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My Keto Granola Bars Make Breakfast So Much Easier
If you’ve ever checked the label on most store-bought granola bars, you know they’re basically candy bars in disguise. I wanted a better option, so I started making my own keto granola bars at home… and haven’t looked back. These sugar free granola bars have that perfect chewy-crunchy texture without oats. Here’s why you’ll love them:
- Sweet, nutty, & chewy – These started as a Kind bar copycat more than a regular granola bar, but after tweaking the binder, I ended up with something I like even more — a perfectly chewy center with crunchy bits throughout, and a sweet, toasty flavor from a variety of nuts and seeds.
- Better for you – Keto, low carb, grain-free, and gluten free, and made with real ingredients, these bars feel like a treat without the fillers. If you’ve tried my keto oatmeal, you’ll recognize the same pantry staples here.
- Quick & easy – No chopping, no baking! Just mix, press, and you’re good to go. And if you want to switch things up, I’ve got some fun variations below you can try!
I love grabbing one of these keto granola bars with a little container of keto yogurt in the morning for a low carb breakfast, or tossing it into my bag for a snack on the go. Make them with me — you won’t miss the store-bought ones at all!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my sugar free granola bars recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Nuts & Seeds – I used almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds (or sunflower seeds), and hemp hearts. You can mix it up with any keto nuts, but I like roasted nuts for the best flavor. Just make sure everything’s chopped small so the bars hold together.
- Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips – These are my go-to chips for anything chocolate. No sugar, no weird ingredients — they taste just like the real thing.
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – My sweetener blends right in with no grittiness and tastes just like sugar. You can swap it with another powdered keto sweetener, but many of them can make your bars gritty, even if they’re powdered.
- Shredded Coconut – I go for medium flakes and always make sure they’re unsweetened.
- Almond Butter – Use the natural, drippy kind with no added sugar. Any nut butter you like should work.
- Egg – Holds these keto granola bars together. I haven’t tested egg subs, but a flax egg should work if you need it.
- Vanilla Extract & Sea Salt
Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
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How To Make Keto Granola Bars
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Prep & chop. Preheat your oven and line a baking dish with parchment. Add the almonds to a food processor and pulse a few times, then add the pecans and pulse again — just until everything’s roughly chopped.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Transfer the chopped nuts to a big bowl. Stir in the pumpkin seeds, coconut, hemp hearts, sweetener, and a pinch of salt.
- Make the binder. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond butter, egg, and vanilla. Pour it into the nut mixture and stir until everything is coated and sticky.
- Fold in chocolate. Fold in most of the chocolate chips — I save a little for the top — and mix it all together with a spatula.
- Assemble. Press the mixture firmly into your lined dish, then sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top. Lay a second piece of parchment over it and press down again to really pack it in.
- Bake & slice. Bake until the edges are golden. Let the keto granola bars cool completely in the pan, then lift out and slice into bars.
My Recipe Tips
- Roasted nuts and seeds make the best keto granola bars. If yours are raw, just toss them in the oven for a few minutes before you start. And if they’re already salted, skip the salt in the recipe.
- Pulse, don’t blend. Pulsing in the food processor (instead of letting it run) chops everything more evenly without turning it into nut dust. You want a coarse chop — not whole, not floury — for the best texture and to keep the low carb granola bars from falling apart.
- Harder nuts go in before softer nuts, because they take longer to break down. For example, harder almonds go in before softer pecans. The same rule applies even if you use other nuts or seeds — keep hardness in mind.
- Dark pans can cause the edges to brown too fast. I used this glass baking dish so the bars bake more evenly without overbaking on the outside.
- The more firmly you press the mixture into the pan, the better the bars will hold together. I use a piece of parchment on top to really press it down without sticking.
- Cool completely before slicing. I know it’s tempting, but your keto granola bars will fall apart if they’re still warm. You can speed things up by popping the pan in the fridge for a bit. Totally worth the wait!
- Cut straight down, don’t seesaw your knife. I find a big chef’s knife straight down works best for clean cuts.
Keto Granola Bars
By
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.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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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.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 bar, about 4″x1.5″
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you nail the texture, keep your bars perfectly sturdy, and make sure every bite turns out delicious and satisfying!
- Variations: Variations: Don’t miss my recipe variations below to help you mix up the flavors and keep your bars from getting boring.
- Store: Keep in the pantry for a week or two, or in the fridge for a few weeks—just layer with parchment so they don’t stick.
- Freeze: Freeze in a single layer first, then transfer to a bag for up to 3 months.
- Note on nutrition info: For a larger serving size, you can cut into 8 bars instead of 12, and multiply all nutrition info by 1.5 times.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Cheat Sheet System and Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Keto Granola Bars
Recipe Variations
Want to switch up your sugar free granola bars? Here are a few other flavors I’ve made:
- White chocolate cranberry – I swap in sugar-free white chocolate chips and toss in dried cranberries. A little orange zest makes it extra special!
- Peanut butter chocolate chip – Use peanut butter instead of almond butter.
- Mint chocolate – Add a splash of peppermint extract to the wet ingredients. Cool, minty, and chocolaty!
- White chocolate macadamia – Swap almonds for macadamias and use sugar-free white chocolate chips. These keto granola bars give me total bakery cookie vibes!
- Honey nut – I drizzle in a bit of my sugar-free honey with the almond butter. It adds a warm sweetness that works with any nut combo.
More Grab & Go Breakfast Recipes
If you like light and easy breakfast foods you can grab and go, you’ll love these make-ahead dishes too:
251 Comments
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!
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.
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.
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!