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These blueberry vanilla greek yogurt granola bars have me wishing it was blueberry season. They are so good for breakfast, snack, or dessert!Â
But, I am pretty sure that is the way most of us are feeling right about now.
It’s the very last few days of winter and those can be some of the worst. I am currently looking out the window at a whiteout. So ya, I am so ready for spring. Sunshine, warmth and berries out the yazoo! Unfortunately, I am pretty sure that most berries are summer foods so I still have a few months. Although, the spring strawberries are starting to pop up. Yesss. Give me them all.
Please.
If you wanted to, you could use strawberries in these, really any berry or dried fruit you love would work. Pretty sure they’d all be good, but I wanted something other than cranberries so I went with blueberries. Well, that and I really love blueberries + they were magically on sale last week and I could not  resist buying four cartons. I could have eaten them all at once, but sadly I did something friendly and shared.
I shouldn’t have. They were so good.
I can’t actually find dried blueberries where I live, so I used fresh ones that I dried out in the oven. If it’s easier for you, feel free to just buy dried ones. The bonus to quickly doing it yourself is that they are not coated in sugar. But I gotta say, stopping yourself from eating them is kind of hard.
I’d buy extra. Like a lot.
Alright, but let’s talk about the greek yogurt coating.
Yes, it’s really greek yogurt that you have to let sit out (preferably overnight), so it dries and forms a coating. Just like the yogurt covered granola bars you would buy in the store, but a little healthier. While the bars themselves are super healthy, the coating is more like a frosting with some greek yogurt. It’s super delicious, but um yeah, there is sugar in that coating. It’s all about balance.
Oh, and the photo above? Please excuse my scratched up nail polish and ring that is slightly too big for my thumb.
I was in the kitchen working with three five years old and well, they just sort of took over. Both the baking and then my hands. Before I knew it I was receiving a kindergarten manicure complete with jewelry. I have to say though, I do love that ring. It’s one of my favorites. And as far as the nails go, I mean for five-year olds, I would say that all in all, they did a pretty good job. Not sure I could have done any better to be honest.
Even though it was mad chaos with three little girls, their heels (really my heels, all from when I was living in LA, and all at least 3 inches tall) and accessories, we had fun making these.
They stirred, they dipped, they licked and things were flying everywhere in the process.
Aside from the fact that the bars require a decent chunk of time for the yogurt to dry out, they are actually pretty simple and super easy.
I used this recipe from the Kitchn for the yogurt coating and I have to say that I was really skeptical on whether or not it would work, but WOW it so did.
I left mine to dry overnight twice and would recommend doing the same. After that the bars can be stored just like any other granola bar, but they’re gonna go fast.
Asher says these are better than good, they are amazing. And that is coming from a five-year old.
And we all know that little people always tell it like it is.
Blueberry Vanilla Greek Yogurt Granola Bars.
Servings: 12 GRANOLA BARS
Calories Per Serving: 345 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats gluten free if needed
- 1 1/2 cup brown rice krispies
- 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/4 cup whole roasted almonds roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup peanut butter or almond butter I typically use peanut butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup dried blueberries
Greek Yogurt Coating
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon gelatin
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Line an 9x13 square Pyrex pan with wax or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl combine the oats, rice krispies, coconut, almonds, chia seeds and salt. Mix together.
- In a small microwave safe bowl combine the almond butter and honey. Microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the mixture is hot and pourable. Add the vanilla and mix again.
- Add the honey mixture to the dry oat mixture and mix until everything is moist and combined. Gently stir in the blueberries. Press the mixture into the prepared pan and then using the back of a measuring cup press the mixture into the pan until it is tightly packed. Cover and place in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Cut into 9-12 bars and return to the freezer.
- Make the greek yogurt coating. Combine the water and vanilla in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over top and whisk with a fork until the gelatin is evenly distributed. Set aside for about 5 minutes or until needed. It will set into a thick paste.
- In another small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, honey, and salt. Microwave on 15 second bursts, stirring in between each burst, until the yogurt is liquidy and very warm to the touch. Don't let it start to boil or the yogurt will curdle. I microwaved mine for 30 seconds total.
- Whisk the gelatin into the warm yogurt mixture. Whisk until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Scrape the yogurt mixture into a medium mixing bowl. Pour the powdered sugar on top. Use a mixer or whisk until the yogurt and powdered sugar combine into a thick, but pourable, coating.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Working with one frozen bar at a time, dip the bottom of the bar into the yogurt and allow any excess to drip off. Flip the bars over so the yogurt coated side faces up and place on the prepared baking sheet. They will be very sticky. Repeat with the remaining bars. Let the bars sit, uncovered, without touching, overnight or up to 2 days until the yogurt is dry to touch.
- Once the bars are completely dry, flip them over so the yogurt coated side is now facing down. Drizzle the remaining coating over the bars and allow the bars to sit overnight or up to 2 days until the yogurt is dry to touch.
- Once the bars are completely dry, store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
*If you want an extra thick yogurt coating double the recipe for the Greek Yogurt and repeat the dipping process twice just as directed.Â
 *Greek Yogurt Coating adapted from The Kitchn.
