No Bake Gluten-free Almond Butter Granola Bars
These almond butter granola bars are our favorite from-scratch granola bar recipe! They come together quickly and easily, are simple to customize, and make for a great snack.
And we love a great snack. We especially love having lighter snacks ready and waiting for us in the fridge. Such as these Chia Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Energy Balls, or these Apple Pie Energy Balls.
We make these gluten-free granola bars often because they just hit the spot. They are nutritious, filling, and satisfying. They are filled with wholesome ingredients, like chia seeds, oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and almonds. And you can eat them for breakfast, a snack or dessert!
Why this recipe is great
- These granola bars are simple to customize with what you have on hand or what you like.
- They are a great on-the-go option for breakfast, snack or kids lunches.
- They are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
- They are simple to make!
- They are filled with seeds and nuts with makes them a nourishing snack.
Recipe ingredients
- Rolled oats– make sure to use old fashioned oats and not fast oats. Also, if it is important for this recipe to be gluten-free, buy certified gluten-free rolled oats to avoid cross contamination.
- Chia seeds and hemp seeds– these add a nice crunch to the recipe. They also add protein and omega 3s.
- Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds– these seeds and nuts give a lot of texture and flavor to the granola bars.
- Almond butter– make sure to use a drippy creamy almond butter, that works best in this type of recipe.
- Vanilla– this adds a nice flavor to the bars and pairs well with the chocolate chips.
- Honey– any kind of honey works well in this recipe.
- Dried cherries– these add a satisfying burst of flavor.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips– you can use any kind of chocolate chip that works for your tastes or diet.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions/Substitutions
- You can omit the chia seeds and hemp seeds if you don’t have them.
- You can use only pumpkin seeds or only sunflower seeds if that is all you have.
- Instead of sliced almonds, you can use a different type of nut like walnuts.
- Instead of dried cherries, you can use dried cranberries, dried apricots, or raisins.
- Instead semi-sweet chocolate chips, you can use white chocolate or chocolate candies.
Step by step instructions
Step 1
Step 1: Mix the rolled oats, chia seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, and dried cherries together.
Step 2
Step 2: Heat up the almond butter, honey and vanilla together, until it is hot and melted.
Step 3
Step 3: Mix the almond butter mixture into the dried ingredients until everything is wet.
Fold in some chocolate chips.
Step 4
Step 4: Put the mixture into a pan and press into the pan. Add more chocolate chips on top.
Step 5
Step 5: Refrigerate for a few hours then remove from the pan and cut in granola bar shapes.
Step 5
You can also cut into squares if you prefer.
Expert tips
- When you are putting the granola bar mixture into the pan, wet your hands or the spatula to push it into the pan so it doesn’t stick to you or the spatula.
- Make sure your almond butter is runny. This binds the oats together better than stiff almond butter.
- Don’t cut the chilling time. They won’t harden or set as well if you don’t refrigerate them for at least 2 hours. If we're pressed for time, we put them in the freezer for part of the time.
- How to store in the fridge: store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. Make sure to use a piece of parchment paper between layers of the granola bars so they don’t stick to each other.
- How to store in the freezer: store in a freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Make sure each bar is wrapped in parchment paper. Let them thaw before eating.
Prep 10 minutesCook 5 minutesTotal 2 hours 15 minutesMakes 12 bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3/4 cup almond butter
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 3 Tablespoons hemp seeds
- 3 Tablespoons chia seeds
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Method
- Line a 8x8in square pan with wax paper or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together the oats, chia seeds, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds and dried cherries. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat the honey, vanilla, and almond butter over medium heat until it simmers and melts. Mix often and as soon as it starts to boil, turn the heat off.
- Pour the honey/almond butter mixture over the oat mixture and mix. Mix in half the chocolate chips.
- Pour the mixture into the parchment paper lined pan.
- Wet your spatula or your hands with water and pat down the mixture into the pan until it is even and firm .Top with the rest of the chocolate chips and press down.
- Cover and refrigerate for two hours or more.
- Lift the hardened granola bars out of the pan by pulling two sides of the wax paper up.
- Place them on a hard surface and cut them in into 12 granola bars using a very sharp knife. You can even cut them into 20 squares if you prefer that shape and size.
Notes
- You can omit the chia seeds and hemp seeds if you don’t have them.
- You can use only pumpkin seeds or only sunflower seeds if that is all you have.
- Instead of sliced almonds, you can use a different type of nut like walnuts.
- Instead of dried cherries, you can use dried cranberries, dried apricots, or raisins.
- Instead semi-sweet chocolate chips, you can use white chocolate or chocolate candies.
- How to store in the fridge: store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. Make sure to use a piece of parchment paper between layers of the granola bars so they don’t stick to each other.
- How to store in the freezer: store in a freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Make sure each bar is wrapped in parchment paper. Let them thaw before eating.
