Almond Coconut Granola Bars
These homemade granola bars are a healthy and delicious snack! Made simply with almonds, coconut, oats, almond or peanut butter, and honey or maple syrup.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on May 7, 2025
I brought these granola bars with me on a recent weekend getaway, tucked beside my neglected laptop. I’m so glad I did.
No time for breakfast? Granola bars to the rescue. Hungry on the plane? Granola bars sure beat pretzels. Long stretch between lunch and dinner? Again, granola bars.
These bars kept my blood sugar levels stable and kept me from turning into a cranky, hypoglycemic mess.
These no-bake bars, made with oats, nuts, and coconut, and naturally sweetened with honey (or maple syrup) are effective, energy-rich treats. I’ll never travel without them again.
They would also be great snacks for lunch bags and hungry kids who have just arrived home from school. They’re much more tasty and offer more sticking power than any of the store-bought options I encountered as a kid. Homemade granola bars for the win!
More Granola Bars to Try
- Easy No-Bake Granola Bars: Find more variations here.
- Pecan Granola Bars
- Cranberry Orange Granola Bars
- Honey-Sweetened Almond Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
You might also appreciate my granola recipe, which has over 3,000 reviews! Check out my 23 Healthy Make-Ahead Breakfast Recipes for more grab-and-go breakfast options.
Please let me know how your bars turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Almond Coconut Granola Bars
These homemade granola bars are a healthy and delicious snack! Made simply with almonds, coconut, oats, almond or peanut butter, and honey or maple syrup. These bars require about 15 minutes of prep time, then an hour-long rest in the refrigerator to set. Recipe yields 16 granola bars.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped almonds
- 1 Âľ cups quick-cooking oats (or old-fashioned oats, pulsed briefly in a food processor or blender to break them up)
- 1 cup large, unsweetened coconut flakes (shredded coconut should work, too)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup creamy almond butter or peanut butter
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a 9-inch square baker with two strips of criss-crossed parchment paper, cut to fit neatly against the base and up the sides. The parchment paper will make it easy for you to slice the bars later.
- Toast the almonds for maximum flavor (you can skip this step, but your bars won’t be quite as awesome): In a medium skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds, stirring frequently, until they are fragrant and starting to turn lightly golden on the edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a medium mixing bowl.
- To the mixing bowl, add the oats, coconut flakes, cinnamon and salt. Stir until blended.
- In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, measure out 1 cup almond butter. Top with ½ cup honey, followed by the vanilla extract. Whisk until well blended. (If you must, you can gently warm the liquid mixture in the microwave or on the stovetop.)
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a big spoon to mix them together until the two are evenly combined and no dry oats remain. The drier the mixture, the more firm the bars will be, so stir in extra oats if the mixture seems wet. Conversely, if you used a super thick almond butter (cough, Justin’s), you might need to drizzle in another tablespoon of honey to help it all stick together.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared square baker. Use your spoon to arrange the mixture fairly evenly in the baker, then use the bottom of a flat, round surface (like a short, sturdy drinking glass) to pack the mixture down as firmly and evenly as possible. (If the mixture keeps sticking to the glass, cover the base of the glass with a small square of parchment paper.)
- Cover the baker and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight. This gives the oats time to absorb moisture so the granola bars can set.
- When you’re ready to slice, lift the bars out of the baker by grabbing both pieces of parchment paper on opposite corners. Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice the mixture into 4 even rows and 4 even columns (these “bars” stick together better in a square shape).
- For portability, you can wrap individual bars in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Bars keep well for a couple of days at room temperature, but I recommend storing individually wrapped bars in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for best flavor. They’ll keep for several months in the freezer.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my almond chocolate chip granola bars.
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey.
Make it gluten free: Use certified gluten-free oats.
Make it nut free: I think you could use sunbutter instead of almond butter, and replace the almonds with pepitas. The end result will taste different, of course, but I think it will still be delicious.
Change it up: Virtually any combination of chopped nuts, seeds, coconut, and/or dried fruit (chopped if larger than a raisin) would work in this recipe. You’ll just need about 2 cups total to replace the 1 cup of almonds and 1 cup of coconut used here.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
making these tonight – yum looking! I may change out the almonds for pumpkin seeds (or something equally bulky) just to get around the no nut rule at my child’s camp!
