Making homemade vegan granola bars is so easy and the results are incredibly delicious! These plant-based granola bars are made with oats, quinoa flakes, seeds, nut butter, and maple or agave syrup, resulting in soft and chewy granola bars you can’t get enough of!
Place oats, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place into hot oven and bake for 10-15 minutes to toast. Stir occasionally to keep from burning, you want them slightly browned.
1 ⅔ cups old fashioned oats, ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup sunflower seeds
Make the syrup
Combine almond butter, agave, brown sugar, coconut oil, vanilla extract and salt in a small saucepan. Heat on medium low, stirring frequently until sugar dissolves. It should take just a couple minutes.
⅓ cup almond butter, ¼ cup agave or maple syrup, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
Mix and Form Into Bars
Transfer the cooked oats and seeds to a medium mixing bowl. Add quinoa flakes and syrup. Stir to combine.
1 cup quinoa flakes
Add chia seeds and dried cranberries and mix to spread out throughout the mixture.
2 tablespoons chia seeds, ½ cup cranberries
Line a 8 x 8 pan or dish with parchment paper. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Spread it out into an even layer and press firmly down with your fingers or a wooden spoon to compact the ingredients down and together.
Refrigerate to chill for about 1 hour. Remove and cut into bars.
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Notes
Swaps: Be cautious in making swaps for the ingredients in the syrup, they all have a purpose and play a role in forming the glue that holds everything together. In particular, the brown sugar and coconut oil will firm up and create a more solid granola bar. Substituting liquid oil or another sugar can result in a thin syrup that won’t firm enough to hold the bars together.
Toasting the Oats & Seeds: Don’t skip this step, as it enhances the flavor in the key ingredients.
Refrigerate Longer if Possible: The longer these bars set, the better they stick together and the softer and chewier they will be. You can refrigerate for as long as 12-24 hours. It’s not necessary, but the extra time is worth it in the end result.
Choose the Correct Size Pan: Choose an 8 x 8-inch or similar size baking pan. If the pan is too big the granola bars will spread out more, making them prone to crumbling and falling apart. Line the pan with parchment paper before adding the oats, leaving a bit of paper overhanging on the sides, so you can easily lift the paper to remove the bars before slicing.
Firmly Press the Oats into the Pan: Furthermore, press the oat mixture firmly into the pan. It can be easiest to do this with the fingers or the palm of your hand.
Storage Directions: Store the bars covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. If desired, let the bars come to room temperature for 30-45 minutes before eating for tender and chewy bars. They also can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator until thawed.