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Meet your new favorite snack bar…crisp, golden, and honey-sweet with that satisfying snap. These homemade oats ’n honey bars deliver the Nature Valley vibe, just fresher and a little more cozy from your own oven.
They mix up fast, bake toasty, and keep well for the week. Perfect for lunch boxes, hikes, or an afternoon pick-me-up with tea.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Classic oats + honey flavor with serious crunch.
- Pantry ingredients, quick prep, and easy to customize.
Ingredient Notes
Oats: Rolled oats = chunkier texture and more crunch; quick oats = finer, maybe less crumbly
Honey: Use a mild, light honey for a clean flavor; strong varietals taste more floral/robust (still delish, just different).
Fat (butter or oil): Butter adds flavor; neutral oil can bake a touch crisper.
Salt: Even a small pinch sharpens the honey and controls sweetness.
Add-ins (optional): Sesame seeds, finely chopped nuts, or a sprinkle of cinnamon change texture/flavor.
The story behind the recipe
It’s snowing non-stop here. And to think two days ago I thought maybe spring might come a little earlier up here in the mountains.
Yeah, right. Those days of awesome sunshine and 30 degrees temps were short. Too short.
My die hard snowboarder brothers are pretty happy. Apparently, it was a major pow, pow day (Pow, pow is a lot of snow. I asked, they rolled their eyes.).
Ah, welcome to my life. Snowboard talk 24/7. Most the time I have no idea what everyone is talking about. I am in my own world thinking about Flourless Chocolate Cakes, Spring Pasta and those cute as can be Easter straws I got at Target thanks to Jessica.
So I tuned out the snowboard talk and day dreamed about Florida and palm trees and 80 degree weather. All while I stood by the heater (that is duct taped together, because the neck broke in half, jimmy rigged I think my dad calls it) that never leaves my side (never) and made granola bars.
Copy cat Nature Valley Oats ‘n Honey bars. They are the real deal.
My family loves these bars and I wanted to see if I could replicate them.
Mission accomplished! Oh, and they are SO easy. Like you need nine simple ingredients that you probably have on hand right now, five minutes of prep time and a little love from the oven. Then your golden! Literally they come out all golden and your kitchen will smell AMAZING. The smell alone is reason enough to make these.
Seriously, they are healthy, easy and in my opinion way better than the store-bought! Make yum today and eat them as a snack all week long!
Tieghan’s Tips
Line with parchment: Use parchment with overhang so the slab lifts out cleanly.
Press firmly: Pack the mixture very tightly with the flat bottom of a measuring cup. The tighter the pack, the crisper the slice.
Bake to color, not time: Pull when the edges are deep golden and the surface looks set and toasty; pale bars = softer, crumblier.
Cool completely in the pan: Let them cool until room temp and firm before lifting. Warm bars can fall apart.
Score before slicing: Lightly score the surface while barely warm for cleaner breaks, then finish slicing when fully cool.
Optional finish: A light drizzle of melted chocolate is a great idea
How do I keep them extra crisp like the packaged bars?
Press the mixture very firmly and bake until the edges are deep golden. Let the slab cool fully in the pan before slicing so it sets.
Why are my bars crumbling when I cut them?
They were likely sliced while warm or not packed tightly enough. Score gently while just warm, then finish cutting once completely cool.
Can I use quick oats instead of old-fashioned?
Yes, but the texture changes…quick oats make a finer, less chunky bar that can hold together a bit better. Rolled oats give that classic toasty bite.
Can I swap the honey?
Maple or agave will work for a vegan version, but the flavor is different and bars may be slightly less crisp. Choose a mild honey!
Just Like Nature Valley’s Oats ‘n Honeys Bars…..Actually they
Servings: 6 bars
Calories Per Serving: 243 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup rolled oats use gluten free oats for a gluten free version
- 1/2 cup rice crispies cereal
- 3 tablespoons cornmeal
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or I like to sometimes use coconut oil
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 9×9 inch square pyrex dish with parchment paper.
