Superfood Granola Bars
These Superfood Granola Bars are made with an assortment of healthy nuts, seeds and whole-grain oats for a bar that is filled with protein, fibre and nutrients. This is a no-bake granola bar recipe that is naturally vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free!
A healthy no-bake granola bar
No-bake recipes are one of my favourite types of recipes to make since they are generally easy, fast and require no oven!
This recipe for Superfood Granola Bars is one of my favourite no-bake recipes for a healthy breakfast or snack. This is one of those recipes that is perfect to make for food prep since these bars can be stored in the fridge all week.
These bars are perfect to enjoy for breakfast, a snack or when you need a little energy boost. The ingredients can be easily modified if you prefer to add in your favourite nuts & seeds or omit any that you don’t like from the recipe.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This granola bar recipe is no-bake and comes together in 15 minutes. These bars are also naturally vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free.
- They are loaded with good for you ingredients and an assortment of nuts and seeds filled with protein, fibre and healthy fats.
- This recipe is perfect to make for food prep and can be stored in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.
How to make superfood granola bars
Add the Medjool dates to a food processor and puree until it forms a date paste. You should end up with a mixture that looks like this.
Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl, then add in the date paste and almond butter and mix it together until incorporated.
Add the chocolate chips and mix again, then spoon the mixture into an 8×8 inch pan lined with parchment paper, pressing down evenly.
Place the bars in the fridge to set for 4 hours, then remove and cut into bars. (Make sure to store these bars in the fridge!)
How to get granola bars to stick together
Sometimes it can be a little tricky to get no-bake granola bars to stick together. So what’s the secret?
Using STICKY and SOFT medjool dates.
If your dates feel dry, they won’t bind all the other ingredients together. It’s super important to be using sticky dates in this recipe if you want granola bars that don’t fall apart.
If your dates are too dry: soak the dates in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes to rehydrate them, then drain and proceed with the recipe.
Tips for making this recipe perfectly
- Fresh medjool dates that are still sticky work best in this recipe. Don’t substitute for other types of dates.
- If you’re having trouble mixing everything together with a spoon or spatula, use your hands! This works best to incorporate all the ingredients.
- There is no specific measurement for the chocolate chips in this recipe, it’s to your taste. I like a big handful, but you can add more if you like or leave the chocolate out of you prefer.
More healthy snacks to try
If you tried these Superfood Granola Bars or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!
Superfood Granola Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
- Category: Breakfast, snack
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: Amiercan
Description
These Superfood Granola Bars are loaded with nuts, seeds, oats and dates for a healthy and filling no-bake bar you’ll love!
Ingredients
- 2 cups medjool dates, pits removed* (see note)
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp flax seeds
- 3 tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup almond butter (the runny kind is best)
- handful of 70% dark chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- Puree the medjool dates in a food processor to make a date paste.
- Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, then add the date paste and almond butter.
- Use a large spoon, spatula or your hands and mix everything together until incorporated.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix them in.
- Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper and spoon the mixture into the pan. Use your hands to evenly press it down into the pan.
- Place in the fridge to set for 4 hours, then remove and cut into even bars or squares.
- Store in the fridge.
Notes
Medjool dates should be soft and sticky when fresh. If your dates feel dry, soak them in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes, then drain and proceed with the recipe. It’s imortant that your dates are sticky in this recipe otherwise the bars will fall apart.
Make sure to use medjool dates in this recipe. They are bigger and stickier than other types of dates.
The mixture for the bars should feel sticky when you press it between your fingers. If the mixture feels dry, you may need to add more almond butter or date paste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 16g
- Fat: 5.6g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 4g
Would it work to use cocoa nibs in place of the chocolate chips?
Yes!
Delicious! Thank you for this receipe! I wonder how long can you keep them in the fridge and if they loose their « stickiness » once frozen? Thank you in advance for your answer❤️
You’re welcome! So happy you enjoyed it!
I’ve made these bars so many times now, I’m past due for a comment.They’re tasty, naturally sweet, and something you can feel good about putting into your body. If anyone is on the fence about trying them, give ‘‘em a go! They’re worth it.
So happy you love them Courtney! 🙂
Love this recipe! Can mix and match different ingredients depending what I have on hand.
Used the Organic Deglet Noor dates, soaked them and turned out just as well.
Happy you enjoyed it Nadine! 🙂
I have made this recipe numerous times for my family and to give away to friends. It is easy to make and super delicious. I always have some in my freezer!
So happy you and your family love them!
Oh I forgot to ask or should I say presuming these are Vegan, GF, Vegetarian ?
Thank you 😀
Yes they are! (as long as you use gluten-free certified oats)
Absolutely LOVE these. So packed with nutritious ingredients. easy & fast to put together. I added more Berries. Delish
So happy you enjoyed them Stepfanie!
I love this recipe. I make a double batch once a month and cut into bars and wrap them individually for a quick bite. I top mine with some chocolate, perfection!
So happy you love them Sarah, this is one of my go-tos!
Do we need to roast the seeds?
There’s no need to roast the seeds but you can if you like, it’s up to you!
used 1 cup oats and a spoonful of extra almond butter came out amazing!
Happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Let me preface by saying that I am not the best cook – I tend to fail at most recipes. But, having said that, these were so good! I didn’t have a some of the ingredients (chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.), but they still turned out perfectly! Highly, highly recommend!
Hi Maya, happy you enjoyed!
Hey, so j just made this and I thought my dates were sticky enough….I guess not because it did not stick at alllll together. I’m so annoyed. I spent so much money buying all the ingredients. 🙁
Hi Karina, I’m sorry to hear that! Please refer to the notes on what type of dates to use and how to make sure they are sticky enough. You can always fix the bars by adding some more dates (soak them first) and some more peanut butter, no need to waste the ingredients!
My first attempt at a health bar and i totally loved it!! Thank you for the wonderful receipe.
So happy you liked the recipe!
Hi! Really enjoyed the taste of this recipe but the texture was very soft and gooey. Could I bake these to harden them up?
Thanks Dalilah! These are a no-bake granola bar recipe and are supposed to have a soft texture. Baking them won’t firm them up
Can these be made in bulk and frozen?
Hi Tyree, yes they can! Just make sure they are well-sealed so they don’t dry out.
Love the ingredients in this recipe. However can I leave out the coconut?
Hi Jen, yes you absolutely can!
So grateful to you for this, Jessica. It tastes simply gorgeous, yet so simple to make. I now have them in my fridge as a perk-me-up snack anytime in the day or when I don’t have the time to get myself a proper meal.
Your very welcome! Enjoy 🙂
So easy and so delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for the review Vicky, so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
My first-ever recipe I’m trying for healthier snack/treat since I’ve been on my health journey and WOW I feel like my eyes have opened to a whole new world! Thank you for such a delicious and feel-good recipe- will definitely be making these again soon.
Hi Jana, thank you for the review! SO happy you loved the recipe and are enjoying how yummy treats can be on your health journey! 🙂
So delicious, easy to make and easy to customize! I’ve made these twice already! The second time, I used peanuts and peanut butter. They didn’t last long! They’ll definitely be a staple in our household! Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
Thanks for the review Andrea! So happy you like the recipe 🙂