel but you don't need to cook it as long. You just want the syrup to start to thicken and turn a deep golden color.
Step 2: Once the syrup thickens just mix in the nuts and coconut (or mix-ins of your choice) and spread it in your baking pan. Make sure to line the pan with greased parchment or waxed paper or you will have a hard time removing the no bake gluten free keto granola bars when they firm up.
Third Step: Next just sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the still-hot nut and coconut mixture. The heat will make the chocolate chips melt just enough the stick to the tops of the homemade keto granola bars.
After that, you just have to briefly chill the gluten free low carb granola bars and then cut them. You want them a little cooler than room temperature before cutting. They cut easily with a large sharp knife. If you are having trouble cutting the keto granola bars please carefully sharpen your knife and try again.
How long do they last?
These homemade keto low carb granola bars stay chewy for a few days but do get firmer and more crunchy with longer storage or when stored in the refrigerator. I store these at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
For some other great kid-friendly low carb keto recipes for snacks try these:
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Ingredients
- 2 cups raw almonds
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 7 tablespoon xylitol ***
- 7 tablespoon erythritol ***
- ¼ cup coconut cream
- 1 cup sugar-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 9 square baking pan with parchment paper. Grease with coconut oil. Coarsely chop the almonds and coconut flakes by pulsing in a food processor.
- Combine the sweeteners and coconut cream over medium-high heat. Simmer rapidly, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and turns golden.
- Stir the almonds and coconut flakes into the syrup. Pour into the prepared pan. Press flat with a spatula or wooden spoon. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on the hot nut mixture. It should be hot enough that they melt a little and stick.
- Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Lift the parchment paper out of the pan. Cut the granola bars using a sharp knife.
Notes
Nutrition
Norma Lopresti says
I used a cup of Monkfruit with erythritol, and my whole family could not eat it. It was so sweet and had an aftertaste. I absolutely love your recipes and know you are a great cook/baker and make a lot of them, but this one needs to be reworked. I noticed you said a cup of either sweetener should work, but you haven't tried it. Someone suggested coconut sugar with erythritol as well (? maybe). I found someone else's recipe for granola bars, and they only used 4 tablespoons of monkfruit. That sounds more like it. Don't give up, but please adjust this recipe so it is edible. It has great ingredients that I did not want to waste, so I put a bar in my protein smoothie to use them and make them more edible.
Taryn says
Did you read the notes on this? In most recipes, other sweeteners can work. Not in this. Erythritol is only 70% the sweetness of sugar. When you add in the monkfruit it is too sweet. In order to have this be no bake you need a good amount of sweetener as a binder. That other recipe was probably a baked bar. Also, you say you love my recipes but this is the first comment you've ever left. I don't mind bad reviews but please also leave some good ones for the recipes you do like. Just leaving bad reviews really hurts my blog.
Shawna says
I used heavy cream and the erythritol/xylitol. Doesn’t get too golden before boiling point so don’t wait too long to use it. I didn’t have enough filler nuts so I used keto cereal I get from Costco to round out the three cups and added 1 scoop of protein powder. They hold together fine and are good for long bike rides. We just find they’re too sweet for our tastes. If I find a way to lessen the sweetness I’ll let you know.
Barb B says
You can add my name to the "Substitutions that didn't work" list! I made the Keto Granola Bars & ran out of one of the sweeteners. Had a little more than 1/8 cup when I needed 1/2 cup. So, instead of using all Swerve, I used Splenda to finish the half cup. I also added 2 Tblsp of Almond Butter to the sweet mix, hoping it would help hold things together....nope! But the flavor was wonderful! I've read a couple of past comments from ladies that felt they had wasted the expensive ingredients. The "bars", while they didn't hold together, made a great breakfast with a bit of almond milk on it! It also reminded me to check ingredients before I start a recipe! 5 Star recipe!
Delores Federico says
What can be substituted for the coconut flakes? Would another kind of nut work?
Taryn says
Yes. I explain this in the blog post. You just need the right amount of any mix-in.
Janet says
Please advise if i can only use erithyol instead of two different sweetners.
