Homemade sweet and salty coconut granola bars are soft, chewy, and pack huge flavor. Made with healthy and wholesome ingredients, these bars are a satisfying and naturally gluten-free dessert recipe (use certified GF ingredients). Skip the oven and allow the bars to set up in the refrigerator or freezer.
Say hello to my favorite homemade snack. Which also totally double as dessert. I cannot stop eating these! The good news is that today’s chewy coconut granola bars are actually pretty wholesome, combining real foods with real flavor. The great news is that you don’t need to turn on your oven.
Besides all that, what I love most is the taste and texture. The consistency and flavor both remind me of soft caramel, but there’s no butter or refined sugar. Pair that with coconut, oats, and a little dark chocolate and you’ve got a square of heaven.
Homemade alternative to processed foods? Absolutely. Addicting? 100%.
The next time you need healthier dessert recipe ideas, these bars will fit the bill.
Why You’ll Love These No-Bake Coconut Granola Bars
- Quick and easy to prepare
- Soft and chewy
- Made with healthy and wholesome ingredients
- Naturally gluten free if you use certified GF oats (making these one of my favorite gluten free dessert recipes, in fact!)
- Sweet and salty in each bite
- Tons of texture
- No-bake recipe (just like my beloved peanut butter trail mix bars and no-bake chocolate fudge oat bars)
- They freeze beautifully
- Taste just like a candy bar!
Overview: How to Make Coconut Granola Bars
These no-bake bars come together quickly and easily. Here’s an overview of the process:
Key Ingredients in These Granola Bars
With so few ingredients, each has an important job:
- Dates: to sweeten + bind
- Honey: to sweeten + bind
- Almond butter: to bind
- Coconut oil: to bind
- Salt + vanilla extract: for flavor
- Oats: for texture
- Coconut: for texture/flavor
- Almonds: for texture/flavor
- Almond meal: to bind
- Chocolate: for flavor
I know what you’re thinking… coconut, almond, and chocolate? ALMOND JOY BARS!! Told you these taste like candy.
Note: If you want a lighter version, leave out the chocolate—I promise they’re still awesome without it. But if you want a little extra something special, don’t skip it.
No-Bake Chewy Coconut Granola Bars Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the bars from the pan. Set aside.
- Pulse the dates in a food processor until they form a chunky paste. (You’ll have about 3 Tablespoons paste.) Or, if you don’t have a food processor, very finely chop the dates.
- Whisk the date paste/chopped dates, honey, almond butter, and coconut oil together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Try to break up the dates as much as you can. Once combined and warm, remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt until combined.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients including the chocolate, if using.
- Press mixture into prepared baking pan and top with extra coconut, if desired. Pack the mixture down as much as you can. I recommend using the back of a flat spatula to really press it tightly.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes before cutting into squares.
- Store leftover granola bars in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. They get a little sticky if left out for several hours.
