Chewy Honey Lemon Chia Granola Bars

Honey Lemon Chia Granola Bars- made with rolled oats and crunchy almonds, these chewy granola bars are packed full of healthy fats and fiber! 

Chewy Honey Lemon Chia Granola Bars- made with rolled oats and crunchy almonds, these chewy granola bars are packed full of healthy fats and fiber! 

It’s the return of the all mighty chia seed! Bursting with antioxidants, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein, it’s one little seed that’s hard to beat.

If you’re like me, you might have a few jars or maybe even a super huge bag burning a whole in your pantry. It can be hard to figure out what to do with them sometimes, right?

I don’t like to use whole chia seeds as an egg replacer for baking because, in my opinion, there’s a time and a place for that tiny crunchy texture and it’s not in my muffins. Granola bars, on the other hand, are something I’ll happily enjoy crunching my way through.

Honey Lemon Chia Granola Bars- made with rolled oats and crunchy almonds, these chewy granola bars are packed full of healthy fats and fiber! 

These were actually inspired by the Honey Almond Chia Granola recipe that I shared a while ago. A reader asked how she could make that recipe into granola bars so I wrote it down on the to-make list and finally got around to making them.

Most of the ingredients are similar except I decided to leave out the egg whites so that it would be a no-bake recipe and also replaced the coconut oil with almond butter to keep them oil-free. The only difference with the bars is the addition of lemon zest which gives them a fresh citrus flavor that pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the honey.

Honey Lemon Chia Granola Bars- made with rolled oats and crunchy almonds, these chewy granola bars are packed full of healthy fats and fiber! 

Honey Lemon Chia Granola Bars- made with rolled oats and crunchy almonds, these chewy granola bars are packed full of healthy fats and fiber! 

How to Make Honey Lemon Chia Granola Bars

As you can see in the photos above, there a just a few steps to making them!

  1. Combine the oats, chia seeds, coconut, chopped almonds, and lemon zest in a large bowl.
  2. Melt the honey and almond butter together in a saucepan. Stir to combine, then add the vanilla and salt.
  3. Pour the honey almond butter mixture over the ingredients in the large bowl then toss until everything is evenly coated.
  4. In a lined baking dish, add the mixture then (using a pastry roller) roll until the top is even and flat.
  5. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, then cut into bars and enjoy!

Honey Lemon Chia Granola Bars- made with rolled oats and crunchy almonds, these chewy granola bars are packed full of healthy fats and fiber! 

Looking for more granola bar recipes? Check these out:

Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Honey Lemon Chia Granola Bars

Honey Lemon Chia Granola Bars- made with rolled oats and crunchy almonds, these chewy granola bars are packed full of healthy fats and fiber!
Prep Time15 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups rolled oats, or quick cooking oats
  • 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup chia seeds
  • 1 lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup raw honey
  • 1/2 cup almond butter, see notes
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, omit if almond butter is salted

Instructions

  • Line an 8 x 8” baking dish with parchment paper then set aside.
  • In a large bowl, add the oats, coconut, almonds, chia seeds and lemon zest. Toss to combine.
  • In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the honey and almond butter together. Stir until combined then remove from heat and immediately stir in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.
  • Pour the honey and almond butter mixture into the large bowl and stir everything until well-combined. 
  • Quickly transfer the mixture to the lined baking dish and then use your hands (with a piece of parchment paper underneath) or a spatula to firmly press out to the sides. If you have a small pastry roller, that will help to flatten the top for perfectly shaped bars but it’s not necessary.
  • Place the baking dish in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours (ideally up to 4 hours), until firm. Use parchment paper to lift it out of the baking dish then slice into 12 separate bars. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container with parchment paper in between the bars to keep from sticking. Refrigerate for up to 1 week. 

Notes

I have only tested this recipe using almond butter that has oil added to it (since that is what we usually buy) so I'm not sure if a pure almond butter would work the same. If this is the kind of almond butter you usually have on hand, please let us know if you give it a try!
This is the pastry roller I have. It's great for making perfectly shaped granola bars.

Nutrition

Calories: 266kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Sodium: 6mg, Potassium: 234mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin C: 0.9mg, Calcium: 105mg, Iron: 1.9mg
Course: Snack
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!