For those embracing a ketogenic lifestyle, finding convenient and compliant snacks can sometimes be a challenge. Many store-bought granola bars are loaded with added sugars and carbohydrates, making them unsuitable for a keto diet. However, with a few simple ingredients and some creative adaptation, it's entirely possible to create delicious and satisfying keto granola bars right in your own kitchen.
Why Make Your Own Keto Granola Bars?
Store-bought KIND bars, while tasty, often contain added sugars, making them less ideal for a low-carb diet. Crafting your own keto granola bars offers several advantages:
- Control over ingredients: You have complete control over what goes into your bars, ensuring they align with your dietary needs and preferences.
- Lower carb count: Homemade versions can significantly reduce the carbohydrate content compared to commercial options.
- Customization: You can tailor the flavors and ingredients to suit your taste, experimenting with different nuts, seeds, and spices.
- Cost-effective: Making your own granola bars can be more economical than purchasing pre-made keto-friendly bars.
Two Approaches to Keto Granola Bars
There are generally two approaches to making keto granola bars:
- Nut and Seed-Based Bars: These bars rely on a combination of nuts, seeds, and a binding agent to create a crunchy and satisfying snack.
- Keto Granola-Based Bars: These bars utilize a pre-made or homemade keto granola as the base, adding additional ingredients for flavor and texture.
Nut and Seed-Based Keto Granola Bars
This version is about crafting a keto-friendly granola bar that is perfect as a breakfast, snack, lunch, or even dessert! These bars put any other store-bought bar to shame.
Ingredients:
- Mixed chopped nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)
- Almond butter
- Vanilla extract
- Sugar substitute (erythritol, monk fruit sweetener, allulose, xylitol, or Bocha Sweet)
- Sugar-free chocolate chips (optional)
- Egg white
- Coconut flakes, unsweetened (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 6x9 inch baking tray with parchment paper.
- Pulse the nuts and seeds in a food processor until you have some smaller and some larger pieces. Be careful not to over-process into a butter. Add the harder nuts first for a more even chop.
- Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl, leaving a few chocolate chips to decorate on top.
- Whisk an egg white and add it to the bowl together with the vanilla extract and almond butter and stir until combined.
- Check and adjust sweetener if necessary.
- Pour the granola bar mix into the tray and press down well to compact the dough. Press the remaining chocolate chips on top.
- Bake for circa 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into 12 bars.
Tips for Success:
- Chop the nuts well: If the nut pieces are too large, the bars can be crumbly.
- Taste before baking: Check the sweetness and add more erythritol or sweetener of choice to your liking.
- Pack the mix tightly: Press it down firmly to compact.
- Cool completely: Let your keto granola bars cool completely before cutting.
- Cut straight down: The best way to cut the bars is to use a firm downward motion with a large, sharp knife.
- Optional additions: Toast the nuts before using for additional flavor. You can also use desiccated unsweetened coconut.
Binding Agents:
To ensure the bars hold together, a binding agent is essential. Several options can be used:
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- Egg whites: Help to create a firm but chewy texture.
- Sugar-free syrup: Adds sweetness and stickiness, similar to golden syrup.
- Flaxseed or chia seeds: When mixed with water, these seeds form a gel that can bind the ingredients together.
Keto Granola-Based Bars
This recipe utilizes NuTrail Cinnamon Pecan Nut Granola as the base for a quick and easy granola bar:
Ingredients:
- NuTrail Cinnamon Pecan Nut Granola
- Nut butter (almond or peanut butter)
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl, combine nut butter, egg, and vanilla extract.
- Add the granola and stir to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until set in the center and golden on the edges.
- After you let the bars cool fully, you can slice and store them at room temperature for up to four days. For longer storage, pop the granola bars into an airtight container and keep them in the freezer for up to three months.
Copycat Keto KIND Bars
Another way to make these bars is to make them similar to KIND bars. These taste better than the real thing!
Ingredients:
- Mixed nuts (any combination of your favorites)
- Coconut flakes
- Sugar-free chocolate chips
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Butter
- Keto brown sweetener
- Vanilla extract
- Optional: No-sugar-added white chocolate and coconut oil for drizzling
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add butter and keto brown sweetener to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. This will take about 7-10 minutes. The sauce will just start to slightly thicken.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. (Be careful as it might bubble up when you add the vanilla).
- While the caramel sauce is simmering, finely chop the coconut and nuts.
- In a large bowl, add all the nuts, coconut flakes, 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and mix together.
- Grab the 9x9-inch dish and pour in the nut mixture.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- If you want to drizzle chocolate over your KIND bar, microwave white chocolate and coconut oil in a small bowl for 15-second increments until melted. Drizzle the white chocolate with a spoon over your bars.
Almond Joy Keto Granola Bars
This recipe includes Almond Joy flavors by including milk chocolate, sweet coconut, and crisp almonds.
Ingredients:
- Chopped almonds
- Slivered almonds
- Coconut flakes
- Egg
- Monk fruit sweetener
- Almond butter
- Coconut oil
- Salt
- Chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the sides.
- Place the chopped almonds, slivered almonds, and coconut flakes on 3 separate small baking sheets.
- Bake until golden brown and toasted. The coconut will only take 2-4 minutes, the slivered almonds about 3-5 minutes, and the chopped almonds about 7-12 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and monk fruit.
- In a separate small, microwave-safe bowl, melt the almond butter and coconut oil until smooth, about 30 seconds. Whisk into the egg mixture until well combined.
- Add in all the nuts, coconut, and salt, and stir until well combined. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips.
- Press very firmly into the prepared pan. Put some muscle into! You need to pack these in so they hold together.
- Bake until the top just feels set, about 15 minutes.
- Place the pan on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Once cool, slice and DEVOUR!
Sweet and Salty Keto Granola Bars
This recipe is a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, and a whole lot delicious.
Ingredients:
- Coconut
- Almonds
- Pecans
- Pumpkin seeds
- Collagen
- Salt
- Butter
- Sweeteners
- Vanilla extract
- Chocolate chips, if using
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.
Tips for Success:
- Choose your nuts and seeds: It hardly matters what combination of nuts and seeds you use, as long as you grind them up enough.
- 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.
- Press them down firmly: Really, really firmly! This is key to making cohesive keto granola bars that stay together.
- Let them cool properly: 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.
Customization Ideas
The beauty of homemade granola bars lies in their adaptability. Feel free to experiment with different ingredients and flavor combinations to create your perfect keto snack. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
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- Nuts and Seeds: Swap out any of the nuts and seeds for your favorites, such as macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, or sunflower seeds. Finely chop the nuts for better binding.
- Sweeteners: Adjust the amount and type of sweetener to your liking.
- Spices: Add a touch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger for a warm and comforting flavor.
- Chocolate: Incorporate sugar-free chocolate chips or drizzle melted dark chocolate over the finished bars.
- Coconut: Add desiccated unsweetened coconut for a tropical twist.
- Extracts: Experiment with different extracts, such as almond, maple, or coffee.
- Dried Fruit: If you're not strictly keto, add a small amount of unsweetened dried fruit like cranberries or blueberries.
Storage
Store your keto granola bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days or in the fridge for about 1 week. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months.
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