An insanely satisfying grab and go snack for busy days: These sugar free granola bars are gently sweet and bursting with apple and cinnamon flavour. Deliciously chewy, nutty and great for making ahead.
Let me present you with a couple of scenarios.
You're running late in the morning. It's either breakfast or bed hair.
You're stuck in traffic. Since, like, forever. Your tummy is rumbling so loud you have to turn the music up. You hate that song.
You're in the office and just want to get one more thing done. It takes forever because, to be honest, who can concentrate when they're starving.
You are out with the kids. They are badgering you for pizza, donuts, candy floss. The little one has a tantrum and throws himself on the floor. You do the same.
Friends, all these situations can be saved with my apple cinnamon low carb granola bars.
Seriously. I used to buy ready-made granola bars, thinking they were a healthy choice.
If I had bothered to read labels then, I might have noticed they were basically sugar bombs. There are a small number of low carb options out there which taste good, but of course, there is a price tag that comes with them.
It was time to make my own granola bars.
Many low carb granola bar recipes use fibre syrup, which is not easily available in the UK. Therefore, I decided to use egg white and flaxseed as a binder. The apple and cinnamon give the taste and the nuts and seeds...give you the energy.
This recipe is easily customisable - you could use any nuts or seeds you have available. I found adding either hazelnuts or walnuts give the bars more depth in taste.
I don't like my food very sweet these days, so do make sure to taste the mix before baking and adjust the sweetness if necessary.
If you like a variety of low carb snack bars, don't miss these Low Carb Peanut Butter Protein Bars and my Easy Low Carb Keto Granola Bars!
Got granola on your mind now? Why not double up and make some peanut butter granola while you're at it - for those days when you CAN sit down and eat breakfast in peace.
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Apple Cinnamon Granola Bars (Low Carb and Sugar Free)
Note: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary. ***As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- ½ medium dessert apple (80g)
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp Golden Erythritol (So Nourished) or granulated sweetener of choice
- ⅓ cup flaxseed 30g
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds 30g
- ⅓ cup almonds 50g
- ⅓ cup hazelnuts 50g
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp mixed spice/pumpkin spice optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160 Celsius/320 F.
- Place all ingredients in a food processor or use the attachment of your stick blender and blend until it's mostly smooth with a few larger pieces of nuts and seeds. Taste and add more sweetness if needed.
- Flatten the mix on a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper.
- Bake 25-30 minutes.
- Let cool completely before cutting with a sharp, non-serrated knife.
Notes
Nutrition
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maria Mouhtad says
Thank you Katrin for these healthy and delicious bars. I will try them in some hours. I have all the ingredients at home.
Maria.
Maria says
Can I use Maple syrup instead of the sugar.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, that would work as well.
Cath says
Trying to work out what size tray to make these on. The mix covers about 5 x 7 inch diameter and about 1/2 inch deep. Looks like it will make about 5 bars? Does that seem right? Anyway, they are in the oven and smell delish!!! X
Katrin Nürnberger says
My mix made 5 bars, so we're on the same page!
Catherine Jones says
Next time I would blitz the nuts and seeds before adding the other ingredients, as once the stuff was wet, my blender just kept firing it up the jug and leaving the nuts unground!! Blooming thing!! I ended up adding more apple so they were bit soft, but the taste was perfect! x
Katrin Nürnberger says
That's a good tip 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
Lucy says
Hi
I am really looking forward to making this recipe. Silly question but does the apple need to be grated before it goes in the blender or just large chunks?
Katrin Nürnberger says
I cubed it. But you can grate it if you want!
Addie says
Since we're whizzing them up anyway, can I use almond meal/flour instead of whole almonds? Ditto for the flax seeds.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Addie, I would not use almond flour because a few larger nut pieces in the mix makes the bars taste better. Using ground flax is fine.
