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These white chocolate macadamia nut granola bars are chewy, lightly crunchy, and packed with macadamia nuts and rice crisps. Finished with a white chocolate drizzle, they taste like an upgraded homemade Clif Bar!
If you’ve ever wanted to make your own Clif Bars at home, you’re in the right place.
White chocolate macadamia nut is one of my favorite Clif Bar flavors, so when I decided to start making them from scratch, that one went straight to the top of the list. Cue some reverse-engineering (checking the label and working backward to figure out what each ingredient was actually doing), and here we are.
A bar that’s just as chewy and satisfying as the original, packed with oats, crushed macadamia nuts, and a white chocolate drizzle that makes it even better.
Btw, if you’re into the nut butter-filled version, I’ve got you covered too – check out my nut butter-filled Clif bars here. But today, it’s all about white chocolate and macadamia!
⭐️ Why You Should Try Them
- Chewy with a satisfying crunch. Rolled oats bring plenty of chewiness, while macadamia and rice crisps add a light, crispy crunch.
- Super simple. No baking needed! Melt the wet ingredients, process them with oats and nuts. Then, combine with rice crisps and shape into bars. Done!
- Portable. Although the bars are tender, they hold together well and stay firm enough at room temperature. Perfect to bring along on a hike.
- Vegan and gluten-free!
Amanda, a reader, says: “The popped rice gives it such a wonderful, crunchy texture, and a warm, nutty flavor. I love them! So satisfying. I made them for my son; I don’t even LIKE these in the Clif version. But these are more flavorful and less dry. ★★★★★”
Sherri says: “I made this, and the only modification I made was to leave out the 1/4 cup of coconut sugar. It came out absolutely great! My family agreed that these were better than the actual bar. Thank you for such a terrific recipe! ★★★★★”
📔 Success Tips
- Adjust the sweetness to your liking. The bars are quite sweet, so feel free to omit the coconut sugar altogether if you don’t have a sweet tooth.
- Don’t overprocess. Avoid overprocessing the oats and macadamia nuts to maintain a chewy and crunchy texture.
- Let them air-dry. Right after shaping, the bars will be slightly sticky. Allow them to dry on a baking sheet for about 2 hours at room temperature or 1 hour in the fridge.
- Thin the white chocolate. If your vegan white chocolate is still too thick after melting, add 1-2 teaspoons of either coconut oil or cocoa butter to thin it. Let it melt and stir to combine.
- Use a squeeze bottle. To drizzle the bars, you can use a spoon or transfer the melted white chocolate to a small squeeze bottle. The latter option makes it easier and yields a better-looking drizzle.
🌰 What You’ll Need
- Oats – Rolled oats and oat flour form the base of the bars.
- Rice crisps – For crunchiness. Ensure you are using a vegan brand, as not all are. For example, Rice Krispies are not vegan because they contain Vitamin D sourced from wool.
- Brown rice syrup – It’s a thick, sticky syrup that binds the oats with other add-ins.
➜ Where to buy: You can find brown rice syrup in health stores, organic grocery stores, or online.
➜ Note: Do not substitute with maple syrup or agave nectar. Both are too liquid and won’t bind the bars properly. - Coconut sugar – For extra sweetness.
- Dates – Dates add natural sweetness and moisture. They are not essential to this recipe, but they help keep the bars softer longer and add a subtle caramel flavor.
- Nut butter – I use peanut butter, but almond butter or cashew butter also works.
- Macadamia nuts – You can use raw or roasted macadamia nuts.
- Vanilla extract – To infuse the bars with a floral aroma.
- Caramel extract – Optional. In addition to the vanilla extract, I like to add a few drops of caramel extract, as it makes the bars taste a bit more complex and closer to real Clif Bars. I used Watkins caramel extract, but any brand works.
- White chocolate – To drizzle the bars. Use either a vegan white chocolate bar or vegan white chocolate chips.
🥣 How to Make It
- Add the brown rice syrup, coconut sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla extract to a saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat. Then, heat them for about 5 minutes.
- Process the dates. Transfer the brown rice syrup mixture to a food processor and add the dates.
- Process until it forms a smooth and thick syrup.
- Add the oats, oat flour, and macadamia nuts.
- Process. Process for 7-10 seconds, or until the nuts are roughly chopped (about 1/4-inch (0.5 cm).
- Add the rice crisps. Transfer the sticky mixture to a mixing bowl and add the rice crisps.
- Mix. Use your hands to incorporate the rice crisps evenly into the mixture.
- Shape into bars. Divide the mixture into 6 pieces (of about 2 ounces / 56g) and shape each into a wide bar.
- Drizzle. Finally, melt the white chocolate and drizzle it over each bar!
🥜 Variants
- Nut-free: Instead of using macadamia nuts, use sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
- Almond: Replace the macadamia with roasted almonds for even more crunch and add 1/8 tsp of almond extract.
- High-protein option: Replace the oat flour with your favorite vegan protein powder. You can also replace the rice crisps with soy or pea protein crisps.
❄️ How to Store
Wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap and store them at room temperature for up to 1 month.
💬 FAQs
No. Brown rice syrup is the ingredient that holds everything together.
They are a bit moister and softer than regular Clif Bars. You can make them firmer/dryer by adding more oat flour and omitting the dates.
