Oatmeal Raisin Granola Bars

Oatmeal Raisin Granola Bars are easy to make and include oats, honey, raisins and chopped nuts! The sticky delicious honey sauce binds the bars together and makes them chewy and delicious! Pair that with toasted oats and pecans and you have flavors that are off the charts!

If you love all things oats, then you’ll love my Homemade Granola, Chocolate Baked Oats, and No-Bake Energy Bites! All of these recipes are such delicious way to use oats!

Why This Recipe Works

• Homemade granola bars that don’t fall apart. These delicious oatmeal raisin granola bars are made with a delicious sticky mixture made of honey, butter, vanilla, salt, and brown sugar. That mixture helps keep these granola bars in tact! No crumbly granola bars here! 
• Perfect quick snack. I’ve been nibbling on these oatmeal raisin granola bars periodically over the past week. I’ve come to really enjoy having them around my house! They serve as a perfect quick snack, one that’s sweet but not heavy. I know exactly what you’re thinking. “Quick? I don’t have enough time to make homemade granola bars!” This no bake granola bar recipe takes only 25 minutes to make. Tops!
• Delicious and warm taste. Every time I’ve taken a bite out of these homemade granola bars I think about how these taste warm. I’m dead serious! I don’t know how else to describe it. It’s like they’re a fall granola bar. I think of sweater weather, leaves changing colors, reading books by a fireplace. I have no idea where all those thoughts come from, but that’s exactly what I think about as soon as I bite into these homemade oatmeal raisin granola bars! 

Ingredient Notes

• Old Fashioned Oats: These rolled oats are bigger so they’ll hold up better with the raisins and chopped nuts than the smaller quick oats. 
• Chopped Nuts: I used pecans, but you can use walnuts or almonds. Toasting the nuts will provide a better flavor in the finished no bake granola bars. 
• Butter: Salted or unsalted butter is fine. The butter, honey and brown sugar provide the sticky mixture that will hold the breakfast granola bars together. 
• Brown Sugar: You can use light or dark brown sugar. Either works. The differences between light and dark brown sugar is that dark brown sugar has a higher molasses content, making the flavor richer and the color darker. 
• Honey: The honey provides additional sweetness in the oatmeal raisin granola bar recipe, but it also is a great sticky ingredient to help hold and form the granola bars. 
• Golden Raisins: You can use regular raisins, golden raisins, or craisins (dried cranberries) if you want. I love the golden raisins because they have a nice subtle flavor. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Toast the oats and nuts. Place the oats and chopped nuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast in the oven at 350ºF for 7-8 minutes. Remove and transfer to a large bowl. 

2. Make the honey mixture. Add the butter, brown sugar, honey, salt and vanilla extract to a large saucepan. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. 
3. Combine oats and honey mixture. Pour the honey mixture over the oats and nuts. Add the golden raisins and stir to combine.

4. Set in the prepared pan. Pour the granola bar mixture into a 9×9-inch square pan lined with wax paper or parchment paper. Using the back of a spoon, firmly press the granola mixture into the pan, creating an even layer. Let set in the fridge for 1-2 hours. 
5. Cut into granola bars. Remove from the fridge and all the overhanging parchment paper or wax paper to of the pan to remove the mixture from the pan. Using a sharp knife, cut into bars. Store the oatmeal raisin granola bars wrapped in parchment paper in an airtight container. Enjoy! 

Recipe Tips

For added flavor and texture, toast the oats and pecans (or nuts of your choice).

To save time, I make the sauce/bonding agent while the oats and nuts are toasting in the oven.

This homemade granola bar recipe produces granola bars that are a bit on the sweet side. To reduce the amount of sweetness in this recipe reduce the brown sugar to 1/3 cup and the honey to 1/4 cup.

To make these into vegan granola bars, use a vegan butter or coconut oil (note, coconut oil will give these more of a coconut flavor), and substitute maple syrup for the honey.

As I’ve snacked on these granola bars I’ve thought to myself several times how delicious these bars would taste with a hint of cinnamon in them! If you’d like to add a hint of cinnamon I suggest adding 1/4 tsp to the saucepan when you’re melting the butter mixture.

Want to add a whole new level of flavor? Brown the Butter. Do this prior to adding the brown sugar, honey, and vanilla to the saucepan.

You can add other mix-ins if you’d like. I kept these simple because I loved the simplicity of the flavors. I can’t help but think of how warm the flavors taste! Additional mix-ins could be mini chocolate chips, other chopped dried fruit, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), sunflower seeds, chia seeds, Toasted Coconut, etc. Be sure to keep the same amount of mix-ins as nuts and raisins listed in this recipe. You don’t want to over stuff with mix-ins or else it can affect how the granola bars set. 

For a protein-packed bar, make my homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars recipe.

These oatmeal raisin granola bars are perfect for a quick breakfast, school snacks, and are perfect for camping, hiking or road trips! 

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

Store wrapped between parchment paper or wax paper (to prevent sticking) in an airtight container or ziplock bag. The oatmeal raisin granola bars will go hard if left out. 

The granola bars will keep at room temperature for 5 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

To freeze, wrap each individual oatmeal raisin granola bar in a piece of parchment paper, then in plastic wrap, then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Remove and let thaw. 

Recipe FAQs

More Oats Recipes

• Baked Oats
• Baked Oatmeal Cake
• High Protein Overnight Oats
• Steel Cut Oats Recipe