Addie says
I made them today before I read your response to my question. I used flax seeds (will definitely use flax meal next time- the flax seeds remained whole and I didn't like that), cashews, pistachios and pumpkin seeds. When I pulsed the mixture in my food processor it flew all over the bowl so I had to scrape it down a few times. I think I'll use my blender next time. Also, I didn't have your photo in front of me so I made them a bit too thin. I'll try them again, maybe with a bit more sweetener and some cocoa powder, unless you think the coca powder would affect the consistency?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Addie, if you add the cocoa and more sweetener I'd reduce the amount of flax accordingly so they don't get too dry 🙂
Addie says
Yes, that's what I was concerned about - maybe I should omit the flax meal altogether?
Katrin Nürnberger says
From my experience, flax is good for binding. But you do also have the egg white. I'd try at least 2 tbsp, alternatively ground chia seeds would also work.
Addie says
Hi, Katrin, these look delicious. If using applesauce instead of an apple, how much do you suggest?
Also, for your reader who wants to lower the carbs, these are only 5.9 net carbs when you subtract the fiber!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Addie, I would stick with the same quantity - around 80g or 1/3 cup of applesauce.
Addie says
Ok, thank you!
APRIL R MILLER says
Had to stop in and say that I've had wonderful success with your recipe, and it's easy to make variations on it. I have a bunch of apples that I dehydrated that I chop up and use in place of the fresh apple (adding in a bit more egg white and/or water to compensate for the missing moisture). I add apple flavoring when making the cinnamon variation you presented. Some of the variations I tried include cherry flavoring with some Lily's SF chocolate chips added, swapping out half the apple and replacing with chopped dried fruit (adds a bit more carbs), strawberry flavoring with a few dehydrated strawberries, and almond flavoring with dehydrated cranberries. I also tried a savory version with rosemary and salt (no sweetener) which is pretty good. I think next I will try banana flavoring with walnuts.
I cut the bars before baking, and then divide them in 3. I also flip them after they have started to brown, so they get crispy all the way around. I usually make 3-5 batches at a time, mixing up the next batch while the first ones are cooking. After cooled I put in single serve baggies and then into a large freezer bag and into the freezer. This gives me about a month of snack bars if I have 1 a day.
I have almost 100% replaced my commercial low-carb (ha!) snack bars with this recipe and variations. The commercial bars are so sweet that they can set off cravings and hunger, but that is not a problem for me with these bars. At times I can actually eat 1/3 of a bar and not feel compelled to eat the rest immediately - not possible in my high carb days when it was hard not to binge.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Katrin says
April, thank you so much for sharing all your tips and tweaks! So useful for others making this recipe 🙂
Selly says
Hello Katrin,
I am new to your website and love the recipes I have read so far....had my first attempt at the Rustic Paleo Bread with coconut flour this weekend! It came out very dense but is great!
As I am fellow Londoner who is on Keto, it is wonderful to see a UK based site dedicated to sugar/low carb options. Often you find a recipe and realise that the ingredients are now what we have readily available in our supermarkets so it can be off-putting.
Anyway my question is: are there some modifications I can make to this Granola Bar recipe to make it much lower in net carbs - can I replace the apple for something else with a fruity profile like blueberries? I am really interested in having variety on Keto but keeping within my own set macros.
I also have a nut allergy so always keen to seen substitution options and quantities for flours/milks/fillings and etc in the notes to.
Your blog and recipes fantastic, thank you for all the work you put into it.
Katrin says
Hi! Yes, the Paleo bread is dense and heavy. I slice it thinly and toast it, that way it's best!
If you want to lower the carbs in this recipe, you could take a sugar free syrup instead of the apple and not use the extra sweetener. Sukrin makes a good one. I'm linking to the golden syrup, but there is a clear one too, which is even lower in carbs. You could try using mashed raspberries or blueberries as well, though not sure about the colour of the bars, especially with the blueberries. May not look appetising. Ocado has freeze dried raspberries (bit expensive, but yum), so that could be an option too.
Glad you found my blog!
Selly says
Hello Katrin,
Thanks so much for the lovely message and helpful links. I will definitely check out Sukrin out. Alas, aren't most of the best things expensive!
I also wondered if I could add some Sunflower Seed butter to this or coconut oil, or would either make the bar too moist?
Thanks again!
Katrin says
Try first with seed or nut butter - I think that would work well and would add some good flavour.