- Combine the oats, rice crispies, cornmeal, salt and baking soda in a medium size mixing bowl. In a glass measuring cup or microwave safe bowl mix the honey and canola (or coconut oil). Place in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir to melt the coconut butter then add the vanilla and brown sugar. Whisk to combine and then mix the wet with the dry ingredients. Transfer the oat mixture to the prepared pyrex dish that is lined with parchment paper, and press down hard. I used the back of a measuring cup (spray or oil the bottom so it does not stick and press hard!) and it worked awesome!
- Place in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The bars will be golden on top. Remove the bars (if your bars seem a little loose, I like to push down again on them to make sure the bars will hold together) and let the bars cool in the pan for 10-20 minutes then remove from the pan and then cut while the bars are firm, but still somewhat soft. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in a sealed container or wrapped in plastic wrap.
Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie
Maybe the spring forward will bring some spring weather. Hey, I can hope. Right?
Shared with: Inside BruCru Life, Lil Luna, Chef In Training, Buns In my Oven, Foodie Friday Friends, Tidy Mom, Taste and Tell, Cheerios and Lattes, Somewhat Simple, Mom on Timeout, I Heart Nap Time, Fine Craft Guide, The Country Cook, Whipperberry, Chef In Training
This post was originally published on March 10, 2013
Yeah!!! I love making things I love homemade. I just pinned these and will be making them. Why buy them if you can make them better yourself? Thanks for this!
I totally agree! Thanks for pinning!
These look amazing!!!! I wanted to ask if you tried adding other things to them like dried fruit or cut up almonds?
No, I have not. I would think a small amount of either though would work fine!
These look so good! I definitely want to make them.
We love Nature’s Valley granola bars too. So excited to try this version!
Totally pinning for later! Thanks for sharing! Also I would have had to ask about the “pow pow” too haha 🙂
Thanks for pinning!
Heavenly! I am a granola bar addict! Thanks for Sharing at Show Me Your Plaid Monday’s!
Oh my gosh, those look exactly the same! I adore those bars and just bought a big box from Costco. Would love to be able to make these myself. Pinning!
Thanks for pinning!
These look so yummy. I just bought a box of these. I need to make these instead. Thanks for the recipe. Just pinned it!
Thanks for pinning!
These look amazing! I am pinning as I am a big fan of the store-bought versions!
Thanks for pinning!
They are better than the boxed ones! I cut them while warm and then let them cool to a crisp. I think if I waited, they would have all broke. Thanks for the inspiration!
Glad you liked them!
So excited to see a recipe for these bars! Thanks for sharing, I look forward to making them.
DELICIOUS! I made this today and omg…sooooooooooo good! My 13 year son can’t get enough. I’m going to blog tomorrow with pics and a link to your site. Thanks so much. Love your recipes!
~Carly
YA!
LOVE these! We eat a lot of those around here and if they can be made at home, they’re way cheaper!! Thanks for the recipe!
The ingredients says oil, the directions say butter……which did you use?
Oh, geez I have done this twice now! Use coconut oil. Sorry, about that!
Thanks!
I have an intollerance to Corn, so I can’t use cornflour, can I substitute it for something else?
Hey Annie!
You can swap in whole wheat flour or I have even left it out and the bars turn out pretty much just the same! Hope this helps and I hope you love these!
You could replace it with corn meal.
I mean, flax meal.
Lovely recipe. Thanks!
@Andrea: Thanks for the flax meal suggestion! It’s healthy and sounds like a perfect substitute!
Hope you love these and let me know how the flax goes!
I did one batch as directed and the corn meal was a little much for me so I replaced it this time with graham cracker crumbs. They are cooling right this minute.
We finally got a break from the snow here in Central New York this weekend. It’s the warmest it’s been in a while! I love those NV bars (messy as they are), so I’m excited about this recipe. I’m sure your homemade version is 10x better.