If you love warm fall spices, chewy dried apples, and crunchy nuts, these no-bake apple granola bars are about to become your new favorite snack. They’re naturally sweetened, gluten-free, and packed with wholesome ingredients—perfect for meal prep, school lunches, or a quick bite on the go!
Looking for other granola recipes to try? Try this vanilla almond granola, grain-free granola, or healthy pumpkin spice granola next.
These bars are made with simple, real ingredients like pecans, almonds, oats, dried apples, and cinnamon, all held together with creamy nut butter, coconut oil, and pure maple syrup. There’s no refined sugar, no dairy, and no baking required—just mix, press, chill, and enjoy!
Why You’ll Love These Apple Granola Bars
✔ No baking required – Just mix, press, and chill!
✔ Naturally sweetened – Made with maple syrup and dried apples for the perfect amount of sweetness.
✔ Soft, chewy, and slightly crunchy – The best texture in every bite!
✔ Great for meal prep – They store beautifully in the fridge or freezer.
✔ Customizable – Swap out the nuts, add chocolate chips, or mix in extra spices!
Eating a granola bar like this one is definitely healthy for your! It’s full of fiber from gluten free oats and healthy fats from nuts and nut butter. Having one of these a day is a great snack option.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe keeps things simple and wholesome—here’s what you need:
- Vanilla Extract – A touch of depth and warmth for extra flavor.
- Raw Pecans, Almonds & Cashews – The perfect nutty, crunchy base. You can swap cashews for walnuts!
- Gluten-Free Rolled Oats – Adds great texture and helps bind the bars.
- Dried Apples – Brings natural sweetness and chewiness to every bite!
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg – Warm, cozy spices that enhance the apple flavor.
- Coconut Oil – Helps hold everything together and keeps the bars soft.
- Nut Butter – Adds creaminess and richness (cashew butter is a favorite!).
- Maple Syrup – The natural sweetener that brings everything together.
If you have leftover rolled oats, make carrot cake overnight oats next!
How to Make Apple Granola Bars (No-Bake!)
1️⃣ Prepare the pan: Line an 8×8 or 9×9-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving extra on the sides for easy removal.
2️⃣ Chop the nuts: Place pecans, almonds, and cashews in a food processor and pulse 5-10 times until they’re roughly chopped (don’t overprocess—some texture is good!).
3️⃣ Mix dry ingredients: Transfer the chopped nuts to a large mixing bowl and stir in the rolled oats, cinnamon, salt, and dried apples.
4️⃣ Combine wet ingredients: In a separate small bowl, mix together the melted coconut oil, nut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth.
5️⃣ Mix & press: Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until everything is fully combined. Press the mixture firmly into the prepared pan, using your hands or the spatula to pack it tightly.
6️⃣ Chill & slice: Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 30 minutes. Once firm, remove from the pan and slice into bars.
7️⃣ Enjoy! Store in the fridge or freezer for the perfect grab-and-go snack.
Tips for the Best Granola Bars
✔ Don’t overprocess the nuts – You want small chunks, not nut flour!
✔ Press the bars firmly into the pan so they hold together well.
✔ Freeze before slicing – This helps them set and makes cutting easier.
✔ Use refined coconut oil if you don’t want a coconut flavor.
✔ Customize them! Swap nuts, add dark chocolate chips, or mix in extra dried fruit.
How to Store & Freeze
Freezer: Wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Just grab and thaw when needed!
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
More Granola Bar Recipes
- Peanut butter protein bars
- Dark chocolate coconut protein bars
- Chocolate peanut butter protein bars (vegan)
Feels like Breakfast on the Beach!
- Thick and delicious with tons of coconut flavor
- Takes 5 minutes to make
- Easy to customize with your favorite toppings
- Full of healthy fats
- Add protein powder for a complete breakfast
- Sweet tropical flavors
Love refreshing smoothies? Try this pitaya smoothie bowl, blueberry raspberry smoothie, or tropical kale smoothie next!
Why You’ll Love This Smoothie Bowl
- Thick enough to scoop with a spoon. Not a drink.
- 5 minutes from freezer to bowl.
- One blender, no extra dishes.
- Add 25g of protein with a scoop of vanilla protein powder. Full breakfast, full morning.
- Naturally Gluten-Free, Paleo, Dairy-Free, and Vegan. No swaps needed.
- Pre-portion the fruit ahead so weekday mornings are zero decisions.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Frozen banana. One whole. Banana is the texture anchor; don’t skip.
- Frozen pineapple. ¾ cup. Pre-cut from the freezer aisle works.
- Frozen mango. ½ cup. Same rule.
- Full-fat coconut milk. ⅓ cup, from the can. Shake the can well before measuring or you’ll pour off only the watery part.
- Coconut extract. Optional, ¼ teaspoon. Boosts the coconut flavor without making it taste like sunscreen. A little goes a long way.
- Vanilla protein powder. Optional, one 25g scoop. I use Be Well by Kelly because the ingredient list is short. If you add protein powder, add an extra splash of coconut milk to keep it blendable.
