Tired of paying extra money for a small box of granola bars? These Homemade Oatmeal Raisin Granola Bars are easy and cheap to make, and are made with simple ingredients!

My biggest weakness, by far, is buying snack bars at the store.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. We like them, we get them on sale, they’re super convenient to stuff in my purse.

And while I prefer to buy ones like Larabars at the store, I just can’t do that with granola bars. Why? Because they’re tiny and just pathetic-looking. That wouldn’t even keep me full for a minute.

But there’s something about a homemade granola bar. They’re huge, they’re filled with good ingredients, have a nice chewy texture, and they’re a big hit in my household. Especially when they contain chocolate chips or raisins.

Use these for a quick breakfast, or grab a couple for the perfect snack for work. This easy recipe is perfect for a small meal prep session!

Scroll down to print the full recipe for these healthy granola bars, or keep reading for extra tips and tricks!

Are these cheaper than store-bought granola bars?

The cost savings is amazing! Because I’m a nerd, I calculated the cost of making these homemade granola bars. They come out to 15 cents per bar, compared to 25-28 cents per store-bought bar. That can be a big savings if you buy multiple boxes a week!

Ingredients

Rolled oats (Quick oats may do okay in this too)- Full of whole grains and fiber to keep you full!

Raisins

Peanuts

Baking soda

Cinnamon

Creamy peanut butter- Crunchy peanut butter works, too. This brings in plenty of healthy fats!

Honey

Milk

Applesauce- This makes the granola bars super soft and chewy!

Other additions/substitutions

As you can see, this is a highly versatile recipe. You can put a lot of your favorite add-ins. Just keep an eye out- if the mixture starts looking too dry, you may need to add more liquid.

Nut butter: Feel free to use almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or any other type of nut butter.

Nuts: Instead of peanuts, you can use whole almonds (or chopped), pecans, or any other favorite nuts.

Chocolate chips: I like to use mini chocolate chips instead of raisins at times!

Maple syrup: This is one of the other natural sweeteners and can be used in place of honey.

Vanilla extract

Dried fruit: Dried blueberries, cranberries, or other favorites can be used instead of raisins.

Applesauce: I’ve used pumpkin puree and mashed bananas in place of applesauce and it’s tasted AMAZING.

Unsweetened coconut flakes

Seeds: Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.

How to make

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, peanuts, raisins, baking soda, and cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, honey, milk, and applesauce.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and spread out the mixture into an even layer with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 22-25 minutes. The granola bars will still be soft, which is how they’re supposed to be.

Let the pan cool for 30-60 minutes. Gently transfer the granola bar block, parchment paper and all, to a large cutting board.

With a pizza cutter or large knife, slice into 16 bars. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

How to store

Once these have cooled to room temperature, I highly recommend storing these in the fridge. They’re soft and a little crumbly, so keeping them in the fridge will help keep their form.

I just store them in a large airtight container, but you can also store a few individually in sandwich bags if you’re on-the-go.

Next time you need healthy snacks, don’t just run to the grocery store. Try making this homemade granola bar recipe! Play around with mix-ins and find something you like!