Homemade Clif Bars
Homemade Clif Bars…
With just 5 ingredients and NO soy protein isolate ♥
The stereotypical teenager is like a human energizer bunny, bouncing nonstop from activity to activity. And I was no different. My routine back then included a bike ride to school every morning, whatever activity we were required to do in gym, daily 2-hour soccer practices immediately following classes, then another bike ride back home. It’s no wonder teenagers sleep so much.
It’s also no wonder they require so much food!
Back in high school, I would go through boxes of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, bowls of spaghetti, containers of raisins, and packages of granola bars like it was my job. It’s as if I had made it my personal mission to make up for everyone doing the popular low-carb thing at the time.
If I saw a carb, I devoured it.
Each day, we were expected on the soccer field as soon as classes ended, with barely enough time in between to throw on our cleats. However, there was no way this particular energizer bunny could go from lunch until 6 PM without fuel…
And, thus, I discovered the magic of Clif Bars.
Unlike many of the other American snacks for purchase in Shanghai (where I lived at the time), Clif Bars were readily available and sold at prices comparable to what one would pay in America. Translation: I bought a lot! They were the perfect portable snack to throw into a backpack and rapidly inhale each afternoon as I changed into my workout gear.
When I made these homemade granola bars, their light-yet-crispy texture immediately reminded me of Clif Bars. I especially like using either peanut butter or almond butter in the homemade Clif Bars—it compliments the berries nicely.
Homemade Clif Bars
Print This Recipe
[mrp_rating_result show_count="false" show_rich_snippets="false"]
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup quick oats or rolled oats (60g)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 cup freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries (28g)
- 1/3 cup peanut butter or nut butter of choice (Nut-Free: use Sunbutter) (80g)
- 1/4 cup agave or honey (If sugar-free bars are preferred, try this sugar-free granola bar recipe (60g)
Instructions
Homemade Clif Bars Recipe: Line a pan with parchment or wax paper, and set aside. (Recipe fills a 7×5 pan, or you can double the recipe and use a larger pan.) In a blender or food processor (or patiently with a fork), process the freeze-dried berries until they are broken up into tiny pieces or powder. Stir all dry ingredients together in a cereal bowl, then stir in the nut butter. (If your nut butter is from the fridge, gently heat it until stir-able before mixing with the dry ingredients.) Add in the agave and mix until a sticky dough forms. Transfer to the prepared pan, and smush down evenly into the pan with a second sheet of parchment or wax paper. Freeze the pan at least one hour, then cut the bars with a sharp knife. Store at room temp or in the refrigerator for a few days, OR freeze for up to a month. Makes 6 bars the size of the ones in the photos.
Link of the Day: Single Serving “1 Minute” Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake in a Mug
Erica { EricaDHouse.com } says
Looks delicious!
Cassie | Handful of Raspberries says
These look really good! I love the color from the berries!
Emily J. says
These look Delicious, Katie! Was just thinking last week that it would be awesome if you made some clif bars! =)
Hollie says
I eat a lot of power bars and cliff bars and I can really get expensive. These could be a great alternative for me. Thanks!
Sarah says
Katie my dear, is there any way you can do a size comparison in your gorgeous photos? Every time you reference “the size of the ones in the photos” I want to scream because there’s no way to tell what size we are looking at with out a reference.
That being said, I love everything about you and your site. Keep up the awesome work.
Jenna says
She lists the gram measurements in the nutrition facts link. You can look at the gram measurements of other bars for size comparison. For example a Clif bar is 68 grams.
Sarah says
Thanks Jenna. I did notice that she lists the gram measurements, however, I am not as familiar with the metric system as I should be. That being said, my advice to provide visual reference in the photos was more of a suggestion since some people (like myself) are visual people and can’t actually grasp certain concepts with out seeing it first hand. Especially since I was a photography student in college, visual reference was always an important concept we would try to master.
Cathy says
I have a lot of frozen cranberries. Do you have a way to freeze-dry them yourself? I have never done that and would like to try so I know they are pure berries. Thanks.
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
I’ve never tried it, but maybe googling would provide a how-to? If such a thing is possible…
Jan says
Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association says:
Another method of drying is to turn on the oven for 10 minutes at 350 F. Then place the cranberries on a cookie sheet in the oven, turn off the oven, and let them sit overnight. Store dried cranberries in the freezer. Keep in mind that dried cranberries can be used in place of raisins in recipes!