Selly says
Oh thank you again. I'll report back when I've tested it. Also found organic freeze dried fruits on a UK site called Healthy Supplies, so will make two batches to see which I prefer. Hopefully not both, or my weight loss plan is doomed. ;o)
Have a lovely evening!
Nadine Jamal says
Can i use unsweetened apple sauce instead of apple?
Katrin says
Yes, I think that would work well 🙂
Shanila Taylor says
Why egg white only? What would happen if you added a whole egg?
Katrin says
I wanted the bars to be crispy. If you add the egg yolk too they'd contain more fat and would be softer.
Michelle says
I was wondering if there was anything I could substitute the egg white for? My daughter is egg intolerant and I’m trying to find recipes I can make and test before she returns to school. This is a new diagnosis for us. Thank you!
Katrin says
Hi! I used the egg white as a binder. You could get yourself Sukrin Fibre syrup and use that instead (you don’t need the granulated sweetener then either). It’s a good-tasting product which I have discovered since posting this recipe.
Marsha says
How well would these hold up on a hiking trip? Are they quite firm?
Can I leave out the apple or sub something low carb without affecting how well they hold together?
Thank you!
Katrin says
They hold together really well. If you wanted to leave out the apple you could sub with something like the Sukrin Fibre Syrup. It has a good taste and would help firm it up even more. The apple is more for the taste than the texture:)
Ashly says
I’m excited to try these!! How big of a portion did you base your nutrition facts on?
Katrin says
Hi Ashly, I calculated the nutrition per bar - my recipe made 5 bars in total.
Lisa H. says
If I swap it honey for sugar, do I still use one tablespoon? Also, can I swap out the pumpkin seeds and other nuts for cashews and peanuts, do I still use the same measurements?
Thanks
Katrin says
Hi Lisa, I'd keep to the same measurements for everything. Then taste your mix and see if you want more sweetness 🙂
Alison says
Hey! Love these, I made them last week and just wondering how long you think they’d last in the fridge?
Katrin says
I think definitely a week - that's how long I'm usually comfortable keeping baked stuff. I tend to follow the rule that if it smells good it probably is good :). You could always freeze a few and have peace of mind!
Emma says
Sugar makes me sick, and I've been advised to sweeten only with honey (processed sweeteners completely throw my digestion out of balance). Do you think I could use honey rather than the granulated sweetener? Thank you!!
Katrin says
Of course you can! Use a brand that is as unprocessed as possible, so you get all the benefits from the honey. The liquid cheap supermarket stuff is no different from table sugar.
Jodi says
What size pan do you use??
Katrin says
I did not use a pan - the mix is quite firm and I just flattened it on a baking sheet.
Brenda says
What is a dessert apple?
Katrin says
It's an apple you would eat as a snack - meaning it's sufficiently sweet to be enjoyable. This could be a Braeburn, for example, or any locally grown brands you might get in your area. Some apples are used in cooking and baking only, such as Bramley, because they are quite sour.
Kim says
Definitely going to gives these a try. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Sarah says
Making these! I've got all ingredients at home - awesome. Love that they contain flaxseed.
Kate says
I have just made a batch and they're amazing. Even though there is so little apple in it you can really taste it.
Christine says
I just printed the recipe to try soon! So much better than store bought granola bars. I can envision all the places I can take these - hikes, beach, errands. The list is endless. Thank you!
Julia @ HappyFoods Tube says
I love granola and homemade granola bars! These look delicious! By the way I love your scenarios and you are right, concentrating on your job is hard when your stomach is empty so these are perfect for such occasion!
Katrin says
It's good to have something to eat on hand when you need it.....something that does not only taste good, but actually IS good for you too
Revathi says
Cant believe that these granola bars are sugar free. They look so delicious and tempting. Yum !!!
Katrin says
Hope you'll be tempted to make them!!
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry says
How tasty do these look and sugar free too. How fabulous and one to bookmark to make
Shashi at Savory Spin says
Yes yes yes!!! These are perfect for all those scenarios and a million more! They sound absolutely delicious - and so prettily packed too!
Katrin says
I could have kept going with the scenarios, haha! And I have to admit, not all my granola bars get packed like this. Only when they're photographed...