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Looking for an easy Grab the Gold Bar Recipe? This one is easy to make and much cheaper!
Watch how quick and easy these post-workout bars are to make in this recipe video and then I’ll walk you through everything, step by step.
My gym sells Grab the Gold bars for about $3. I made the mistake of trying them once and loving them. I say “mistake” because they were perfectly oaty and delicious.
A friend of mine said she made a similar pan-sized recipe but that they didn’t hold as well as the original. After a few tweaks, I am happy to say that my homemade Grab the Gold Bars are just as delicious as the expensive ones!
Round bars you ask? Well yes, that’s how the original bars are shaped. I used a round biscuit cutter to shape these. Although, you can also use the rim of a glass to shape them round. For consistency’s sake, I’m a purist at heart. What can I say?
How to Make Grab the Gold Bars
Unlike other no-bake recipes, these bars are made with simple ingredients like quick oats, almond flour, peanut butter (or any no nut butter), honey, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract, and almond milk- to keep it dairy-free.
So grab your supplies, and let’s get this recipe rolling.
- Combine the oat flour with almond meal.
If you don’t have almond flour on hand, I use this one. It’s a great flour substitute and helps keep these bars, gluten-free. - Create the sauce.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the peanut butter, honey, cocoa powder, almond milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk slowly until smooth and cohesive. - Combine
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and use a large spoon or your hands to combine into a thick dough. - Press it down
Transfer the dough into a lined 9 x 9-inch pan, cover with plastic wrap, and press down into an even layer. - Refrigerate
Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. - Slice and serve
Remove the bars from the refrigerator and use a biscuit cutter into even rounds. Optional- use your favorite cookie cutter to make these into different shapes.
Whatever you have leftover, you can store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or one month in the freezer.
Other Gluten-Free Snack Bars and Bites
If you love homemade no-bake snacks, you’re in the right place! While gluten-free storebought snacks are convenient, nothing beats homemade. They’re less expensive, and you have full control of what goes into the recipe. Here are more gluten-free snack bars and bites that are no-bake and better tasting than storebought!
- Chocolate Chip Blondies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars
- Healthy Brownie Energy Bites
- No-Bake Pumpkin Bites
- High Fiber Chocolate Bites
- 2 Ingredient Magic Cookies
But let’s get started today, with these Grab the Gold Bars!
Homemade Grab the Gold Bars
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
- 2 cups quick oats
- 2 cups almond flour
- ½ cup peanut butter or nut-free butter
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup cocoa powder, optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- Line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine quick oats and almond flour and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine the peanut butter, honey, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and almond milk. Whisk constantly until everything is melted into a cohesive mixture.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a large spoon, combine into a thick dough.
- Transfer dough into the lined pan, cover with plastic wrap and press down to spread into an even layer. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- With a biscuit cutter or upside-down glass, cut into round bars or simply slice into 9 squares.
- Refrigerate leftover bars for up to 5 days or wrap individually and freeze up to 1 month.
Notes
- Make this recipe nut-free by substituting the almond flour with oat flour and the peanut butter with a nut-free butter.
Lynn says
i see to have trouble eating raw batter. I don’t like the texture and the thought of eating uncooked flour. I was never a cookie dough lover.
Weird, i know. So i made cookies out of the batter and added chocolate chips and put them in the air fryer. omg so delish!!!! Batter no, but hot cookies out of oven with melted choco chips, yes!
Laura Fuentes says
wow. I never thought about baking these. Thanks for the tip, Lynn!
Mary says
YUMM!! Never had Gold bars but these were so good! Will definitely be making these on repeat for my boys! If you need any ideas, a Yes Bar copycat recipe would be amaaazing! We love them but they are just so pricey! Thanks again for this recipe!
Laura Fuentes says
I’ll add that Yes Bar to my list! I have a similar recipe for baked granola bars that’s easy to customize for baked granola bars here.
Amy W says
This tastes amazing! Do you have any suggestions on what could be done to make the calorie total and the macros a little closer to the original?
I love the recipe but one thing I love about these bars – especially for my kids – is the protein and fiber content. That’s part of the big draw for them eating these!
Laura Fuentes says
Hi Amy, I have tried… believe me. I’ve had this recipe published for over a decade and I come back to it to tweak it to get the macros a little closer but it just won’t “hold” together and it tends to crumble. There is something to be said for when brands make them in a factory vs. us in our kitchen!