Thanks, Dervla! Watch out for that nut butter, too. I think sunbutter would work?
we have a ton of rolled oats – do those ever work for bars like this? looks great!!
They would, but I recommend breaking them up a little in a food processor or blender so they are closer in size to quick oats. I find that quick oats stick together and have a more pleasing texture in these.
Would love to see nutrition content with your recipes : )
I’m working on a solution for that!
These look scrumptious…by chance do you have the carb count on them?
Many thanks, Louise
I don’t, I’m sorry. Please feel free to run them through a nutrition calculator like myfitnesspal.com. I offered a few variations within the recipe, and that way you can make it match exactly the way you make them.
Beautiful job, me lady!
Thanks, pal!
These look awesome!! Do you think I could use sliced almonds? Also, do you think I could omit the toasting step or does it add a lot of flavor? Thanks so much!!
Hey Audrey! Yes, sliced almonds will work well. I actually ran out of almonds when I was making these, so I subbed in some slivered almonds just fine. I added the toasting step because it brings out tons of flavor. You can skip it but they won’t be quite as awesome.
Glad that you had a well deserved, restful vacation from work! But hey, let’s get back to cooking–but that might be too fun to be considered work, haha! Love these granola bars–can’t wait to tuck in!
Haha! Thanks, Cassie!
With each new recipe you post I am getting more and more excited for your cookbook! I have all these ingredients at home…so making these tonight!
Thank you so much, Jessie! I hope you really love these!
My family and I LOVE the Almond Chocolate Chip Granola bars and I make them quite frequently but they definitely don’t last long around our house. I am going to try this recipe and see if I get the same reaction from my family. Thanks a lot Kate for all your wonderful recipes. Many of them have become staples in our house.
Perfect timing! I was just lamenting that I am running out of snack ideas to take to the office. Time to head to stock up on these ingredients! =)
Hi Kate! I made the granola bars and they actually turned out amazing. I have been making bliss balls and these are much easier and better. I think I will make a stash and then freeze for when I go back to work in a few weeks. Thanks for sharing!
Congrats on taking a non-work weekend. Sometimes all you need is to take some time off and watch the Olympics, you know? These granola bars look excellent. I’ve been trying to find my perfect granola bar recipe for a while, but haven’t thought of making a no-bake version. I’m going to have to try these!
Sounds so good. I’d love something like this, and I think I have everything to make it. I’m pinning it for later!
Made these last night and they were a big hit with my kids. I used what we had on hand, so that meant Peanut Butter and Walnuts and I threw some chocolate chips on top as well. A perfect afternoon snack! Thanks for sharing!
Hi! These look so tasty and pretty. I always add chocolate chips to mine so they turn out dark. I am going to try yours with honey.
Do the almonds have skin? From the photographs it looks like they do? The bars look amazing!
Yes, they do! Blanched almonds would be fine, too.
Finally made these Kate, tucking in as I type with a glass of Rioja, all I can say is mmmmmmmm
These are amazing! So easy and delicious. I also added about 3 tbsp of chia seeds. Other than that followed to a t and they are a huge hit. I suspect they will be gone by tomorrow :)
Thank you, Lisa! So glad they turned out well for you.
These look delicious! Such a great thing to have in the house as a snack or to take with you when you go out. Looking forward to giving them ago! :)
I am very excited to try these bars out! Could I use crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy? Or would they not stick together as well? I am sort of a crunchy peanut butter type of girl!
Hey Ariana, I think crunchy would work well; you just might need to add a teeny bit more of it. I’m not sure you’ll really be able to tell the difference in the final result, since the almonds offer so much crunch.
I’ve been buying boxes of KIND and Larabars for midday sustenance, but these sound way way way better. And cheaper. And just so good.
These are easy and SO delicious. I brought them to work to keep in the freezer for when I have to stay late and need a snack, but I have a feeling that they won’t last long…
Thank you, Christina! So glad you enjoyed them. I already polished off the first batch, all on my own!
