There is a dizzying array of bars of all kinds in the shops, all shouting ‘natural!’, ‘high protein!’, 'packed with fibre!’, wrapped in hues of green and brown, vaguely suggesting that brown and green stuff will be healthy. So why should we make any cereal, granola or oat bars at home?
First, because it will be better value. That ‘super berry’ and ‘protein boost’ doesn’t come cheap. Secondly, a lot of them taste really, truly disgusting, especially the vegan and ‘raw’ ones. And thirdly – they can scream ‘healthy’ all they want, but if you read the labels, you’ll find stuff that qualifies them as ultra processed rather than healthy foods.
Plus, let’s be honest: even if you call them protein bars, they are just glorified flapjacks because the protein in them comes from oats and nuts used for their making. And however much you’ll protest, you don’t reach for one because you want to boost your gut health – it’s because you fancy a guilt-free snack.
So considering that anything home baked is miles better (and more often than not tastier) than shop-bought, why not bake a batch of bars, squares or slices, using good ingredients and having one or two for breakfast or as a treat? Here’s my collection of delicious and easy granola bars.
Gorgeous oat crumble breakfast bars with plum and cinnamon filling are great for your sweet tooth breakfast or as a sweet-but-healthy snack. Damsons are the best type of plum for these bakes, but you can swap them for dried soft apricots.
Plum crumble breakfast bars
RECIPE
My most loved and the oldest breakfast bar recipe, super easy and extremely rewarding oat and dried fruit bars. Perfect for breakfast or as a mid-morning snack when it's just a little too early for lunch.
Oat and dried fruit bars
RECIPE
When you get tired of oats for breakfast, reach for dry rice flakes aka poha. Rice flake breakfast bars are lightly sweetened with maple syrup and apricot jam topping, with lots of fibre good for your gut.
Rice flake breakfast bars
RECIPE
Flapjacks are my snack of choice when I go hiking. This is my copycat recipe of Graze Lemon Blueberry Superfood Flapjacks - only better, naturally flavoured with lemon juice and zest, with freeze-dried blueberries.
Lemon and blueberry flapjack
RECIPE
These squares are not strictly granola as they don’t contain oats, but instead they are crammed with nuts (protein) and dates (fibre and antioxidants). They are based on a Filipino recipe (deservedly) nicknamed ‘food for the gods’.
Who says cereal bars must be sweet? Here’s a very savoury example of how excellent oats are in a cracker, a salty kind of biscuit. With blue cheese and a small addition of rye flour, they are a moreish snack.
Blue cheese and oat biscuits
RECIPE
And how could we neglect to mention oatcakes, that super virtuous biscuit which personally I’m quite addicted to? Gluten-free and low in sugar, oatmeal biscuits are good for your gut and easy to make: just stir all the ingredients together, spoon onto trays and bake.
Granola clusters are rustic bars, baked as a sheet then broken up, and these are tasty enough to nibble on all day. One overripe banana, a good handful of mixed nuts and we’re in business.
Banana nut granola clusters
RECIPE
Balls rather than bars, but these carrot cake flavour energy bites are truly wonderful. No-bake, no sugar, no nonsense snacks, satisfyingly filling and easier to make than mud cakes.
Carrot cake energy balls
RECIPE
Another flapjack, this one is soft and chewy, buttery and very lightly sticky. It’s flavoured with orange and ginger but you can add in fruit, coconut or chocolate chips. If you prefer your flapjack crunchy and brittle, bake it five minutes longer.
Orange and ginger flapjack
RECIPE