Taryn says
Erythritol should be fine.
Eli says
Hi. Could you make these with honey or maple syrup instead of powdered sweetener?
Taryn says
I have not tested these with those. I'm not sure they'd hold together. If you don't mind the possibility of loose granola instead of bars you should be able to use either.
Louise says
Hi, I made these today after getting your email. Such a great idea. Kids loved them. Unfortunately our school here in Australia has a no nuts rule so I can't use them in their lunchboxes but great to have in the cupboard for picnics or as a snack. Thanks again! Louise
Ronda says
Very delish! Easy to make and tastes great
Ayano Oomoto says
Aside from them not being chewy, I loved these bars so much. I used 1/2 cup almonds, 1/2 cup toasted flakes(sweetened because they were the only ones I had) and I forgot what else I used with the dry ingredients. I used coconut sugar and monkfruit sweetener and heavy cream. Really nice!
Brianna says
Could you sub full fat coconut milk for the coconut cream?
Taryn says
Yes, if you put in the refrigerator first and use the thickened part.
Patty says
Hi - I made the recipe as is, it was great cooled in the pan, slightly warm. After cooling in fridge, they became rock hard, even when bringing back to room temperature. Any ideas what may have happened or how to prevent it?
Thank you!
Taryn says
Which sweetener did you use? These should be firm enough to hold the bar shape but should not be rock hard.
Patty says
Hi, please pardon my delayed reply. I made the recipe as is, using 1/2 c each of Xylitol and Erythritol. I'm going to try making the recipe again, since we all love the taste. Thanks!
Holly Liles says
I couldn't find coconut cream at the store. Can I replace it with heavy cream at least until I can buy some online?
Taryn says
I haven't tested this with heavy cream but it should work.
Wendy says
Me encantan. Gracias por compartir. Cuidaros mucho. Besitos
Nancy says
I made these with 1 cup of Monkfruit sweetener that has erythritol In it and they turned out great! I also added 1/4 tsp of pink sea salt and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Thank you for this recipe!
Sarah says
Mine totally fell apart. Is the 1/4 cup of coconut cream solid or already liquid? Also used Splenda cup for cup as the sweetner.
Taryn says
I do not recommend other sweeteners in this recipe. That is why they fell apart. Sorry!
The coconut cream is normally a very very thick liquid or a solid.
Taryn says
I do not recommend other sweeteners in this recipe. That is why they fell apart. Sorry!
The coconut cream is normally a very very thick liquid or a solid.
Careyann Stoops says
If you put a couple of heaping teaspoons of cinnamon and some maple flavoring in the syrup these end up smelling and tasting like the candied almonds you get at the fair and end up eating them while they are still warm , with a spoon, straight from the pan. Or so I’m told. 😉😂🤷🏻♀️
Great recipe, can easily be tweaked to be a little different every week or suite any taste buds.
Kerrin says
Can't wait to try these! 2 quick questions...
1. is it okay to freeze them?
2. if I wanted to add protein powder or collagen, would that work? how much would you recommend.
Taryn says
Yes, although they do last for 1-2 months in the fridge. I think you could add a little of either. My concern is it would dry them out and they wouldn't hold together.
Missy Bouwman says
I just tried makin these with Pyure Brand blend of erythitol and stevia. The syrup never thickened so I kept cooking it and now it's too brown and almost burnt. never added the other ingredients. didn't want to waste more food. Is it because I used 1 cup of Pyure? I'm xylitol intolerant.
Taryn says
Pyure is way too concentrated for this recipe. They will be cloyingly sweet. If you can't use xylitol you can use all erythritol. A blend with stevia doesn't work. I'm sorry you wasted the sweetener but I do address this right in the recipe notes.
Kelly says
You repeatedly mention erythritol can I use Truvia or pure erythritol my husband cannot tolerate xylitol. Are there other suggestions for chocolate chips which are expensive?
Taryn says
Erythritol is a better choice for this recipe. There are now sugar free chocolate chips at walmart that are a little cheaper. The brand is Bake Believe.