These 3-ingredient no-bake granola bars are so easy to make! This recipe for healthy homemade granola bars is oat-free, gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-free! These chewy bars make a great grab-and-go breakfast or kid-friendly snack! They're sugar-free and naturally sweet, plus packed with protein and nut-free!
You know those moments when you're like, "Why didn't I think of this sooner!?" This is one of those times. Oats are the foundation of any good granola bar, but the hardest grain for a celiac to digest even when they are safe and 100% purity protocol. Noshing into a big 'ole granola bar doesn't sit well for many of us. Alternatives to the famed granola bar would be bars made from nuts and loads of sticky refined sugar. Granola bars are not so allergy-friendly, nor are many of the store-bought versions healthy. But what if we could change that with a healthy, homemade, no-bake recipe?
The 3 ingredients you need for oatless no-bake granola bars
Not only do we have to swap out the classic rolled oats, but these bars are nut-free and peanut-free. Plus, there are no sugary syrups holding these no-bake bars together! The magic trifecta?
- Quinoa Flakes
- Sunflower Seed Butter
- Bananas
Mind-blowing? Genius? Inventive? Industrious? I think it's healthy allergy-free brilliance! If you've been a longtime Strength and Sunshine reader, you'll remember I was once obsessed with quinoa flakes! Such a perfect oat and oatmeal alternative. I even made bars with them way back! Combining quinoa flakes, sunflower butter, and mashed banana was the perfect way to made a chewy no-bake granola bar, gluten-free, allergy-free, and super customizable!
How to make no-bake granola bars
These bars are SO easy to make! As long as you have some patience (the bars need to chill out in the fridge before you cut them!).
- In a big bowl, mix together the quinoa flakes, sunflower butter, and mashed banana.
- Once you have a thick "dough", press it into a lined 8x8 baking pan, smoothing out the top.
- Let the bars chill in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight before cutting into bars with a knife.
Granola Bar Customization Ideas:
- Swap sunflower butter for another seed butter like pumpkin or hemp (or nut butter if you don't need them nut-free!)
- Add cinnamon to the mixture (I did this for my bars!) or other spices like allspice or ginger!
- Use some vanilla extract or other flavorings to change things up!
- Toss in some allergy-free chocolate chips, shredded coconut, gluten-free pretzels, dried fruits, seeds, etc.
- Melt some chocolate and drizzle it on top of the bars! (Even allergy-free white chocolate!)
- Never say no to some allergy-free natural sprinkles!
- Use a different size pan or cut them into squares or fun shapes with cookie cutters!
Storing homemade granola bars
These oatless bars are PRIME for your weekly meal-prep routine! They are made for longterm storage and freezer-friendly. Once you've chilled the bars and cut them to your liking, you can individually wrap them tightly in wax paper or freezer wrap and store them in a Ziplock bag or container for longterm storage in the freezer. Thaw them in the fridge when you are ready to eat them so they don't rock solid. The bars will be best used within 6-8 months from the freezer.
If you're going to eat them quickly throughout the week, simple store the bars "ready to go" in small plastic bags in the fridge or an eco-friendly individual storage container of your choice. If you want to pack these in lunchboxes for the kids or throw some in your purse, the bars will be fine at room temperature for 2-3 days but will soften-up a lot depending on how warm they get! Keeping these no-bake granola bars fresh is and tasty, so make sure to keep air out with proper storage and keep them chilled for longevity! Even in the fridge, the bars will last for at least 4 months.
When to serve them up
These bars are great for a quick breakfast when you don't have time to cook anything! Just grab and go. They make a great snack for lunchboxes, after-school, midday slumps, or on-the-go when you're in the car. Essential road trip snacking! Depending on the size you choose to cut your bars, they can be more or less filling and act as a meal replacement (for 8 large bars) or small toddler-friendly snack (for 16 small squares).
Are homemade granola bars healthy?
There are so many "bars" out there. From granola bars, protein bars, meal replacement bars. The store-bought market is crazy saturated with choices and 90% of them are pretty much garbage. They're either 500 calories (insanity!), contain loads of sugar, have every allergen under the sun, and not to mention...a single bar can get pricy! Homemade granola bars, on the other hand, specifically these gluten-free granola bars ARE healthy!
- Packed with complete plant protein from the quinoa flakes and sunflower seed butter These is about 88g in this entire recipe!)
- Healthy fats from the sunflower butter for lasting satiety.
- Complex carbohydrates from the whole grain quinoa flakes (although quinoa is actually a seed!).
- Fiber, potassium, B Vitamins, and Vitamin C from the banana.
- Lots of iron from the quinoa flakes and sunflower butter.
- No added sugar, just the natural sweetness of ripe bananas.
- Easy on the tummy and not rough to digest.
- Gluten-Free, Vegan, Oat-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Egg-Free, Corn-Free, Sesame-Free, Coconut-Free, (technically they're Paleo/Grain-Free)!
Oat-Free No-Bake Granola Bars
Oat-Free No-Bake Granola Bars (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergy-Free)
These 3-ingredient no-bake granola bars are so easy to make! This recipe for healthy homemade granola bars is oat-free, gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-free! These chewy bars make a great grab-and-go breakfast or kid-friendly snack! They're sugar-free and naturally sweet, plus packed with protein and nut-free!
