Keto Granola Bars- Just 4 Ingredients!

Low carb snacking alert- These keto granola bars will be your new favorite! Made with just 4 ingredients, they are thick, chewy, and loaded with delicious nuts!

Keto Granola Bars

When it comes to keto snacks, my favorite recipes to make are crackers, tortilla chips, and these low carb granola bars.

Name one snack that every kid grew up with in their lunch box. If you said granola or muesli bars, you’d be correct. I’m pretty sure every single school day, my lunch box contained a granola bar. Compared to many of my peers, I actually enjoyed them and loved the variety of flavors they came with.

When I entered the workforce and moved out of home (and subsequently packed my own lunches!), I continued to enjoy my daily granola bar habit. Since going keto, I’ve had a spanner thrown into my snacking routine, but I’m one who LOVES a challenge…

Are granola bars keto friendly?

If you take a look at traditional ingredients in a granola bar, you’ll notice that they are primarily made of oats, sugar, and flour- none of which are keto. While some store bought granola bars like KIND Bars and Nature Valley Granola bars are now creating higher protein bars, the ingredients are still not being made with keto ingredients.

As such, I’ve been meaning to share a keto granola bar recipe for quite some time. They are quick to make and need just 4 ingredients to make. They are perfect to enjoy between meals to keep the snack monster at bay, and great for lunch boxes.

No sugar and no grains are needed, but you’d never tell. The texture is thick, chewy, and stable at room temperature. They are pleasantly sweet and easily customizable with your favorite nuts and seeds.

I had some friends who recently started a low carb diet asking me for some quick snack recipes so I’ve shared this one with them and are are OBSESSED- They told me they taste like traditional bars!

How do you make keto friendly granola bars?

The Ingredients

Almonds– Raw almonds, with or without added salt. If you enjoy the sweet and salty combination, use the latter.
Cashews– Raw cashews that have been roughly chopped. Use a mix of finely and roughly chopped cashews, as the finer bits help hold the bars together.
Keto crispy cereal– A fantastic low carb substitute for crispy rice cereal.
Maple Syrup– Keto maple syrup, to provide sweetness, but also holds the bars together.

The Instructions

Start by covering an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper, and greasing generously. Next, combine your almonds, cashews, and cereal together. Add your keto maple syrup and mix very well, until completely combined. Transfer the mixture into the lined pan and using a rubber spatula, press into the pan.

Bake the bars at 160C/320F for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely, before carefully slicing into bars.

FAQ + Tips to make the best low carb granola bar recipe

Can I use other nuts and/or seeds?

Yes, if you’d like to use other nuts or seeds, you are welcome to do so. I recommend doing a combination of two nuts, and one of them being chopped into finer pieces, so it can give the granola bars stability and avoid them falling apart.

Why are my bars soft?

Your bars may be soft and a little limp, if you didn’t bake them long enough.

Oven makes and models differ. If at the 25 minute mark your granola bars are still soft when touched, cook for a further 5-10 minutes.

Why are my bars hard and brittle?

If you wait too long to slice the granola bars, they will firm up too much and be difficult to slice.

To make the granola bars easier to slice, heat the knife first, by pouring boiling water over it and lightly patting it dry.

Can I keep them unbaked?

As the keto maple syrup isn’t as thick as non-keto sweeteners (like brown rice syrup or honey), they need to be baked to ensure they hold together.

Flavor Variations-

While these low carb granola bars taste delicious as they are, feel free to change up the flavors for some variety! Depending on what ingredients you use, the net carbs may increase to 3 grams per bar.

Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate– Replace the cashews with chopped peanuts and drizzle melted dark chocolate over the top.
Blueberry Pecan– Add 2 tablespoons of dried blueberries to the mixture. Replace the cashews with roughly chopped pecans.
Cranberry Almond– Add 2 tablespoons of dried unsweetened cranberries to the mixture and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Dark Chocolate Almond and Coconut– Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of coconut flakes on top of the granola bars before baking them. Drizzle melted dark chocolate over the top.
Vanilla Almond and Sea Salt– Replace half the almonds with smoked almonds, add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, and sprinkle the tops of the bars with sea salt.

Storing and freezing keto energy bars

To store: Granola bars are fragile and sticky, so should always be stored in the refrigerator. Keep them covered, and they will keep well for up to 4 weeks.
To freeze: Individually wrap bars in parchment paper and place them in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.

More keto snack recipes to try

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and grease it generously. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine your nuts and seeds with your crispy cereal. Pour the sugar free syrup over it and mix very well, until completely combined and all your nuts/cereal is coated in the syrup.
Transfer the granola bar mixture into the lined pan and using a rubber spatula, press down to ensure a uniform layer. Bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, before slicing into bars.

TO STORE: Granola bars are fragile and sticky, so should always be stored in the refrigerator. Keep them covered, and they will keep well for up to 4 weeks.
TO FREEZE: Individually wrap bars in parchment paper and place them in a ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.