These easy keto granola bars are sweet, salty, and delicious. Chockfull of healthy nuts and seeds, they’re one of my favorite keto snacks!
If you’re a snacker like me, you’re going to love these keto granola bars. They’re easy to make and they look and taste just like the real deal. A little bit sweet, a little bit salty, and a whole lot delicious.
These homemade grain-free granola bars are worthy of a little obsession. I knew they would be good but I was amazed at how much they resemble real granola bars.
And all without any grains or sugars!
Grain free granola bars
Back in the day, I used to think that granola bars were good for me, and they were one of my go-to snacks. My husband and I would pack them for hiking and camping, and we always kept some in the car for hunger emergencies.
Creating keto friendly granola bars has long been a goal of mine, but of course it presents any number of challenges. How do you make granola bars without granola?
If you follow me, you know that I have been making keto granola for a very long time with a combination of coarsely ground coconut and nuts. Turns out that this trick works well for granola bars too. You just have to grind them a little more finely so that the bars don’t crumble.
But making them without sugar or honey is trickier, since that’s what holds conventional granola bars together. I’ve made bars in the past that used egg whites as a binder and while they were tasty, they were too soft. They weren’t the crunchy keto granola bars of my dreams.
This time, I created a syrup out of butter and keto sweeteners, added some collagen, and pressed them really firmly into the bottom of the pan. Success!
How to make keto granola bars
These are quite simple to make and you won’t believe they are sugar free and grain free. Here are my best tips for getting them right:
- Choose your nuts and seeds. It hardly matters what combination of nuts and seeds you use, as long as you grind them up enough. I like the texture of flaked coconut but you can use sliced almonds instead.
- Use a food processor. You really need to chop the nuts and seeds finely and doing it by hand simply won’t cut it. They should resemble coarse crumbs, but a few larger pieces are okay.
- Add some collagen. Collagen swells and gets a bit sticky when mixed with liquid so it helps bind the bars together and make them less fragile.
- Create a keto syrup. The syrup is crucial to holding the bars together. It also REALLY matters which sweeteners you use. I made several versions and when I used any BochaSweet or allulose, they were so soft, they crumbled when I tried to pick them up. ONLY erythritol based sweeteners such as Swerve or Lakanto will work.
- Press them down firmly. Really, really firmly! This is key to making cohesive keto granola bars that stay together.
- Let them cool properly. The bars are very soft right out of the oven so let them cool completely before lifting out of the pan.
- Cut straight down. Use a large, sharp knife to cut them into squares or bars, and cut straight down rather than sawing back and forth.
- Save those crumbles! Use any crumbles bits or bars that fall apart as granola. They are delicious in yogurt or over ice cream, or simply used as breakfast cereal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please read the section on how to make keto granola bars, as I am very specific about what works and what doesn’t. If you choose to make these with anything other than an erythritol based sweetener, they will be very soft and crumbly.
Try using sliced almonds instead. They have the same texture as flaked coconut when ground up.
Sure! I think ghee or coconut oil will work well in place of the butter.
Nothing. Collagen has unique properties that really help hold these keto granola bars together. You can skip it but they will be more fragile.
Storage information
Because they don’t contain anything that will spoil, keto granola bars are fine on the counter for up to two weeks. I recommend keeping them in an airtight container.
I have never tried to freeze them but I am sure they would be fine there as well and would keep for several months.
More delicious keto snack ideas
- Keto Cheese Crackers
- Everything Bagel Cucumber Bites
- Easy Keto Granola Clusters
- Keto Apple Cider Donut Bites
- Keto Pretzel Bites
- Crispy Broccoli Cheese Rounds
Keto Granola Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup flaked coconut
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1/2 cup raw pecan halves
- 1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp grassfed collagen
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 2 tbsp Swerve Brown
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips, sugar-free, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300F and line an 8×8 inch metal pan with parchment paper (with a little of the parchment overhanging the sides for easy removal).
- In a food processor, combine the coconut, almonds, pecans, and pumpkin seeds. Process on high until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs in texture.
- Add the collagen and salt, and pulse a few times to combine, then transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the sweeteners, whisking until they dissolve. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Stir the butter mixture into the nut mixture until thoroughly combined, then stir in the chocolate chips, if using. Transfer to the prepared baking pan.
- Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Use a flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup to really press it down and compact it as much as possible.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are turning golden brown. Let cool completely in the pan and then lift them out by the parchment. Use a very sharp knife and cut them into bars (cutting straight down works much better than sawing away at them).
Video
Nutrition
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I love a homemade granola bar- this recipe is delicious!
Currently craving this deliciousness!! “Snack-time heaven” is exactly how I would describe these low carb granola bars too!
Yum! These are great for packing in my purse for when I am out and need something to munch!
These granola bars are perfect to keep in my purse—so tasty!!!
Made these today and i am in love!! I used dehydrated strawberries instead of the cranberries. Carolyn, you are a genius 😀
I cannot find the actually recipe on the page. 🙁
I gotta make these!
