This Low Carb Granola Bars Recipe is a crunchy and nutty recipe, which is made with natural peanut butter and pumpkin seeds. It’s the perfect on-the-go breakfast, ready in about 25 minutes (including freezing time).
Low Carb Granola Bars Recipe Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup Natural Peanut Butter (smooth, no sugar added; or almond butter for paleo)
- ¼ cup Coconut Oil
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Dry Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Granulated Sweetener (like erythritol or monk fruit)
- ½ cup Sliced Almonds (+ 1 extra tablespoon to decorate on top)
- ⅓ cup Flaxseed Meal
- 1 tablespoon Chia Seeds
- ⅓ cup Pumpkin Seeds (pepitas)
- ¼ cup Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Chocolate Drizzle
- 3 tablespoons Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips
- 1 teaspoon Coconut Oil
How To Make Low Carb Granola Bars Recipe
- Prepare the pan: Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal later. Set aside.
- Melt wet ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl or a saucepan, place all the wet ingredients: peanut butter, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until the coconut oil is fully melted and combines smoothly with the nut butter (approx 1 min 30 sec). Alternatively, melt in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Dissolve sweetener: Stir in the sugar-free crystal sweetener. Microwave for an extra 30 seconds (or continue heating on stove) to help incorporate it well. Note that erythritol doesn’t dissolve perfectly in fat, but this adds a pleasant crunch.
- Add dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the rest of the dry ingredients: sliced almonds, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, and cinnamon. Stir to combine the seeds and nuts evenly.
- Combine: Pour the hot nut butter mixture onto the dry ingredients. Stir well with a spatula to combine. You want to ensure every seed and nut is thoroughly coated with the binding mixture.
- Press and set: Transfer the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Crucial Step: Press the mixture down evenly and very firmly with your hand or the back of a spoon to remove any air pockets. Flatten the surface with a spatula. Freeze for 20 minutes until the breakfast bars are hard and set.
- Chocolate drizzle: In a small bowl, microwave the sugar-free dark chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon coconut oil until fully melted. Remove the bars from the freezer and lift them out using the parchment paper. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top.
- Finish: Sprinkle with the extra sliced almonds. Return to the freezer for 1-3 minutes to set the chocolate. Cut into 8 bars.
Recipe Tips
- Press Firmly: The most common reason homemade granola bars crumble is that they weren’t pressed down hard enough. You really need to pack them into the pan to ensure the fats bind the nuts together.
- Keep them Cold: Because these rely on coconut oil and nut butter to hold their shape (no sugar syrup), they will soften at room temperature. They must be stored in the fridge or freezer to maintain that firm, chewy texture.
- Sweetener Choice: Granulated erythritol adds a bit of “crunch” to the texture. If you prefer a smoother texture, use powdered sweetener, but the crunch mimics the sugar crystals in traditional granola bars nicely.
- Nut Butter: Use a fresh, drippy natural peanut butter. If your peanut butter is the dry, hard stuff at the bottom of the jar, the bars will be dry and crumbly.
- Customize: Feel free to swap the pumpkin seeds for sunflower seeds or the almonds for chopped pecans, as long as you keep the ratios the same.
What To Serve With Low Carb Granola Bars Recipe
These bars are a meal in themselves, but go great with:
- A dollop of Greek yogurt
- A hot cup of bulletproof coffee
- Hard-boiled eggs (for extra protein)
- Fresh berries on the side
How To Store Low Carb Granola Bars Recipe
- Refrigerate: Wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap or beeswax wrap. Store in the fridge for up to 8 days.
- Freeze: These freeze excellently. Store them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. You can eat them straight from the freezer (they will be crunchy) or let them thaw for 5 minutes.
Low Carb Granola Bars Recipe Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 210
- Total Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 60mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 8g
- Dietary Fiber: 5g
- Sugar: 1g
- Protein: 7g
- Net Carbs: 3g
Nutrition information is estimated per bar (based on 8 bars).
FAQs
Can I use oats?
No. Oats are a grain and are too high in carbohydrates for a strict low-carb or keto diet. This recipe uses nuts, seeds, and coconut to replicate the bulk and texture of oats.
Why did my bars fall apart?
If they fall apart, they are either too warm (coconut oil melts at 76°F) or they weren’t pressed firmly enough into the pan. Keep them chilled!
Is this Paleo?
If you use almond butter instead of peanut butter, and coconut sugar instead of erythritol (note: coconut sugar will increase the carbs), yes, it can be Paleo.
Low Carb Granola Bars Recipe
Description
Crunchy, nutty, no-bake breakfast bars packed with healthy fats and seeds, perfect for a keto grab-and-go meal.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Melt peanut butter, coconut oil, and vanilla.
- Stir in sweetener.
- Mix almonds, flax, chia, pumpkin seeds, coconut, and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Pour wet mix over dry; stir well.
- Press firmly into a parchment-lined loaf pan.
- Freeze for 20 minutes.
- Drizzle with melted chocolate/oil mix.
- Chill again to set, then slice.
Notes
- Sugar-free Sweetener: I recommend erythritol or monk fruit sugar. Both are zero carbs, zero sugar, and natural.
- Nut butter: I recommend smooth almond butter or smooth peanut butter – no sugar added.
- Storage: Wrap each bar individually into plastic wrap or bee wax. Store in the fridge for up to 8 days.
Low Carb Granola Bars Recipe
