Vegan Granola Bars (Gluten-free)

These vegan granola bars with pumpkin seeds, almonds and sunflower seeds are perfect for a delicious breakfast or snack! Sweetened with dates and maple syrup, they are also easy to make, soft and chewy. Gluten-free.

Another day, another Veganuary recipe! And today, I am back with a favourite dessert/snack of mine, which is granola bars. Featuring just a few simple ingredients (including dark chocolate!), these are the perfect basic recipe to start the morning with, or enjoy as an afternoon pick-me-up.

While there are a lot of granola/snack bars available in supermarkets, making your own is so much more fun. And I absolutely love how my kitchen smells when there are in the oven! Give them a go, and let me know what you think.

About these vegan granola bars

Not only are these granola bars both vegan and gluten-free, but you only need 8 ingredients to make them from scratch. But despite that, they certainly don't miss any deliciousness.

I think that the perfect granola bar is chewy and soft, but with just the right amount of crunch. These match those criteria perfectly. They have an amazing nutty flavour with just the right amount of sweetness thanks to the use of dates and maple syrup. And the addition of chocolate chips brings in a great layer of indulgence!

I love enjoying vegan granola bars as a breakfast, or an afternoon snack. They are incredibly meal prep-friendly, and perfect served with a cup of coffee or tea.

Ingredients and substitutions

• Pitted medjool dates. Medjool dates are great not for only sweetening desserts, but creating a sticky and soft texture.
• Gluten-free oats. An essential for granola bars.
• Almond flakes, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Put together, they create an amazing nutty flavour and crunchy texture. Feel free to use any nuts or seeds of your choice, depending on preferences and dietary requirements.
• Maple syrup. Or, use any other vegan liquid sweetener of your choice. Don't use sugar, as this will make the texture dry.
• Peanut butter. You can swap this for any other nut or seed butter of your choice. You can also leave it out, or replace with coconut oil.
• Dark chocolate chunks or chips. Optional, but very highly recommended!

How to make homemade granola bars

It's so easy! Firstly, soak the pitted dates in warm water for 10 minutes, before draining and rinsing them. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 F).

Transfer the dates to a blender or food processor and blend to make a date paste.

Add the date paste to a large mixing bowl together with the oats, almond flakes, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, maple syrup, and peanut butter. Stir together really well.

Now add the chocolate chunks and stir together once more.

Transfer the granola mixture to a rectangular or square baking dish and press down firmly. Then, bake in the preheated oven for 18 minutes, until golden brown.

Storing and freezing granola bars

These vegan granola bars keep really well in the fridge for 6-7 days in an airtight container. They are also freezer-friendly: you can keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Granola bar flavour options

The great thing about granola bars as a plant based snack or breakfast option is how versatile they are. There are so many flavour options. For instance, you can add:

• 1-2 tbsp cacao powder for a chocolate flavour.
• Dried berries and fruit, such as raisins and chopped dried apricots.
• Any nuts or seeds of your choice.
• Nut or seed butter of your choice.

Other amazing vegan breakfast options

• Savoury oat and tofu vegan 'egg' muffins
• Potato waffles
• Chocolate chip coconut flour muffins
• Carrot cake bliss balls
• Chocolate coconut oatmeal

Let me know in the comments: what's your favourite way to start the morning? If you give these vegan granola bars a go, be sure to tag me on Instagram (@ohmyveggies) so I can see your creations, and leave your feedback in the comments below together with a star rating.

Recipe