Healthy muesli bars without sugar are a delicious, nutritious snack bar. They are made with whole grain oats and nuts and are high in protein. These chewy low sugar muesli bars are easy to make and perfect for breakfast on the go or a healthy snack.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- These homemade cereal bars are much higher in protein and more fibre-rich than most store-bought alternatives. They are made with natural ingredients and no artificial additives
- Healthy muesli bars are made with no refined sugar. They are naturally sweetened with honey and packed with oats and nuts to keep you feeling full and energised
- The bars hold together well and aren't too crumbly, so you can eat them in the car and on the go! They are perfect for lunchboxes and after-school snacks
- Healthy muesli bars are ready in 30 minutes and easy to make in one bowl
- Dairy-free and gluten-free (use certified gluten-free oats). You can also use the recipe to make vegan muesli bars with one simple substitution
Ingredients
Oats. Porridge oats are the best type of oats for these healthy muesli bars and will give them a lovely chewy texture. Instant oats don't have enough texture, and steel-cut oats won't cook through properly.
For gluten free muesli bars, use certified gluten free oats which have been processed separately from other grains.
Nuts. You can use whichever type of nuts you prefer, provided they are unroasted and unsalted. I like to use a mixture of nuts including walnuts, almonds, brazils and cashews for a good mix of nutrients.
Sunflower seeds. Use another type of seeds such as pumpkin if you prefer, or add extra nuts as an alternative to the seeds.
Peanut butter adds flavour, richness and sticking power so that the muesli bars don't fall apart. Use another nut butter if preferred.
Honey adds further sticking power and sweetness. For vegan-friendly muesli bars, use maple syrup or agave.
Coconut oil. I like to add a little coconut oil to the recipe as an extra source of healthy fats. You can replace it with another healthy oil, or an extra spoonful of peanut butter.
Ground cinnamon adds extra sweetness and flavour. If it's not your favourite, replace it with another spice or a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Optional ingredients
Healthy muesli bars are customizable. Switch the nuts and seeds to your favourites, or add about 80-100g of dried fruit such as sultanas, dates, dried cranberries or dried cherries for extra sweetness.
How to make healthy muesli bars
Line the base of a 20x20 cm (or 8 inch square) baking tin with baking paper. Leave a small overhang of paper so you can lift the bars out of the tray.
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees (140 fan).
Melt the honey, coconut oil and peanut butter over a gentle heat. If you use a pan large enough for all of the other ingredients, you'll only have one pot to wash up! Remove the mixture from the heat as soon as it is melted.
Roughly chop the nuts. I like to have quite chunky pieces, but if you leave them whole the bars will be quite difficult to cut.
Add the oats, nuts, seeds and cinnamon. Stir well to mix thoroughly.
Spoon the mixture into the lined tray. Level the top and press down well with the back of a spoon or a palette knife. It's important to squish the mixture down firmly so that the muesli bars stick together well.
Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Leave in the tin, but mark into 12 bars (or squares) with a knife whilst the mixture it hot. This will make them much easier to cut.
Once cool, remove them from the tray and cut them through fully.
Storage
These healthy sugar-free muesli bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. They are great for meal prep.
Why not make a batch so you've got some healthy snacks on hand during the week?
Muesli bars can also be frozen. Wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months.
These homemade muesli bars are a healthy option. They are made with whole grain oats and nuts for protein, and they have no refined sugar. They are also additive-free, and there's no high fructose corn syrup, which is common in store-bought bars.
These healthy muesli bars are great for a quick breakfast on the go, and have a good balance of protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates. However, there's only 200 calories in a bar and if you've got a busy day on the go, you may find this is not enough. Personally, I'd supplement them with some fruit and high-protein Greek yogurt, or a high protein smoothie.
Other healthy sugar free snacks
You might also like to try these other healthy snacks. They are all free from refined sugar.
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Recipe
Healthy Muesli Bars
Equipment
- 20 x 20cm baking tin
- baking paper
- saucepan
Ingredients
- 200 g oats
- 100 g nuts unsalted, unroasted nuts of choice
- 20 g sunflower seeds
- 100 g honey
- 100 g peanut butter
- 20 g coconut oil or another healthy oil
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
Instructions
- Line a 20x20 cm baking tray with baking paper, leaving some extra paper on the sides so that you can easily remove the bars from the tray. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees (140 fan).
- Place the peanut butter, coconut oil and honey in a large pan and melt together over a low heat. Remove from the heat as soon as the mixture has melted.
- Roughly chop the nuts. Add to the pan along with the oats, sunflower seeds and ground cinnamon. Mix together thoroughly.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Level with the back of a spoon, and press the mixture firmly into the tin.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove the tin from the oven and mark the muesli bars into 12 bars or squares whilst still warm. Leave to cool in the tin.
- Once cool, remove from the tin and cut fully into 12 pieces.
Notes
- You can use whichever nuts you prefer as long as they are unsalted and unroasted. I like to use a mix of different types of nuts so that there's a mix of nutrients and flavours.
- Sunflower seeds can be substituted with other types of seeds or additional nuts.
- Add 80-100g dried fruit if liked - sultanas, dates, dried cranberries, figs and apricots all work well.
- Coconut oil can be replaced with other healthy oil or an extra spoonful of peanut butter.
- For gluten-free muesli bars, use certified gluten-free oats. For vegan bars, use maple syrup or agave in place of honey.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
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