No Bake Vegan Granola Bars without Nuts
These easy to make no-bake vegan granola bars are the perfect snack! They are the perfect homemade granola bar – soft, chewy, and filled with chocolate chips! Nut free and gluten free optional.
I love making these granola bars because they are so easy to make, filled with wholesome ingredients, no refined sugars, and so simple to customize for any flavor combos.
They are soft and chewy, and you do need to keep them chilled since they are a no bake recipe, but on a hot summer day, they are a perfect treat!
Ingredients
- Oats: Rolled oats are my preferred oats for this recipe. If you need to make them gluten free, use Zego Oats or the gluten free rolled oats from Trader Joes, depending on your sensitivity level.
- Crispy Rice Cereal: This is a secret ingredient for making them crispy and crunchy!
- Sunflower Seed Butter: This is the main ingredient for getting these granola bars to stick together. It can easily be swapped out for your favorite nut/seed butter that you can safely eat.
You’ll Also Need:
- Maple Syrup
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt + Cinnamon
- Chocolate Chips (or other flavor enhancers, see variations below)
Variations
If you swap out the chocolate chips, there are SO MANY different ways you can customize this recipe! Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Fruit + Seed: Add ¼ cup dried fruits like raisins or dried cranberries. Add ¼ cup mix of flax seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, or sunflower seeds.
- Lemon Blueberry: Add ¼ cup dried blueberries with 1 tablespoon lemon zest.
- Cookies + Cream: Add ⅓ cup crushed vegan Oreo cookies.
- Mango Coconut: Add ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes with 2 tablespoons of dried diced mango.
Instructions
Make sure to check out the recipe card below for the full recipe and ingredient list.
Optional Step: Toasting the Oats
Okay, so this step is totally optional and technically this makes this a baked recipe. However, adding toasted oats gives the oats a deeper and richer nutty flavor. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and toast the oats on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. Let them cool completely before continuing with the recipe.
Tip! If you are using the brand of Zego Oats, you can not skip this step and need to pre-bake your oats as they are unbaked.
Step One: Mix the Dry Ingredients
Into a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients: Oats, rice cereal, chocolate chips, salt, and cinnamon. Give it a quick mix to make sure it is all combined.
Step Two: Add the Wet Ingredients
Now add the wet ingredients of maple syrup, sunflower seed butter and vanilla extract. Give this a good stir with a sturdy wooden spoon.
Step Three: Press into Place
Press this mixture into an 8×8-inch baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Really press it in there so that the granola bars will hold together. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top and pop it into the fridge for a good hour to chill.
After an hour or two, they are ready to slice and serve! Remove them from the baking pan and cut them into either 12 bars or 9 or 16 squares. Enjoy!
How to Store
Fridge: As they are no bake granola bars, these do need to be kept in the fridge and chilled. Keep them in an airtight container for up to one week. I suggest placing a bit of parchment paper in between each bar so they don’t stick together.
Freezer: You can freeze the fully mixed and sliced granola bars in the freezer for up to 2 months. Again, store them individually wrapped in parchment paper and keep them in a freezer safe container.
More Oat Recipes
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Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- mixing spoon
- measuring cup
- measuring spoon
- parchment paper
- baking pan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats
- 2 cups rice crispy cereal
- ⅔ cup sunflower seed butter
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips reserve 1 spoonful for pressing into top
- Pinch salt and cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare the pan. Line an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal of the granola bars after chilling. Set this aside.
- Optional toasting. Preheat the oven to 350°F/170°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Toast the rolled oats for 10 minutes. Let cool completely before moving forward in the recipe.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the rolled oats, rice crispy cereal, mini chocolate chips, salt, and cinnamon.
- Mix the wet ingredients. To the dry ingredients, add the sunflower seed butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix this together until no dry ingredients remain.
- Press and chill. Using the back of a spoon or spatula, press the granola bar mixture into the prepared baking pan. Chill for 1 hour at least but overnight is preferred.
- Slice and serve. Using a sharp knife, cut into either 12 bars, or 9 or 16 squares. Enjoy!
Notes
- How to Store
- Fridge: As they are no bake granola bars, these do need to be kept in the fridge and chilled. Keep them in an airtight container for up to one week. I suggest placing a bit of parchment paper in between each bar so they don’t stick together.
- Freezer: You can freeze the fully mixed and sliced granola bars in the freezer for up to 2 months. Again, store them individually wrapped in parchment paper and keep them in a freezer safe container.
Nutrition
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