These bars are delicious Kate, thanks for the recipe! I used shredded coconut and added in a few finely chopped figs too – great travel food :)
Made the almond bars tonight. They are so-o-o good. What a super, tasty, nutritious breakfast food. I have a long commute to work and these go perfect with my coffee while I listen to the news. I love your recipes. I also made your Best Lentil Soup last week and it is definitely the best! These recipes are both keepers. I am excited because I am by no means a good cook and your recipes so far are easy to follow, unique and yummy. Thanks.
Thank you very much, Lou Ann! Delighted to hear it. :)
Hi Lou Ann and Kate, I too have got all the ingredients I need to make these delicious bars. I want to make them for my little grandson who is going to have to take snacks to school for mid morning in Sept. I live in the UK and we use metric not cups … but I have a set of NIgellas Cups …and I figured that even though they not be quite as big as American cups as long as I measured everything with them it would work!, anyway, I a, going down to Oxford to see the, tomorrow and so I am going to do a practice run!! yummmmy!, Thank you for your delicious recipes. Lou Ann, please would you tell me where to find the Best Lentil soup you mentioned ….. I can’t find it !! Thank you very much. Maggie.
Thanks, Alex! That’s great to hear!
Delicious :)
Thanks, Selina!
These are so dilicious and came together in a snap. I added dried cranberries because I love them. Thank you for all of your great recipes. I cannot wait for your book!
Thank you so much, Chris! Cranberries sound like a tasty addition. Can’t wait to show you the book!
Kate!
I stumbled upon your blog about a year ago and a have been such a huge fan ever since. Rarely comment but I wanted you to know I made these last week before heading into a week of night shifts. They totally keep me going when the grogginess inevitably hit around 3AM. The texture was just perfect and they kept so well in the fridge all week!!
Subbed walnuts for the almonds (my sleep deprived brain just forgot them at the store) and it seemed to work just fine.
Thanks for the awesome inspiration all the time :-)
C
Hi Corinne! Thank you for your sweet note. Glad these bars have kept you going through those long shifts! Walnuts sound great; they’re high in omega-3’s, too. :)
Wow, I didn’t know that about agave! Thanks for the info. I’m not going to buy any more once I finish the bottle I have, which I use rarely anyway.
Yeah, I’m in the same boat! Thanks, Lavanya.
Could you use agave instead of maple syrup or honey in this?
Yes, I think you could. I don’t recommend using it in my recipes any more, for reasons outlined here.
Exciting!
My bars are sitting in the fridge setting as we speak. I am thinking of doing a cranberry white chocolate version for my mom.
That sounds delicious! I have a cranberry orange version here.
These are amazing!! I’m going to try them with hazelnuts and dark chocolate next.
So I do like PB, but I don’t want quite a strong PB flavor. I’m thinking flaxseed mixed with water might work as a good binding agent (so half that and PB).
That’s an idea! I’m not sure how that will work. Please report back if you give it a try. Almond butter is great, but it is pricy.
Not sure what “sunbutter” is? Something American? Here in Canada, we have a wonderful non-peanut butter called “Wow Butter” made of toasted soy nuts. Its flavor is rich, deep, and (to my tastebuds) superior to peanut butter. Plan to try it in this recipe.
Sunbutter is sunflower seed butter! It’s kind of a mouthful to say the whole thing, so I guess that’s why it has been shortened to sunbutter.
I made these and they came out great. The only slight change I made is I used slivered almonds instead. They tasted great.
Thanks, Melissa! I’m glad to hear that.
These are SO SO good! I think I got carried away when I pulsed my oats, because the texture was a little less solid than I expected, but I packed some of these in while traveling to avoid airport food last weekend and I’m so glad I did. Thanks for another delicious (and easy!) recipe, Kate!
Awesome! I’m so glad they turned out well for you after all. Thanks for letting me know, Lindsay!
Just made these in preparation for a plane trip with and they’re delicious! A little goes a long way (cut some in half for my toddler) so I’m glad they freeze well. I used a blend of almond and peanut butter because I was low on almond and I think next time I’ll try all almond (although it is more expensive) because peanut butter is a pretty assertive flavor- drowns out the coconut a bit.
