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!
When it comes to keto snacks, my favorite recipes to make are crackers, tortilla chips, and these low carb granola bars.
Now, these don’t actually have granola in them because, well, they aren’t keto-friendly (unless you use my keto granola!), but they are a fabulous alternative. Oh, and no oats.
I’ve been meaning to share a keto granola bar recipe for quite some time. They are quick to make and need just four ingredients to make. They are perfect to enjoy between meals to keep the snack monster at bay, and great for lunch boxes.
These are sugar-free, grain-free, and gluten-free, 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.
Ingrediends needed
As mentioned earlier, this recipe calls for simple low carb ingredients. Here is what you’ll need:
- Almonds– Raw sliced 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. I typically buy mine at Costco or Sam’s Club, but you can find it online, too. No cereal? Try crushing up my homemade keto cereal or using chopped nuts.
- Maple Syrup– Keto maple syrup, to provide sweetness, but also holds the bars together. You can also use my keto honey or keto simple syrup. If you choose to use a store bought brand, make sure it has allulose as the sweetener, not erythritol or monk fruit sweetener.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to make keto granola bars
Step 1- Prep. Start by covering an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, and greasing generously.
Step 2- Make the base. Next, stir your almonds, cashews, and cereal together in a large bowl. Add your keto maple syrup and whisk very well, until completely combined. Transfer the mixture into the lined pan and using a rubber spatula, press into the pan.
Step 3- Bake. 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 using a sharp knife.
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.
Storage instructions
To store: Granola bars are fragile and sticky, so should always be stored in the fridge. 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.
Frequently asked questions
Your bars may be soft and a little limp if you don’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.
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.
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.
Yes! These bars work with walnuts, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, and even nut butters like almond butter and peanut butter.