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Some people may turn to granola bars for “healthier” breakfast or snacks. The truth is, many store bought granola bars are really just candy bars parading around as something they’re not. Today I want to show you how to make low carb keto granola bars at home. Using nuts, seeds, and a few keto pantry basics, you can make sweet, grain-free, sugar free granola bars in just 30 minutes!
But how do you make keto granola bars, when the primary ingredient in granola bars is oats?! It sounds like a challenge, but is quite simple. We do the same as we do for keto granola cereal – use nuts and seeds instead! (If you’re looking for a more traditional crunchy cereal, try my keto cereal recipe instead.)
I originally made these low carb keto breakfast bars as a Kind bar copycat recipe, but the binder I used is no longer available, and I actually prefer this new chewy, crunchy version anyway.
And, you can’t skimp on one delicious essential for this recipe: chocolate chips! ChocZero Sugar-Free Dark Chocolate Chips make the best chocolate swap for these healthy granola bars because they have no sugar alcohols, gluten, soy, or GMOs — and they taste just like regular dark chocolate. This is my go-to sugar free chocolate for everything.
Get ChocZero Chocolate Chips Here
(Use code WHOLESOMEYUM for 10% off, just for Wholesome Yum readers!)
Why You’ll Love This Keto Granola Bar Recipe
- Sweet and nutty
- Slightly chewy, with lots of satisfying crunch
- Easy prep with no chopping by hand
- Takes just 30 minutes
- Made with real ingredients
Low Carb Granola Bars Ingredients
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for keto friendly granola bars, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- ChocZero Sugar-Free Dark Chocolate Chips – These little chips make keto homemade granola bars taste like they came from the store… all with no sugar!
- Nuts – I used a blend of almonds and pecans, but you can use any kind of keto nuts. Roasted nuts have the best flavor.
- Seeds – I used pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds. You can also use sunflower seeds instead of pumpkin, but I recommend leaving the hemp seeds in because they help with texture and binding. Make sure they are shelled.
- Shredded Coconut – Opt for medium-sized flakes and make sure it’s unsweetened.
- Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – Tastes just like sugar and mixes seamlessly with the “base” that binds all the nuts and seeds together, so bars won’t taste gritty.
- Sea Salt – Balances the sweet flavor.
- Almond Butter – Use the natural, runny kind with no added sugar. Any natural nut butter you prefer will work.
- Egg – Egg helps to hold the bar mixture together, so don’t skip it. I haven’t tested it myself, but a flax egg should also work here.
- Vanilla Extract – For more flavor!
How To Make Keto Granola Bars
This section shows how to make the best keto granola bar recipe with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Prep oven. Preheat to 350 degrees F and line a baking dish with parchment paper.
- Chop nuts. Add almonds to a food processor, pulsing only a few times, then add pecans and pulse again until nuts are about 1/4 inch in size.
- Add dry ingredients. Transfer nuts to a bowl and add pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, hemp seeds, Besti, and salt.
- Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine almond butter, egg, and vanilla.
- Combine. Add nut butter mixture to dry ingredients. Fold in most of the chocolate chips, reserving a few tablespoons for later.
- Press. Push the mixture firmly into the prepared baking dish and press remaining chocolate chips into the top.
- Bake. Keep in the oven until edges turn golden brown.
- Cool and cut. Cool the sugar free granola bar recipe completely in the pan before removing. Lift the parchment paper out and slice into bars.
Tips For The Best Sugar Free Granola Bars
To help you make granola bars for keto that also taste great, here are a few simple tips…
- Use roasted nuts and seeds. Dry roasted almonds, pecans, and pumpkin seeds give maximum flavor. If yours are raw, you can roast them yourself in the oven for 6-10 minutes at 400 degrees F prior to starting the recipe. If the ones you have are both roasted and salted, omit the salt in the recipe.
- Pulse intermittently in the food processor, for coarse nuts. Pulsing on and off, instead of leaving the processor running, does a better job of chopping the nuts without making them too fine. Leaving them whole will make the bars fall apart, while chopping them too finely will make the texture too smooth.
- Pulse hard nuts first. We add the almonds before the pecans because they take more time to chop. If you’re swapping in other nuts, hard nuts (like hazelnuts) would go first and softer nuts (like walnuts or macadamias) get added after.
- Pack the mixture tightly into the pan. The tighter you pack the pan at the end, the better your low carb granola bars will stay together.
