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
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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A household favorite! I’ve made these several times, and recently have begun doubling the recipe just to be sure we have plenty on hand. My partner has to take oral chemo meds with food each morning, and these are perfect for filling that need. They are the perfect combination of sweet, salty, crunch, healthy, and filling. Thank you for creating this and ALL of your wonderful recipes!
So glad you enjoy them and that they work for your partner’s meds.
I just made these and they tasted fantastic…..didn’t last too long 🙁
The only thing I didn’t like is that they were so crumbly and would
Fall apart when we ate them. I used all the correct ingredients so I’m
Not sure if it was because I waited for several hours to slice them?
My sister makes these all the time and she put them in the frig after they cool a bit. Once they’re cold, cut them in desired squares and store them in an airtight container in frig. This is how she kept them from crumbling.
That worked so much better! Thanks for the tip Kim 🙂
I made these today but used half butter and half peanut butter and added 1/2 cup Lupin flakes. I did not put the chocolate chips in but instead I used 3 ounces lily’s chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons butter (like in your peanut butter bars) and poured on top to give them a chocolate topping. I also added a tablespoon of sugar free maple syrup because, well, why not?
I made some substitues: walnuts instead of pecans, and chia & hemp seeds instead of pumpkin seeds, coconut oil in place of butter. I also used conventional sugars. While the the taste is amazing, they are more like granola than a bar, fall apart just picking them up. Wondering if the the substitutes caused this texture.
Coconut oil would definitely make them softer. Any changes you make to a recipe, you take the risk that they won’t work out…
I want to be able to eat these so badly. However, I’ve read that if one has cancer, supplemental collagen should not be consumed. Seems there is no substitute, based on the comments.
These are amazing! I did coat the tops in chocolate, then zigzagged white chocolate drizzle. Omg, I must make more!
Can You Use Xtathum Gum
In place of the collagen? I am doubtful it will hold together as well but you’re certainly welcome to try.
Hi Carolyn, another absolute winner of a recipe. I used sunflower seeds, cashews and flaked almonds & added a wee bit more salt as I love sweet & salty flavours.
The caramelised butter flavour is just amazing. I have shared the bars with a few friends & every one had a “OMG” reaction at the first bite. This one goes into my Favourites folder. Thank you for all your tasty recipes x
So glad you liked it!
I just left my review and forgot to ask the question…would a silicone baking tool with bar-shaped compartments work very well for this? I’m pretty inexperienced with silicone cooking.
Thank you!
Probably? I haven’t tried it out myself…
Super delicious and will become a weekly prep item! Maybe twice weekly if I’m not able to stick to one bar? I had plain protein powder to use up and swapped that for collagen. The bars are a little crumbly, so I’ll do collagen next time based on Caroline’s comments in the blog on collagen being the sticking agent. I’ve developed a special taste for maple, so I went half ‘n half on extract – vanilla and maple. What a great recipe – thank you, Caroline!!!!!
Carolyn…jeepers…my apologies for misspelling your name! I was beside myself with how much I loved your granola bar recipe. I went ahead and made the collagen version later this afternoon. Granola bars have been one thing I’ve REALLY missed!
Keepers! I’ve been looking for something to satisfy my cravings and this hits the mark perfectly! I can’t eat pecans or walnuts (allergy) so substituted cashews and it works. Thanks for this!
Upon further research, I think I want to drop the cashews. Wondering how best to incorporate flax seed and chia as replacements. I really want to make this recipe work for us.
Can I use the Beef Grass Fed Collagen, or will it change the taste?
Yes, should be fine.
I will be making this today or tomorrow….can I add some whey protein to make them more of a breakfast/meal bar?
thank you and I bless you this Christmas season and am praying for you and your family!
Kathy
Sure! Sounds good to me.
These are the best tasting granola bars I’ve ever eaten! Thank you so much!!!
All that was different was I did use 1/2 C of chopped walnuts because I didn’t have enough almonds and used a Ninja Chopper in place of the food processor.
ONE question – My bars did look “greasy” after removing from the oven after baking for 28 or so minutes. They looked done so I left them on in pan on a cooling rack. After they were cool I removed them via parchment sling. I let them sit a bit more then cut them. They crumbled a bit, but mostly remained whole. However the bottom was “greasy”. Is this normal? I moved them to a paper towel and then the put them separated by layers of paper towel in an air tight container. Just wondering if there is something I can do or is this just the way they are?
Can a different type of collagen, like marine colleagen, be used?
I’ve never used it so I really can’t say.
what can I use instead of grassfed collagen?
Nothing. It’s critical to holding the bars together.
Perfect snack on the go! Tasty, full of great stuff and so easy to make!