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7 Different Flavors of Homemade Soft Granola Bars

The PERFECT Soft Granola Bars (Gluten Free + Vegan)


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4.7 from 15 reviews

  • Author: One Lovely Life
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 10-12 bars per pan 1x

Description

The perfect base recipe for perfect soft granola bars! These chewy homemade granola bars are perfect for snacks or school lunches. (Naturally sweetened, gluten free, vegan friendly)


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (gluten free, if needed)
  • 1 cup crisp rice cereal (gluten free, if needed)
  • pinch salt
  • 1/3 cup brown rice syrup**
  • 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup (or honey, if not vegan)
  • 4 Tbsp coconut oil (can sub butter/vegan butter)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup add-ins (Mix and match! See notes below for ideas)

Instructions

  1. Line an 8×8″ or 9×9″ baking dish with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, crisp rice, and salt. Stir to combine well.
  3. In a small saucepan, combine brown rice syrup, honey, and coconut oil. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring regularly. Boil 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla extract (or any other extracts you’re using).
  4. Pour wet mixture over the oat mixture. Add your mix-ins (nuts, fruit, chocolate chips, etc.) and stir to combine really well. Press into an 8×8″ baking dish and press down with a spatula as hard as possible to flatten and compact it into the pan. The more compact, the better.
  5. Refrigerate about 1 hour before slicing into bars or squares, and enjoy!
  6. Store extra granola bars in a zip top bag in the refrigerator for a week or the freezer for up to a month.

Notes

**If you can’t find brown rice syrup, you can substitute 1/4 cup coconut oil, 1/4 cup coconut or brown sugar, and 1/4 cup pure maple syrup for the amounts of brown rice syrup/coconut oil/pure maple syrup above. Follow the boiling instructions and keep the rest of the directions the same. 

ADD-IN IDEAS

  • NUTS & SEEDS (macadamia nuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, peanuts, etc.)
  • DRIED FRUITS. (raisins, cranberries, apricots, cherries, goji berries, pineapple, mango, coconut, etc.)
  • FREEZE-DRIED FRUITS. (strawberries, raspberries, & blueberries, mango, peach, pineapple, etc.)
  • CHOCOLATE + CANDIES + EXTRAS. Chocolate chips, candy-coated chocolate pieces (like M&Ms), mini marshmallows, crushed pretzels, etc.
  • EXTRACTS. 1/2-1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/4-1/2 tsp. almond extract, and 1/4 tsp. coconut extract are regular faves at our house.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Snacks, Desserts
  • Method: No-Bake
  • Cuisine: American