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I have been meaning to try these lightened-up breakfast bars from Nigella Lawson for weeks. Sunday was finally the day, and all I can say is, “What took me so long?” They are chewy, satisfying, and packed with texture from oats, coconut, dried cranberries, mixed seeds, and natural peanuts—all bound together with non-fat sweetened condensed milk.
These are the yummiest granola bars I have ever tasted, homemade or otherwise, and perfect for breakfast or a quick snack. Trust me, you will love them!
It’s a good thing I only made a half batch of these lightened-up breakfast bars because they are seriously addictive—just like Nigella said! Once you taste them, you’ll never want another store-bought granola bar again.
The recipe comes from Nigella Express: 130 Recipes for Good Food, Fast (affiliate link), one of my all-time favorite cookbooks of hers. The moment I saw the photo of these homemade granola bars, I knew I’d fall in love. They’re chock-full of some of my favorite ingredients: coconut, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and peanuts—all bound together with sweetened condensed milk for that perfect chewy texture.
And honestly, does anyone else find the smell of sweetened condensed milk intoxicating? Because I could bottle it!
I shared a couple of these delectable oaty, chewy, sweet and crunchy breakfast bars with my Mom, who agreed that they’re delicious. Add a piece of fruit or cup of yogurt for a great quick and easy no-cook breakfast.
To make them more Weight Watchers friendly, I substituted non-fat sweetened condensed milk and cut them into 24 bars, instead of the suggested 16. (If you’re interested here is the podcast episode where we explore ways to lighten up your favorite recipes.)
Calories and WW Points?
According to my calculations, each breakfast bar has about 155 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
4 PointsPlus (Old plan)
I divided the recipe in half and baked them in an 8-inch pan but plan on making a full batch next time since they keep well. Try these yummy breakfast bars and see if you don’t become addicted too 🙂
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Non-fat sweetened condensed milk – This creamy, sweet ingredient binds all the dry ingredients together, creating that perfect chewy texture while adding just the right amount of sweetness. Its richness also makes the bars feel more indulgent than they really are.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats – Rolled oats are the base of any good granola bar. They add a hearty texture, fiber, and a subtle nuttiness that balances the sweetness perfectly.
- Shredded coconut – Coconut adds a light, natural sweetness and chewy texture that pairs beautifully with the other ingredients. It also gives a tropical hint to each bite.
- Dried cranberries – These tart, chewy cranberries bring bursts of tangy sweetness to the bars, cutting through the richness and providing a nice contrast to the other flavors. Substitute whatever dried fruit you prefer – raisins, chopped dried cherries, chopped dried apricots, etc.
- Mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame) – A powerhouse blend of seeds adds crunch, texture, and loads of nutrients like healthy fats, fiber, and minerals. The seeds also bring a mild nutty flavor that complements the sweetness of the bars.
- Natural unsalted peanuts – Peanuts add that unmistakable crunchy, balance to the sweetness, as well as protein and healthy fats to help keep you full and energized. Their roasted flavor deepens the overall taste of the bars, making them more complex and satisfying. I think any variety of chopped nuts will work here.
If you’ve made these Breakfast Granola Bars, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Nigella’s Breakfast Bars Made Weight Watchers Friendly
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 can (14 ounces) non-fat sweetened condensed milk
- 2-1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)
- 1 cup natural unsalted peanuts
Instructions
- Position an oven rack in the center and preheat your oven to 250F degrees.
- Coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Warm the condensed milk in a pan or the microwave (affiliate link).
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the oats, coconut, cranberries, seeds and peanuts.
- Add the warmed sweetened condensed milk and stir until everything is well mixed and coated with the milk.
- Spread the mixture into the prepared baking pan and press down with a spatula or your lightly greased hands, to even out the surface.
- Bake for 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes.
- Cut into 24 bars and then let cool completely.
- Store in a covered container.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 7 SmartPoints (Green plan) 7 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 6 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 4 PointsPlus (Old plan) Next time I’m going to add a few chopped dried apricots too.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Granola Bar and Breakfast Bar Recipes for WeightWatchers
- Nigella’s Healthy Breakfast Bars 2.0 – A new, improved breakfast bar recipe from Simply Nigella: Feel Good Food (affiliate link), which she describes as, “gluten-free, dairy-free and enough seeds to make you start sprouting.” These healthy breakfast bars contain no processed sugar and are brimming with good-for-you ingredients.
- I love oat-based baked goods, so Oprah’s Healthy Apricot Oat Bars seemed too good to pass up when they appeared in my Facebook feed.
- I’ve been making Ellie Krieger’s Healthy Homemade Granola/Energy Bars for years. Sweetened with maple syrup and brimming with oats, nuts, seeds and a variety of dried fruit, these bars bake up delicious, soft and chewy.
- Healthy Homemade Granola/Energy Bars are soft, chewy and satisfying from Ellie Krieger.
- These homemade Gluten Free Oatmeal Spice Bars with raisins are a great alternative to store-bought granola bars—and they taste better too! While baking, the nutmeg and cinnamon will give off a wonderful aroma that will make your kitchen smell awesome.
- This Simple Shifts Podcast explores our favorite ways to lighten up recipes.
I made these at the weekend – is the 250 oven temp correct as they burnt badly on the outside – please help as they seem delicious
Hi Wendy, the oven temp is for 250F or about 130C. Hope this helps. ~Martha
I make these! They’re delicious ?
These bars are delicious! I made them for a community potluck breakfast and they went fast. I had several requests for the recipe, which I followed exactly; no changes. I make these once a week now so I always have some on hand!
Why do you have to warm the milk? Can you just dump it in from the can?
You just warm it to make it runnier and easier to pour, spread, work with.
Could we use honey instead of condensed milk?
Hi Claude, I haven’t tried using honey as a substitute, but think it should work.
I just tried it replacing the milk with honey and it worked fine The reason I did this is because my daughter is lactose tolerance. The bars are sweeter and probably more weight watcher points. 14 ounces of honey is 75 pts.
Hi Claude, thanks so much for letting me know!
Hi Claude I have made and love these breakfast bats many times but I was thinking of replacing the condensed milk with natural, unsweetened fruit juice next time! X x
Hi..just wondering…if this recipe yields 24 bars at 4 points each, the total recipe points would be 96. A can of condensed milk is around 38/40 points. Add to that, 2.5 cups of oats which is about 60/70. The points total is already over 100 points. Then there is all the other stuff – seeds, coconut etc. that which I haven’t even counted. Do you see the points discrepancy? What am I missing?
Hi Shalini,
I use the following to calculate the nutritional estimates that I then run through my WW PointsPlus calculator: http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php. I’ve run it again and it looks okay to me. I don’t think that 2.5 cups of oats has 60/70 points plus. According to my research 2.5 cups of oats has about 775 calories and 20 points plus.
Hope this helps.
Yeah rolled oats are 1/4 for 2 pts so IF ANYTHING the points would be 20 for 2.5 cups. On another note, could you freeze these?
Though I haven’t tried to freeze them (they never last long enough) I think they would work well.
Can you switch out the condensed milk for something healthier or dairy free?
I don’t know Olivia. I’ve never tried. You might be able to use a combination of coconut milk and brown rice syrup. If you come up with an alternative that works for you, I’d love to hear about it!!
Bit late now, but for future people reading. I’ve used Condensed Coconut Milk I got at my local organic shop. Works exactly same as regular condensed milk.
Thanks for letting us know, Nicky. ~Martha