- Toppings. Whatever’s in the kitchen: shredded coconut, chia seeds, fresh fruit, granola, nut butter.
How to Make a Coconut Smoothie Bowl
- Add the Frozen Fruit First. Dump all the frozen into a high-speed blender. Don’t add the liquid yet. Start dry.
- Add the Liquid Slowly. Add the coconut milk, coconut extract, and protein powder if using. Blend on low first, then high. Stop and stir or tamp down as needed. If the blender stalls, add coconut milk one tablespoon at a time until it moves. Don’t drown it.
- Pour and Top. Pile the toppings on, hit it with a drizzle of nut butter or honey if you want, and serve immediately. Smoothie bowls melt fast.
Coconut Smoothie Bowl Toppings
The toppings are where you make it yours. A few that work:
- Chia seeds: crunch and fiber. Half a tablespoon goes a long way.
- Granola: crunch. Use one with chunky clusters.
- Shredded coconut or coconut flakes: doubles down on the coconut.
- Nut butter: coconut almond butter, macadamia butter, or cashew butter for a tropical feel. Warm it slightly so it drizzles.
- Extra fruit: kiwi, banana slices, mango, fresh pineapple. Sparingly, because there’s already a lot of fruit in the bowl.
- Bee pollen, hemp hearts, or cacao nibs if you want to lean health-y.
Prefer a more decadent smoothie? Try our cake batter protein shake, chocolate peanut butter protein smoothie, or chocolate and cherry smoothie.
FAQS
Too much liquid. Add more frozen fruit a handful at a time and blend until it thickens. Or remember the rule for next time: 2 parts frozen fruit to 1 part liquid, max.
Not enough liquid, fruit not chopped small enough, or the blender isn’t powerful enough. Stop, scrape the sides, tamp the fruit toward the blades, and pulse instead of running on high.
Yes. The recipe works as-is without protein powder. If you do add protein, add an extra splash of coconut milk so it blends.
Yes. With coconut milk and a plant-based protein powder, it’s naturally Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Paleo, and Vegan.
Yes. Pre-portion the frozen fruit into individual zip-top bags. In the morning, dump one bag in the blender, add coconut milk and protein powder, and blend.
Store the smoothie base (without toppings) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day. After that, it separates and loses creaminess. Give it a stir or a quick re-blend before serving.
Coconut Smoothie Bowl
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Ingredients
- 1 frozen banana
- 3/4 cup frozen pineapple
- 1/2 cup frozen mango
- 1/3 cup full fat coconut milk shaken
- 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract optional
- 1 scoop (25g) vanilla protein powder optional
- Toppings: mango, banana, granola, chia seeds, cherries, nut butter, or coconut
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a highs-speed blender. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until a smooth and thick consistency. If you don't have a high powered blender it may take a little longer or you may need to add another splash of coconut milk.1 frozen banana, 3/4 cup frozen pineapple, 1/2 cup frozen mango, 1/3 cup full fat coconut milk, 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract, 1 scoop (25g) vanilla protein powder
- Pour into a bowl and top with your favorite toppingsToppings: mango, banana, granola, chia seeds, cherries, nut butter, or coconut
Notes
- Use frozen fruit as the base.
- Start with less liquid and add more as needed to get the desired texture.
- Use a high-speed blender for best results.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tips for Thick Smoothie Bowls
- Use frozen fruit as the base.
- Start with less liquid and add more as needed.
- Use a high-speed blender for best results.
Prep and Storage Tips
Prep ahead: Pre-portion the frozen fruit into individual zip-top bags so weekday mornings are just dump-and-blend.
Storage: Store the smoothie base in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day. It separates after that.
Freezing: Store in a freezer-safe container for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight, give it a stir, and pour into the bowl.
More Smoothie Recipes
Apples Cinnamon Granola Bars
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Ingredients
- 1 cup raw pecan halves
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup raw cashews or walnuts
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 cup dried apples chopped
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted (use refined for no coconut flavor)
- 1/4 cup creamy nut butter my favorite is cashew butter
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a square baking dish (8×8 or 9×9 inch) with parchment paper along the bottom and sides, leaving extra on the sides for easy removal. Set aside.
- Place the nuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 5-10 times times to gently chop the nuts. Be careful not to overmix, so there are still some chunks left.1 cup raw pecan halves, 1 cup raw almonds, 1 cup raw cashews
- Transfer the nuts to a large mixing bowl and stir in gluten free rolled oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and dried apples.1 cup old fashioned rolled oats, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, 1 cup dried apples
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the melted coconut oil, nut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula to fully combine.1/4 cup coconut oil, 1/4 cup creamy nut butter, 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pour the granola bar mixture into prepared pan and press down using the rubber spatula or your hands to tightly pack the bars.
- Cover with plastic wrap or foil and freezer for at least 30 minutes to set. Cut into squares and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I can’t find dried apples anywhere. Is there anything I could substitute? Thanks!
You could check Amazon I think that’s where I got them! Otherwise, you could use real apples or swap any other dried fruit!