Healthy No-Bake Oatmeal Bars

My kids love chewy granola bars. Every time I bought a box at the grocery store I’d say to myself, I need to learn how to make these at home.

Now that we’re home so much, I took the opportunity to build a recipe using simple pantry staples. The best part is, you don’t even have to turn on the oven.

Healthier Ingredients

My goals were to provide enough protein, fat and fiber to keep us full longer and create something sweet enough to please the kids. As a bonus, this recipe includes chia and flax seeds to boost healthy Omega-3s.

You can customize the bars with your favorite add-ins by simply swapping equal amounts of one ingredient for another. If you don’t have flax seeds, add an additional 1/4 cup of oatmeal. Or swap the nuts for chia seeds. I love the flexibility of using whatever ingredients I have available.

You can substitute alternative nut butters, but I haven’t tried alternative oils, which could be challenging due to the consistency of coconut oil.

Tips & Tricks

I like to use a large, flat-bottomed pasta bowl with a rice paddle to mix all of the ingredients. The combination allows me to smoosh together the almond butter, oil and honey without having to heat them up first. The rice paddle also makes pressing the final mixture into the baking dish a snap.

These bars are phenomenal as a snack or breakfast on the go and indulgent enough to serve as dessert. I highly recommend crumbling them over ice cream.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup natural almond butter (or nut better of your choice)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey (you can substitute agave or maple syrup if you prefer)
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the coconut oil, honey and almond butter into a bowl. I like to use a large pasta bowl with a wide bottom to make mixing easier.
2. Use a rice paddle or large spoon to smoosh together the ingredients until creamy and thoroughly mixed.
3. Add the chia seeds, ground flax, almond flour and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the creamy base.
4. Fold in the oatmeal and chocolate chips.
5. Scoop the mixture into a parchment-lined baking dish — 9×9 or 6×8 – and press down firmly until the mixture covers the bottom of the dish and is completely flat.
6. Place the dish into the freezer and chill for at least 30 minutes.
7. Remove from freezer and turn-out the now firm mixture onto a cutting board. The parchment paper should allow it to pop right out.
8. Cut into 8 bars.
9. The bars can be enjoyed right away. Store the remainder in the refrigerator or freezer in an air-tight container. {Note: because they are made with nut butter and coconut oil, the bars will get soft if left out or eaten at room temperature. Still delicious, but a bit messier.}
10. Eat the bars alone, enjoy with fresh fruit or crumble over ice cream. They’re fantastic with coffee or tea and make a great breakfast on the go.