Yes. Use a fork to mash the dates into a paste, then mix them with the warm brown rice syrup.
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White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Granola Bars (Homemade Clif Bar)
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp (102 g) brown rice syrup
- 1/4 cup (34 g) coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp (15 g) peanut butter (or other nut butter)
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp caramel extract (optional)
- 4 (31 g) small dates (pitted)
- 1 cup (112 g) rolled oats
- 1/4 cup (24 g) oat flour
- 1/3 cup (52 g) macadamia nuts
- 1/2 cup (20 g) rice crisps
- 1/3 cup vegan white chocolate chips (to drizzle)
Instructions
- Combine the wet ingredients. Add the brown rice syrup, coconut sugar, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and caramel extract if using, to a saucepan. Heat them over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the coconut sugar is almost melted. This should take 3-4 minutes. Transfer the brown rice syrup mixture to a food processor.
- Process the dates. Add the dates to the food processor and process for 15-20 seconds, scraping down the sides as needed, until the dates are fully combined with the syrup.
- Process the oats and nuts. Add the rolled oats, oat flour, and macadamia nuts. Process for 7-10 seconds, or until the nuts are roughly chopped (about 1/4-inch (0.5 cm). The mixture will be very sticky. This is normal.
- Add the rice crisps. Transfer the sticky mixture to a mixing bowl and add the rice crisps. Use your hands to incorporate the rice crisps evenly into the mixture.
- Shape into bars. Divide the mixture into 6 pieces (of about 2 ounces / 56g) and shape each into a wide bar. Arrange the bars on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let them dry for about 2 hours at room temperature or 1 hour in the fridge.
- Drizzle with chocolate. Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler. Once melted, use a spoon (or a squeeze bottle) to drizzle each bar. Transfer to the refrigerator for one hour or until the chocolate is set.
- You can store each bar, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 1 month.
Notes
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
Leave a Comment
I made this and the only modification I made was to leave out the 1/4 cup coconut sugar. It came out absolutely great! My family agreed that these were better than the actual bar. Thank you for such a terrific recipe!
Glad you liked these energy bars Sherri! Thanks for your feedback and rating 🙂
What can I use substitute for the dates? I follow the low FODMAP diet and dates are high FODMAP
You could try adding a couple of tablespoons of brown rice syrup, although dates help the mixture hold better together.
Hi Thomas! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’m really excited to try this out. Do you think I could substitute the rolled oats with instant oats instead?
Thanks!
Hi Mary,
Sure! Instant oats should work great too!
I made this! I popped my own brown basmati rice by cooking it, then drying it out in the oven on 200 for about 2 hours, then frying it in coconut oil! (It only puffs slightly without commercial pressure poppers.)
I also used raisins instead of dates, because I didn’t have any. I stuck to the rest of the recipe pretty closely, Thomas…I even added caramel flavor! Yum! You were right! The rice I popped gives it such a wonderful, crunchy texture, and a warm, nutty flavor. I love them! So satisfying. I made them for my son; I don’t even LIKE these in the Clif version. But these are more flavorful and less dry. I WILL say, mix by hand (verrry sticky and difficult) or use your kitchen aid with dough hook attachment, if you have a cheap food processor…I nearly killed mine!
Making your own popped rice! That’s awesome 🙂 I tried it once and I agree, it’s super crunchy and nuttier than store-bought rice puffs.
I’m so glad to hear you and your son liked the bars!
Regarding the sticky mixture: you are right, it’s so sticky it can stop the food processor from running, it happened to me once. I will update the recipe to add that information.
Thanks for the rating Amanda!
Just made these, slightly different though. Here’s what I did.
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 white whole wheat flour
4 dates (~100g)
4T Honey
1T Molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp almond butter
1 and 1/2 cups puffed wheat
4T Water
1/3 cup macadamia nuts
28g white chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2t salt
1/4t cinnamon
Same method you used, but with the different ingredients, I had to add a bit of water after the puffed wheat to get the proper texture. Going to keep tweaking this a bit and see what I can come up with. Going to need them for the upcoming century ride I have!
Thanks for the original!
Thanks for sharing Hal! Good luck with your ride! 😉
You mentioned substituting the oat flour with protein powder. Do the bars bind as well? These are the only cliff bars my son will eat and I really like the idea of less sugar and no soy, but looking for more protein. He has quirks about presentation and texture so I’m hoping it all works out the with protein powder.
Yes, the bars bind well with protein powder, make sure to use one that tastes good though, or has a neutral smell/flavor. I like Sprout Living Epic Protein.
These sound amazing. My son is hooked on clif bars and I’d love to find a homemade option that works for him. Have you stored these in the freezer? I’m worried we won’t go through them fast enough and I’d like to make them ahead and store if possible. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks Allison!
I never tried putting these in the freezer so I’m not sure about the results. I recently released a recipe for chewy energy bars that stay chewy for a long time, maybe you can check it out and tweak it with macadamia and white chocolate 😉
I made these and they taste just like the clif bars! My usual recipe does not but are just as delicous – they also have like 1/10 of the sugar… I may try these again but without the 1 /4 c sugar because the brown rice syrup is super high in sugar already 🙁
I’m always on the hunt for healthy and delicious nut bars and I can’t wait to try these! Pinning for later 🙂