These healthier 3 ingredient homemade granola bars for toddlers are absolutely delicious, involve very few ingredients and require only 5 minutes of prep time! They are packed in nutrients from the oats and peanut butter and they are perfect to make ahead for the week!
If you love this recipe and you're looking for some more toddler make-ahead meal and snack ideas, you will love my 4 ingredient breakfast cookies, easy banana pancakes, healthier mcgriddle bites or my cottage cheese strawberry muffins.
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Ingredients
- Nut Butter or Seed Butter of Choice:I used a natural, drippy, 2 ingredient peanut butter for this recipe.
- Honey
- Quick Oats
- Mini Chocolate Chips (optional)
- Dye-Free Sprinkles (optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Add your nut butter or seed butter to a medium microwaveable bowl along with some honey. Mix until everything is well combined and then place in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Once heated, stir again (it should be easier to combine once heated through).
- Next, add in your quick oats. Mix until everything is well combined and your quick oats are fully coated with the honey and nut or seed butter mixture. If adding chocolate chips, allow a couple of minutes for the mixture to cool a bit, otherwise the chocolate chips will melt in.
- Once your mixture has slightly cooled, add in half of your mix-ins (chocolate chips and/or sprinkles), if using. Mix again until everything is well combined and then place into a parchment lined 9x9 baking pan. Use a spoon or a rubber baking spatula to press down the mixture into an even layer into the pan. Add in the other half of your mix-ins on top and press down gently into the top of the mixture.
- Place in the fridge for 1 hour. Remove the mixture from the baking pan gently and place on a cutting board. Use a large chef's knife to slice the set mixture in half and then cut in the opposite direction every 1" inch to create 12 granola sized bars.Enjoy! Store leftovers into an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week!
Hint: If you are using a natural, drippy nut or seed butter, make sure that you fully combine and stir the mixture before using. If possible, use a new container of nut or seed butter so that the mixture is not too dry and you can easily combine everything!
Substitutions
- Gluten-free: make sure to use certified gluten-free oatmeal to make this recipe gluten-free. Always check packaged items to make sure there is no cross-contamination.
- Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free chocolate chips (if using as a mix-in) to make sure this recipe is dairy-free!
This recipe is vegetarian on its own.
Variations
This recipe is already toddler and kid friendly on it's own!
Make sure not to use honey with babies younger than 1 year.
Equipment
These homemade granola bars for toddlers require only a couple of pieces of equipment.
- Medium Microwaveable Bowl
- 9x9 Baking Pan
- Microwave
Storage
These homemade granola bars can be prepared ahead of time and great for meal prep! Store them into an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months! Thaw and enjoy!
FAQ
Absolutely! You can mix in ingredients like dried fruit (e.g., raisins, cranberries), seeds (e.g., chia, flax), or nuts if you'd like. Just make sure the added ingredients are appropriate for your toddler's age and chewing abilities.
If your granola bars are crumbly, try adding a bit more peanut butter or honey to the mixture. Make sure to press the mixture down firmly into the pan to help them hold together.
To make the granola bars less sweet, reduce the amount of honey or chocolate chips in the recipe. You can also use unsweetened chocolate chips or omit them entirely.
Toddler Friendly
Looking for other toddler recipes like this? Try these:
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Homemade Granola Bars for Toddlers
Equipment
- 1 Microwaveable Bowl
- 1 9x9 Baking Pan
- 1 Microwave
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Nut Butter or Seed Butter of Choice I used a natural drippy, 2 ingredient peanut butter for this recipe.
- ¼ Cup Honey
- 2 Cups Quick Oats
- ¼ Cups Mini Chocolate Chips optional, divided
- 2 Tablespoons Dye-Free Sprinkles optional, divided
Instructions
- Add your nut butter or seed butter to a medium microwaveable bowl along with some honey. Mix until everything is well combined and then place in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Once heated, stir again (it should be easier to combine once heated through).
- Next, add in your quick oats. Mix until everything is well combined and your quick oats are fully coated with the honey and nut or seed butter mixture. If adding chocolate chips, allow a couple of minutes for the mixture to cool a bit, otherwise the chocolate chips will melt in.
- Once your mixture has slightly cooled, add in half of your mix-ins (chocolate chips and/or sprinkles), if using. Mix again until everything is well combined and then place into a parchment lined 9x9 baking pan. Use a spoon or a rubber baking spatula to press down the mixture into an even layer into the pan. Add the other half of your mix-ins on top and press down gently into the top of the mixture.
- Place in the fridge for 1 hour. Remove the mixture from the baking pan gently and place on a cutting board. Use a large chef's knife to slice the set mixture in half and then cut in the opposite direction every 1" inch to create 12 granola sized bars. Enjoy! Store leftovers into an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week!
Notes
Nutrition
FOOD SAFETY
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
Carina says
Absolutely delicious!!!!!
christina.klapper says
Awe thanks carina!!!! I’m so glad you love them!
Kristen Fadale says
These are delish! Just made my second batch and we can’t get enough of them. I also have no toddlers 🤣😂
christina.klapper says
Bahahah!!!! I make them more for me than my toddler too haha! So glad you loved them and thank you so much for leaving a review!!! Means so much!
Jo says
Can you use whole oats instead?
christina.klapper says
Hey Jo! I haven’t tried this but I believe it should work just fine! It may need a little more PB / honey but you can try it out and see!
Leeann Huckaby says
So very delicious! A family fave. My toddlers are picky but they eat these! And if I gotta add some sprinkles just so they’ll actually eat them, then by all means lol. Thanks!
Krist says
Can I cook in the oven instead ?
christina.klapper says
Hey Krist,
this does not need to be cooked at all!
Rachel says
I would heat it in a sauce pan if you don’t use a microwave.
Nicole says
Scrumptious! We only had PB on hand and maybe that’s the difference, but we used only about 1 1/4c oats