Easy Keto Peanut Butter Granola Bars (no-bake dairy-free)

With these keto granola bars, grabbing a quick snack to fuel up has never been easier.

Even better? This is a keto granola bar that is sugar free, gluten free, and there is no baking required! If you LOVE peanut butter and are looking for a chewy sugar-free granola bar then this recipe is for you!

You might also want to take a look at the best high-protein breakfast ideas (that will keep you full). They are delicious and perfect for breakfast meal prep.

Are granola bars keto?

Typically, no. Most granola bars are loaded with ingredients that negatively impact your blood sugar levels like oatmeal, sugar, preservatives, and sweetened fruit.

However, if you love granola bars, you’re in luck! These low carb granola bars are developed specifically to be keto-friendly!

This granola bars recipe is made with peanut butter that has no sugar added. To add that sweet flavor, we’ll skip the sugar and instead sweeten these bars with your favorite keto-friendly sweetener.

Plus, these sugar free granola bars are made with a variety of heart-healthy nuts and seeds. There are absolutely no oats or grains in this granola bar recipe, making them paleo-friendly as well.

This keto granola bar is best compared to chewy nut bars you can buy at many stores but without preservatives and added sugars.

Do you prefer protein balls? We just added these quick no-bake protein balls too. The crushed macadamia nuts and pumpkin seeds add the perfect level of crunch.

🥘 Ingredients

You can use any variety of nuts and seeds to make these granola bars, but keep in mind that each nut and seed will have varying levels of carbohydrates and fiber. So keep this in mind when selecting which type of nuts and seed to use.

You can mix and match what you use to make keto granola bars, but in the end you’ll need 2 cups total of nuts and seeds.

I chose to use pecans, almonds, and pumpkin seeds to make my keto granola bars.

I also added unsweetened coconut in these keto granola bars. It’s used to add fiber and fat, and also helps keep the bars together when mixed with nut butter and coconut oil.

Some other ingredients could include:

• sugar free chocolate chips
• flakes of dark chocolate
• sea salt
• almond butter

🔪 Instructions

Now let’s talk about how to make keto granola bars! In a large mixing bowl mix together the granola bar recipe. You’ll need nuts, seeds, shredded coconut, and sweetener.

Next, melt the peanut butter and coconut oil in the microwave for 30 seconds then mix it into your nuts and seeds.

Pour your low carb keto granola bars mix into a square 9×9 inch pan that has been lined with baking parchment paper. Spread the granola recipe evenly in the pan with a flat spatula and firmly press the mixture down.

Place your granola in the freezer to harden before cutting it into 18 pieces.

⏲️ Chill time

You will need to let your homemade granola bars cool completely and harden in the freezer for at least an hour before cutting them into bars.

The longer they chill in the freezer the better the nuts and seeds will stick together to create a solid and firm chewy nut bar. I tend to let my granola bars harden overnight, I find that they are easier to cut when fully frozen.

🍽 Toppings

After you have cut your granola bars you can decorate your homemade granola bars with a drizzle of peanut butter or melted sugar-free dark chocolate if you desire.

The best way I have found to add a nut butter drizzle without adding more calories or carbs is to reserve a spoonful of peanut butter and sweetener in a separate small bowl before mixing up my granola bars.

You can also swap this out for another nut butter such as almond butter.

Once you are ready to add the drizzle mix up the reserved peanut butter and sweetener, melt it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds, and then drizzle it over the healthy granola bars. The drizzle will harden as it touches the frozen bars.

Chewy vs crunchy

Since these keto granola bars are no-bake they are chewy. Some of the peanut butter settles at the bottom while hardening to make the bottom coated with nut butter. Yum!

If you prefer a harder, crunchier keto granola bar recipe, you will need to bake the granola in the oven. Bake your bars at 180C/350F for 15-20 minutes. This should make your nut bars crunchier.

Personally, I’m a fan of chewy granola bars!

How to cut the carbs

The best way to reduce the carbs even further for these bars is to cut them into 36 pieces instead of 18.

Your granola will be more like bites than bars, but they still make a tasty sweet treat if you need to satisfy a sweet tooth and need a little fuel.

You can also opt to use the lowest carb nuts and seeds rather than higher carb varieties such as cashews to keep these gluten free keto bars in line with your way of eating.

📋 Substitutions

There are a few substitutions you can make in the recipe. Any nuts and seed combination can be used to make the granola.

If you are allergic to nuts feel free to use a variety of seeds instead of nuts. Any nut or seed butter can be used in place of peanut butter.

The shredded coconut can be substituted for smaller seeds like chia, flax, or sesame. You can also use finely chopped nuts in place of the coconut, it just needs to be small enough to fill in the gaps between the larger nuts. This helps your sugar free granola bars to stick together without large gaps.

Coconut oil can be replaced with another type of oil that hardens or butter. Whatever you use needs to solidify when chilled. You cannot use liquid oils such as coconut oil or olive oil.

🌡️ Storage

How you store your keto granola bars will depend on the weather and climate where you live. In the colder months, you can store your granola bars on the countertop in an air-tight container. During the warmer months, you will want to store your granola bars in the refrigerator or freezer.

Your bars will stay fresh on the counter for up to a week or 2 weeks in the refrigerator. I usually store my granola bars in the freezer because they will stay fresh for 2-3 months when frozen. Enjoy!