Looking for the ultimate snack that's perfectly crunchy, nutritious, and delicious? You've landed on the right page! This classic homemade vegan granola bar recipe combines wholesome oats, nuts, and fruits into a fantastic crunchy treat for any occasion.
A vegan granola bar is a delicious treat that knows no time of day or season!
This bar is the Goldilocks of granola bars - not too soft, not too hard, just right. It’s perfectly crunchy, healthy, wallet-friendly, and oh-so-tasty. It's great to have ready in my purse for a quick snack on the fly.
These bars are perfect for children and adults, making them an excellent addition to lunchboxes as a convenient on-the-go snack. For more snack and lunch ideas for kids, visit Vegan School Lunch Ideas For Kids.
You can eat these bars along with some vegan ice cream at home or look at these desserts and snacks for some other great treats.
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Why you'll love these bars
By skipping the store-bought bars, you can get creative, make a cool project in the kitchen with the kids, and whip up some homemade vegan granola bars fast!
Nutrient-Packed: Loaded with wholesome ingredients like oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, they provide a great balance of fiber, protein, healthy fats, and vitamins.
Vegan and Gluten-free: These bars are vegan and gluten-free, which makes them a perfect snack for anyone with special dietary needs.
Easily Customizable: You can create endless flavor combinations with your favorite ingredients or whatever you have. Make it indulgent and a special treat by adding vegan chocolate chips to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Energy Boosting: These bars make an excellent snack for sustained energy, whether you're hitting the gym or need a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
Portable & Convenient: Grab-and-go friendly, they're perfect for busy mornings, travel, outdoor activities like hiking, or lunch boxes.
Budget-Friendly: Most store-bought granola bars are expensive. Homemade vegan granola bars can be a great cost-effective alternative.
No Artificial Additives: Making your own means you control what goes in, so no preservatives, artificial colors, or flavors.
Perfect for All Ages: They’re a hit for kids and adults, from school lunchboxes to office snack drawers.
Deliciously Satisfying: Most importantly, they taste incredible! Think of them as a treat that satisfies cravings without guilt.
If you like quick snack ideas, try easy vegan trail mix or roasted chickpeas croutons.
Ingredients
You can have delicious, homemade vegan granola bars with just a few ingredients.
- rolled oats
- almonds
- walnuts
- shredded coconut
- brown rice syrup
- peanut butter
- vanilla extract
- cinnamon
- salt
- cranberries/raisins (optional)
- chocolate chips (optional for incorporating into the mixture and drizzling over the top)
- sea salt (optional)
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, heat the brown rice syrup, creamy peanut butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt in the microwave and stir until smooth and easy to mix.
Pour the rolled oats, chopped almonds, walnuts, shredded coconut, and cranberries into the bowl with the warmed-up mixture.
Mix until well combined. When mixing everything, the batter should be cohesive and sticky but not overly wet.
Wait until the mixture is cool enough to fold in the vegan chocolate chips. Mix until well combined.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Cover with parchment paper. Press the granola mixture down with the back of a large spoon, spatula, or bottom of a glass.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
Optional: Melt chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 40 seconds until you get a runny consistency.
Drizzle chocolate over the granola in a pattern and place in the freezer or refrigerator until the chocolate has hardened. Optional - add some sea salt before placing it in the fridge.
Remove from refrigerator. Using the parchment paper to help you, lift the granola from the baking dish and place it on a flat surface. Slice it into bars.
That's it! You have homemade, delicious, vegan granola bars.
Store the granola bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Substitutions
Rolled Oats: I would not substitute rolled oats, but you can combine them with puffed quinoa or spelt flakes for different textures and flavors. Ensure it equals the same amount as the recipe calls for to maintain the volume and ratio of dry and wet ingredients.
Almonds and walnuts: Cashews, hazelnuts, or pecans would all work well for nut substitutions. For a nut-free option, you can use pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
Shredded Coconut: If you're not a fan of coconut, you can simply omit it or replace it with extra nuts, seeds, or even some flaxseed meal for texture.
Brown Rice Syrup: Date syrup will also work in this recipe. However, this recipe does not work with agave or maple syrup because the bars do not stick together. It becomes a crumbly granola that is still delicious if you're looking for granola to top ice cream, but it's not what this recipe aims for - granola bars. If you need to use either one, the bars need a little extra support from ¼ cup of melted coconut oil to stay together.
Peanut Butter: Almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter are fantastic alternatives if you want to change the flavor or need a peanut-free option.
Vanilla Extract: Almond extract, orange extract, or even a splash of bourbon for an adult twist.
Cinnamon: Nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, or a pumpkin spice blend can offer different warming notes for seasonal granola bars.
Cranberries/Raisins: Dried cherries, apricots, figs, or dates can be chopped and used instead of cranberries or raisins for a change in flavor and texture.
Variations
Tweak and tailor this granola to fit different tastes, dietary needs, or just what's in the pantry. Here are a few other combination ideas. Use the same proportions that are found in the recipe.