Sheila says
For my digestive issues it’s been suggested to add more dates into diet. By finally chopping in a few dates would I leave others ingredients same or cut back on honey some. Great recipe as I’m celiac and just use certified GF oats
Christen says
I love the pbj ones, can you suggest how to make them like that version? Thanks so much!
Laura Fuentes says
Christen, swap the cocoa powder for PB2 / Peanut Butter powder. same amount. That’s it!
Tete says
Hi! Can I use dairy butter instead of almond?
Laura Fuentes says
Of course!
Veronica says
I made these today almost exactly as written, I didn’t have quick oats so I put my old fashion oats in food processor and pulsed it to brake them down some and they worked out great. I also rolled into balls because it was easier for me. These are husband approved I recommend this recipe. Thank you
Julie Hunt says
I am excited about this recipe, as my son and I love Grab the Gold bars and they are so pricey! My favorite is the peanut butter and jelly variety. Have you tried making those? Do you think omitting the chocolate and adding chopped Craisins? Would love your thoughts.
Sarah Hinckley says
Ok so I messed up and totally didn’t look at these comments before starting and I used Coconut flour! I knew they seemed quite dry so I added some melted butter…but it was still dry. To be sure I continued with the steps and put it in the fridge…but super dry…is there a way to revive it or should I cut my losses and start fresh?
Laura Fuentes says
Unfortunately, this recipe does not call for coconut flour at all. Coconut flour is 10x more absorbent and should not be used 1:1 in any recipe as a substitute. I am not sure how to save the recipe at this point.
JJP says
These were so easy to make and I love having a healthy grab and go option for my kids. They felt they were too “chocolatey” (I don’t understand that concept!). Have you tried these without the cocoa powder? Do I need to add more flour to compensate? Thanks!
Laura Fuentes says
I have made these by swapping out the cocoa powder for the same amount of peanut butter powder and vanilla protein powder (either/or not both). I’m team “give me all the chocolate…”
Charlotte says
Can I use coconut flour instead of almond flour
Laura Fuentes says
I don’t suggest swapping coconut flour for almond flour since it’s highly absorbent and will affect the other ingredient amounts needed for the recipe.
Nutch says
Thank you for these recipes! I made these this morning. They are very tasty and I’m enjoying them. It’s almost like a brownie. What I’ve found with the whole foods desserts is that they are very moist and heavy. Do you have any suggestions for getting them to be a little drier?
Laura Fuentes says
Hi Nutch, thank you for trying my recipe and I”m glad you enjoyed it. If it’s too “moist” for you, add an additional tablespoon or two of almond flour -just not so much that the mixture crumbles. I hope this helps!
Elizabeth Languell says
Can you add chocolate chips to this recipe?
Laura Fuentes says
You can absolutely add chocolate chips. Enjoy!
Rose says
Can this be made with regular milk and flour?
Laura Fuentes says
This will work with dairy milk, yes. Regular flour will taste raw. I don’t recommend it.
Sandra says
Hi,
Is there any way to make this recipe as sugar free as possible
Laura Fuentes says
You can try using banana instead of the honey/maple syrup or a keto liquid replacement.
Vanessa says
These sound perfect! Do you think coconut milk would work instead of the almond milk?
Laura Fuentes says
You can definitely use coconut milk instead of almond milk. Enjoy!
Sandra says
Just made this – added walnuts, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds. Now into the fridge. Can’t wait to try it!
Laura Fuentes says
Enjoy!
Jaelen List says
Thank you so much for sharing! I’m obsessed with these and love having them as a snack before I workout.
Cheryl says
Can you substitute honey for maple syrup ?
Laura Fuentes says
Absolutely, that will work! Enjoy.
Nancy says
Can I use 1/2 coconut flour, half almond flour?
Laura Fuentes says
Hi Nancy, unfortunately, this recipe cannot be made with coconut flour at all.
Jeff Weingarten says
I think you either have to halve the dry ingredients or double the wet to make this work. We made the recipe as is and it really didn’t come together well. Added another round of the wet ingredients and then things looked as they should. Tasty though
Laura Fuentes says
Sorry this didn’t work out for you the first round, Jeff!
Porsche says
What can I sub for almond flour? We have a nut allergy
Laura Fuentes says
You can use more oat flour, same amount.
Ann Woolstenhulme says
I’ve had this recipe for awhile, and kept forgetting to make it, but now I’m obsessed. I made mine with almond butter, and they are so tasty.
Bailey Brewer says
I made this- but with original oats. The consistency isn’t gooey & it crumbles when I try to use the biscuit cutter. Is it because I used original oats instead of quick oats?