Tiffany says
We make ours with craisins, raisins, sunflower seeds, flax meal, brown rice crispies, cherry bits, so much more…. and brown rice syrup!
EVA says
Oh god how this story hits home….being a tennis player throughout my school years, I can relate to this to a T! My mom had bought a ton of Clif bars as my tennis snack, but I always thought that they tasted terrible! So chemical-tasting to me. Since I refused to eat them, I survived on a bounty of fruit snacks and cheesy Ritz crackers. Talk about terrible workout fuel!
Susan says
I too am wondering where one is to find freeze-dried strawberries? Although I am super-happy that this bar recipe doesn’t have dates.
April says
Thanks for asking that question, I was just about to write the same question when I saw that you posted it, I was looking on Iherb.com and I seen a package of organic freeze dried fruit but the bag only comes in a 1.2oz size, that doesn’t seem like enough to make even one batch of these. I have no idea how much 1.2oz is per cup, maybe they are just very light and go along way. I am interested in seeing the response you get for this question too. 🙂
Teresa says
The 1.2 ounce bag you found will be more than enough. The recipe calls for 28 grams, which is one ounce. Dehydrated fruit is very, very light. I often buy 2 ounce bags of dried mango and it has between 2 and 3 cups in it. I love this brand: http://www.justtomatoes.com/jtstore/pc/Just-Strawberries-4p79.htm. They are expensive, but so tasty. (My local grocery store carries this brand.) Sometimes Target also carries their own brand of dehydrated berries in their snack section. Good luck 🙂
Jenna says
Trader Joes!
Diana says
Whole foods has them too. Ask the salesperson 🙂
Laura says
I use freeze dried fruits and veggies all the time. I get them from Thrive Life foods. You can buy them in small (pantry size) cans that hold about 3 cups and larger (#10) cans that hold about 9 cups. They are great to snack in dry too. You can find them at shopthrive.net
Rachel says
Crunches brand is found at grocery stores including walmart in my area. And now ALDI, the discount grocery store here, has them–I bought freeze-dried peaches today 🙂
Ella says
These look super yummy! I know, I have to eat a ton to keep up with my own energy levels, haha! Carbscarbscarbs 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26
D says
Whoa! I just made your newest granola bar recipe yesterday for my mom and told her that you even have a luna bar recipe that I promised to make as well. She and my sister regularly consume luna and Clif bars.
I was wondering if you could create a recipe for the “chocolate brownie” Clif flavor? My sister wouldn’t be crazy about the fruit in this recipe.
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Can defibitely try!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
*definitely
Mia (Mia in Germany) says
Beautiful, and a nice story 🙂 I like the shredded dry frozen fruit!
Christine (The Raw Project) says
These look wonderful, perfect healthy snack to make in batches. Thanks!
Heather @ Shards of Lavender says
Katie, I love Clif bars and your version looks amazing! I’m going to try these today:)
Lisa says
These look delicious! Does the freeze-dried fruit contribute to the texture? Or is it something that could be replaced?
Simone says
I’m also trying to think of a substitute for the freeze dried fruit. I love the flavor, but it was brought to my attention that they are usually made in China, using a questionable process. Now I can’t bring myself to buy them anymore :-/
Diana says
Use this recipe. It is similar: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2014/08/11/protein-granola-bars/
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
Yum! I just put up granola bars, too 🙂 As a teenager, I can vouch for clif bars. They’re seriously the perfect after-school snack! Also cannot wait to check out that chocolate/pb mug cake!
Sara says
I just made them and they are SO GOOD!
I used freeze dried blueberries from trader joes instead of the raspberries. Seriously your site keeps getting better and better! How do you keep coming up with such good recipes?!?
Sara says
I want to make another batch and add mini chocolate chips 🙂
Paris Cole says
OMGoodness..I have to tell ya..I absolutely love your blog!!! It has inspired me in so many ways!! Definitely gonna try this over the weekend..I also will be making the Peanut Butter Brownie Bites…you know I had to mention you on my blog lol…you are just so full of inspiration and I absolutely thank you for being you and creating these amazing recipes!!!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Aw I loved your Oreo post!
Jules @ WolfItDown says
I spent two and a half hours today on my Summer holiday in the Norwegian mountains, and I could have done with one of these (or two..or..threee?) on the way! They look delicious 🙂 x
Caitie says
I can’t wait to make these!! I have been waiting for you to do this post. I’ll definitely be binging these out with me when I’m climbing. Thanks Katie!