- Cool completely. Be patient! If you try to remove or cut the bars before they fully cool, they will fall apart.
- Cut straight down. Do not use a see-saw motion when cutting the bars, because they will definitely crumble that way. Instead, use a large chef’s knife with a straight down movement.
Keto Friendly Granola Bar Recipe Variations
The easy keto granola bars shown here are the perfect base recipe… but there are so many ways to change up the flavors and textures!
- White chocolate cranberry – Substitute sugar free white chocolate chips and add sugar free dried cranberries to the mix. Add orange zest too, if you’d like!
- Peanut butter chocolate chip – Use peanut butter instead of almond butter. For extra PB flavor, include sugar free peanut butter chips.
- Mint chocolate – Add a teaspoon of peppermint extract to wet ingredients.
- White chocolate macadamia nut – Swap almonds with macadamia nuts and substitute keto white chocolate chips.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you have granola bars on keto?
Almost all store-bought granola bars are not keto, as they contain added sugar, high-carb ingredients like oats, and even candy. However, if you make your granola bars at home, you can easily control what goes in to make them keto friendly!
What granola bars are keto friendly?
The best granola bars for keto should contain primarily nuts and seeds (no oats!), and safe sweeteners instead of corn syrup or white sugar. It can be hard to find bars like this in stores, but it’s so easy to make them at home instead!
Can I use different nuts or seeds?
You can use your favorite low carb nuts or seeds, but keep in mind it may change the carb count in your keto granola bar recipe. If you substitute nuts, make sure they get chopped to a similar size (roughly 1/4 inch).
Can I use a different sweetener?
I use this sweetener because it blends easily and tastes just like sugar, but you can swap it with a different powdered keto sweetener.
Storage Instructions
Sugar-free granola bars store very well. You can keep them in the pantry for about a week or two, or in the fridge for a few weeks. Make sure to line parchment or wax paper between them, so that they don’t stick together.
Can you freeze granola bars?
Yes! Healthy low carb granola bars freeze well. Place them in a single layer onto a parchment lined baking sheet until they are rock solid. After that, you can transfer them to a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months.
More Sugar Free Sweet Breakfast Recipes
If you like light and easy breakfast foods you can grab and go, you’ll love these make-ahead dishes too:
If you prefer low carb breakfast bars with a smoother texture, try my keto protein bars instead.
Tools To Make Keto Granola Bars
- Food Processor – Cuts prep time to just minutes. No more hand chopping nuts!
- Ceramic Baking Dish – The shape makes the finished bars easier to slice.
- ChocZero Sugar-Free Dark Chocolate Chips – So sweet and satisfying, with just 1 net carb per generous serving!
Keto Granola Bars Recipe
Low Carb Keto Granola Bars Recipe
Learn how to make keto granola bars that are sweet, chewy, and crunchy at the same time! This easy low carb granola bars recipe takes just 30 minutes.
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Ingredients
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line an 8×8 inch (20×20 cm) baking dish with parchment paper.
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Place almonds into a food processor. Pulse intermittently just a few times, then add pecans. Pulse intermittently a few more times, until nuts are chopped into 1/4 inch pieces. Do not overmix.
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Transfer the nuts into a large bowl. Stir in pumpkin seeds, coconut, hemp seeds, Besti, and salt.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the almond butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir the mixture into the large bowl with the nuts.
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Use a spatula to fold in most of the chocolate chips and press them into the mixture. (Reserve about 2 tablespoons for the tops of the bars later.)
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Press the mixture firmly into the lined baking dish. Press remaining chocolate chips into the top. Place a piece of parchment paper flush on the top and press again firmly to compact very tightly.
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Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the edges turn darker golden brown.
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Cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, lift the parchment paper out of the pan and slice into bars.
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Readers Who Liked This Easy Recipe Also Made:
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 bar, about 4″x1.5″
For a larger serving size, you can cut into 8 bars instead of 12, and multiply all nutrition info by 1.5X.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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180 Comments
Michelle McHugh
0I tried this today. I substituted almond for peanut butter, because of the Estrogen peanut feeds. If you have, had, or if breast cancer runs in your family, avoid peanuts in all forms. I researched Estrogen & Brazil nut is healthier. Time will tell if it satisfies me, or I get hungry too soon.
mike
0Thank you. The finished product turned out great.
mike
0I know it says that you can store outside if the refrigerator but can you confirm that is the case since the recipe has egg in it?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mike, Yes, it’s fine to store outside the fridge, in a similar way to how cookies or muffins could be stored unrefrigerated. It all has to do with water activity in the finished product. I have stored this for weeks in the pantry with no issues.
