A quick and easy chocolate almond vegan granola bar recipe perfect for snacking or dessert! Vegan and can be made gluten-free.
I’ve always struggled with finding the perfect vegan granola bar recipe. I can bake a cake or cookie, like nobody’s business, but the perfect vegan granola bars still proved to be a struggle. I wanted a perfect combination of easy, no bake, and ready to throw together. I don’t usually have a ton of nuts and dried fruits on hand in my pantry, so I wanted something I usually have (chocolate, always) and packs a little protein punch (almonds, FTW). I also didn’t want them to be overly sweet or complicated, so I think the short seven ingredient list hits the nail right on the head.
I will say these homemade granola bars require some chill time, but honestly, it was super easy to make these, freeze for a few hours and then cut them up before popping them into a bag. I really needed something that was going to break my chips and salsa every day after work addiction, and these chocolate almond vegan granola bars did just the trick!
How to make granola bars
To make this vegan granola bar recipe, you first need to throw some old-fashioned oats into a blender or food processor and blend until they become finely ground (almost like a flour consistency). Place the ground oats in a bowl, and then add in some more regular oats, along with the cashew butter, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla. Mix that all up, and then fold in the chopped chocolate and almonds.
Press the granola bar mixture into a square pan, making sure to evenly distribute everything. Freeze the vegan granola bars until firm (about two hours), then cut into squares. I’d recommend storing leftovers in the freezer so that these granola bars are ready to eat whenever you’re hungry!
Tips for making these homemade granola bars
If you don’t love or don’t have cashew butter on hand, feel free to use almond or peanut butter instead! I happened to have a bunch of cashews at home (for making copious amounts of this dreamy dip) and made a batch of cashew butter before mixing up these bars. I also think any other nut would be great in these, it’s mainly the base recipe that is the main winner here! If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that nut butter is the key to holding together a good granola bar, and maple syrup is the elixir that is the perfect sweetener for a snack like these.
One last word of advice on making these vegan granola bars! Make sure when you are pressing them into the pan you really press them in! I’ve had batches of granola bars fall apart due to not pressing them firmly enough, and that’s a problem that can easily be fixed. Sometimes, I take a drinking glass and make sure all the bars are pressed in with the bottom of the glass before freezing.
More easy snack recipes on Heart of a Baker:
- Crispy Split Pea Avocado Toast
- Spicy Vegan Black Bean Dip
- Smoked Paprika and Garlic Roasted Almonds
- Peanut Butter Cacao Nib Oat Bites
Chocolate Almond Vegan Granola Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Mixed
- Cuisine: American
Description
A quick and easy chocolate almond vegan granola bar recipe perfect for snacking or dessert! Vegan and can be made gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup cashew butter
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup almonds, chopped
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Line an 8×8 square pan with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper and set aside pan.
- In a blender or food processor fitted with a blade, place 1/2 cup of the rolled oats in the bowl and blend until finely ground to almost a flour-like consistency.
- Place the ground oats in a large bowl, add the remaining rolled oats, cashew butter, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated and all oats are covered in the cashew butter/maple syrup mixture.
- Fold in the chopped almonds and chocolate, incorporating throughout. Press the mixture into the prepared square pan until mixture is evenly distributed.
- Freeze for at least 2 hours, or until firm. Cut into squares and serve immediatley, storing any leftovers in the freezer.
Notes
I used a combo of Cookie and Kate’s granola bar recipe and The Faux Martha’s baking wisdom to create these perfect vegan granola bars.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 2
- Fat: 23
- Carbohydrates: 34
- Protein: 8
Keywords: vegan granola bar recipe, homemade granola bars, healthy granola bars, how to make granola bars
juliaroastedroot says
I had a difficult time coming back to work after the holidays, too, lol! Sometimes you really do just need that break to allow your creative juices to come back naturally. These granola bars look absolutely perfect! I definitely need some healthy snacks to add to step up my food game. 😀
Heart of a Baker says
I’m glad I’m not the only one, getting back into the swing of things is so hard!
DK says
Coming back to work after holiday is actually a difficult task. Anyways it’s good to take a break in between. BTW chocolate almond vegan granola bars looks superb!!!
Sara @ Cake Over Steak says
Yesss I’m always looking for quick and easy granola bars that will actually fuel me up during my mid-morning hunger strike. Definitely need to try these!
Heart of a Baker says
yessss! I know you are with me on the snack train sister.
Barb Copeland says
Oh I’m making these TU