Easy Homemade Granola Bars (Copycat Nature Valley Recipe)

3.97 from 30 votes

These easy homemade granola bars are crunchy and taste just like a Nature Valley knockoff. Perfectly sweet with a hint of spice.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Cooling Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: copycat Nature Valley Granola Bars, easy homemade granola bars, homemade granola bar recipe without honey

Servings: servings

Calories: 150kcal

Cost: varies

Gather your ingredients and chop the pecans into a fine crumble (larger pieces will make it harder for your bars to stick together). Meanwhile, slightly melt the coconut oil on the stovetop or in a microwave-safe bowl.
In a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), add the dry ingredients then drizzle the wet ingredients over the top.
Stir gently (or mix on low) until everything is incorporated and the oats are no longer dry.
Press the granola firmly into a 17×11-inch half-sheet pan with a large spatula (or your hands).
Bake at 325°F for 20-25 minutes. Right when they come out, gently score the bars with a knife (this will help keep them from crumbling later on).
Let the bars cool in the pan for one hour.
Cut on the scored lines to fully cut the bars and remove from the pan. (Granola bars will continue to firm up as they cool.)

Homemade Granola Bar Tips & Tricks

When making these granola bars, be sure to follow the instructions to a T the first time you make them. If you’ve made chewy homemade granola bars before, this recipe is a bit different because the goal is for them to be crispy and crunchy.
Adding in dried fruit like dried cranberries, raisins or even unsweetened coconut may not work well for this recipe because they are so thin. But feel free to experiment. Even if they crumble, it’ll make a fantastic granola!
Be sure you’re using an 11×17-inch half-sheet pan and press the mixture down very firmly. Your granola bars will seem thin, but this is the goal. They need to be thin to get crispy when baking.