It appears I’m on a granola bar kick this week.
and I can’t be stopped.
But I didn’t think you’d mind too much?
Experimenting with granola bar recipes (and flavours) is one of my favourite things to do. It’s rare that I don’t have a bar tucked away in my purse for “emergencies”. You know, hangry attacks! Eric went so crazy for these bars he insisted I post the recipe on the blog RIGHT THIS SECOND so who am I to argue? I imagine that I’ll be making these a lot over the summer and stashing them in the freezer over the next several months. That’s if we can keep our paws off them for that long (unlikely, really).
Much like my Feel Good Hearty Granola Bars, these bars are also lower in sugar than most (5.8 grams per bar). This time I used just 1/4 cup of coconut nectar syrup which is a fruity-tasting low-glycemic sweetener. It doesn’t seem to give me sugar crashes like regular cane sugar does. Due to its fruity flavour, I don’t find it works in all recipes. For instance, it’s not my favourite sweetener in some chocolate recipes, but in granola or fruit-based recipes it tends to always blend in nicely.
The only caveat with this recipe is that the bars don’t hold together perfectly, so I recommend storing them in the fridge and not letting them sit at room temperature. Best to take one straight from the fridge and stuff it in the face! It’s a hard task, I know. They definitely aren’t “travel” bars (unless you don’t mind it turning into loose granola at room temp).
Oh and for the record, I did try baking a batch in the oven for curiosity’s sake and the no-bake version won by a landslide. The baked bars held together a teeny tiny bit better, but they tasted less sweet and a bit bland. I don’t think it’s worth the extra time or oven heat, personally.
Like most granola bar recipes, this one is versatile so be sure to let me know what flavours you come up with in the comment section. Think we can come up with 52 flavours, or what?
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No-Bake Almond Joy Granola Bars
Yield
14 small bars
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Chill time
10 minutes
Total time
Easy no-bake granola bars inspired by the popular Almond Joy Chocolate bar flavour. Roasted almond butter, mini chocolate chips, and coconut unite to create one tasty bar that's whipped up in 10 minutes (no oven required!). Recipe adapted from Yummy Mummy.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups rolled oats (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
- 1 cup rice crisp cereal
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup roasted almond butter
- 1/4 cup coconut nectar syrup (or brown rice syrup - see note)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of fine grain sea salt or pink Himalayan salt, to taste
- 1.5 tablespoons non-dairy mini chocolate chips (such as Enjoy Life brand, optional)
Directions
- Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan with two pieces of parchment paper, one going each way so it's easy to lift out.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oats, rice crisp cereal, sliced almonds, coconut, and chia seeds.
- In a medium pot over low heat, melt the coconut oil. Remove from heat and stir in the almond butter, coconut nectar, and vanilla, until smooth.
- Pour wet mixture over dry and stir well until thoroughly combined. Add a pinch of salt to taste and stir again.
- Spoon mixture into the pan and roughly spread out (but don't pack down yet). Sprinkle on the chocolate chips in an even layer. Wet hands lightly and then press down the mixture until even. Use a pastry roller to roll it out and pack it in even more.
- Transfer pan to the freezer for about 10 minutes until firm. Slice into bars, wrap, and store in the fridge or freezer. These bars fall apart easily so I don't recommend leaving them at room temperature for longer than a few minutes.
Tip:
I do not recommend swapping the coconut nectar or brown rice syrup for any other liquid sweetener. Other sweeteners won't be sticky enough to bind the bars.
Hi I love your recipes and ideas but I am struggling with the measurements. We use grams in the UK and even though I have looked everywhere for American cup sizes I haven’t been able to find any. Please could I ask for all your UK fans for grams too please?. Thank you. xx
I don’t think you should rate a recipe a 1 just because it’s not your unit of measurement. Just look up how to convert it online…
oops nevermind, just saw your other comment
Oops sorry meant to be a five!
Can’t get brown rice syrup so can I sub molasses. I can’t use honey for I’m vegan. What about corn syrup.
Hi Angela,
I love your granola bar recipes and have been most recently been making the glo bar recipe from your cookbook. Would coconut nectar work in place of brown rice syrup in that recipe?
Thank you,
Whitney
I just made these, with a few substitutions, and they turned out great!
I used brown rice syrup and they hold together fine. I didn’t really realize until the end that I used puffed rice cereal instead of crispy rice cereal, but they taste fine. I also used cashew/coconut butter instead of almond butter. Then I skipped the coconut and added a 1/4 cup of raw sesame seeds instead. Yummy.
ANYONE KNOW THE CALORIE CONTENT OF THESE BARS
These are delicious – we really enjoyed the crunch of the rice crisps. They did feel a little bit oily though – I wonder if you could omit or reduce the coconut oil?
Hi Nicole, I’m glad you like the bars! I find the coconut oil becomes more noticeable as it warms, so serving them chilled straight from the fridge may help with the texture you’re noticing. They’ll have a firmer feel for sure. I haven’t tried reducing the oil, but you can definitely experiment with that! I’d love to hear how it goes if you do.
This recipe looks amazing!
But I’m not a big fan of coconut, is it necessary or I can manage without it?
Hey Lucia, The coconut oil is pretty key for holding the bars together and firming them up as they chill, but the other coconut-based ingredients can be swapped out. You can substitute the coconut nectar for brown rice syrup (I don’t recommend trying any other liquid sweetener here, though; stick with brown rice syrup!). For the unsweetened shredded coconut, you could simply replace that with more rolled oats or sliced almonds – or, some readers used sesame seeds and really enjoyed the results. Please report back if you decide to experiment!
Glad I found this recipe! I’ve been experimenting with similar no-bake granola bar recipes the last few months trying to find a favorite, and this may be it. I used quick-cook oats (and I find those make a firmer bar than rolled oats), and I left out the almonds and chia seeds (didn’t have any). Used peanut butter instead of almond, and these were delicious. I also toasted my oats in the oven for about ten minutes first as I like the toasted oat taste. Brown rice syrup worked well, and the amount of rice syrup vs. coconut oil seemed perfect. And for the commenter who doesn’t like coconut, you definitely don’t taste it from the oil. And I barely taste the unsweetened coconut in the bars, though it would be very easy to leave it out.
Thanks so much for sharing all this helpful info, AnnMarie! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe :)
recently came across your website and am LOVING your recipes. I haven’t had one that my husband and i havent liked yet..My husband is addicted to your new mama glo bars ..ironically enough! I want to try another bar to change things up tho so i am looking forward to testing these! Thanks for doing so many nut free options as that is a big allergy in my family.
“My husband is addicted to your new mama glo bars” LOL!! Oh that sounds familiar…I think my hubby Eric gobbles up more than I even get a chance to. ;) I’m so happy you are loving the recipes so much Audrey!