Healthy Chewy Gluten-Free Granola Bars chocked full of oats, sunflower seeds, cranberries, flax seeds, chocolate chips, and sweetened with honey! A delicious gluten-free and dairy-free snack.
These healthy chewy granola bars are chocked full of the good stuff.
Whole-grain oats, almond flour, cranberries, sunflower seeds, flax seed, and chocolate chips, make this a delicious option come snack time.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy recipe
- A healthy snack that can be made ahead
- No artificial flavors or high-fructose corn syrup!
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Ingredients and substitutions
Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete ingredient list and instructions in the recipe card below.
Oats - Affordable, easy to find, what's not to love? While naturally gluten-free, check for certified gluten-free on the packaging if you need to avoid wheat cross-contamination.
Almond flour - This helps bind things together. If needed, gluten-free oat flour can be substituted by weight.
Flaxseeds - I love using seeds in energy bites, so I've added them to this granola mixture. They add a good dose of protein and fatty acids. Feel free to sub in chia seeds or hemp seeds.
Sunflower seeds - These little seeds have a great crunch and flavor as well as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. Pumpkin seeds or pepita would make a great substitute.
Dried cranberries - Adding a pop of flavor and texture, dried cherries or other small dried fruit would work well as a swap.
Coconut oil - A healthy fat and the ingredient that helps hold things together plus gives our gluten-free bars their chewy texture.
Honey - This is a great way to add sweetness without adding refined sugar. Maple syrup would work as a sub here. It doesn't have to be organic maple syrup, but do make sure it is 100% pure if following a gluten-free diet.
Dairy-free chocolate chips - Whether you prefer dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips, it's totally up to you! Of course, if dairy is not an issue, real chocolate chips are fine too.
Step-by-step instructions
Before you start: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9x13 pan with coconut oil or line it with parchment paper.
Step 1: Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Pour the wet ingredients—cooled coconut oil, honey, and vanilla extract—into a well in the center of the bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture is evenly coated.
Step 3: Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and using a piece of parchment paper, press the mixture firmly down into a single layer in the pan.
Step 4: Bake until lightly golden, then cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before slicing. Store wrapped with plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature.
Tips
- Lining your pan with parchment and leaving an overhang means you can easily remove the entire baked bar once cool. This will allow you to use a very sharp knife and cut clean bars. It's not easy to slice with the sides of the pan in the way!
- Overbaking will result in crunchy granola bars that may crumble slightly once cut. Still delicious!
FAQs
Store the cooled and sliced bars in an airtight container. For an even easier grab-and-go quick snack, wrap it in foil or other wrappers. You can even wrap it individually and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reach for gluten-free old-fashioned or rolled oats for these healthy whole-grain bars. They will allow for the best texture. Instant oats or quick oats won't have the same result.
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!
More gluten-free snack bars
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Healthy Chewy Gluten-Free Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free oats
- 1 cup (110g) almond flour/meal
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
- 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- ⅓-1/2 cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
- ½ cup melted coconut oil allow to cool a few minutes
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup to make vegan
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9x13 pan with coconut oil or line with parchment paper. Parchment paper will yield a cleaner removal.
- In a large bowl, combine oats, almond flour, cinnamon, salt, ground flax seed, chocolate chips, cranberries, and sunflower seeds. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour cooled coconut oil, honey, and vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is evenly coated.
- Transfer mixture to prepared pan and using a a piece of parchment paper, press mixture firmly down into pan.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until sides and top start to turn a golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Once completely cool, use a sharp knife to cut into bars.
- To store: Wrap individually with plastic wrap or foil or store in an airtight container at room temperature. To freeze: Wrap individually with plastic wrap or foil and store in an airtight container or freezer-safe ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Lining your pan with parchment and leaving an overhang means you can easily remove the entire baked bar once cool. This will allow you to use a very sharp knife and cut clean bars. It's not easy to slice with the sides of the pan in the way!
- Overbaking will result in crunchy bars that may crumble slightly once cut. Still delicious!
Rachel
Wow. These are the best granola bars ever. Changes I made: added 3 T cocoa powder, used 1:1 ratio honey to maple syrup, omitted fruit, and used 1:1 ratio of cassava and GF flour blend. Complete perfection. Thank You!
Tessa
Amazing! Thanks so much, Rachel!
Lori
These are the best!!! I’ve made these multiple times!
Tessa
That's awesome! Thank you, Lori!
Niki
Hello! Are these suitable for freezing? How long would they last in the fridge please?
Charity
what could be used instead of almond flour/meal so that they can taken to school for snacks?
Charity
cassava flour? regular white flour?
Charity
unfortunately schools don't allow for nuts or nut products ie. almond flour, has anyone tried oat flour or whole wheat flour instead?
