Hearty, filling, and only 105 calories each!
Throughout my teenage years, Mom tossed packages of granola bars into her shopping cart every time she entered the grocery store. My brother and I basically inhaled them—the boxes practically disappeared overnight—and we sampled most of Safeway’s entire selection: Nature Valley, Fiber One, Clif Bars, Special K… We normally gravitated towards the softer varieties, which meant Mom maintained a constant stash of Nutri-Grain and Quaker Chewy Bars in the pantry.
In the mornings, my high school scheduled a 10-minute snack break at the start of 3rd period, so I’d slip a Chewy Bar out of my backpack (normally Oatmeal Raisin or Chocolate Chunk) and slowly savor it while comparing geeky calculus stories with my friends about how we solved the integrals from the previous night’s homework. By the time I swallowed the last bite, Mr. D had already warmed up the overhead projector to start presenting that day’s notes.
Then after school, I’d plop down onto the sofa, a Nutri-Grain Bar in hand, and flip open the family laptop. Instead of logging on to check email or chat online with friends, I clicked over to a jigsaw puzzle website and challenged myself to put one together in under 2 minutes. (They only offered the “Easy” 16-piece ones for free, and since they only cataloged about 30 images, I always clocked in at under 1:45 by the end of the semester!)
In between rounds of puzzles, I nibbled on my fruit-filled granola bar. Although a fairly standard size—not a monster like a Clif bar!—I still managed to take about 15-20 bites to finish it. Yes, a mouse would gnaw off bigger pieces than me!
Over the weekend, while reminiscing about the good ol’ days before full-time jobs, checkbooks, and social media, a brilliant idea popped into my head. What if I combined my two childhood granola bar favorites into an even healthier snack?
So that’s exactly what I did!
My simple Strawberry Banana Granola Bars contain the wholesome oats of Quaker Chewy Bars, the sweet fruit taste of Nutri-Grain Bars, but none of the preservatives or artificial ingredients. Bright banana flavor fills each soft snack, coupled with bursts of fresh strawberries—not sugary jam, like the commercial varieties. With only 6 healthy ingredients, these granola bars are a cinch to make. The hardest part is waiting for them to bake!
The base begins with old-fashioned oats. Although perfect for cookies, instant (quick-cook) oats absorb liquid a little too quickly for these granola bars. Old-fashioned oats soak up just enough moisture to soften while still maintaining their hearty texture. If following a gluten-free diet, you can easily substitute gluten-free oats instead.
The wet ingredients include milk, mashed banana, honey, and coconut oil. The milk and mashed banana provide the moisture and “glue” that hold the granola bars together. The mashed banana also contributes most of the natural sweetness, so pick out the spottiest one you can find! I only mixed in an additional 1 tablespoon of honey for all 10 granola bars, but you could omit it if your banana’s peel looks solid brown.
Note: For a vegan version, swap in your favorite non-dairy milk and agave. They won’t affect the flavor or texture.
Granola bars made purely from milk and fruit would turn out gummy, but the tiny bit of fat from the coconut oil prevents that unappetizing consistency. Just like in these oatmeal cookies, you cannot taste it at all—I promise! But if you don’t own any, canola or vegetable oil would work too.
I opted for frozen unsweetened strawberries for these skinny granola bars, which means you can make them all year round! Let the berries thaw for a few minutes: just enough so can easily slice through them with a knife, but not so long that they turn slimy as the ice crystals melt. You want to dice the strawberries fairly small; larger chunks would rip apart the oats as you cut through them to form the bars.
These low fat granola bars only bake for 15-19 minutes, so keep a close eye on them! I recommend the lower end of the time frame to ensure they stay soft and chewy. After cooling the bars to room temperature, place the pan in the fridge to help them firm up. Chilling also really makes the fruit flavors pop!
Hearty and wholesome, these chewy Strawberry Banana Granola Bars are bursting with fresh fruity flavor. Sweet banana saturates every oaty bite, punctuated by juicy red strawberries. With only 105 calories and under 5 grams of sugar, these snacks are a filling clean-eating treat that you can feel good about enjoying!
These fruit-filled bars are perfect for breakfast, snacks, or a light sweet treat! Store them in the refrigerator to maintain a firm texture and prevent them from browning.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F, and lightly coat an 8”-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, mashed banana, milk, and honey. Stir in the oats until thoroughly coated. Gently fold in the diced strawberries. Press the mixture into the prepared pan, and bake at 300°F for 15-19 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan before slicing into bars. Cover the bars with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Note: For a vegan version, substitute your favorite non-dairy milk and agave.
These were delicious, so fresh tasting! Next time I’ll add a few dashes of cinnamon for a cookie taste and smell…. Yum! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the granola bars Esti! I love your idea of cinnamon. I need to try that!
Followed recipe exactly & bars are falling apart! Cooked to room temp, chilled in fridge, then cut…..falling apart 🙁 any suggestions??
I meant Cooked for 17mins then cooled to room temp
I’m sorry Ashley; that must be disappointing. It could be that the strawberries were juicier than the ones I used and added too much liquid to the bars, so try reducing the milk by a few tablespoons and that should help.
Hey! Another oatmeal bar recipe said to bake for 20 min then STIR then bake for another 20. What’s the difference if i didn’t stir? 🙂
I’m not entirely sure of what’s going on in the other recipe Nada, but if those directions said to stir in the middle of baking, then it sounds like it was actually for granola instead of granola bars. Stirring the mixture would disrupt it and turn it into clusters instead, so you wouldn’t end up with bars.
Sounds delicious! How long will these stay fresh??
Thanks Amanda! If individually wrapped and stored in the refrigerator, they should last between 5-7 days. I hope you enjoy them!
I was wondering if its possible to made a lot then freeze them? Or would they not taste as good after thawing out again?
I haven’t tried freezing these Hilary, but I think that should work! I’d decrease the milk by just a touch to help them freeze better. I hope you enjoy them!
Thanks Amy, this sounds like a great recipe, I will have to try it…and pass the recipe on to my daughter who is eating healthy and passing it on to a friend whom I think will like it too….can’t wait to make them, but do have a question…..I always buy quick cook oats, if I use these what should I do different in this recipe ? Thanks
I’d suggest decreasing the milk to no more than 1/4 cup if you’re using quick oats. I hope you, your daughter and your friends enjoy the bars!
I tried this recipe and cooked it for 15 minutes with quick oats and the bars turned out really crumbly and started to fall apart. But it tastes great and I really want to try this recipe again. Any advice on what I can do to get it right next time?
I’m sorry that the bars didn’t turn out how you expected Caitlyn; that must have been disappointing. If you switch to old-fashioned oats like the recipe calls for, that should help them hold together better. If the bars were wet yet crumbly, try reducing the milk by a tiny bit. However, if they were dry and crumbly, increase the milk by a bit more instead. I hope your next batch turns out perfectly!