Lisa
0I made slight variations to nuts and seeds, based on what I had in the freezer. These bars are DELICIOUS!! I believe this is an excellent base recipe, that is very forgiving in your nuts and seeds varieties.
Jon
0Made this using some different nuts and seeds; also used sunflower butter. Very good.
Joan
0These are amazing. I used peanut butter (unsweetened with nothing but peanuts of course) and used flax meal instead of hemp seeds since I didn’t have them. I couldn’t believe the carb and calorie count so I did my own calculations and it was true. GREAT RECIPE!
Brian
0Easy to make and very tasty. Best of all, no blood sugar spike! I had to double the quantity or the bars would have been too thin, but that gave 16 decent sized bars. Thanks for the recipe.
Joy
0don’t necessarily need to be keto, just low sugar. that being said, if I add oats do I need to increase/decrease eggs or almond butter? really excited to try this recipe.
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Joy, I recommend replacing an equivalent amount of nuts with your preferred amount of oats instead. If the mixture is too dry, then you can add a little more almond butter.
Tammy Rodriguez
0Perfect! This is just the recipe I was looking for, and I love knowing exactly what ingredients are in my bars, instead of all the processed stuff at the grocery store. I made the recipe exactly as listed, and it was great!
Theresa
0I make these without the sweetener, subbing chia for hemp, and subbing extra nuts for the chocolate. I don’t want a sweet bar, but I absolutely love the flavor with the almond butter and the nuts. These are fantastic.
Susan
0Sounds so yummy!! Will make it asap 🤤
Nuray Fuller
0If I subtitute egg with flax seed egg, do I have to bake it.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nuray, Yes, you’d still want to bake it.
Tevis
0Awesome! I was tired of spending a small fortune on Kind Bars, and missing granola. This recipe worked great! I used cashews, almonds and macadamia nuts because thats what I had on hand. Absolutely DELISH!!!
Gail Coleman
0How would these bars be without the chocolate as I’m allergic. What else could I use as a substitute please.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Gail, You can simply omit the chocolate chips, or substitute sugar free dried cranberries.
Graciellen Edwards
0I tried this with a couple of changes, I didn’t crush the nuts. I omitted the almond butter, added maple extract with the vanilla extract, added 2 tbsp of golden erythritol and poured the melted chocolate chips over the top after baking. They are absolutely delicious.
Cris
0I love this! I liked the taste of the mixture better before baking it, so now I just make the recipe without the egg and eat it with a spoon. (Separated into Portion controlled containers.) I realize that I lose the convenient portability and portion control element of the bar format but I’m just packing the little container with my lunch anyway. I added the sweetener at the end, and adjusted that to my own taste.
Lexi McHutchins
0Is there a substitution for the coconut, as I am extremely allergic. Was not sure if here was another purpose for the coconut.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Lexi, Feel free to replace the coconut with more of one of the other ingredients, for the same amount of bulk.
Kae
0Hi! Made your homemade granola and its the bomb! I just want to ask if I can use those to make these bars?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Kae, I have not tried that but it sounds like it should work out for you. Please let me know the results.
Sparky
0Just had some of these bars my friend made and —YUM! Making my own batch tomorrow!
Alyce
0This recipe is super easy & the perfect homemade substitute for expensive store bought “healthy” bars.
Robby Schneider
0Do these health bars need to be refrigerated?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Robby, You can find storage instructions in the blog post.
Jann Simpson
0Looks so yummy! I want to try this recipe but I’m not sure about the Choc zero sugar-free dark chocolate drops. Even though it’s made with Non-GMO soluble corn fiber, I have an autoimmune and try to stay far away from anything having to do with corn because it is so inflammatory. I’m trying to do my own ” healthy” version of keto that won’t lead me to a flare, but still enjoy things like this.
I hope you can understand my concern. Do you have any thoughts on this? Any alternatives to the brand of chocolate that you recommend? I love your site and have made many of your recipes and have recommended it to others!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jann, You could try my recipe for keto chocolate bars and use that to replace the chips in this recipe.
Michelle
0Bake Believe brand only has a few ingredients & looks pretty clean Jann. I’ve purchased them several time before, and they’re really good, and great if you don’t want to make your own chocolate.
