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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
Krissie Thomson
0I made these today. Very easy. Left out the coconut. Nice bars for snacking.
Jolie Egusa
0Hello, Besti sweetener doesn’t pop up when I googled it. Is it liquid or granules? Can’t seem to find it. Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Oh no, sorry to hear that, Jolie! It does come up for me when I google it, but you can get Besti directly here. It’s granulated, but the way it works is pretty unique from other granulated sweeteners.
Don
0The recipe called for a sweetener but don’t see in the combining ingredients so let me tell you I followed the steps and the bars came out missing something ie. they were not sweet enough. I guess you figured people would be smart enough to realize to add the sweetener but no some of us are not. Next time I’ll add nuts.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Don, You will find that in step 3 it instructs you to add the Besti.
Don
0Thanks had not heard of Besti. Good recipe
ReginaB
0This was so good. Low cholesterol, low carb and low sugar. Checked all of the boxes and tasted delicious. Thank you!!
Barbara Benson
0This bar is without question the best homemade energy bar I have encountered! I once sampled a bunch of energy bars from the box store. Even the lower carb ones had more calories and seemed to rely on dates. So, I experimented, and once I found your recipe, the search was over. I make it at least once a week. Since I work out six days a week, hold down three remote part- time jobs, and I am a senior, I needed this bar on a daily basis! Thanks for a great recipe. BTW I will be writing an article soon on this bar for a weightlifting app and will be sure to link you appropriately.
Mary
0These turned out awesome! What is the best way to store these? Counter? Refrigerator? Covered?
Thank you!
Mary
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Mary, You can keep them in the pantry for about a week or two, or in the fridge for a few weeks.
Barbara Benson
0I made these according to the recipe this weekend and everyone loved them. I have already baked a second batch. The Choc Zero chips worked really well in the recipe too. Thanks!!
Tracy
0Awesome recipe! Easy and quick.
Debbie
0Well these were delicious! But, I made a little mistake and noticed it when I came back to make them again. I used almond flour instead of almond butter! They still turned out great. Maybe this is a new twist to the recipe if you are out of almond butter!! 🙂
Doreen
0OMG. DELISH!! I cannot stop eating these. I think my husband and I ate our weight in these. Thank you – I think. LOL
cathline
0I love this recipe! Is there any way you would share your previous recipe for granola bars – my sister has some of that liquid fiber sweetener that was in it that she’d like to use up. That recipe was great too but I never printed it.
Eyal
0Great recipe and easy to make. I added 1/4 Cup of Flaxseed and used agar agar instead of egg (I’m vegan).
Gina Mardis
0I love this recipe! I make it in a silicone mini muffin pan. They pop right out! I use whatever nuts I have at the time. They are delicious and great for a grab and go snack or pack them up to take on a trip!
Cola
0Hi! Curious if you’ve tried these with the silicone bar molds and if so, for how long? Excited to try them
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cola, I have not tried this, but looks like Gina tried a silicone mold above.
Cathy
0Easy and delicious. So great to have an acceptable snack to take on the road!
linda
0Everyone is asking about the maple syrup and the fiber syrup. but i don’t see these in the ingredient list?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Linda, This recipe has been updated and no longer includes those ingredients.
carolyn
0Can you bake these in individual bar pans? thank you
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Carolyn, I have never tried that, but I think it should work.
Jo
0Is there a substitute for the almond butter? Can you use flax seed or chia seeds instead of hemp seeds? Thank you. I am enjoying many of your recipes and the wholesome sugar substitutes!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jo, Yes, you could use peanut butter or sun butter in this recipe. Also, you can replace the hemp seeds with flax or chia seeds.
Crystal
0Can you use honey instead of besti?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Crystal, I don’t recommend using a liquid sweetener in this recipe.
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.