Stephanie
Yes, I’ve done regular whole wheat flour and it works just fine.
Sarah L.
These are delicious and so easy to make!
Tessa
Thank you, Sarah!
Joe LeRoy
Delicious!
Tessa
Thank you!
Carol McHugh
These are delicious!!!
Tessa
Thanks so much! I'm so glad!
Ez
Than you. They turned out delicious. We omitted cranberries and added more maple syrup because the mixture was too dry. We will def be making this again.
Tessa
That's great! Thanks so much.
Amanda
What should I use as a substitute for almond flour? I am allergic:)
Katlien Gargano
Hi! Is there a substitute for the ground flex? Thank you
Nancy
I just made these and they are delicious ! Having one for an after dinner treat . Not to soft and not to hard Just chewy and delicious ! Will definitely recommend these Thanks for the great recipe
Tessa
Thank you, Nancy! I'm so glad you liked them!
Raquel
Delicious
Lorraine
Sound great..photo of 2 cups of oats seem more than 2 cups..especially when you look at the 1 cup of choc chips..is this correct 2 cups of oats thanks
Tessa
Hi Lorraine! The recipe is correct, but the photos are not exactly measured. The photos are just to highlight the ingredients. Thanks!
Ginger
thanks!
Maria
Hi!! I'm a little late to this granola bar post, but I was wondering what the almond flour is for? Can I just use regular gluten free all purpose flour? Or does it have to be almond?
Thank you!
Tessa
Hi! Sorry for the delayed response! The almond flour helps bind the nuts, seeds, and oats together. I have not tried it with all-purpose flour, but my guess is that if you sub one-for-one, it should work ok. I do think the almond flour adds to the flavor, and that may be lost with the all-purpose. I hope that helps!
Charlotte
Is there a best alternative to the almond flour, as these look perfect for the kids to take to school, but they are not allowed nuts.
Tessa
Hi Charlotte! I haven't tried it, but I think gluten-free oat flour would work well as a substitute. I'd love to hear if you try it this way.
Susan
I made these but they ended up being topping for yogurt...they did not stay together. Pure crumble. Any suggestions?
Tessa
Hi Susan - I am so sorry that happened!! A couple suggestions that might do the trick...Due to slight oven temp variations, you may try baking the bars a bit longer. Also, I'm wondering if they were refrigerated prior to being cut into bars if that would help prevent the crumble. Besides that, packing the mixture down into the baking pan was key for me. They are a tad delicate in nature, but should't totally crumble. I apologize that that was your experience. I actually just finished the stockpile of bars I had wrapped and frozen as my go-to breakfast bars, so I am due to make another batch for this next week. I will try to see if there is anything else I can add that might be of help to you.
Susan
This is helpful...will give it another try. Thanks
Tessa
Lisa | Chocolate Meets Strawberry
I just went through a whole lot of my old memories, too, and it was a pretty interesting experience! It was fun seeing photos of a much tinier version of myself, a variety of strange-looking artworks and bizarre handwritten stories with the most hilarious spelling errors! I sat there for hours going through it all. These bars, though...delicious! I recently made some that look very similar and with a similar ingredient list, too. Also dairy-free but with eggs. They were such a fantastic snack for taking to work! Yum :D
Tessa
The old handwritten stories are the best!! So funny too. It's interesting what you remember of those items and what you totally, completely forgot.
So glad you like these bars - makes a perfect start to the work day, yes! Thank you, Lisa!
Emily
Going through old stuff is such a dreaded task for me too, but I find once I start throwing stuff out, the easier it becomes to let go and pretty soon I just want to throw it all out. :) Snacking bars like this are my weakness, I could probably eat the whole pan if I wanted to! Yours like absolutely delish and full of so many good things!
Tessa
Hahaha, so true! It does feel good to throw things out once you are in the mode. Bars are a weakness of mine as well - wrapping them and keeping them in the freezer keeps me from devouring them all at once! :) Thanks, Emily!
Gena
I'm always looking for more grab + go breakfasts, so this looks to be a lifesaver, Tessa! Do you think maple syrup will work in place of the honey?
Tessa
Me too! If I'm being honest with myself, breakfast just doesn't happen for me unless it is grab + go ready. ;) Maple syrup would definitely work well here! xo.