Oh and Asher says to tell you again that, “they are delicious”!.
Do you know any of the nutrition facts?? Thank you
Hi Alexandria! I actually do not calculate any of the nutritional information. I just try to use whole foods and foods that are healthy! Sorry about that, but putting it into an online calculator should help!
Can’t we use Raspberry or Bengal currant instead of Blueberries, That will add exotic flavour to it, I think. I will try this after your original recipe!! Love to eat those!!
I hope you love these Emily! Let me know how they turn out! ? Thanks!
I want to skip the topping. Will the bars dry out without it? I had a taste and they are wonderful but falling apart after a day in the freezer. Any suggestions on how to keep them together without freezing?
Thanks
Hey Kim! The topping is what holds the bars together, so unfortunately without the topping I don’t think they will hold their shape. I’d keep them in the freezer so they hold their shape. They thaw pretty quick and are ready to eat basically straight out of the freezer. Hope that helps and please let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you! 🙂
Is it okay to eat raw oats… not soaked, cooked, or baked??
Hey Kala, yes it is fine to eat raw oats. Of course if you prefer you can toast the oats before using in the oven or in a skillet. That would be great too! Let me know if you have questions. Hope you love these!
Hi Tiegan,
At what temp and how long do you dry your blueberries in the oven?
Just found your website and love it, I’m having trouble finding brown rice crispies. So can I just add more oats? I’ve already been to the store twice to get supplies and just want to start making them.
Thank you
Debbi
Hi Debbie, I am not sure how that will hold up. I would recommend trying to find rice krispies, they dont have to be brown, they could be regular old rice krispies. So sorry you are having trouble finding them! Let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love these!
I just made these bars and had them sitting on my counter to dry. The grand baby makes her way into the kitchen and managed to grab a piece. The next thing we hear is “More”. Of course we all had to try after that! I made some smaller ones to share with her and I am so glad she likes them! However, I deviated from the recipe a couple of times.
I omitted the nuts, coconut, chai seeds and Rice Krispies. I can’t have almonds or rice not to mention I am a texture person, so no cruchy and chewy. (I know I’m strange) I did add another cup of oats though. I also added some maple syrup, but not too much. I left about a quarter inch from the top of the measuring cup for maple syrup. I used coconut vanilla Greek yogurt, and since I forgot the plain gelatin when I went shopping I used a cherry gelatin I already had.
They were a little soft, but nothing that couldn’t be remedied by mashing them together a little more. I also used a pizza cutter to cut them and inadvertently left them in the freezer an extra 30 minutes (that’s what happens when you are making three things at the same time!)
I have scoured websites looking for a good granola bar recipe and I have hit gold with this one. It is a little time consuming, but that’s what days off are for. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Wow I am so glad these turned out great for you and your family Susan! Thank you so much!
i really wanna try to make them, the best reacipe of cereal bars i found online! but do you think will work to use my melt function of my over? cuz i don’t have a microwave….
Hey Alina! I am not really sure what your melt function on your oven can do, so I really am not sure. If you use it to melt other things than I think it should be fine. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you so much, hope you love the bars! 🙂
is it possible to use an ingredient other than peanut butter or almond butter to make it nut free ? I would omit the almonds but need a replacement for the butter
Hey Jessie! Could you use tahini? The nut butters really help hold the bars together.
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Hi, I’m doing a school project and I have to make a snack food, is this quite easy to make in an hour? Thanks!
HI! I actually would not recommend these because they require overnight drying. I would try my chex mix recipes, those are perfect for snacking! Here are the links:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/easy-crockpot-christmas-eve-chex-mix/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/buffalo-cheddar-chex-mix/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/moms-secret-christmas-eve-chex-mix/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/idiot-proof-snickerdoodle-peanut-butter-chocolate-chex-mix-bars/
Oh no! I just tried this recipe and some of my bars have crumbled. So I cut them in half and made some mini bars. I hope they dry nice overnight and stay together. I do not think I pushed hard enough in the tray! I also think I used a wrong ingredient.
It says “peanut butter”, you mean the spread right? I just started cooking my own things and I am not sure if there is a butter.. that is made of peanuts. I know there is one made of olives though.
I also substituted almonds for peanuts, and tastes yummy!
Just another question, can I wrap them individually in baking paper for lunchboxes? What is your suggestion?
Thank you for the recipe tastes great!
Do I need to refrigerate the remaining yogurt drizzle topping if I let the bars air dry overnight? I wasn’t sure how to store it until the next day when I coat the other side. Does it need to be reheated the next day to make it pourable?
Hi Mikaela! So any leftover yogurt sauce will probably harden on the top a bit, but yes, I would keep it in the fridge and then just stir it up before drizzling. Please let me know if you have questions. Thanks!!
I am so making this 😀 just wondering, what could I replace gelatin with in a yogurt coating?
HI Iva!! Unfortunately, I am not sure what you can use in place of the gelatin. It is important to help the yogurt set and key to the recipe. So sorry I could not be of more help. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks!
Gonna make these vegetarian by leaving off the yogurt coating. Thanks … they look delicious even without and I can’t wait to make them!
Sounds perfect!! Hope you love them!!