Derek
0Hello, I am new to keto and really interested in giving it a proper go, I have looked on many websites and I must say this looks like its going to be my one stop shop for all things Keto, Your website and content are a credit to you.
I do have one question though, Monk fruit extract is going to be a bit tricky for me to get a hold of on a regular bases, I was wondering if I use erythritol instead would that be a good substitute and If so what ratio of Monk Fruit extract to erythritol would you recommend for your recipes.
Thank you in advance for any help you can provide
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Derek, Welcome! So glad to hear the website is helpful. Most of my recipes use Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend, not pure monk fruit extract; the latter is very concentrated and difficult to use in recipes. I personally used erythritol for years, but a couple of years ago developed Besti because I wanted a sweetener that not only tastes and bakes like sugar (erythritol is “decent” in that department), but also browns like sugar, dissolves like sugar, does not crystallize when storing, and does not have a “cooling” aftertaste (erythritol has problems in all these areas). You can get Besti here and compare to erythritol so you can see the difference for yourself, but I do have a conversion chart in my keto sweetener guide. Just know that even when converting, it doesn’t always work the same way. Hope this helps!
Laney
0I reeeeeaaallyyy want to make this!!! But is it possible to leave out the egg? I have a gluten cross-reactive issue with eggs (my body thinks it’s gluten). I ate 3 Caramel Sea Salt Munk Pack keto nut and seed bars in less than four hours lol but they have peanuts (I’m not supposed to eat moldy nuts) and Natural Flavor. I usually eat only activated nuts. I was never crazy about Kind bars but these Munk Pack bars are seriously addictive.
If you (or anyone) can let me know about omitting the eggs, I’d soo appreciate it!! Thanks in advance!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Laney, You can replace the traditional egg with a flax egg.
Laney
0Thank you!! I appreciate your expertise!!
Colleen
0Love this recipe. I used dried cranberries instead of chocolate chips. It’s one of my go to recipes.
Shannon
0These are good… but even better if you smooth the topping chocolate chips with a spatula right when they come out of the oven and give them a generous sprinkle of sea salt 🙂
Sandra
0The only problem I have with this recipe is eating only one bar! These are really good. I left out the coconut and added a couple of tablespoons of sugar-free dried cranberries (which are also delicious and easy to make).
Brocha Teichman
0I plan to try these ! Can I use pure cane brown sugar substitute for monk fruit powder sweetener?
Also how many carbs in these bars ?
Thank you !
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Brocha, I’ve never tried that sugar substitute. If you want a brown sugar sub, I recommend making this with Besti Brown, which tastes the closest like sugar and has the same texture and flavor as brown sugar, with 0 net carbs.
Stacy Epps
0What is Besti? Can I purchase Besti at Publix or Harris Teeter?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Stacy, Besti is Wholesome Yums proprietary blend of monk fruit and allulose. There is no other blend like this one on the market. It tastes, bakes, browns, and dissolves like sugar. It also measures cup for cup like sugar. You can purchase it on our website or on Amazon.
Cindie
0Can chia seeds be substituted for the hemp seeds? Thank you!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Cindie, Yes, you can substitute chia seeds for the hemp seeds.
Carol
0These are yummy! Easy and quick to make. Love having these around for a snack anytime of the day. Thumbs up from hubby too!
Melanie
0Can you add protein powder to this recipe without affecting it’s ability to stick together? Or even just to increase the protein level in this bar?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Melanie, Protein powder would make this recipe too dry to stick together. If you would like to add extra protein, give this recipe for Keto Protein Bars a try!
Nab
0Can you use coconut butter instead of almond butter?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Nab, Sorry that won’t work in this recipe. A nut butter is needed to help bind the ingredients together.
Diane M.
0This recipe looks very good and I have just placed an order for some of the monk fruit powdered sugar so I can try making the recipe soon. I was wondering if I can double the recipe and make it in a 9 x 13 pan and how long it might take to bake. I also think I might add some coca nibs in place of the chocolate chips.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Diane, That’s great! Doubling the recipe shouldn’t be any problem, but the bake time will probably need to increase to 25 minutes or so. Cocoa nibs sound like a fun addition! Enjoy.
Laura Ridgeon
0Hi, do you bake these with the parchment on top or without?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Laura, No, you don’t need to bake these with the parchment paper on top. It is used for the top of the bars to compress them only.
Pam Fidler
0I tried these and they came out beautiful! I will be making these again and again. Moist and chewy which is my favorite so these fit my wish list. Oh and my husband loves them too!
