These bars are chewy, naturally sweet, seed-filled snack bars made from the ingredients shown in your image. The basic combination of oats, peanut butter and honey works as the binder; chilling and pressing firmly are the keys to getting bars that hold together. Similar no-bake versions use the same technique.
L
Little Healthy Life
+1
Recipe at a glance
Prep: 15 minutes
Chill: 1–2 hours
Total: about 2 hours
Yield: 10–12 bars
Difficulty: Easy
Method: No-bake
Texture: Chewy, slightly crunchy
Storage: Refrigerator recommended
Ingredients
Main ingredients
Ingredient Amount Approx. weight
Rolled oats 1 cup 80–90 g
Peanut butter ½ cup 120–130 g
Honey ⅓ cup 110–115 g
Pumpkin seeds/pepitas ¼ cup 30–35 g
Dried cranberries ¼ cup 35–40 g
Unsweetened shredded coconut ¼ cup 20–25 g
Optional but recommended
These aren’t clearly listed in the image, but they improve flavor:
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp cinnamon
Small pinch of salt
You can also add 1–2 tbsp chia seeds or ground flaxseed if desired. Similar recipes use these additions for extra fiber and texture.
L
Little Healthy Life
Full Step-by-Step Recipe
1. Prepare the pan
Line an 8 × 8-inch (20 × 20 cm) square pan with parchment/baking paper.
Leave some paper hanging over two sides. This will act as handles for removing the finished slab.
2. Prepare the cranberries
If your dried cranberries are large, roughly chop them.
This is important because very large pieces can create gaps in the mixture and make the bars crumble.
3. Combine the dry ingredients
Place in a large bowl:
1 cup rolled oats
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup shredded coconut
Mix thoroughly.
Tip: For a more flavorful bar, lightly toast the oats, pumpkin seeds and coconut in a dry pan over low-medium heat for about 3–5 minutes. Let them cool before proceeding.
4. Warm the peanut butter and honey
Add:
½ cup peanut butter
⅓ cup honey
to a small saucepan.
Heat over low heat, stirring constantly until the peanut butter becomes smooth and the honey is incorporated.
Do not boil the mixture.
If using them, stir in:
½ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
A warm peanut-butter/honey mixture makes it much easier to coat the oats evenly.
L
Little Healthy Life
+1
5. Combine
Pour the warm peanut-butter mixture over the dry ingredients.
Mix with a sturdy spatula until every oat, seed, cranberry and coconut flake is coated.
The mixture should be sticky and hold together when squeezed.
If it seems too dry:
Add 1 tablespoon peanut butter or honey at a time.
If it seems too wet:
Add a little more rolled oats.
6. Transfer to the pan
Put the mixture into the parchment-lined pan.
Spread it evenly.
7. PRESS VERY FIRMLY
This is the most important step.
Place another sheet of parchment over the mixture and press down firmly using:
the bottom of a glass,
measuring cup,
flat spatula, or
your hands.
Compact the mixture especially well around the corners and edges.
Poorly compressed bars are much more likely to fall apart.
M
moayerisaffron.com
+1
8. Chill
Refrigerate for at least 1–2 hours.
For especially firm bars, you can chill them overnight.
9. Cut
Lift the chilled slab out using the parchment handles.
Place on a cutting board.
Use a sharp knife to cut into:
10 large bars
12 medium bars, or
16 small snack bars
For cleaner cuts, keep the bars cold while cutting.
Storage
Refrigerator
Store in an airtight container for approximately 1 week for best quality.
Freezer
Wrap individual bars and freeze for approximately 2–3 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
No-bake granola-bar recipes commonly recommend refrigeration for firmness and longer storage.
T
The Real Food Dietitians
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ALLERGEN & “NUT” INFORMATION
This is particularly important for this recipe.
Peanut — YES, contains peanut
The recipe contains ½ cup peanut butter.
Peanuts are not botanically tree nuts; they are legumes. However, peanut is a major food allergen, so someone with a peanut allergy should not eat the standard recipe.
Also check the peanut-butter label for:
“May contain tree nuts” / “processed in a facility with…”
if cross-contact is a concern.
Tree nuts — Not intentionally included
The recipe shown does not contain:
almonds
cashews
walnuts
pistachios
pecans
hazelnuts
macadamia nuts
Brazil nuts
But: coconut requires special consideration.
Coconut — important allergy note
Coconut is botanically a fruit (drupe) rather than a conventional tree nut, but some food-allergy labeling systems and manufacturers treat coconut separately or associate it with tree-nut warnings.
Therefore, if someone has a severe tree-nut/coconut allergy, check the exact coconut product and follow their allergist’s advice.