It’s not you. My site is having issues and we are trying to get it fixed ASAP
My batch fell apart very easily but was so good. My girlfriend made this and added Raw Shelled Hemp Seeds and hers came out great didn’t fall apart at all. Will definitely make this again. Thank you!
You can use a little bit of locust bean gum or guar gum (I hope, the words are correct, I’m from Germany). I use it for any kind of granola bars and also for crispbread and such things. It works perfectly well.
I made these today exactly as directed
They tastes wonderful however, they fell apart. Is there anything I could of done to prevent this from happening next time I make them?
Thank you
Did you use all the same sweeteners, etc? If so, then I would recommend grinding the nuts and coconut a little more and REALLY pressing it into the pan. If you use a different ingredient of some sort, that may have been the issue.
These are terrific! I was able to find the cranberries at Whole Foods. I can find granulated Swerve at Fresh Market, but I have to order powdered Swerve from Amazon. I really thought that when I started this low carb lifestyle that I would have to give up delicious sweet treats, and I knew that would make this lifestyle impossible to sustain. But your recipes are so delicious that I don’t miss a thing! I’ve said it before in a previous reply for a different recipe, but I am learning so much from you. Thanks for the recipes and all of the information you provide in your posts.
Thanks!
Have you seen any of the ways to powder your own sweetener? Put it in a coffee grinder and pulse until it is powdery and fluffy. Easy and readily accessible!
I made these to bring to work this week instead of processed protein bars. Of course, I had to sample them. They are great! The buttery sweetness and the nuttiness reminds me of toffee, which is a good thing.
Carolyn,
I was wondering if an IMO like VitaFiber would work as a sub for the Yacon syrup. I don’t know if it even works for a ketogenic diet.
Thanks,
Terry
It would certainly work. I am not sure what it does for blood sugars, the jury is still out for me on that.
So, I made this with some modifications…which made it turn into granola rather than a bar. STILL: very delicious!! I’ll be eating this over yogurt for breakfast this week 🙂
Oh I made these today! Yum Yum Yum!! Family loved them and these will become a staple in our house for sure!
I made these and they are yummy but fell apart. So I made your no cook peanut butter bar recipe and put this in. Great portable, and filling bar. Just crumbled half the recipe into the dough and spread in the pan. Thanks for all the great treats, have used so many of your recipes! I must eat something of yours each day. Thank you for all your work.
You want to hear something funny? I have a mash-up of my granola bar and peanut butter bar coming soon!
What a brilliant idea! I make the pb bars all of the time, in the shape of pb cups; important staple in my house to keep diabetic hubby away from Reese’s. Adding a pb granola and making in bar form would seem much like a candy bar. I must try it!
These things are TROUBLE!!! I made them last night, and I’ve already eaten several. The crumb and flavor of the nut/coconut mixture is a perfect replica of granola, I love it! I wonder if this could be used with some other gooier ingredients (ground flax or such) to make a faux-oatmeal? I cooked them in a silicone mold with 24 squares, and they came out great, they hold together very well. My only problem is that my chocolate chips mostly melted when I added the warm butter/sweetener into the mix–which is not such a bad problem to have–but I will probably try to let it cool a bit or maybe add the chips after the sweetener is mixed in so I can have the nice choco chip bites. Kudos and thanks for another great recipe!
Carolyn !! I made this last night and it has some serious freaking Umami !! The tartness of the cranberry with the chocolate is heavenly deliciousness !! I cooled mine in the fridge overnight, then let it sit out for a bit before cutting and tasting. I am also going to try freezing them. Mainly so I don’t keep sneaking in the kitchen to eat them !! I will also be trying the butter/yacon/sweetener in my granola next time I make it. You have hit it outta the park with this recipe !!
For my second batch, I reduced the sunflower seeds slightly, added chopped pecan instead of cranberries, some cinnamon/sugar mix and they came out just as yummy !!
Sounds delicious!
Hey Carolyn~
What is the reason for using the powdered sweetener ? Since it’s melted, does the texture of the original product matter, or once it hardens, does this make the difference ?
Thanks !
If not powdered, it will probably be somewhat gritty.
This recipe sounds amazing and I must try it immediately! But couldn’t find Yakon syrup in the store and I’m too impatient to wait for an online order. Is there any reasonable substitute or do I need to wait for my online order to arrive?
You could probably substitute molasses and it wouldn’t really add any more carbs.
I made it with molasses and it was soooo yummy. I wasn’t sure at first if I did something wrong as it’s quite jiggly when first out of the oven (I even added two minutes), but it firmed up nicely as it cooled. I made your oven dried sugar-free cranberries especially for this, so I didn’t finish making the bars until almost midnight. Boy howdy, it was worth it. The sweet and tart are dancing in my mouth!
So wonderful to hear!
I don’t care for Coconut. Any suggestions for a substitution… slivered almonds maybe?
Any nut should be fine.
I replace the coconut with chia seeds for fiber
Great idea! Thank you!