Thanks for sharing!
Gary
0These are great. Easy to make and even people who are not doing low carb liked them.
Amy
0Hi – what happened to the Kind Bar ‘copycat’ recipe? The previous link is now for these bars. Can someone please repost link to the Kind Bar recipe?
Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Amy, That is an old version of the recipe. It used a syrup that is no longer available. I’ve improved on the recipe and it’s much better as written on the recipe card currently.
Mary Kay Pare
0These are great but what happened to the Kind Copycat bars? I can’t find the recipe anywhere on your website
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Mary Kay, That is an old version of the recipe. It used a syrup that is no longer available. I’ve improved on the recipe and it’s much better as written on the recipe card currently.
Chrissy
0I made these this morning. So easy. So good. I’ve really missed the convenience of having a granola bar on hand for snacking. I put half in the freezer for later, but I look forward to taking these to work. I didn’t have hemp seeds so I substituted sesame seeds. Otherwise I made the recipe as written. Thank you for this recipe!!
Lynda Pedersen
0Hi the recipe doesn’t call for syrup and needs to be baked, however in reading the comments it seems like reviews are referring to some sort of syrup is required and that this is a no bake recipe. Sorry I am confused. I was reading the comments to see if any mention of omitting coconut as I don’t really like it. Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lynda, An old version of this recipe used a syrup that is no longer available. I’ve improved on the recipe anyway and it’s much better as written on the recipe card currently. Feel free to replace the coconut with more of one of the other ingredients, for the same amount of bulk.
chris sylvester
0So many comments about “syrup” and I dont see syrup listed in the ingredients.
WHat am I missing?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Chris, An old version of this recipe used a syrup that is no longer available. I’ve improved on the recipe anyway and it’s much better as written on the recipe card currently. You don’t need syrup. 🙂
Amy L Huntley
0Loving that these only take 30 minutes to make and that they are low calorie. Perfect sweet treat!
Kristyn
0My kids gobbled these up! They want granola bars for breakfast, snacks, you name it! They love helping me in the kitchen & these were fun & easy to make with them!
Natalie
0Wow!! I don’t think I want to make another kind again! Crunchy, tasty, & easy!! So much better making them at home!
Jewelofiowa
0Was wondering how would I increase the protein? I am hypoglycemic and would like to have these as a breakfast bar with my tea. Could I add protein powder to the syrup mixture?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jewelofiowa, A protein powder would prevent these bars from sticking together properly. This recipe for Keto Protein Bars already includes collagen powder, but you could use protein powder in place of it if you need. Enjoy!
Simma Friedman
0I have been trying various keto granola bar recipes looking for my favorite, can’t wait to try yours, I’ve bake several delicious snacks of yours already. I don’t have vanilla beans. What would the substitution be? More extract?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Simma, Feel free to omit the vanilla bean if you don’t have any on hand.
Chris Hartman
0I’m going to try this with Yacon syrup. It is both glycemic friendly, diabetic friendly and I believe it is keto friendly as well. It also is heatable. I grew Yacon for several years and with some experimentation with them and they are delicious. I however did not get to do anything with syrup so I’ve ordered some to try this. I am sure it will be fantastic:)
Doityourself
0Hi I’ve been looking at sugar free and carb free granola bar recipes and have not been disappointed with the choices, but I want to personalize my bars to fit my tastes. Can you provide me with the necessary base ingredients of 10-minute bake no-bake bars so I can work up from there by any chance?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Doityourself, Feel free to use this recipe as a base and sub in some of your favorite flavors. You can swap out nuts for ones you like or add sugar-free chocolate chips, just be sure you are keeping roughly the same ratio of dry ingredients as outlined in the recipe.
Yvonne
0This recipe looks fantastic but I cannot find fiber syrup. Amazon says unavailable and not sure if it will ever be restocked. What can I use instead. Anxious to try these for my granddaughters and me.
Thanks for your help
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Yvonne, The gold version of the syrup will work well, or you can use my Keto Maple Syrup, which gives a yummy maple flavor to these bars!
Natalie
0I’m so excited to try this recipe. It’s just what I’ve been looking for. I don’t like things too sweet, and I’m wondering if it would affect the structure if I left the powdered sweetener out (and still used the syrup)? Thanks for any help!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Natalie, The syrup mixture will be a bit thin without the powdered sweetener. For the best results, I would leave it in the recipe. Your bars may be too sticky without it.