- Prep Time: 5
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 Bars 1x
- Category: Snack, Breakfast
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 ½ Cups Quinoa Flakes
- 1 Cup Unsweetened Sunflower Seed Butter
- 1 Cup Mashed Ripe Banana
Optional Add-Ins:
- 2 Tsp Cinnamon (or Ginger, Allspice, Cloves, etc.)
- 1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract (or Peppermint, Maple, etc.)
- ⅓ to ½ Cup Mini Chocolate Chips
- ⅓ to ½ Cup Unsweetened Dried Fruits
- Melted Chocolate (to drizzle)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa flakes, sunflower seed butter, mashed ripe banana, and any add-ins you choose.
- Mix everything together and knead with your hands until you have a thick granola bar dough.
- Press the dough into a parchment paper or wax paper lined 8x8 baking pan, smoothing out the top with a flat spatula.
- Place the pan in the fridge to chill for at least an hour or overnight before lifting the entire block out of the pan with the paper lining.
- Cut the firm dough into 8 bars or 16 squares and store accordingly.
Notes
*If you use super drippy seed butter, you may need to add a few teaspoons of coconut oil to make sure the bars harden properly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Bar
- Protein: 11g
Snacking problems? Solved! I can't wait to see and hear how you'll be customizing these oat-free granola bars! Go as simple or as crazy as you want!
More healthy snack ideas:
- Healthy Homemade Vegan Doritos
- Homemade Gluten-Free + Vegan Goldfish
- Homemade Gluten-Free + Vegan Cheez-Its
- 3-Ingredient Crispy Cocoa Air Fryer Chickpeas
So tell me:
+ What add-ins or flavorings are you thinking of?
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Sarah D
Can you use regular quinoa or do you have to use “flakes”?
Rebecca Pytell
No.
Amanda Dodd
Can you freeze these??
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Sure??
Toni | Boulder Locavore
I love how easy this is to make!! Can't wait to try it!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Super simple!
Erin
These look absolutely amazing! I am saving this to make this weekend.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Let me know what you think!
Shelley Whittaker
My daughter is such a fussy eater - I will have to give this recipe a go! Thanks for sharing
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Customize these to her liking!
Cindy
These look really good! I’m always in the look out for healthy vegan and gluten free snacks!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
These will become a staple!
Helen
I always love your snacks! These bars look so tasty!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you, Helen!
Justine
That's great that they're gluten free and allergy free--sometimes it's hard to find a recipe that's both!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Never hard when you come to Strength and Sunshine!
Kate Holmes
They look so wholesome! Made me smile a bit as we are learning about France and every time my daughter sees "Grenoble" she ends up saying Granola!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, well that's much easier 😉 Enjoy!
Jenn @ MasterherMoney.com
These look so delish. I am such a grain girl and I love that these are vegan..perfect for our household. I'll be bookmarking.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Sounds like a plan.
sam
This look yummy and not too complicated to do
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I hope 3 ingredients isn't complicated! Ha!
Hayden
These look so good! And I really like how thick they are.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
And you can cut them however you want, depending on the use you need!
Sarah-Marie
We're always looking for Gluten Free snacks so we will definitely be giving these a go!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I hope you enjoy them!
Tammy
These no-bake bars sound like such an awesome idea!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you!
Liren | Kitchen Confidante
I’ve never cooked with quinoa flakes! This recipe is a great place to start!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Well you won't be "cooking" them here!
Dorothy at Shockinglydelish
I love that the bars only have three ingredients! Your add in ideas all sound great too!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you!
Antonella
These sound so amazing!! Can't wait to try!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I hope you enjoy!
Bree
I have never used quinoa flakes before and these look delicious! On my list of things to try!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
They are a must to try! Stock up!
Leigh Suznovich
Ooooh, I love the idea of replacing the oats with quinoa flakes! I definitely would go all in with lots of spices and coconut too :-).
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Mmm coconut would be lovely!
Shayla Marie
This recipe looks borderline genius! I never would have guessed you could make bars with just those three ingredients. This would be a nice and nourishing treat for my baby!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Healthy foods are always so simple and easy!
Lianne Freeman
Wow these looks amazing will be trying this recipe - thank you
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Hope you enjoy, Lianne.
Kendra
These sound really good!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks, Kendra.
Nicolette Muro
These look so good! I will have to try out this recipe soon 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I hope you do!
Crystal // Dreams, etc.
These look so good! And I love that they're gluten and dairy free. It means my niece can eat them right now.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I'm sure she'll love them!
Chrissie
Oh my gosh, I'm so glad I found this recipe. My 15-month-old has a dairy intolerance, and we're now testing her for gluten intolerance as well – so I can't WAIT to make these for her!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Quinoa flakes are nice and easy on the tummy! No allergens here!
Jimmy
Looks tasty and it's making me really really hungry.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
A great easy snack.
Magen
I may not be vegan but these bars look absolutely delicious! I'm going to try and make these (with the sprinkles of course) for my kids. They look like they will make the perfect little travel treat for them and I won't have to worry about all of the added sugar and nastiness from the store bought ones.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
They add so much unnecessary ingredients to store-bought bars!