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These no-bake nut-free granola bars are chewy, healthy and delicious. They’re a nut-free snack bar that tastes as good as the store-bought granola bars, without all the junk. Try this simple granola bar recipe for school lunches this year!
*Please note* this post was originally posted in 2018. I’ve since redone the text but the recipe remains the same.
The kids are back in school! I mostly mean your kids, since I only have one kid that is school-age, and by school-age I really mean pre-kindergarten age 😉 Anyway, it’s September and that means people are looking for back-to-school snacks that are easy to make, nutritious, and won’t end up in the garbage can at school (not that I EVER did that….I’m talking to you, bologna sandwich).
I know a lot of schools have nut-free policies, which makes the homemade treat game a bit trickier. Most of the granola bar recipes I’ve come to know and love incorporate some sort of nut butter as a binding agent, or else they’re loaded with tons of butter and sugar. It has taken me quite a few crumbly messes in the kitchen and a LOT of granola-bar-fail-turned-granola eating to nail down a recipe that fits all of my criteria. I’m happy to report I’ve got a winner. These no-bake NUT-free granola bars check all of the boxes!
Why do I love these granola bars so much?
They are:
-nut-free
-free of refined sugars (if you don’t count the chocolate chips)
-no-bake and EASY to make
-they stay together and don’t crumble apart
-chewy!!!
-freezer friendly
-delicious and totally customizable
-my kids eat them!!
I’m so happy with these bars! They have the texture of a store-bought granola bar, but without all of the junk. I’m already imagining all sorts of mix-ins I can add to switch these up to keep them interesting for the boys.
What makes the granola bars chewy?
The magic of medjool dates is what keeps these bars soft and chewy, and a mixture of pumpkin seed butter with honey creates a nice, sweet binding agent. Pumpkin seed butter on its own isn’t my favourite, but mixed with honey it’s delicious!
One tip for you, after mixing all of the ingredients together, you will need to use a fair bit of muscle to disperse the dates into the granola. I use a large wooden spoon! When you pack the mixture into the baking pan, pack it WELL. I use a lot of force to press it all down! This will ensure the bars keep together.
Do you have to use pumpkin seed butter?
You can absolutely use a different seed or nut butter for this recipe, but obviously using a nut-butter will make them nutty! Personally, I find the pumpkin seed butter to be the best nut-free binder, but I’ve definitely used peanut butter when I’m not concerned about the nuts.
I don’t know how it is where you live, but here it is COLD and rainy. It’s been gloomy for what feels like forever and I’m missing the sun and summer! I feel like we’re getting cheated out of one of my favourite times of year!
I’m looking forward to feeling the sun on my face again, and the crunch of the leaves under my feet. I see some warmer days in the forecast for next week, so for now I’ll hunker down with another cup of coffee and one of these no-bake nut-free granola bars!
LOVE granola bars and snack foods?
You’ll love these other snacks from the blog!
- Coconut cream larabars
- No-bake chocolate coconut balls
- Chocolate chia apricots
- Healthier oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
No-Bake Nut-Free Granola Bars
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
Description
These no-bake nut-free granola bars are chewy, healthy and delicious. They’re a nut-free snack bar that tastes as good as the store-bought granola bars, without all the junk. Try this simple granola bar recipe for school lunches this year!
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2 tbsp. wheat germ (or ground flaxseed)
- 1 cup packed medjool dates, pitted (8 or 9)
- 2 tbsp. chia seeds
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup honey (or agave)
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seed butter
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread out the rolled oats and wheat germ. Place in the oven for 15 minutes to lightly toast the oats.
- While the oats are toasting, place the dates in a food processor and pulse until a soft ball is formed.
- In a large bowl, mix together the chia seeds, cinnamon and oats/wheat germ. In another bowl, add the honey and pumpkin seed butter and microwave for 30 seconds, stirring until smooth.
- Use a large wooden spoon to mix the dates into the dry ingredients, then add the honey/pumpkin seed butter. Stir together until everything is mixed together and then add the pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries and chocolate chips.
- Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper, then empty the granola mixture into it. Using a spatula or wet hands, pack the mixture down firmly into the dish. Make sure you use a lot of force to pack it all down, as this will keep the bars together. Place the dish in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours before removing the bars from the pan and cutting into 12 equal pieces.
Keep the bars in an airtight container on the counter for 1 week, or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks The bars can also be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
It’s obviously that any homemade granola bar will be 99% better (at least healthier) than store-bought. But I can say this recipe is much better than most of recipes for homemade bars I’ve seen! Love the use of pumpkin seed butter (Although not sure if they don’t qualify as nuts. Probably, they don’t cause allergic reactions?), seeds, and honey. Yum! Can we pretend I’m going to school again so you would ship me these lunches? 😉
Thanks Ben! I had to do a little research to make sure pumpkin seed butter is still considered “nut-free” and school safe! It is! And you can bet I have no problem pretending you’re back in school 😉 One batch coming up!
This looks fabulous katherine…am so gald to read your post and love your photography as well. i will definitely make this bars in few days later..Thanks for sharing…!
Thank you so much, that’s so nice of you!! I hope you like them!
I’m always looking for new granola bar recipes Katherine! These look delicious! Perfect for road trips this fall!
Love the idea of making it a road trip snack, Mary Ann! Thank you so much!
Katherine, I love these granola bars, and being nut free, it is so perfect to share and make for family and friends with allergies. Also absolutely loving the dates….my favorite. This I have to try, my boys will go crazy for these granola bars as well. Thank you for sharing, have a great week 🙂
Hi Ashika! Yes it’s a perfect recipe for people with nut allergies. I hope your boys love them! Thank you my friend!
Gonna make this soon Kathy!! So love such recipes:)
I hope your kids love it! Thanks Maria!
haha I’m with ya on the bologna sandwich, my mom always made me go to school with one of those as well! LOL These granola bars sound wonderful, love that they are chewy too! I’m not a big fan of dry, crunchy ones so I’d opt for a protein bar instead because so many granola bars are way too dry. The first time I made them they turned out horribly, I didn’t use anything to bind them together (I was inexperienced with baking and didn’t want to use corn syrup) so they fell apart haha Love the chia seeds and nut butter in these …and the honey, too! Gives them a natural sweetness without loads of sugar. Do you think I could use maple syrup instead? I try to limit my honey as it gives me gut issues but I love it so much! Delicious creation, Katherine! Can’t wait to try them 😀
Hah Dana I’ve had a few granola bar fails too and it’s basically just granola then!! I definitely think you could try it with maple syrup, the pumpkin seed butter and dates should keep them together 🙂
Do you have a calorie count, grams of carbs, sugar, etc.
Hi Josette, not yet – BUT – I will be putting this information on my site over the next few weeks!
I have two go-to snack foods and I need to add something new to my repertoire. These granola bars look perfect! Chewy and packed full of texture and flavor. Can’t wait to give them a try!
These sound delicious! I’m sure my kids will love them. 🙂
They absolutely would. Mine do!!
It’s so hard to find nut free granola bars, so these are perfect! So great as an on-the-go snack.
Thank you Jean Choi. I had to create them because of all those nut-free policies!!