Grain-Free Granola Bars (2024)

by Sarah McMinn/Posted:January 22, 2018/Updated:July 23, 2020/Disclosure:This post may contain affiliate links.Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Total Time:20 mins

Snack healthy with these Grain-Free Granola Bars. They are filled with superfoods that will give you an automatic energy boost to keep you going. Vegan, and gluten and grain-free!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

One of the lessons I have learned over the years of cleansing is that when eating a whole food, plant-based diet, you can get hungry often. It's a hunger that comes from nowhere and hits you like a hurricane, possessing all your thoughts until you are completely useless until you eat again.

You must know what I'm talking about, right?

It took me years to learn (as is the case with most of life's lessons) that for that reason when cleansing I should be stocked up on healthy, hearty, wholesome snacks.

Right now my kitchen is filled with an assortment of nuts, veggies, hummus, and homemade granola bars. And these grain-free granola bars are one of my favorite 30 day cleanse snacks.

Beyond being grain-free they are made with no added sugar and filled with some of my favorite superfoods (why hello goji berries and cacao nibs!). Plus, fortunately for all of us, they are super easy to make!

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Benefits of Grain-Free Granola Bars

Because these granola bars are filled with superfoods, they provide all kinds of benefits to your body. Some of these benefits include:

Mood and energy enhancements
Tons of antioxidants
Detoxification properties
Immune support
Anti-Inflammatory benefits
Anti-Aging properties

A true superfood lifesaver!

Recommended Ingredients & Equipment

These "granola" bars are a variation of my Raw Trail Mix Bars similar in that the base is made from walnuts and unsweetened coconut (rather than oats), sweetened with dates, then held together with a little bit of nut butter. These ingredients are blended together to create a sweet and nutty dough-like base for the Grain-Free Granola Bars.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Walnuts
Medjool Dates - You'll need to use Medjool dates. They are bigger and juicier than traditional dates which help bind the nuts and coconut together. Without Medjool dates, you'll risk getting a crumbly bar.
Shredded Coconut - Make sure to use unsweetened desiccated coconut.
Almond Butter - Any nut or seed butter is fine.
Superfood Mix-ins - I use a combination of almonds, cacao nibs, pumpkin seeds, goji berries, and hemp seeds. You could also add raisins, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and pistachios. Just note, it's important to keep the mix-in/walnut base ratio similar to the recipe to avoid the bar from being crumbly.

Recommended Equipment

For this recipe, you will need basic equipment like a measuring cups, kitchen utensils, and an 11x7 baking dish. You will also need a food processor. (<<affiliate links)

Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.

How to Make Grain-Free Granola Bars

Step One- Make the Granola Base

Combine the walnuts, dates, coconut, and almond butter in a food processor and blend until the ingredients are well combined. They will still have a bit of a crumb but should stick together when pressed between your fingers.

Step Two - Add your Mix-Ins

Once you have your base, it's time to add your mix-ins. You can really add anything. Some other foods that I have added in the past are raisins, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and pistachios.

Pro Tip: It's important to keep the mix-in/walnut base ratio as the recipe. If you add extra mix-ins to the base you'll again risk getting a crumbly bar.

Most commonly I like to use a mixture of cacao nibs, goji berries, and pumpkin seeds along with a few other things. I like the flavor combination of bitter cacao nibs with the tartness of the goji berries and earthiness of the pumpkin seeds.

Step Three - Press and Set

Once the granola bars are well combined, press them into a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place another piece of parchment paper over the top of the granola bars and roll the granola bars evenly into the pan. Place them in the refrigerator for at last 4 hours before slicing up and serving.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

Serving and Storing

Serving immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or the freezer for 2 months.

More Vegan Granola Recipes

Chewy Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Gluten-Free Breakfast Cookies
Peanut Butter Protein Bites
4-Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies