If you're after the best homemade muesli bars, stop scrolling.
These are soft, chewy and just crunchy enough, and they've earned over 110 five-star reviews from properly fussy snack critics (aka my own kids). If you love an easy lunchbox bake, my Nut-Free Muesli Bars and Weetbix Slice are just as popular around here.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Muesli Bars
🕒 Ready In: 40 minutes (plus chilling)
👪 Serves: 16 pieces
🍚 Calories: 483kcal per serve
🥣 Main Ingredients: rolled oats, puffed rice, honey, nut butter, trail mix
📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, freezer-friendly, gluten-free option, Thermomix method included
⭐ Why You'll Love It: Soft, chewy and just crunchy enough, endlessly customisable, and so much better than anything from a packet.
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"These are delicious and a hit with my kids! I tried a number of other muesli bar recipes and these are by far the best." - Kate
Kate's not the only one - I get a version of that comment most weeks. If you want another one to add to the lunchbox rotation, try my Chocolate Chip Granola Bars or the nuttier Almond, Cranberry & Dark Chocolate Granola Bars.
Or swap the flavour altogether with my Honey, Nut, Oat & Date Energy Bars.
Jump to:
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Over 110 five-star reviews - tried, tested and loved by families everywhere, not just mine.
- Soft and chewy with a bit of crunch - the exact texture combo that gets both the big kids and the little kids on side.
- Conventional or Thermomix - both methods are in the recipe card, so however you cook, you're covered.
- Endlessly customisable - swap in whatever nuts, seeds or dried fruit you've already got in the pantry.
Muesli Bars Ingredients
Here's what you'll need for this simple muesli bar recipe. A few notes on the ingredients that actually matter before you start.
- Rolled oats - stick with traditional rolled oats rather than quick oats. Quick oats turn mushy in the mix and you lose the chew that makes these bars so good.
- Coconut oil - use it liquid (melted, not hot) and don't swap it for butter or vegetable oil. As it cools it firms back up, which is exactly what holds these bars together.
- Peanut butter - any runny nut butter works here. Swap it for a seed butter, like sunflower seed butter, if you need these nut-free for school.
- Honey - gives the bars their sticky "glue" and most of the flavour. Swap for pure maple syrup if you'd rather, or if you're feeding littlies under 12 months who shouldn't have honey yet.
- Trail mix - grab one with a decent mix of nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Stick to roughly the same quantity and you can swap it for almost any combination you've got sitting in the pantry.
- Puffed rice - Rice Bubbles, Rice Krispies or similar. It's what gives the bars their light crunch against all that chewy oat.
- Chocolate chips - let the mixture cool before you stir these through, otherwise they'll melt into streaks instead of staying as little chunks.
Variations
Gluten-Free - use certified GF oats (or quinoa flakes) and a gluten-free plain flour blend. Swap in pumpkin, sunflower or sesame seeds for extra crunch.
No-Bake - skip the oven altogether. Press the mixture into the tin and refrigerate instead of baking for a softer, chewier bar. The firmer you press it in, the chewier it turns out.
Nut-Free - swap the peanut butter for a seed butter and use a nut-free trail mix. My Nut-Free Muesli Bars recipe has the ratios already worked out if you want a dedicated version.
Using Packet Muesli - swap the oats, coconut and trail mix for the same weight of your favourite packet muesli. Boost the flavour with chopped hazelnuts, walnuts or cashews, or check out my Bircher Muesli Recipe if you love the packet-muesli style.
Honey-Free - use pure maple syrup instead of honey for a slightly different, less honeyed sweetness.
Chocolate Drizzle - skip the mixed-through choc chips and drizzle melted dark chocolate over the top once the bars have cooled instead. Looks fancier than it actually is.
Extra Protein - stir a scoop of vanilla protein powder into the dry ingredients, and add an extra tablespoon of honey so the mixture doesn't dry out and crumble.
How To Make Homemade Muesli Bars
Making these is a lot easier than the ingredient list makes it look, and they're SO much tastier than anything from a packet.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact ingredient quantities and full detailed method.
- Step 1: Melt the glue. Place the coconut oil, honey and peanut butter into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in bursts until just melted (or use the Thermomix method in the recipe card). Stir in the cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt and brown sugar.
- Step 2: Add the dry ingredients. Add the rolled oats, coconut, trail mix, flour and puffed rice. Mix well and let the mixture cool slightly.
