The BEST Homemade Muesli Bars

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If you’re after the best homemade muesli bars – soft, chewy, a little crunchy, and full of flavour – you’re in the right spot. Packed with oats, puffed rice, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and just enough chocolate chips, they’ve earned over 110 five-star reviews from even the fussiest snack critics.

Perfect for lunchboxes, after-school snacks, or a cuppa break, with both conventional and Thermomix methods included. Love these? Try my Lemon Coconut Slice or a batch of Chocolate Hedgehog Slice for the freezer.

A muesli bar filled with oats, nuts and seeds, placed on a white baking paper sheet.

I’ve been making these for several months now, and they are just the best, and so much nicer than store-bought. These bars are my favourite out of all my baking.

- Phillipa

This healthy muesli bar recipe ticks every box – made from scratch, keeps well in the fridge, and is endlessly customisable. The secret? The perfect balance of oats, puffed rice, and a honey–nut butter “glue” pressed firmly into the tin, baked until golden, then cooled for that chewy-meets-crunchy texture.

It’s my go-to kid-friendly muesli bar recipe, loved by grown-ups too, and you can swap the trail mix for any combo of nuts, seeds, or dried fruit. For a school-safe twist, try my Nut-Free Muesli Bars or Weet-Bix Slice.

Why You're Going To Love This Recipe

Over 110 ★★★★★ reviews – tried, tested, and loved by families everywhere.
Soft & chewy texture with a little crunch – the perfect texture combo that the kids (big and little!) will love.
Both conventional & Thermomix methods included – no matter your style, I’ve got you covered.
Make-ahead friendly – store in the fridge or freezer for grab-and-go snacks.
Easily customisable – swap in your favourite nuts, seeds, or dried fruits.
No preservatives – you control exactly what goes in.

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Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
Bar Ingredients
Variations
How To Make Homemade Muesli Bars
Top Tip
Recipe Tips
Muesli Bars FAQs
More Bar Recipes
Muesli Bars

Bar Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this simple muesli bar recipe. The full list and quantities are in the recipe card below, but here are a few notes for success:

Coconut oil – gives the bars their delicious crunch and holds them together. I don’t recommend swapping it for butter or vegetable oil.
Trail mix – choose one with a good mix of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit for maximum flavour and texture.
Puffed rice – Rice Bubbles, Rice Krispies, or similar. Adds lightness and crunch.
Chocolate chips – make sure the mixture has cooled slightly before stirring through, so you get little chunks instead of melted streaks.

The ingredients for homemade muesli bars in small bowls.

Variations

Gluten-Free Muesli Bars – use certified GF oats (or quinoa flakes) and gluten-free flour. You can also swap in pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or sesame seeds for added crunch.
No-Bake Muesli Bars – press the mixture into the tin and chill instead of baking for a softer, chewier bar. Great with dried fruits like apricots, raisins, cranberries, sultanas, or blueberries mixed through.
Nut-Free Muesli Bars – to cater for nut allergies swap peanut butter for seed butter (such as sunflower seed butter) and choose a nut-free trail mix. Include extras like sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds for texture without the nuts.
Muesli Bar Recipe Using Packet Muesli – replace the oats, coconut, and trail mix with the same weight of your favourite packet muesli. Boost the flavour by adding chopped hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews or almonds (if not nut-free).
Honey-Free Option – substitute the honey with pure maple syrup for a slightly different sweetness and flavour.

How To Make Homemade Muesli Bars

Making these muesli oat bars is easier than you might think and they're SO much tastier than store-bought bars! Here’s the basic process (full step-by-step in the recipe card below):

Melted peanut butter, honey and coconut oil in a glass bowl.

Step 1: Melt - coconut oil, honey, and peanut butter together in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and sugar.

Flour and puffed rice added to other ingredients in a bowl.

Step 2: Add the dry ingredients – oats, coconut, trail mix, flour, and puffed rice. Mix well.

Chocolate chips added on top of a granola bar mixture in a bowl.

Step 3: Cool & add chocolate – let the mixture cool slightly, then stir through the choc chips.

Nuts, seeds, dried fruit and oats mixture pressed into a tin.

Step 4: Press & bake – press mixture firmly into the baking tray and bake until lightly golden.

Top Tip

Cool completely – this is key! Cool in the tin before slicing for perfect bars.

Recipe Tips

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.

A nut and seed granola bar on baking paper.

Muesli Bars FAQs

Can I make these without nuts?

Yes! Just use seed butter instead of peanut butter and a nut-free trail mix.

Why are my muesli bars falling apart?

This usually happens if the mixture isn’t pressed firmly enough into the tin or if the “glue” (coconut oil, honey, and nut butter mix) wasn’t cooked long enough to thicken. Make sure to press the mixture down really well, and let the bars chill completely – preferably overnight – before cutting.

Can I use packet muesli instead of oats?

Absolutely – just replace the oats, coconut, and trail mix with the same weight of your favourite muesli.

Can I make them no-bake?

Yes – press into the tin and chill instead of baking. They’ll be softer but still delicious.

Are these muesli bars gluten-free?

They can be – just use GF oats (or quinoa flakes) and gluten-free flour.