Chewy Granola Bars (Gluten, Diary, Refined Sugar, and Nut Free)
The perfect lunch box snack for kids and adults alike! These no bake bars are packed with fibre, protein, and healthy fat making them the perfect snack to grab and go. They taste very similar to the beloved "chewy bars", but homemade with some extra nutritional goodness packed in! Feel free to play around with ingredients, using what you have on hand. I've included lots of options for substitutions below.
Servings: 30 bars
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup coconut oil, ghee, or vegan butter or butter if not dairy free
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar or sweetener of choice
- 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups quick oats certified gluten free, if necessary
- 2 cups crispy rice cereal
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut sub with extra oats or crispy rice if you don't like coconut
- 1 cup roasted pumpkin seeds or seed of choice
- 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
- 1/2 cup hemp seeds or seed of choice
- 1/4 cup dairy free milk of choice (oat milk, coconut milk, etc.) only use almond/nut milk if not needed to be nut free
- 1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips mini chips work well here if you have them
Instructions
- Line a large sheet tray (11" x 17") with parchment paper.
- In a large pot, combine the coconut oil/ghee/butter, coconut sugar, honey, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened, stirring regularly.
- Remove from heat and add the the remaining ingredients, except the milk and chocolate chips. Stir well to combine.
- Add the milk, just enough to moisten the mixture so there are no dry bits (you may need a tad more or less than the 1/4 cup, depending on your mixture).
- Dump the mixture onto the lined sheet tray and press firmly and evenly in the pan (a spatula works better than hands which tend to stick to everything!). A thorough job of pressing will ensure your granola bars don't fall apart later!
- Scatter the chocolate chips evenly on top and press into the granola bars with a spatula.
- Chill the pan in the fridge for at least an hour, or the freezer for 30 minutes, before slicing and serving. Cut in long skinny bars if you want them to resemble chewy bars! Keep stored in the fridge (these also freeze well). Enjoy!
