Honey Oat Bars Recipe | Magnolia Days (2024)

FAQs

How long do oat bars last in the fridge? ›

Baked oatmeal bars should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They will last for about five days. When you're ready to eat, you can serve them cold, at room temperature, or warm.

Store them in the fridge or freezer.

I recommend storing them with a sheet of parchment paper between layers so that the bars don't stick together. They'll keep for up to a week in the fridge, but you can also freeze them for up to 2 months.

Using the right binding agent in your granola bar recipe is a crucial part of keeping your bars from falling apart. While there are several different sticky ingredients that you can use, we've found that the binding agent that works the best is honey!

Ground Flaxseed. Adds protein and, when combined with the wet ingredients, becomes a glue-like binding agent that helps hold the bars together. Wheat Germ. A superfood boost that adds folate, fiber, vitamin E, and other key nutrients to these no bake granola bars (as well as this Healthy Granola).

How long can I store the oatmeal bars? The oatmeal bars are great for meal prepping. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Then you can can enjoy them cold, at room temperature or warmed if you prefer.

When stored properly, granola bars will have a shelf life of several months. However, if they are not stored properly, they can develop mold or other contaminants. If you suspect that your granola bar may be contaminated, it is best to throw it away and purchase a new one.

Expiration Date and Freshness

The expiration date on a granola bar is the manufacturer's guarantee of peak quality. Typically, granola bars remain fresh and safe to consume for 6 to 8 months beyond this best-by date if they are unopened and stored properly.

That outdated granola bar packed with soft oats or that chocolate bar now displaying a whitish bloom may not taste very good, but they can still be consumed without making you sick. In fact, the expiration dates on your food don't have much to do with the risk of food poisoning.

You can eat this honey granola as you would any other cereal; with milk. Or you can add some dried fruit and eat it as a healthy snack. It will keep for several months if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

When dampened, chia seeds gel and swell to several times their original size, plus they get very sticky. Since they're already used as egg alternatives in baking, it's not surprising that chia seeds act as the ideal granola binder, but it is strange that they do it better than eggs.

What happens when you eat a lot of granola bars? ›

While granola can be a healthy and nutritious food, it is often high in calories and sugar, especially if it contains added sweeteners or dried fruit. Eating too much granola on a regular basis can contribute to weight gain and other health problems.

They save well (wrap and freeze them for up to two months), are more affordable than store-bought bars, and don't contain the long list of unpronounceable ingredients. Plus, your kitchen will smell like a bakery while these granola bars bake. Ahhhh.

Nut butter is a super flavorful fat that serves multiple purposes in granola. It acts as a binding agent—along with additional coconut oil and whatever natural sweetener I've chosen—helping to pull the dry ingredients together into a wet, sticky mass for baking.

Shredded or desiccated coconut - Not only does the coconut in this recipe add a delicious flavor, but it also adds whole-food richness. Medjool dates - Medjool dates are super big and juicy, making them the perfect "glue" to hold these granola bars together.

While the oats and nuts bake, you can make the sticky glue that holds our bars together. You'll melt butter, honey, and brown sugar in a saucepan and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Mix this sticky mixture with the toasted oats and nuts.

The "Best If Used By" code indicates what date we guarantee the freshness and quality of our product. After this date, the product is still safe to eat, but the product's quality may decline, and you might notice a change in texture or flavor.

Shelf Life and Storage Tips

Typically, breakfast bars maintain their freshness and are safe for consumption for 6 to 12 months if they are stored in their original packaging.

Now, to answer the question at hand: "how long do homemade granola bars last?" It's important that we dive into a few different factors. In general, most homemade granola bar recipes will last up to a week when stored in an airtight container.

Even though you should refrigerate your granola bars to help them firm up quickly, you do not need to store them in the refrigerator. After cutting them, I wrap mine in a strip of parchment or wax paper (to keep them from sticking to each other) and then store them in a resealable Ziploc bag in my cabinet.