Thank you, Rosa! I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Do you people in the States normally use honey that has been processed to stay liquid? This recipe did not work out very well with regular honey that is not liquid (unless very fresh). After refridgerating, my bars do not stick together like they should.
I should have been smart and heated the honey first but since it mixed well with the nut butter I did not bother… Now I tried brushing the bars with some water and returned them to the fridge in the hope that the oats will swell more and make the bars more solid.
Hi Dani, my honey stays liquid. I’m sorry you had trouble with the bars. Could you maybe put them in the oven and warm them a bit? Not sure that will do the trick but it might be worth a shot.
Thank you for your reply, I guess I can try that! At least they can be turned into something like regular granola if everything else fails. :) The recipe seems delicious so hopefully heating honey to liquefy it will do the trick on my next try.
These are fantastic! Hubbys asked me to make them again (for the third time!)
Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome! Thanks, Therese.
They look amazing! Just wondering, when we make a granola bar, do we always have to toast the oats first every time or we don’t have to. Will those no bake granola bars gonna be crunchy?
Hey Jess, I’m not sure I understand your question. I didn’t toast my oats; just the nuts, to bring out their flavor. These no-bake granola bars are soft, not crunchy.
Just finished whipping up a quadruple batch!! This time mixing and matching with different dried fruits, nuts, seeds and butters (and maybe even a drizzle of chocolate). They’ve become a packed lunch or snack staple!! Thanks Kate!
Awesome!!! Can I have some? So glad you’re enjoying these.
These are incredible!! Thank you so much for all of your shaving recipes :)
Shaving = amazing. Autocorrect error!
Hehe, I love it. Thank you, Lavanya!
WOW!!! These are incredible! I made a terrible salad last night for dinner (The lettuce was horribly bitter), but then made these and completely redeemed myself. These bars are just so delicious. I am so excited to make them again, and with some new ingredients added! My husband LOVED them. Thank you for the great recipe :D
So glad you enjoyed the granola bars! Thanks, Cailey.
I’m not a vegetarian at all but find myself constantly making your recipes! You’ll be the the first/only vegetarian cookbook on my shelf when it comes out as your recipes come out perfectly every time! Made these bars and they are such a treat!
Hooray! I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you, Melissa!
Hi there,
I am just wondering how the oats come out okay in this recipe since you never cook them? :)
Thanks,
Karen
Just made these and they are so delicious!
Hooray, thanks Danica! :)
These are so good! I used peanut butter instead and did half maple syrup/honey.
Thank you, Renee!
I made these and they turned out really good! Thanks! I also added dried cranberries which I would definitely recommend because they added more flavor. I didnt have almond butter so I just used peanut butter and they still tasted good with the cranberries.
OMG! You are so cool, girl! I have written several of your recipes on recipe cards. My son refuses to eat butter, fat, etc. So I am so glad that I found your blog! After I try each recipe, I’ll let you know how it is. I can’t wait to try them all. Thank you so much for sharing.
Sincerely, Deb
I made these this weekend. I used Justin’s almond butter and I did use the suggestion to add another tablespoon or so of maple syrup. Oh man are these delicious. I made them in advance of the week and have eaten one each day for breakfast. They are keeping me so much fuller than I normally am. I’m even making it to lunch without excessive hunger. My partner loved them too, and he’s exclusively an eggs guy for breakfast.
Awesome recipe, Kate!
Sounds good
My husband and I are obsessed with these. They are so delicious and easy to make, perfect snack. I must confess, I make them every week.
I made these granola bars using a combination of cashews, peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, and pepitas (as well as the coconut). I also threw in some chia seeds and ground flaxseed. I used maple syrup (to keep it vegan), and I toasted all of the nuts, seeds, and coconut before I put the bars together. The flavors were amazing! My bars didn’t hold together very well, but that was my own fault — I’m sure I exceeded the 1 cup nuts/seeds measurement — but the resulting granola was amazing! I served it crumbled over a bowl of chopped apples and sliced bananas, and it was SO good! I will definitely make this recipe again. Thank you!
This recipe has become a staple in our home. I have tried it with honey, with maple syrup, with peanut butter and with almond butter. I even added once chocolate chips for my non vegan family members. Everyone loves them.