I was recently on a beach vacation and found myself in a cozy cafe, munching on this granola bar.
So, when I got home, I started to recreate my version. The crunchiest and tastiest granola bar recipe (possibly ever) is here.
These bars are easy to make and only require nine ingredients. The bars can be made in under an hour and without a food processor or blender.
They are similar to my Healthy 5 Ingredient Granola Bars, but they are crisper. These bars also have less sugar and require fewer dates.
These delicious chocolate bars can be cut into pieces and dipped in chocolate (or not) after a quick baking in the oven! But, come on! It is chocolate.
They are perfect for a quick snack or dessert. These bars would go great with my five 5-minute vegan Hot Cocoa or a ginger tea latte. I’ve been really into Golden Milk recently – particularly This recipe by my friend McKel!
Ingredients
GRANOLA BARS
- 1 cup rolled Oats
- You can also use sunflower seeds or another nut.
- 1/4 cup flaxseed meals
- If large flakes of coconut, chop them or blend into smaller pieces.
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- You can substitute another sticky dried fruit for the dates or use a third cup of chopped dates.
- 2 Tbsp Almond Butter (or another nut butter or seed butter).
- Coconut oil 2 Tbsp
- 1/4 cup maple sugar (or brown rice syrup if you want a less sweet bar)
For Toppling optional
- 1/2 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate
- Coconut oil, 1 Tbsp
- Hemp seeds or sea salt, 1 tsp.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (176 C). Arrange oats, almonds, and other ingredients on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly toasted. The bread should not be browned but slightly toasted to add flavor. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. (162 C).
- Add flaxseed flour, desiccated coconut, and sea salt to a large bowl, mix, and stir. Set aside.
- Add dates to the bowl once oats, almonds, and other ingredients are toasted. Stir together loosely and set aside.
- Add the almond butter, maple syrup, and coconut oil to a small pan and heat to a simmer over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat, and add immediately to the oats.
- Mix thoroughly with a spoon, making sure that the dates are evenly distributed, and the almond butter mixture is coated over all the dry ingredients.
- Spread the mixture evenly in an 8×8 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper (size/number should be as written on the original recipe // adjust for batch size). Add another layer of parchment and use something flat, such as a cup, to press it into a uniform, even layer.
- Remove from oven and let cool in the pan. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool. Transfer the pan to the freezer to accelerate cooling.
- After cooling, remove the bars from the pan. I chose 6 bars, but you can easily make 8 bars or even 12 squares. (Amounts are as written in the original recipe // adjust for batch size).
- Melt the dark chocolate and coconut oils in a small bowl using the microwave or in a double boiler over the stove. Pour a small amount of chocolate over the bars and drizzle it in a pattern, or cover the half-bar with the chocolate. Add hemp seeds or sea salt to the top.
- After the bars have dried/cooled down, you can store them covered at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 1 month.