these crunchy homemade granola bars are a perfect snack to grab-and-go, and they’re packed with healthy nuts and seeds.
You guys, I wanted to start this blog post off by saying something along the lines of, OMG I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S ALREADY SEPTEMBER (crying face emoji), but even the thought of this alone is making me wanna cry-face emoji. Lmao. But not lmao. Actually just insane how fast time flies when you’re adulting.
So yeah, that bring us back to the point at hand: it is already motherfreaking September, aka back-to-school szn for some, and back-to-life szn for others. I think that these apple cinnamon granola bars are therefore doubly appropriate, considering the season (szn) also coincides with apple season (soon, soon). Regardless, an apple cinnamon granola bar sounds like a classic snack/pantry staple for any family!
Although I do love a variety of different baked goods/treats, I also tend to gravitate towards the crunchy and chewy and salty and sweet kind, and often times that comes in the shape of granola– whether it’s in a bar or clusters in a bowl, I am definitely a granola grrrrl.
I have plenty of granola-themed and granola bar-related recipes on my site already, but much to my dismay there was nothing granola bar-themed in the world’s favorite flavour, that is, apple.
Considering how many apples I eat on a daily basis (at least one, upwards of two sometimes, I’ve been known to have three’r), and thus how many apples I keep in my house, this was a rather easy recipe to test and it came together quite quickly at that– I based it roughly off some of my previous granola bars, with a shredded apple mixed in and a good heaping of cinnamon.
These homemade bars are so much better than store-bought, and not to mention, healthier– they’re packed with nutrient-dense, real, ingredients, including almonds, pumpkin seeds, coconut and medjool dates. If you are not a fan of almonds, you could totally try making these granola bars with a nut-sub like pecans (I imagine that would be amazing!!).
If you do give these a shot, let me know what you think by leaving a rating/review and comment below. Follow me over on Instagram @grainfreee for more.
A few related granola recipes if you’re looking for some more yummy (and possibly addictive) snacks:
- FIG & ALMOND GRANOLA BARS
- CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER GRANOLA BARS
- SIGNATURE GRAIN FREE GRANOLA BARS
- GINGER SPICE GRANOLA
- CINNAMON RAISIN GRANOLA
apple cinnamon granola bars: ingredients
- 1 apple, peeled and shredded
- 6-7 medjool dates, softened + pitted (soak in boiling hot water for 10 minutes or room temperature water overnight)
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 2 tbsp of honey
- 1 + 1/2 cups of almonds
- 1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds (sub another nut or seed as desired, i’ve also used walnuts)
- 1 tbsp of cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp of nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp of cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1 egg
apple cinnamon granola bars: how to
- start by chopping up the almonds and coconut flakes and throwing them in a large bowl, alongside the shredded coconut and pumpkin seeds.
- toss the nuts, seeds and coconut in the spices; cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and ginger.
- mix in the apple, peeled, shredded and squeezed of excess moisture, as well as the almond butter, honey and medjool dates until everything is well-covered.
- finally, add the egg and mix well so it coats everything.
- take your granola mixture, and spread it evenly across a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet. you may want to use a large spatula to flatten the granola and spread it to the edges of the baking sheet, as far as you can (it can be a bit of process). alternately, you can always flatten with your hands, which is sometimes more effective (but messier).
- bake in a preheated oven at 330 for 35 minutes. remove from oven and allow to cool completely before slicing into preferred granola bar sizes.
grain free apple cinnamon granola bars
Ingredients
- 1 apple, peeled and shredded
- 6-7 medjool dates softened + pitted (soak in boiling hot water for 10 minutes or room temperature water overnight)
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1+1/2 cup almonds
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds sub another nut or seed as desired – i've also done walnuts
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 egg
Instructions
- start by chopping up the almonds and coconut flakes and throwing them in a large bowl, alongside the shredded coconut and pumpkin seeds.
- toss the nuts, seeds and coconut in the spices; cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and ginger.
- mix in the apple, peeled, shredded and squeezed of excess moisture, as well as the almond butter, honey and medjool dates until everything is well-covered.
- finally, add the egg and mix well so it coats everything.
- take your granola mixture, and spread it evenly across a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet. you may want to use a large spatula to flatten the granola and spread it to the edges of the baking sheet, as far as you can (it can be a bit of process). alternately, you can always flatten with your hands, which is sometimes more effective (but messier).
- bake in a preheated oven at 330 for 35 minutes. remove from oven and allow to cool completely before slicing into preferred granola bar sizes.