Allergy-free: Substitute the nuts with seeds for an allergy-free version. Replace the peanut butter with sunflower butter and use the same ratios in the recipe to maintain consistency.
Tropical taste: Use macadamia nuts and cashews and mix in dried mango and shredded coconut. Use nutmeg instead of cinnamon.
Chocolate Lover's Dream: Use hazelnuts and chia seeds instead of the nuts in the recipe. Add one tablespoon or two of cocoa powder for a deep chocolate taste.
Peanut Butter Banana Bliss: Add about ½ cup of dried sweet banana chips to the mixture.
Low-Sugar: Use unsweetened nut butter and a couple of stevia packets. Also, exclude the chocolate chips.
Storage
Keep your granola in an airtight container at room temperature. It should stay fresh for up to a week. If you save them any longer, refrigerate them for up to a month. It will keep in the freezer for about three months.
Top Tips
I've attempted to make granola bars using maple syrup and agave, but unfortunately, they turned into crumbly granola. While still tasty, the result was far from the firm bars I aimed for.
If you're keen on using maple syrup in your recipe, adding ¼ cup of melted coconut oil is essential. This additional ingredient helps bind everything together, preventing the crumbly texture and ensuring you achieve the desired consistency for granola bars. The texture will be softer, plus much more fat and calorie-dense.
If you decide to substitute any ingredients in the recipe, make sure to preserve the ratio between the wet and dry components. Maintaining this balance is crucial for the mixture to form bars rather than crumble.
These granola bars are a crunchy delight. If you like them a little softer, skip the baking and leave them in the fridge for a chewier bar.
FAQs
Rolled oats are generally preferred for granola bars as they hold their shape and give a nice texture. Quick oats might become a bit mushy. But hey, if that's what you have on hand, give it a shot and see how it turns out!
This granola recipe is gluten-free, but ensure that the oats are certified gluten-free oats and haven't been contaminated through processing in a facility that handles gluten-containing foods.
When mixing everything together, the batter should be cohesive and slightly sticky but not overly wet. If it's too dry, add more wet ingredients like the syrup, a tablespoon at a time. If it is too wet, add more dry ingredients like oats or seeds to reach the desired consistency.
You can chill the mixture in the fridge for a few hours instead of baking. The texture may be softer but still delicious.
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Print
Vegan Classic Granola Bars
This quick, crunchy, classic homemade vegan granola bar recipe combines wholesome oats, nuts, and fruits into a fantastic treat for any occasion.
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup almonds (chopped)
- ½ cup walnuts (chopped)
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- ¼ cup cranberries (or raisins)
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup brown rice syrup (or date syrup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional Ingredients
- ¼ cup chocolate chips (optional)
- sea salt (optional)
- ¼ cup chocolate chips (optional for drizzling over the top)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8 inch baking pan or a 6x8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the syrup, creamy peanut butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until smooth.
- Heat the mixture: Place the mixture in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds. Stir and heat again (if necessary) until you get a thin consistency that is easy to mix.
- Add the dry ingredients: Add the rolled oats, chopped almonds, chopped walnuts, shredded coconut, and cranberries to the warmed mixture. Stir until everything is evenly coated and well combined. It should be sticky but not wet.
- Add the chocolate chips: (optional) When the mixture cools down, fold in the vegan chocolate chips if using.
- Transfer the mixture: Place the mixture in a prepared baking pan and cover with parchment paper. Press down firmly with the back of a spoon, spatula, or the bottom of a cup to compress the granola mixture tightly.
- Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Remove and let cool.
- Optional melted chocolate and sea salt: After the granola has cooled (and before slicing), melt ¼ cup of chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl until runny to drizzle over the bars. When the granola bars cool completely, drizzle the chocolate over the bars with a spoon or spatula. Add sea salt over the top if desired.
- Refrigerate: Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from refrigerator and slice: Store the granola bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. See the post for other storage options.
Notes
Nutritional information is only an estimate. Use a nutritional app like Cronometer to get information on the exact ingredients and amounts you are using. The estimates for the nutrition profile include chocolate chips, cranberries, and chocolate drizzle for the top.
See the post for variations and substitutions.
Oats themselves don't contain gluten, but the reason they might not always be considered gluten-free has to do with how they're processed and where they're grown. So check your package to make sure they are gluten-free if necessary.
When melting chocolate in the microwave, stop it every 40 seconds and stir until you get a runny consistency. Chocolate will burn in the microwave, so watch it carefully.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: breakfast, snack
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 394
- Sugar: 22
- Sodium: 173
- Fat: 23
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 44
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 10
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: peanut butter, snack, granola bars, oats, nuts, lunchbox
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Hailey P says
They’re too good 🙂
★★★★★
Regi Pearce says
Wow, 'too good' is the kind of problem I love to have! I'm thrilled to hear you're enjoying the classic vegan granola bars that much. Thanks for trying them out and taking a moment to share your thoughts.