Healthy Chocolate Granola Bars made with whole grain gluten-free oats, almond flour, sunflower seeds, quinoa, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and maple syrup for a healthier granola bar recipe! Gluten-free, vegan, refined sugar-free.
The colder months have had me craving chocolate more than usual. Over the holidays, as we traveled to and from family gatherings, I had a stash in my purse of those KIND breakfast bars chocked full of seeds, oats, and chocolate chunks.
I've found that this kind of gluten-free snack is essential when traveling or visiting family that isn't accustomed to dietary restrictions.
Well, I really liked those healthy chocolate oatmeal bars. And once the Christmas visits were done, I set out to make my own.
How Do You Make Healthy Chocolate Granola Bars?
Let's start with the ingredients. These healthy granola bars are made of:
- gluten-free oats
- almond flour
- sunflower seeds
- quinoa
- cocoa powder
- maple syrup
- cinnamon
- coconut oil
- dairy-free chocolate chips
This granola bar recipe comes together pretty quickly. But here are a couple of tips for mixing up the granola bar goodness:
- Evenly combine all the dry ingredients before adding the liquid.
- Make sure your coconut oil has cooled for a few minutes before adding it to the dry mixture.
- Press the oat mixture down firmly and evenly into the pan before baking.
Once your chocolate granola bars are cooled and cut, wrap them in plastic wrap or foil for an easy grab-and-go breakfast or snack!
If you are looking for other gluten-free breakfast or snack options, Taylor's low carb sugar free keto blueberry muffins look like a winner!
More Granola Bar Recipes:
No Bake Apricot Almond Granola Bars
No Bake Granola Bars with Maple-Sweetened Dark Chocolate
📖 Recipe
Healthy Chocolate Granola Bars (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
Ingredients
- ½ cup + 2 teaspoons coconut oil, melted allow to cool a few minutes
- 2 cups gluten-free oats 225 g
- 1 cup almond flour 115 g
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 18 g
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
- ½ cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup raw quinoa
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon maple syrup (honey will work too if not vegan)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9x13 pan lightly and line with parchment paper. Parchment paper will yield a cleaner removal. Melt your coconut oil and allow it to cool for 2-3 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine oats, almond flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, ground flax seed, chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, and quinoa. Stir to evenly incorporate ingredients.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour cooled coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract, whisking liquid as you pour. Stir until the oat mixture is evenly coated.
- Transfer mixture to prepared pan and using a a piece of parchment paper, press mixture firmly and evenly down into pan.
- Bake for 23-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Once completely cool, use a sharp knife to cut into bars. Wrap individually with foil or plastic wrap or store in an airtight container.
J
These are my absolute favourite. I love the sunflower seeds mixed in!
Tessa
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed them. I always have some in the freezer! :)
Vicky Frousakis
Delicious!! Well done Tess.. these will men added to my weekly rotation .
Tessa
Thanks so much, Vicky! I'm so happy to hear that!
Jess @choosingchia
These look delicious Tessa! I also crave chocolate more in the winter so these would be perfect!
Tessa
Thank you, Jess! They really satisfy that chocolate craving. :)
Ann
My bars were totally crumbly so I could not cut them into bars. The recipe turned into a crumbly granola. I followed the recipe exactly as your wrote it.
Any ideas?
Thanks, Ann
Tessa
Hi Ann, I'm sorry to hear that. Do you happen to have an oven thermometer? I'm wondering if your oven runs a little hotter, and therefore the bars were baked too long. That is my best guess. It sounds like the mixture was coated well and pressed firmly into the pan. You could add an additional tablespoon of maple syrup and/or reduce baking time. I hope you were able to salvage and use as granola.