Keto Granola Bars

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5 from 124 votes
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Low carb snacking alert- These keto granola bars will be your new favorite! Made with just 4 ingredients, they are thick, chewy, and loaded with delicious nuts! 

Love keto snacks? Try my keto crackers, keto tortilla chips, and keto fat bombs next.

keto granola bars

Keto granola bars? Nope, this is not an oxymoron! Now, these don’t actually have granola in them because, well, they aren’t keto-friendly (unless you use my keto granola!), but they are a fabulous alternative. Oh, and no oats.

Table of Contents
  1. Why I love this recipe
  2. Ingrediends needed
  3. How to make keto granola bars
  4. Arman’s recipe tips
  5. Storage instructions
  6. Frequently asked questions
  7. Keto Granola Bars (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

  • Quick and easy. They are quick to make and need just four ingredients to make.
  • Versatile. They are perfect to enjoy between meals to keep the snack monster at bay, and great for lunch boxes. 
  • Zero sugar. And also grain-free and gluten-free, but you’d never tell.
  • Perfect texture and flavor. The texture is thick, chewy, and stable at room temperature. They are pleasantly sweet and easily customizable with your favorite nuts and seeds. 

Ingrediends needed

  • Almonds. Raw sliced almonds, with or without added salt. If you enjoy the sweet and salty combination, use the latter. 
  • Cashews. Raw cashews that have been roughly chopped. Use a mix of finely and roughly chopped cashews, as the finer bits help hold the bars together. 
  • Keto crispy cereal. A fantastic low carb substitute for crispy rice cereal. I typically buy mine at Costco or Sam’s Club, but you can find it online, too. No cereal? Try crushing up my homemade keto cereal or using chopped nuts.
  • Maple Syrup. Keto maple syrup, to provide sweetness, but also holds the bars together. You can also use my keto honey or keto simple syrup. If you choose to use a store bought brand, make sure it has allulose as the sweetener, not erythritol or monk fruit sweetener.

How to make keto granola bars

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Prep. Start by covering an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, and greasing generously.

Step 2- Make the base. Next, stir your almonds, cashews, and cereal together in a large bowl. Add your keto maple syrup and whisk very well until completely combined. Transfer the mixture to the lined pan and press it into the pan using a rubber spatula. 

Step 3- Bake. Bake the bars at 160C/320F for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely, before carefully slicing into bars using a sharp knife.

low carb granola bars

Arman’s recipe tips

  • Do not overbake the granola bars, as they will firm up as they cool down.
  • If your mixture is too thin, add a little extra sugar-free maple syrup to compensate.
  • For a finer consistency, lightly blend or roughly chop the nuts before assembling.

Flavor Variations

While these low carb granola bars taste delicious as they are, feel free to change up the flavors for some variety! Depending on what ingredients you use, the net carbs may increase to 3 grams per bar. 

  • Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate– Replace the cashews with chopped peanuts and drizzle melted dark chocolate over the top. 
  • Blueberry Pecan– Add 2 tablespoons of dried blueberries to the mixture. Replace the cashews with roughly chopped pecans. 
  • Cranberry Almond– Add 2 tablespoons of dried unsweetened cranberries to the mixture and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.
  • Dark Chocolate Almond and Coconut– Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of coconut flakes on top of the granola bars before baking them. Drizzle melted dark chocolate over the top. 
  • Vanilla Almond and Sea Salt– Replace half the almonds with smoked almonds, add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, and sprinkle the tops of the bars with sea salt. 

Storage instructions

To store: Granola bars are fragile and sticky, so should always be stored in the fridge. Keep them covered, and they will keep well for up to 4 weeks.

To freeze: Individually wrap bars in parchment paper, place them in a ziplock bag, and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

keto energy bars

Frequently asked questions

Why are my bars soft?

Your bars may be soft and a little limp if you don’t bake them long enough. Oven makes and models differ. If, at the 25-minute mark, your granola bars are still soft when touched, cook for a further 5-10 minutes. 

Why are my bars hard and brittle? 

If you wait too long to slice the granola bars, they will firm up too much and be difficult to slice. To make the granola bars easier to slice, heat the knife first, by pouring boiling water over it and lightly patting it dry. 

Can I keep them unbaked? 

As the keto maple syrup isn’t as thick as non-keto sweeteners (like brown rice syrup or honey), they need to be baked to ensure they hold together. 

Can I use other nuts and seeds?

Yes! These bars work with walnuts, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, and even nut butters like almond butter and peanut butter.

keto granola bars

Keto Granola Bars

5 from 124 votes
These keto granola bars are thick, chewy, and stable at room temperature! Made with just 4 ingredients, they are loaded with nuts and seeds! Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!
Servings: 12 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 25 minutes

Video

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and grease it generously. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine your nuts and seeds with your crispy cereal. Pour the sugar free syrup over it and mix very well, until completely combined and all your nuts/cereal is coated in the syrup.
  • Transfer the granola bar mixture into the lined pan and using a rubber spatula, press down to ensure a uniform layer. Bake for 25 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, before slicing into bars.

Notes

TO STORE: Granola bars are fragile and sticky, so should always be stored in the refrigerator. Keep them covered, and they will keep well for up to 4 weeks.
TO FREEZE: Individually wrap bars in parchment paper and place them in a ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 98kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 4gFat: 8gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 2gCalcium: 33mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 2g
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Recipe originally published October 2020 but updated to include new information for your benefit.

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. Since I can’t find keto crispy cereal. I have this keto granola crunch (and in 3 different flavors), could I use that in place of the cereal?

  2. Made these but had no keto cereal so I used peanuts and eliminated the cashews mine would not cut into bars so I chopped it up and separated into 12 snack size baggies and grab one for a quick snack! Works ! And is tasty

  3. Hi Arman,
    I’ve made these in the past a few times and they’re awesome! I have a tree nut allergy so I used peanuts and Sunflower seeds as alternate. I see the High-Key cereal is no longer available…any suggestions for cereal alternative? Thanks for your great recipes!

  4. These sound amazing. I’m going to try them for my daughter who is diabetic. We both have been trying to do a keto diet but she is having a rough time with the munchies and also finding quick stuff to eat on the go with a busy work schedule. My question is what is keto crisp cereal?