Laura Fuentes says
Hi Bailey. I’m sorry these crumbled for you. The short answer: YES. I specifically mention in the video and directions to use quick oats. If you use regular oats, the recipe won’t hold. If you still have the batter, you can add a bit more peanut butter and roll it into balls. Hope this helps, Laura
Pamela says
Very tasty and not overly sweet. I’ll add chia seeds the next time I make them for an extra boost of healthiness!
Kirti says
Hi dear..
Thank u for trying n being successful in making these bars…n ofcourse for sharing with all of us too
I have 2 doubts….i have almonds, can i make almond flour at home as it isn’t available where v stay (plz lemme knw hw to make it) n can i use normal butter than nut butter…..though v get peanut butter (only) here but i don’t like the taste n fear if my 2 yr old also doesn’t like I’ll have to finish it myself
Thanks once again
Laura Fuentes says
You can make almond flour by grinding almonds to a very fine “flour texture” that becomes almond meal/flour. Use peanut butter, sunflower butter or almond butter, regular butter will not work. I hope this helps.
Allison says
Can I use regular oats instead of quick ones and expect the same results?
Laura Fuentes says
yes and no. the recipe will hold but the texture is very different. can you pulse the regular oats a bit in your blender or processor to break them up a bit?
Lara says
Hi, would love to make these but would like to included some whey protein in them to make them more filling. Would you have any suggestions of how I would add this in without upsetting the binding properties and consistency of the bar?
Laura Fuentes says
Great question, Lara. I’ve added 2 scoops of protein (the traditional/standard size scoop inside protein tubs) with an additional 2 tablespoons of nut butter. Of course it’s not an exact science since the texture of proteins can vary but you get the idea. Enjoy!
Lara says
Thanks so much for the advice. I will try this out and let you know how it goes. I’m just using whey isolate protein so it’s finer than the almond flour.
Mary says
The Grab the Gold original is dairy free. Any suggestions instead of milk?
Laura Fuentes says
You can easily use any dairy free milk alternative or water. Enjoy!
Lyn Brown says
Just made these. Used peanut butter, no cocoa powder and 1/2 of shredded coconut. Yum..
Shannon says
I just discovered the “grab the gold” bars recently, and like you – I was hooked! But they are PRICEY. So, I was so excited to find this recipe!! I made it exactly as stated above. I made the same size batch; however, I used a shot glass instead of a drinking glass… I wanted them to be more “snack” size. It made about 20-22 bars instead! They are wonderful! I have a bag in my freezer, though my fridge bag is almost empty after 2 days… 🙁 Guess I need to make more soon!
Do you have any variation ideas for this recipe?
Cheers!
Laura Fuentes says
I’m working on some variations… but you can add chopped nuts, raisins, dried pineapple chopped fine.. so so good. Glad you enjoyed it!
Shannon says
PB, Oats, and Raisins – BRILLIANT!! 🙂 Thanks!
Bas says
Hey there, I was wondering if you can use xylitol instead of honey?
Laura Fuentes says
I have not tried it with xytol. others have and it’s not that sweet.
Margaret says
They’re pretty tasty. But when I added up the calories, sugar, protein and fats my nutritional information came up much higher (assuming 10 bars with even using less honey). Calories as high as 282 and fat 18.9. Do I calculate something incorrectly? I’m thinking of substituting 1/2 the almond flour with oat flour to cut down calories and fat.
Laura Fuentes says
You can definitely substitute the almond flour for oat. I never advertised these as low-cal and low-fat since I’m not worried about either. These are perfect for my husband who works out and needs the recovery fuel.
ck says
Same here – I really enjoy the taste and don’t want to spend a fortune on grab the gold bars, but I use them as a nutritional meal substitute when watching my intake. When I add up the recipe is nutritional value adds up to Per Serving: calories 318 carbs 30 fat 19 protien 11 sodium 27 sugar 11 (I sub chocolate almond milk for the normal milk). I cut the almond flour in half today when I realized how off the calories listed are. I have made this a couple times and a little shocked and disappointed when I checked it over. An extra 91 calories and 10 grams of fat can really through off someone’s diet if they are watching their intake! It’s my fault for not double checking it sooner. I understand you aren’t advertising them as low-cal or low-fat, but you may want to update your calorie counter at the bottom of the recipe since it seems to be quite off for those that are looking at that for reference. 🙂
Laura Fuentes says
The recipe has been updated with the nutritional calculator based on the ingredients in the recipes without substitutions.