Pumpkin seeds — NOT nuts
Pumpkin seeds/pepitas are seeds, not tree nuts.
However, they can still cause an allergy in some people, and cross-contact is possible during processing.
Oats — gluten/cross-contact consideration
Plain oats themselves do not naturally contain gluten, but ordinary oats can become contaminated with wheat, barley or rye during growing, processing or packaging.
For someone with celiac disease or strict gluten avoidance, use oats specifically labeled certified gluten-free. This is also recommended by other granola-bar recipes when gluten cross-contact matters.
C
Crosby Foods
Honey
Honey is not vegan.
For a vegan version, replace honey with a suitable plant-based syrup such as maple syrup, although the texture may change slightly.
Dried cranberries
Check the package if you have sensitivities to:
sulfites/preservatives
added sugar
artificial colors
Some dried cranberries contain added sugar because fresh cranberries are naturally quite tart.
Peanut-Free Version
If you want nut-free/peanut-free bars, replace the peanut butter with:
Best option
Sunflower-seed butter — ½ cup
This keeps the creamy consistency and binding function.
Other possibilities include:
tahini — sesame allergy must be considered
pumpkin-seed butter
other suitable seed butter
Sunflower butter is commonly recommended as a peanut-free substitute in no-bake bars.
S
Stephanie Kay Nutrition
Important: If these are for someone with a serious allergy, use ingredients specifically labeled for the required allergen-free environment; simply changing peanut butter does not automatically make the whole recipe allergy-safe.
Optional Variations
Chocolate cranberry
Add ¼ cup mini chocolate chips after the warm mixture has cooled slightly.
Extra protein
Add:
Oats — gluten/cross-contact consideration
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
or a small amount of suitable protein powder
You may need an additional spoonful of peanut/seed butter if the mixture becomes dry.
Chocolate topping
Spread melted dark chocolate over the chilled bars and refrigerate until set.
Extra crunchy
Toast the oats and pumpkin seeds before mixing.
Less sweet
Reduce the dried cranberries and use a slightly smaller amount of honey, but don’t reduce the binder too aggressively or the bars may not hold together.
Approximate Nutrition
Using standard ingredient values, the whole batch is roughly 1,800–1,900 calories.
If cut into 10 bars, approximately:
Nutrient Per bar
Calories ~180–190 kcal
Protein ~5–6 g
Carbohydrates ~25–27 g
Fat ~8–9 g
Fiber ~2–3 g
Sugar ~11–13 g
These are estimates, not laboratory nutrition facts. The numbers can change considerably depending on the peanut butter, honey, cranberry and coconut brands.
Recipe Q&A
Why are my bars falling apart?
Usually one of three things:
The mixture doesn’t contain enough binder.
The ingredients weren’t coated thoroughly.
The mixture wasn’t pressed firmly enough.
Fix: Warm a little additional peanut butter and honey, mix it in, then press extremely firmly and chill again.
Why are my bars too soft?
Put them back in the refrigerator for several hours.
Warm temperatures also soften peanut-butter-based bars. Keeping them refrigerated produces firmer bars.
Can I bake them?
Yes, but that changes this from a no-bake recipe into a baked granola bar. If you want the soft, chewy texture pictured, refrigeration is preferable.
Can I use quick oats?
You can, but old-fashioned rolled oats generally provide a better texture and structure for these bars.
Can I use crunchy peanut butter?
Absolutely. It gives the bars additional peanut pieces and crunch.
Can I use natural peanut butter?
Yes. Stir it very well first, particularly if the oil has separated.
Can I replace honey?
Yes. Maple syrup is the easiest alternative, although honey generally provides stronger stickiness. Vegan no-bake versions commonly use maple syrup in place of honey.
A
Axxam Kitchen
Can children eat these?
They can be a convenient snack, but peanut allergy is a major consideration. For young children, also cut the bars into appropriately sized pieces and supervise eating.
Are these actually “granola bars”?
Yes, in the broad sense: they’re oat-based snack bars bound with a sweet/sticky ingredient. They are closer to no-bake energy/granola bars than a crisp commercial granola bar.
Can I make them without coconut?
Yes. Replace the ¼ cup coconut with another ¼ cup of oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or another ingredient suitable for your dietary requirements.
My recommended version
For the best balance of taste + texture + easy handling, I’d make the pictured recipe with:
1 cup rolled oats + ½ cup creamy peanut butter + ⅓ cup honey + ¼ cup pumpkin seeds + ¼ cup chopped dried cranberries + ¼ cup unsweetened coconut + ½ tsp vanilla + ¼ tsp cinnamon + pinch of salt.
With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.
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