Christine
A few years ago, I found a bunch of little teeth in one of the drawers of my mother's jewelry box and I was so simultaneously grossed out and also kind of touched that she would keep them! hahah it still makes me laugh though - isn't it funny what parents feel compelled to hold on to? I have a hard time getting rid of some of the sentimental things too. I think we all do. I like Amanda's idea of keeping one larger box :)
I also have been meaning to check out your super tasty-looking recipe for days, since I saw it on instagram! I LOVE having stuff like this in the freezer, ready to go. I can't wait to spend some time baking this weekend, and I'll definitely be making these. Good luck with sorting through all of those keepsakes, I know it's not an easy task xo
danielle & rooting the sun
Tessa, these granola bars are so delicious! Chocolate and cranberries - such a fine combination. I love the points you surface here - so much technology has replaced the keepsakes we so humbly collected in our youth. It's so easy to snap a shot these days. I had to giggle at the teeth in your box, I'm quite sure I've got some interesting (questionable) specimens myself. Happy January to you! xo
Tessa
Thank you, Danielle! It's such a strange thing to think about, isn't it? The way technology has changed things? The teeth thing is certainly strange on my part! :) Haha. Hope you are having a good week, my dear! xo
Amanda Paa
It is so hard to decide what things to keep, and what to get rid of when it comes to things from our younger years. I don't have as much trouble getting of "extras" that i've accumulated now, like clothes, things for the kitchen, etc, but the pictures and keepsakes are what's hardest. I don't know what the right answer is, and was faced it with this christmas going through a similar experience at my mom's house. I ended up discarding a lot, and putting others in a large box, just one, to hold on to a little bit longer.
Your granola bars look amazing. Way better than store bought. I think I need to make them soon and store in the freezer like you do! xo
Tessa
I'm right there with you - nowadays I don't have a problem getting rid of stuff, but that keepsake stuff is hard! I really like the idea of keeping one box - thank you for sharing that! xo
p.s. I'm pretty sure we were close(-ish) to Minnesota temps last night - 3 degrees!! ;)
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
I use to be the biggest memory hoarder, so I understand how hard it is to figure out what to keep and what to trash when it comes to things that hold a personal value. I wish you lots of luck in your organization endeavor!
Granola bars have to be one of my favorite snacks, but so many of the store bought ones are filled with sugar and crap that is just not good for you. I love making my own and yours look absolutely delicious! Jam packed with lots of flavors and goodies! Definitely trying yours soon! Pinned! Cheers to a wonderful weekend!
Tessa
Thank you, Cheyanne! I am SUCH a memory hoarder as well. :)
One of my favorite things about these granola bars is they are whipped up in one bowl! Thank you for your kind words - hope you've been having a great weekend!
carri
these look perfect
in every way - and
would be a great
way to wean myself
and toddler off
of store bought
granola bars.
question about the coconut oil:
it says to use it cooled,
but doesn't it harden again once
it cools?
thank you!
Tessa
Hi Carri - great question! The coconut oil doesn't need to be completely cooled, you just don't want it to be hot. This is mostly because it would cause the chocolate chips to melt (which maybe wouldn't be so bad!). I will make a note in the recipe.
Thank you for your kind words - I do hope you enjoy these granola bars!!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
That's a tough one Tessa! So hard to get rid of things because there are so many memories that go along with them! While helping my son move out of his last apartment after he graduated from college I found every card I sent to him over the course of his four years at college tucked away in a drawer in his desk. Priceless! Just when you think they don't appreciate the little things, they surprise you like that! By the way...LOVE these granola bars! Such a satisfying snack! These will be the perfect mid-afternoon treat to tide me over til dinner!
Tessa
I love it!! What a awesome story! Thank you for sharing that. Sounds like you have a very sweet son. Thanks so much, Mary Ann!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean
No doubt the digital age has changed everything with regards to photographs, sounds and video. The physical things.. that's a tough one. Perhaps snapping pics of those things, then letting them move on and have another purpose (except those teeth ;) ) That's a tough one. I cleaned out years ago.. and really, I don't miss anything. I think my Ma was more upset than I was about giving my wedding dress to a thrift store. I found as much as we've moved and the fact that we prefer small homes, requires us to keep (and buy) less. I don't feel like I'm missing anything, but I know this is a very personal decision. I love these bars, Tessa! Keeping healthy, grab and go snacks on the ready saves me at 3:00 when I'm hangry! Delicious! xo
Tessa
Hahaha, don't worry, those teeth are gone-zo! :) When we moved this summer it was with living a little more simply in mind, and hence, no storage space! I am totally with you on the buying less. I think I will just be taking lots of photos of the stuff! Thank you, Traci! Hope you've had a lovely weekend! xo
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan
I just went through this exact same thing! My parents moved last year, so I was tasked with clearing out my 'stuff', which felt impossible to do. Honestly, I tossed a lot of it, kept the few important things, and took pictures of the rest :) Also, I think these would have been a perfect snack to keep me going through all that sorting! xo
Tessa
It makes you never want to save stuff again, doesn't it?! Ha. I like the the taking pictures of the rest idea - I've started to do that! Thanks, Abby!! xo