Sara says
I had to do half coconut half almond flour cuz I didn’t have quite enough- ended up adding more liquid I’m assuming due to the absorbent coconut flour but they turned out great! They kind of get better the. Longer they are in the fridge! Kids adore em, I loved em! They reminded me of a much healthier version of my beloved choco/peanut butter no bake cookies!
Any milk substitution ideas? Would soy or almond milk work?
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! Will be making a double batch next time and freeze em. I froze half of this one but they didn’t last very long 😉 they really curb ur appetite (great mid-work snack!!)
Laura Fuentes says
Hi Sara!
Yes, you can use non-dairy milk as well. That’s the easiest swap. I’m thrilled you were able to fix the flour quantities on your own! It really makes me happy you were able to use this bar recipe for your family.
Amy G says
Hi Laura, I’m so excited that you’ve come up with a GTG bar we can make at home! Our whole family loves them and the originals we’re too pricy to enjoy daily. Thanks for the nutrition info– any idea about the fiber amount? Just curious:)
Thanks!
Elizabeth H, blogger for SunButter says
Wonderful creation! Of course I appreciate the variation that uses SunButter since I blog for the product and am always looking for new recipes. But as a fellow mom who works out, I can’t wait to try these cleaner, more nutritous bars. Thanks for the inspiration!
Laura Fuentes says
Thank you Elizabeth! I LOVE using peanut-butter alternatives in a lot of my recipes. I like Sunbutter because it’s easy to find and has a similar consistency… and great taste!
Debbie says
How many should I expect to get out of a batch?
Laura Fuentes says
depending on the size cutter you use ( i used a standard biscuit cutter) you can expect 9 full circles and the 10th one i assemble with my hands from the cuttings.
Molly @ NatureBox says
These look SO good!
Raine says
What would you suggest as a substitution for the quick oats for a more paleo-friendly version? I expect the oats have a binding effect, so subbing in crushed nuts wouldn’t necessarily do the job.
Laura Fuentes says
Hi! I’ve received emails of people substituting coconut flour and flax meal (ground flax seed). Optimally 1/2 & 1/2. They still come out delicious. Nuts won’t bind 🙁
Kate Davis says
I added more liquid and used coconut flour (since that’s what I had:) ) in the fridge now, but the batter was yummy!!
Laura Fuentes says
great idea! coconut flour will work too. i just love almond flour but great adaptation!
Lisa Browning says
Any more suggestions on a substitution for the almond or coconut flour? My son is highly allergic to peanuts and tree nuts (coconut is a tree nut, bummer). I could use SunButter (sunflower seed butter) to replace the peanut butter. Thanks!
Laura Fuentes says
Lisa, definitely use sunbutter to replace the pb. Can he have flax? do 1/4 flax seed, 1/4 chia flour, 1/2 tapioca flour. If you decide to use “regular” flour you need to “toast” the flour otherwise it will taste “raw.” flax, chia and tapioca do not need to be toasted. Toasting regular flour is EASY. check out this link how to toast flour http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2011/05/inside-the-test-kitchen-how-to-1.html
Lisa Browning says
Thank you so much Laura! I have no idea about the flax seed. I guess I could ask the allergist. I will give it a try if I can! I love the bars and would love to be able to make a safe version for my kiddo. Thanks again!
Marla says
These sound great! I would love to know the nutritional info ~ is it possible to post? Thanks 🙂
Laura Fuentes says
I can try to find out. I am more concerned with real ingredients than calories. i’ll do some calculations.
Nina Reeves says
I am trying to find out what the calorie and sugar content are in your homemade gold bars. I tried sending an email and it kept kicking it back. Can you help
Laura Fuentes says
Hi Nina! so sorry you couldn’t get through! I’ve edited the recipe with nutritional information. It’s +/- since ingredients will vary.
Cristi says
mmm, those sound so good!
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
YUM! And really easy to do 🙂 Love this!
Laura Fuentes says
doesn’t get any better! 🙂
Brenda says
What all natural ingredient can we add to give it a much longer shelve life like the grab a gold bar, do you have any idea?:)
Laura Fuentes says
Nothing you can add, but you can refrigerate them for up to 10 days!
Cassie says
Can i use coconut butter instead of Peanut Butter?
Laura Fuentes says
Hi Cassie, unfortunately, coconut butter will not bind the ingredients for these bars. You can use almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter. I hope this helps!