Tropical Granola Bars Recipe

These homemade granola bars are easy to make and absolutely delicious.  Plus, they’re made with only ¼ cup of sweetener.

Granola bars are amazingly versatile with nearly endless flavor possibilities.  So, as an added bonus of making your own granola bars, you get a whole new realm of granola bar flavors not sold in your supermarket.  This particular blend of pineapple, mango, and coconut captures the flavors of the tropics in a bar.

Just close your eyes, take a bite, and picture yourself under a palm tree!

Photo by Lauren Diaz/Healthful Mindful

Tropical Granola Bars

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats

• 1 cup crisp rice cereal

• ⅔ cup chopped unsweetened dried pineapple 

• ⅓ cup chopped unsweetened dried mango 

• ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut (separated)

• ¼ cup ground flaxseed

• ⅓ cup raw almond butter 

• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce

• ¼ cup coconut nectar or honey

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

• Combine the oats, rice cereal, pineapple, mango, and ⅓ cup of coconut in a large bowl. 

• In another bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients (flaxseed through salt).  Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well, until there are no dry pieces.  

• Line a 7” x 11” pan with parchment paper and lightly oil the paper.  Pour the granola bar mixture into the pan and press it down, using the bottom of a measuring cup.  Sprinkle the top with the additional tablespoon of shredded coconut and press down to adhere the coconut to the top of the bars.  

• Bake for 25 minutes. 

• Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before removing and cutting. Wrap each bar individually and store in the refrigerator.