No-bake breakfast bars make the perfect on-the-go balanced breakfast for kids and adults! These easy homemade granola bars are made with wholesome oats, almond butter and no refined sugars.
These homemade no-bake breakfast bars taste just like those well adored CLIF Kid bars, and the kids love them for breakfast and school snacks. If your crew loves a fruit-filled bar too, try my strawberry oatmeal breakfast bars.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: none, just 30 seconds to soften the almond butter
- ⏳ Total Time: about 40 minutes with chilling (25 with the freezer)
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 bars
- ⚡ Calories: 175kcal per bar
- 🥣 Ingredients: 9 (gluten-free oats, gluten-free flour, maple syrup, almond butter, apple juice, cinnamon, vanilla, chia seeds, chocolate chips)
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Chewy, sweet and comforting, like cookie dough with oats and chocolate chips
- ✋ Difficulty: Mix, roll between parchment, chill, slice
Quick Answer
Whisk ½ cup almond butter with ⅓ cup maple syrup (microwave 30 seconds to soften if needed). Mix in 1 ½ cups gluten-free quick oats, ½ cup heat treated gluten-free flour, 1 tablespoon apple juice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon chia seeds and a dash of salt, then add ½ cup chocolate chips and knead until the oats are coated, adding more apple juice if needed. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment into a square about ½ inch thick and chill 30 minutes (or freeze 15). Slice into 6 strips, halve each to make 12 bars, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Each bar is 175 calories.
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Do you stroll through the grocery store aisles while your kids want all the granola bars lined up stack by stack? Mine too. They want one bar after another until you notice you just spent $5.99 on a box your one child devoured as a snack.
That happened one too many times, so now I just make my own no-bake breakfast bars, without the parent guilt of the price tag or a whole box of processed goodness. Really, how do the manufacturers get those granola bars to last for months on end?
Why These No-Bake Bars Work
Click to see why it works
- Almond butter makes them chewy. Short answer, almond butter. Long answer, any nut butter makes these bars fantastic.
- Maple syrup or honey binds. Mixed with almond butter, it gives the bars a sweet, chewy consistency.
- Oats soak up the sweetness for an even creamier, fiber-rich texture.
- Apple juice adjusts the dough. Add a tablespoon at a time until all the oats are coated.
- Rolling between parchment makes an even ½ inch slab without sticking.
- Chilling sets them. 30 minutes in the fridge, or 15 in the freezer, firms them up for clean slices.
Why You'll Love These Breakfast Bars
- No baking, and no refined sugars.
- Taste like cookie dough, ultra chewy and sweet.
- Grab-and-go breakfast for busy school mornings, or fuel before a sports game.
- Gluten-free, with healthy carbs, plant-based protein, omegas, fiber and B vitamins.
- My husband's favorite. He asked why I don't make them more!
Key Ingredients
- Gluten-free quick cook oats - the wholesome base.
- Gluten-free flour - heat treat the flour first to prevent the risk of foodborne illness from raw flour.
- Almond butter - or any nut butter. If it's unsalted, add a pinch of pink Himalayan salt.
- Maple syrup - or honey.
- Apple juice - 1 to 2 tablespoons to bring the dough together.
- Cinnamon, vanilla and chia seeds - warm flavor and a little extra fiber and omegas.
- Chocolate chips - vegan or milk chocolate.
See recipe card for quantities.
Better Than Store-Bought Granola Bars
We love no-bake everything, including these famous no-bake protein energy balls. No-bake snacks just make life easier, right? Just as much as the CLIF Kid bars my kids adore.
Here is a secret: these homemade bars taste ultra chewy, sweet and pleasantly comforting. Promise you will want to eat the whole pan as soon as they are ready!
How to Make No-Bake Breakfast Bars
1Mix the binder. Place the almond butter and maple syrup in a bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds if needed to soften, then whisk until smooth.
2Add the dry ingredients. Add the oats, gluten-free flour, 1 tablespoon of apple juice, cinnamon, vanilla, chia seeds and a dash of salt. Mix well, then add the chocolate chips. Knead with your hands until the oats are fully coated, adding another tablespoon of apple juice if needed.
3Roll it out. Place the dough on a sheet of parchment paper, cover with another sheet, and roll it into a square about ½ inch thick.
4Chill. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more, or freeze for 15 minutes.
5Slice and store. Slice into about 6 horizontal strips, then halve each strip to make 12 bars. Store them in parchment paper in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3 days.
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- Heat treat the flour before mixing, since these bars are never baked.
- Soften stiff almond butter in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Too dry? Add apple juice a tablespoon at a time until the oats are coated.
