Alton Brown Granola Bars

This easy granola bar recipe from Alton Brown is a quick and nutritious snack you can whip up with pantry staples. It’s chewy, slightly sweet, and packed with toasted oats, nuts, and dried fruit. You can easily mix in whatever you have on hand—making it perfect for flexible, everyday snacking.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries, or blueberries

How To Make Granola Bars?

1. Prepare the dish and preheat the oven: Lightly butter an 8 x 11.5 inch (20 x 29 cm) glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F.
2. Toast the dry mix: Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ on a baking tray. Toast in the oven for 15 minutes, giving it a gentle stir every 5 minutes to ensure even toasting.
3. Make the syrup base: While the dry mix toasts, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt in a large saucepan (4 to 6 litres/quarts). Place over medium heat and stir until the sugar fully dissolves—this takes about 3 minutes.
4. Combine and mix everything: Once the dry mix is toasted, reduce the oven temperature to 150°C / 300°F. Add the toasted oats mixture and dried fruit straight into the saucepan and stir well until fully coated.
5. Press into the pan and bake: Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish and press down firmly and evenly with a spatula or damp hands. Bake for 25 minutes.
6. Cool and cut into bars: Let the granola slab cool completely in the dish before cutting into squares or bars. This helps them set properly and hold their shape.

Recipe Tips:

• Toast your oats and nuts properly: This step deepens the flavor and helps the bars hold together better. Don’t skip it, and stir halfway to prevent burning.
• Use a large saucepan: Mixing everything in one big pan after toasting saves dishes and keeps the mixture warm and pliable.
• Press firmly into the pan: Use a spatula or damp hands to press the mixture down tightly—this is key to bars that hold their shape.
• Cool completely before cutting: Warm bars will fall apart. Letting them cool helps them firm up into perfect, chewy squares.
• Don’t overbake: The bars continue to set as they cool. Baking too long makes them dry and crumbly.

How To Store Leftovers?

• Refrigerate: First, let the leftover granola bars cool completely to room temperature. Then, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 10 days.
• Freeze: Let the bars cool fully, then wrap them individually or layer with parchment paper in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30–60 minutes before eating—no reheating needed.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 243
• Total Fat: 9.8g
• Saturated Fat: 2.0g
• Cholesterol: 5mg
• Sodium: 4mg
• Potassium: 254mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 37g
• Dietary Fiber: 3.3g
• Sugars: 25g
• Protein: 5.5g

Check out More Recipes:

• Alton Brown Granola Recipe
• Alton Brown Homemade Peanut Butter
• Alton Brown French Toast