- Step 3: Cool and add the chocolate. Once the mixture has cooled slightly, stir through the choc chips so they stay as chunks instead of melting.
- Step 4: Press and bake. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared tin. Bake at 160°C (fan-forced) for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool completely in the tin before slicing.
Recipe Tips
- Press it down hard - the firmer you pack the mixture into the tin, the chewier and more solid your bars will be. A flat-bottomed glass works better than a spoon for this.
- Cool completely before cutting - refrigerate for several hours, or overnight, before you slice. Cut it warm and it'll crumble everywhere.
- Serve cold for extra chew - these are firmer and chewier straight from the fridge, and soften up a bit at room temperature. Both are good, just different.
- Bake time controls the texture - the shorter end of the time gives you a chewier bar, the longer end gives more crunch.
- For a healthier twist - swap the chocolate chips for cacao nibs.
- Storage - keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezing - freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few minutes before eating.
- Not feeling bars? - my Weetbix Bliss Balls use a similar melt-and-mix method, if you'd rather roll than slice.
Muesli Bars FAQs
Yes - they're actually better made a day ahead. Once they've had a proper chill in the fridge, they slice into neat bars instead of falling apart.
Either, honestly. They're firmer and chewier straight from the fridge, and a bit softer if you leave them out for ten minutes first. I like mine cold with a cuppa.
Yes - just swap in the same weight of your favourite packet muesli.
You can. Stir a scoop into the dry ingredients and add an extra tablespoon of honey so the mixture doesn't dry out and crumble once it's baked.
Two ingredients do the heavy lifting: coconut oil, which firms back up as it cools, and honey, which acts as a sticky glue holding everything else together. Pressing the mixture in firmly before baking matters just as much - a loosely packed tin is the other big reason bars crumble instead of holding their shape.
More Muesli & Granola Bar Recipes
If your lunchboxes are as hungry as mine, here are a few more bars worth adding to the rotation.
Muesli Bars
Ingredients
- 100 g (½ cup) coconut oil (liquid)
- 170 g (½ cup) honey
- 125 g (½ cup) peanut butter or any nut butter
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 135 g (⅔ cup) brown sugar
- 150 g (1 ⅔ cups) rolled oats
- 50 g (½ cup) desiccated coconut
- 180 g (1 ¼ cups) trail mix (mix of nuts, seeds and dried fruit)
- 40 g (⅓ cup) plain flour
- 25 g (1 cup) puffed rice (rice bubbles, rice krispies or similar)
- 85 g (½ cup) chocolate chips see notes
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease and line a 28cm x 20cm rectangular slice tin with baking paper.
- Place the coconut oil, honey and peanut butter into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on 50% power for up to 3 minutes or until just melted. Stir.
- Add the cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt and brown sugar and mix together.
- Add the rolled oats, coconut, trail mix, plain flour and puffed rice. Mix together. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tray and press down firmly and evenly.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until just golden. Allow to cool completely before cutting into slices.
Thermomix Method
- Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease and line a 28cm x 20cm rectangular slice tin with baking paper.
- Place the coconut oil, honey and peanut butter into the Thermomix bowl. Melt or 2 minutes, 90 degrees, Speed 2 (or until melted).
- Add the cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt and brown sugar and mix for 5 seconds, Speed 4.
- Add the rolled oats, coconut, trail mix, plain flour and puffed rice. Mix for 10 seconds, REVERSE, Speed 2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat. Allow to cool slightly.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix with the spatula to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tray and press down firmly and evenly.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until just golden. Allow to cool completely before cutting into slices.
Notes
- For the chewiest bars, press the mixture down firmly with the back of a spoon or the bottom of a glass before baking.
- Cool before slicing - for neat slices, refrigerate for several hours or overnight before cutting.
- Press firmly - the tighter the mixture is packed, the better it holds together.
- Customise your mix - swap trail mix for any combo of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits you like.
- For a healthier twist - use cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips.
- Storage - store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezing - freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp for a few minutes before eating.
- Chewier texture - bake for the shorter end of the time; bake longer for a crunchier bar.
- School-safe - swap nut butter for seed butter and choose a nut-free mix.
Janene says
Fabulous.
Ritika says
These are very delish !!
Just want to check what you have down as the calories, is that per portion or is that total calories ?
Lucy Mathieson says
Per large portion 🙂
Kate says
These are delicious and a hit with my kids! I tried a number of other muesli bar recipes and these are by far the best.