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No-Bake Granola Bars

These bars are perfect for school lunches because they are nut-free and pack very well. Plus, they are pretty simple to put together!
Course baking, Snack

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
  • 1/4 cup (packed) coconut butter see note for substitution
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup oat flour
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut optional
  • 1 1/2 cups natural brown rice crisp cereal
  • 3 tablespoons nondairy chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

  • Line an 8” × 8” pan with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan over medium/medium-low heat, add the brown rice syrup, coconut butter, vanilla extract, sea salt, and cinnamon. Stir until well combined and the coconut butter has melted. Add the rolled oats, and stir through, allowing to cook for 2–3 minutes in the low heat. Add the oat flour and shredded coconut and stir through. Remove the pot from the stove. Then, quickly stir in the cereal, and transfer the mixture to the pan. Press the mixture evenly into the pan (using a nonstick spatula or piece of parchment paper to press the mixture without sticking). Wait just a minute or two, and then sprinkle on the chocolate chips (you can choose to cover whole bars, or just a portion), and press those into the base. Refrigerate until fully chilled (at least 1/2 hour), then cut in squares or bars.

Notes

  • Coconut Butter Note: Coconut butter works well here because it is so dense and helps bind the bars. Because coconut is not botanically a nut, these are also perfect for school lunches. However, if you want to substitute a nut butter, choose one that is very dense, like cashew butter.
  • Idea: Try some of these flavor variations:
    • • Raisin-spice: Try substituting raisins for the chocolate chips (and adding them with the coconut and oat flour, rather than at the end), increase the cinnamon to 1/2 teaspoon, and add 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon of allspice.
    • • Cranberry–pumpkin seed: Try substituting dried cranberries for the chocolate chips (and adding them at the same time as the oat flour), and substitute 2–3 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds for the coconut.
    • • Cocoa-hemp: Substitute 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds for the coconut, and add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder when mixing in the oat flour and hemp seeds. Keep the chocolate chips, and add in raisins if you like!