Cynthia says
These are fantastic! I have had a package of freeze-dried berries from Whole Foods laying around and FINALLY had a recipe to use them in! Definitely making these again for sure 🙂
Jackie Rybeck says
These look awesome! Going to try them…I make one similar when I tried paleo and you ground up dates…and slivered almonds were used instead of the oats…YUM!
Emily @ Hazelnuts and Bolts says
This is the best! I’m currently a teenager dealing with 2-hour cross country practices right after school… and my go-to energy bar is the Clif Bar as well! I will definitely try these!
Linda @ Fit Fed and Happy says
I am not a fan of cliff bars at all. Thanks for the better version 🙂
kreachr says
These look awesome, and would be perfect for long trail run refuels! Just wondering, would it be okay to sub maple syrup or brown rice syrup for the agave/honey do you think? I’m about to make some for this weekend’s long runs, and thought I’d ask before diving in…
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
I’ve not tried, so you will have to experiment.
kreachr says
I went with maple syrup, and can give it a thumbs up 🙂
Victoria says
These look fantastic!! I do have a small question/problem/challenge though if you would be so kind to think about it. I do a lot of hot and..unusual lunch locations (flying helicopters, Search and Rescue work in 110 degrees). My go to lunch used to be a PB sandwich, but now I usually grab that as my grab and go breakfast. Is there any non-spoiling-if-left-in-heat food that’s just as healthy, but not dependent on nuts that you can think of? They are fantastic, but I am getting too nutty!
Diana says
Hummus on pita? Overnight oatmeal in a thermos? I like my oatmeal cold so wouldn’t mind if it was not straight from the stove. Crackers and carrots and dip? Katie’s boatmeal?
Kyla @ Two Cups Cacao says
Katie, these look fantastic! I have never tried Clif bars, but I’ve seen them around the store and I’ve considered trying them. Since homemade is always better, I might want to try these instead! I also just got a terrific food processor for my birthday today, so I’ve been looking for recipes to try using processors (:
Steph says
I’m with ya on the teenagers eat a lot front- I definitely do, but I blame it on all my growing 😉
Those cliff bars look sooo good, I especially love the colour!
eva says
hey katie! i came across your blog looking for granola bar recipes. And then saw that you went to HS in shanghai (I did too). I tried to poke around to see where you might have gone (although chances were it was SAS) and I did too! I also played soccer at SAS and can really empathize with the — finish class, change, practice situation. What years did you graduate? Also I’m curious as a large contingent of us lived in hongqiao/gubei area and biking would have been.. unheard of. Did you live at SRC or somewhere on huqingping such that biking was possible? Or did you actually bike.. like an hour a day to school?
eva says
ok not to be a super creep but I thought you looked like someone in my class at SAS so I went and looked at her facebook to see if she had any siblings. And she had none listed but “liked” the chocolate covered diet. wow. small world. you are michelle’s sister. we didn’t overlap a lot before she moved so I’m not sure if she remembers me (although it explains why we never played on SAS soccer together. I was probably in middle school while you were on the team.)
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Yes! So funny you’d recognize me from Michelle, as I don’t think we look all that much alike! But it’s so great to hear from someone else who went to SAS . And yes, we lived at SRC 🙂
jenna @ just j.faye says
These sound fantastic! Such a great and healthy snack to have on hand!
Panda says
They look really delicious and easy to make. It would be even fun to use different berries, the flavor would be fantastic! I just started my own blog, check it out 🙂
http://thegreenpandablog.wordpress.com
Diana says
I made these and they are delicious!
Will definitely make again.
Thanks for posting!
🙂
Kim W says
Those are huge!
Are you participating in Vegan MoFo?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Ooh I hadn’t remembered to sign up… but I will definitely be following their rules of posting only vegan things! 😉
Janelle says
WOW! Those look incredible. I love Clif bars but they’re kind of expensive to buy on a regular basis. Thanks for the recipe, will make these this weekend! xo
Steve says
These are wicked expensive here in Thailand, so it’s good to come across a recipe that will allow me to make them at home. Great interpretation and good healthy source of energy.
Ana says
I’ve no idea what a Cliff bar is like, but they surely can’t be as good as your bars!
Millie | Add A Little says
Yum! These look so amazing and the berries are a great addition Katie!
Linda says
I made these with a little change. I didn’t have any freeze-dried fruit. So, I threw some dried cranberries with a bit of flour into my food processor. Also added some mini chocolate chips. YUM!! So fast, easy and delicious. Thanks for another great recipe!!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Thank you for making them! So glad the texture still works with dried fruit. Thanks for reporting back!!
