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Home » Breakfast » Healthy No-Bake Almond Butter Granola Bars

September 21, 2016

Healthy No-Bake Almond Butter Granola Bars

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Photograph of almond butter granola bars on white paper

These healthy no-bake granola bars are a delicious and satisfying snack or breakfast. Packed with wholesome ingredients, these bars are 100% naturally sweetened and offer a good amount of healthy fats and fiber.

Almond Butter Granola Bars | Zestful Kitchen
Almond Butter Granola Bars | Zestful Kitchen

These healthy no-bake Almond Butter Granola bars are a deliciously healthy version of a favorite childhood treat, Scotcharoos.

Almond Butter Granola Bars | Zestful Kitchen

I vividly remember the red tin coffee canister that grandma Gusty would always have filled with bite-sized Scotcharoos. Whether we were visiting Gusty & Papa or if they were visiting us, it was always the first thing us kids would seek out. (What ever happened to those tin canisters anyway? They are the perfect treat containers!)

Almond Butter Granola Bars | Zestful Kitchen

There’s always that one person who makes the best Scotcharoos around. You know what I am talking about, we all claim to know one, or even be one. Some people cook the peanut butter and corn syrup together, others don’t. Some strictly use milk chocolate for the top, while others mix milk chocolate with a few butterscotch morsels. Rice Krispies or Special K? You get it; the variations are endless, while the treat itself is pretty simplistic. But I must say, not all Scotcharoos are created equal. In all honesty, no Scotcharoo is as good, nor will it ever be, as Gusty’s. That’s just my opinion though.

Almond Butter Granola Bars | Zestful Kitchen
Almond Butter Granola Bars | Zestful Kitchen

One of the best things about her Scotcharoos was that she always cut them into bite-sized pieces. Barely a 1-inch square, they were the perfect treat to pop in your mouth. Ten treats later and you’d have no idea how much you actually had eaten. Stored in the refrigerator, the chocolate layer was always crunchy and the cereal layer was perfectly chewy. Boy, they were good. I’ve tried for years to make them the way Gusty does. Even using her recipe, I can’t quite make them the way she does.

Photograph of almond butter granola bars on white paper

instead of messing with something so perfect, I decided to take this inspiration in a slightly different, healthier direction. This recipe uses almond butter instead of peanut butter and a combination of dates and maple syrup for the sweet, syrupy component. Then oats combine with puffed rice cereal, chia seeds, and flax seeds for a healthy base.

Although these are granola bars by name, they also make a great healthy dessert — especially if you add a drizzle of dark chocolate!

Photograph of almond butter granola bars on white paper

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Photograph of almond butter granola bars on white paper

No-Bake Almond Butter Granola Bars

  • Author: Lauren Grant of Zestful Kitchen
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 16 bars (one 9x13-inch pan) 1x
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Description

These healthy no-bake granola bars are a delicious and satisfying snack or breakfast. Packed with wholesome ingredients, these bars are 100% naturally sweetened and offer a good amount of healthy fats and fiber.


Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • 4 cups crisp rice cereal
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1 tablespoon flax seeds
  • 2 cups pitted dates, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
  • 1 cup creamy natural almond butter, unsalted
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 ounces dark chocolate (optional)
  • Pinch of sea salt or fleur de sel

Instructions

Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine oats and almonds on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool, then combine with rice cereal, chia seeds, and flax seeds in a large mixing bowl.

Process dates in a food processor until a thick paste forms. Add water by tablespoon, mixing after each addition, and scraping down sides of bowl. Heat almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute on high. Add salt and cinnamon and whisk to combine. Add almond butter mixture to food processor in two additions, mixing to combine after each addition, and scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Add date mixture to oat mixture and mix until thoroughly combined (set down the spoon and get your hands dirty, this is a sticky mixture). Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press into an even layer.

In a double boiler or glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt chocolate until smooth, drizzle or spread over bars then sprinkle with salt. Chill, until chocolate is set, before cutting. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.


Notes

I like these chilled right out of the refrigerator; the chocolate is crunchy and the base is chewy.

An adaptation from The Sprouted Kitchen

Did you make this recipe?

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Filed Under: Breakfast, Recipes, Snacks Tagged With: Chocolate, Dairy-Free, Quick and Easy, Vegan, Vegetarian

About Lauren Grant

Lauren Grant is a professional culinary food scientist, food writer, recipe developer, and food photographer. Lauren is a previous magazine editor and test kitchen developer and has had work published in major national publications including Diabetic Living Magazine, Midwest Living Magazine, Cuisine at Home Magazine, EatingWell.com, AmericasTestKitchen.com, and more.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathryn Pfeffer says

    March 14, 2017 at 1:46 pm

    These look absolutely amazing! I love almond butter!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      March 14, 2017 at 3:18 pm

      Thanks Kathryn! Me too, I can’t get enough of it!

      Reply
  2. Serena says

    March 14, 2017 at 1:49 pm

    These look exactly like store-bought…which is of course what my kids like. I’ve been looking for a homemade version forever. I’ve found it. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      March 14, 2017 at 3:19 pm

      I hope they enjoy them! Thanks Serena!

      Reply

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