Say goodbye to high-calorie shop-bought snacks! It’s time to go homemade with these 5 quick and easy low-calorie cereal bar recipes, each coming in at between 85 and 110 kcal per bar: oat & berry, dark chocolate & almond, banana & almond butter, coconut & seed, and apple & cinnamon. Whether you need a grab-and-go breakfast or a light snack, these healthy and super-simple recipes are about to become your new best friends.
The basics of a light homemade cereal bar
All of these cereal bar recipes share the same base: rolled oats, bound together with unsweetened apple sauce, a little honey, a ripe banana or an egg white. Each one then gets its own flavour twist: berries, dark chocolate, almond butter, coconut, seeds or cinnamon.
The apple sauce and fruit add sweetness, and you stay in control of exactly what goes in.
1- Oat & Berry Bar
🔥 Around 95 kcal per bar
Ingredients (makes 8 bars):
- 120 g rolled oats
- 80 g unsweetened apple sauce
- 30 g honey
- 40 g mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
Method:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, chia seeds and berries.
- Add the apple sauce and honey, then mix until you get a uniform consistency.
- Line a rectangular or square baking tin with parchment paper (let it overhang the sides for easy removal).
- Pour in the mixture and press down very firmly with the back of a spoon (this is key to keeping the bars together).
- Bake for 15 min at 180°C.
- Leave to cool for at least 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 1 hour before cutting into 8 bars.
2- Dark Chocolate & Almond Bar
🔥 Around 110 kcal per bar
Ingredients (makes 8 bars):
- 100 g rolled oats
- 40 g ground almonds
- 40 g 70% dark chocolate
- 60 g unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 egg white
Method:
- Mix together the rolled oats and ground almonds.
- Add the apple sauce and egg white.
- Fold in the chocolate, roughly chopped.
- Pour the mixture into the lined baking tin. Using the back of a spoon or the palm of your hand, press the mixture down firmly to form an even layer about 1.5 cm thick.
- Bake for around 15 min at 180°C.
3- Banana & Almond Butter Cereal Bar
-27%Your evening cuppa, ten dried botanicals
- Peppermint contributes to digestive function, and green anise helps support digestion
- Couch grass brings its gentle sweetness, hibiscus its tangy note and meadowsweet its floral touch
- Linden, for its part, adds a soft, floral note and aids digestion
🔥 Around 100 kcal per bar
Ingredients (makes 10 bars):
- 2 ripe bananas
- 120 g rolled oats
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Method:
- Mash the bananas, then mix with the remaining ingredients.
- Spread into the lined baking tin to a thickness of about 1.5 cm.
-
Bake for around 15 min at 180°C.
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Leave to cool completely before cutting into 10 bars.
4- Coconut & Seed Bar
🔥 Around 90 kcal per bar
Ingredients (makes 8 bars):
- 80 g rolled oats
- 40 g desiccated coconut
- 40 g mixed seeds (sunflower + pumpkin)
- 60 g apple sauce
- 30 g honey
Method:
- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
- Pour the mixture into a lined baking tin. Press down firmly.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Cut into 8 bars with a sharp, smooth knife.
5- Apple & Cinnamon Low-Calorie Cereal Bar
🔥 Around 85 kcal per bar
Ingredients (makes 9 bars):
- 120 g rolled oats
- 100 g unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 small apple, grated
- 1 egg white
- Cinnamon
Method:
- Mix together the rolled oats, grated apple and cinnamon.
- Add the apple sauce and egg white.
- Pour into the lined baking tin and press down firmly.
- Bake for 15 to 20 min at 180°C.
- Leave to cool for at least 40 minutes before cutting into bars.
Which cereal bar should you choose if you’re watching what you eat?
If you’re keeping an eye on your intake, every one of these recipes has its place: they all come in at between 85 and 110 kcal per bar. The lightest is the apple & cinnamon bar (around 85 kcal), followed by the coconut & seed bar (around 90 kcal) and the oat & berry bar (around 95 kcal).
Fancy something a little more indulgent? The dark chocolate & almond bar is still reasonable at around 110 kcal. Whichever you pick, enjoy it as a snack in place of a shop-bought one rather than on top of it. For personalised advice on your diet, speak to your GP or a registered dietitian.
As you can see, making your own low-calorie cereal bars is easier than you think. With a simple base of rolled oats and unsweetened apple sauce, you get a simple snack with no added sugar, and you stay in control of what goes into it.
At between 85 and 110 kcal per bar, they’re easy to fit into your day without any guilt — whether you need a snack when you get peckish at the office, a post-workout snack, or something to have instead of your usual biscuits.
So, which one will you try first? 😉
Frequently asked questions
Can you make cereal bars without an oven?
Yes. The coconut & seed bar (recipe no. 4) is a no-bake recipe: a spell in the fridge is all it needs to set. You’ll find the full method in the section dedicated to that recipe.
Why do my homemade cereal bars crumble?
If the mixture isn’t packed down firmly enough, the bars can crumble. Press the mixture down very firmly with the back of a spoon or the palm of your hand (the dark chocolate & almond and banana & almond butter recipes call for a layer about 1.5 cm thick). Then let it cool completely, and chill it in the fridge if the recipe says to, before cutting.
Can I use frozen berries?
Yes. In the oat & berry bar recipe, the berries can be fresh or frozen. Mix them straight in with the rolled oats and chia seeds, then follow the rest of the method.
When should you eat a homemade cereal bar?
These bars fit easily into your day: as a breakfast on the go, as a snack when you get peckish at the office, after a workout, or instead of your usual biscuits.
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Useful categories: Slimming Nutrition, Slimming Solutions.
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