Lisa @bitesforbabies says
I LOVE homemade energy bars! I always have a few different flavours stocked in the fridge or freezer for a quick, on-the-go snack. Over the years, I’ve tweaked the original recipe and come up with so many variations. Mine are very similar to yours (as are most homemade energy bars) but I like how these are simple and nut-free! These are my faves;
http://www.bitesforbabies.com/recipes/lemon-coconut-energy-bars/
http://www.bitesforbabies.com/recipes/chocolate-almond-butter-energy-bars/
http://www.bitesforbabies.com/recipes/raw-fruit-n-nut-energy-bars/
http://www.bitesforbabies.com/recipes/raw-cocoa-coconut-timbits/
http://www.bitesforbabies.com/recipes/raw-hazelnut-chocolate-goji-berry-cookies/
Jen @ sweetgreenkitchen.com says
My husband lives on Cliff Bars! I’ll have to give these a try with a little chocolate added in for good measure, as he could be called “Chocolate Covered Colin”, chocolate being his main food group! Thanks for the inspiration and easy recipe.
Tara says
Made these today. Soooo good. Used a crunchy pb, honey and 1/4 c dried cranberries in place of the freeze dried fruit. Next time I may add cinnamon & raisins for an oatmeal raisin taste. Thanks CCK!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Thank you for making them! I’m glad the texture still works without the fruit powder, and I love your variation idea!
Pixie says
Ooh, these sound amazing! I’ve never had a cliff bar, but it sounds like the kind of thing I would love. I make no-bake fruit and nut bars for my partner every week, this would make a nice change 🙂
Laura says
I made these today and they taste great! The only thing is they are sticky. Is there a trick to making them less sticky? Yours look firmer and heartier than mine do.
Unofficial CCK Helper says
I did not have this problem so am not sure why yours would be sticky… Maybe add a little oat flour or more peanut butter? Or freeze longer or turn your freezer to a colder setting.
Samantha says
Oh man, these look mouthwatering! Perfect for the work day snacks! Thanks for the recipe!
Jess says
Katie, do you eat honey?
Michelle says
I was so glad to see that there was no freaky protein powder in your recipe! I’ve never been a fan of artificially derived protein or excessive soy intake.
My trick in the kitchen to adding in protein is PB2 – it’s powdered peanut butter- basically peanuts with the fast squeezed out. (Yes, I am fully aware that nuts are higher in good fats.) That way, I can consume enough to get adequate protein and peanut flavor without consuming a thousand grams of fat.
A friend from church recently introduced me to your blog, and I have loved it from the first post I read! Great job! I love how allergy/intolerance-friendly your blog it! (I am gluten, dairy, and corn-free.) Keep on going!
Librarian Lavender says
That looks delicious and now I can make my own :). Great recipe!
Cat says
Wow these are amazing! Thanks to this energizer-bunny-approved recipe I now trust you 200% and can make all the other super-delicious-looking things on here!!!Thank you SO MUCH!!!
Randi says
Hi Katie,
Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
I made these today with Sunbutter, Agave and Kirkland (Costco) freeze dried Pineapple/Strawberry mix. I ended up using half the agave as a result of the pineapple and boy are they ever good! I love them! I originally made them for my gymnast daughter, but I think the whole family will love these! Thank you!
Nicole says
Could I use this recipe and use chocolate chips in place of the fruit?
Jo-el says
Okay I’ve got to try this!!! with three kids biking all week they are always looking for a snack to eat. Unfortunately Lijiang doesn’t have Clif Bars. We just got a Walmart last year!
Thanks for the recipe!
Paul says
Just the thing! Lazy Sunday. Looking for a healthy snack. I ran for two hours, so carrots aren’t cutting it. Annnnd, I’ve had a jar a freeze-dried strawberries gathering dust because I had no idea what to do with them. This was easy, fun, tasty, and filling. Thank you!
Serena says
I love that I can always rely on you Katie ☺️
Kathleen Beyer-Paulsen says
These are my favorite bars! I’ve only tried freeze dried strawberries and almond butter. I love the tartness of the berries, the sweetness of the honey, and the creaminess of the almond butter. They are quick and easy to make.
They do not travel well unless you can keep them refrigerated. ( maybe an insulated lunchbox and keeping the bar well-wrapped in waxed paper or foil would help.)