- Use the freezer to set them in 15 minutes when you're in a hurry.
- Keep them cold. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3 days.
More No-Bake Bars and Snacks
On busy school mornings, this is what we grab to go for breakfast. When you want more no-bake ideas, try my No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars, No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites, No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Marshmallow Treats, Vegan Rice Crispy Treats or Chia Date Bars.
More bars to bake: Chewy Almond Butter Bars, Gluten-Free Lemon Bars, Chocolate Caramel Oat Bars, Cranberry Bars, Strawberry Crumble Bars and Healthy Oatmeal Muffins.
These breakfast bars won the award in my list of healthy gluten free snacks for kids, and the other 21 ideas are there too.
No-Bake Breakfast Bar FAQs
Almond butter, or any nut butter. Mixed with maple syrup or honey, it gives the bars a sweet, chewy consistency, and the oats soak it up for an even creamier texture.
Yes, since the bars are never baked. Heat treating the flour first prevents the risk of foodborne illness from raw flour.
Store them in parchment paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3 days.
Yes. Honey works in place of maple syrup.
About 30 minutes in the refrigerator, or 15 minutes in the freezer, before slicing.
Yes, when you use certified gluten-free oats and a gluten-free flour.
More No-Bake Treats
Keep snack time easy with No-Bake Protein Balls, No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars, Chia Date Bars and Chewy Almond Butter Bars. I hope your family loves these no-bake breakfast bars! Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to leave a comment below!
Healthy No-Bake Breakfast Bars
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups quick cook oats gluten-free
- ½ cup gluten-free flour How To Heat Treat Flour first
- ⅓ cup maple syrup (or honey)
- ½ cup almond butter
- 1-2 tablespoons apple juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ cup chocolate chips (vegan or milk chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Place almond butter and maple syrup in a bowl. Microwave if needed for 30 seconds to soften. Whisk together until smooth.
- Add the oats, gluten-free flour, 1 tablespoon apple juice, cinnamon, vanilla, chia seeds, and a dash of salt. Mix well to coat everything. Add the chocolate chips. May need to knead with your hands until oats are fully absorbed with all ingredients (add 1 or more tablespoons of apple juice if needed).
- On a flat surface, place parchment paper down and then place your "dough" on the paper. Add another sheet of parchment paper on top. Roll out dough into a square shape until about ½ inch thick.
- Place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes or more or in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Remove pan from refrigerator and slice into about 6 horizontal strips, then half each of those strips. Store in parchment paper placed in an airtight container in a glass container and stored in the refrigerator. Consume within 3 days.
Kristin says
Do these bars cope ok outside the fridge? I’ve had a few ‘no bake’ ones fail the school test due to not coping outside the fridge.
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
Yes, these should be fine outside the fridge. I have packed them in my kids lunches and taken them with us throughout the day. The get slightly soft but still hold shape.
Dana says
I thought it was bad to eat raw flour, high risk of food poisoning, no?
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
Thank you so much for your comment on the flour. I have updated the post with this content for heating the flour first. I have never gotten food born illness from not heat treating the flour, but it can happen so heat treat it first - here is the link on how to heat treat flour first.
Scott says
Why the Apple Juice? It's just something I don't keep around my home and I'm wondering if there's an alternative?
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
It just needs a liquid and the sugar, acid, and flavor of apple juice is tasty in these bars. You can substitute the apple juice equally with water.
Makayla Drake says
Do you have to eat them within three days ?
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
No, but gluten-free goods tend to dry faster than wheat ones. If stored correctly in an airtight container or sealed baggie they will last 5-7 days. If in a cake cake dish for grabs they last 3 days.
KC says
Hi - what kind of gluten free flour would you recommend? Or, can i use regular flour? Or... almond flour...? What would you recommend? Thanks!
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
I recommend Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour, or Cup4Cup (that one has dairy). You can also use regular or whole wheat flour if gluten is not an issue :-).
Shelly says
Just a heads up, I don't see the chia seeds in the instructions... I assume I just mix them in. Loving your recipes, thank you! So far everything has been really delicious 😋
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
Hi Shelly! Thank you so much for your time in letting me know- I just added it in. I am so happy you are enjoying my recipes! Please rate them anytime:-)! Have a great rest of your day! -Danielle
Kathleen @ Yummy Crumble says
I totally need to try these for my kids. I love how you can control the sugar because all those granola bars and cereal bars have way too much. Thanks for sharing!
Danielle @ Delightful Mom Food says
Kathleen, hope you enjoyed!