No-Bake Seedy Granola Bars

Name: No-Bake Seedy Granola Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 cup soft Medjool dates, (pitted); 1 1/2 cups rolled oats; 3/4 cup shredded coconut, (unsweetened); 1/4 cup hemp hearts; 1/4 cup flax seeds, (ground (or chia seeds)); 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, (raw); 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, (ground); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt; 1/4 cup water, (as needed); Unsweetened or dark chocolate, (for drizzling (optional))

Date-sweetened no-bake seedy granola bars. These delicious chewy bars are vegan, nut-free, oil-free, gluten-free and packed with fiber and healthy fats. Make them for meal prep and enjoy them for quick snacks throughout the week. These seedy bars are also great for school!

This recipe was originally posted in 2017 and has been updated with new photos and extra details. They were originally called “seriously addictive seedy no-bake granola bars” in case you’re wondering if this is the same recipe. I changed the name since I didn’t feel comfortable using the word “addictive” to describe food. Don’t worry, it’s the same recipe that you love!

These granola bars are chewy, hearty, sweetened with dates and contain a delicious combination of coconut, vanilla and cinnamon flavors.

They’re also perfect for meal prep. The bars are done in under 15 minutes, from start to finish. Just dump all the ingredients in the food processor, process them for less than a minute and press the mixture to the bottom of a glass dish. Drizzle with melted chocolate and store them in the freezer for quick snacks throughout the week. The best part? They can be eaten straight from the freezer as the dates keep them chewy!

What you need: Medjool dates, oats, shredded coconut, sunflower seeds, hemp hearts, flax seeds (or chia seeds), cinnamon, vanilla, salt and chocolate.

Notes on the Recipe:

Make sure to use soft Medjool dates. Dry dates will result in crumbly, not so sweet granola bars.
You can use ground flax seeds or chia seeds (ground or whole). Choose what you have on hand.
To keep these bars fruit-sweetened, use unsweetened baker’s chocolate. Otherwise, I recommend using dark or semi-sweet chocolate.
Use vegan chocolate to make these bars vegan.
Use gluten-free certified oats to make these bars gluten-free.
If you’re not looking for a nut-free recipe, you can replace the sunflower seeds with cashews or walnuts.

More No-Bake Granola Bars:

Watch How to Make the Recipe:

No-Bake Seedy Granola Bars

Date-sweetened no-bake seedy granola bars. These delicious chewy bars are nut-free, oil-free, gluten-free and packed with fiber and healthy fats. Make them for meal prep and enjoy them for quick snacks throughout the week. These seedy bars are also great for school!

Course Snack

Cuisine vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings 8

Ingredients

1 cup soft Medjool dates, pitted
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1/4 cup hemp hearts
1/4 cup flax seeds, ground (or chia seeds)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, raw
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/4 cup water, as needed
Unsweetened or dark chocolate, for drizzling (optional)

Instructions

Process the dates in a food processor for a few seconds until chopped.
Add all the remaining ingredients, except for the chocolate and water. Process until you get a crumbly mixture. Add the water, a little at a time and continue to process until the mixture easily sticks together when pressed. You might not need to use all the water depending on the softness of the dates.
Press the mixture evenly at the bottom of a square 9" glass dish. Use a smaller dish for thicker bars. Drizzle with chocolate.
Place in the refrigerator or freezer until the chocolate hardens. Cut into 8 bars. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

I like to keep these in the freezer. They stay soft and can be eaten straight from the freezer. You can also store them in the refrigerator if you plan on eating them within a week.

You can replace the sunflower seeds with walnuts or cashews if you’re not looking for a nut-free recipe.

Make sure to use soft Medjool dates. Dry dates will result in crumbly, not so sweet bars.

If you make these seedy granola bars, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from you guys. And of course, if you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

Next Creamy Carrot Lentil Soup (Vegan) »

Previous « Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

View Comments

Grand-maman Jeannine says:

2017-09-15 at 1:51 pm

They look very very good .
- Unsweetened Caroline says:
  
  2017-09-20 at 6:57 pm
  
  Merci! :)
Eco Natural Soap says:

2017-09-19 at 5:10 pm

Going to have to make these asap!
- Unsweetened Caroline says:
  
  2017-09-20 at 6:58 pm
  
  Hope you like them! :)
Anna Marie says:

2018-05-04 at 7:38 pm

Looks delicious! Could I omit the coconut (sensitivity) and add both chia and flax?
- Unsweetened Caroline says:
  
  2018-05-05 at 10:34 am
  
  Thank you Anna! I have made them without coconut before and it works well. I would recommend reducing the amount of water (starting with maybe 2 tablespoons and increasing if needed). You could also add a bit of ground flax or chia instead, but I wouldn’t start with 3/4 cup. I would start with 1/4 cup and again increase as needed to get the right consistency. They should stick together well without being too sticky. Hope this helps!
Catherine says:

2018-09-20 at 10:40 am

Seriously addictive is right!!!
- Unsweetened Caroline says:
  
  2018-09-22 at 8:54 am
  
  Haha I think so too!!
holly bridges says:

2019-11-10 at 11:30 pm

could honey be subbed for part of the water? am wondering if it would help the granola bars stay together better.
- Unsweetened Caroline says:
  
  2019-11-11 at 5:06 am
  
  Hi Holly, yes you could try that! Did you have issues with the bars crumbling? I personally don't experience this with this recipe, unless my dates are dry. Did you use sticky Medjool dates and all the water indicated?
Eileen says:

2020-04-20 at 6:30 am

Thank you SO much for this recipe Caroline! I tried making healthy bars in the past and they didn't work out for me. I happened to see this recipe on your blog and decided to give it a try. It is SO delicious! I forgot to add the cinnamon and vanilla and it still turned out delicious, just like a granola bar. I only used four dates (for me this was about one short of a cup, so for 8 bars with 4 dates worked out to only about 10g of sugar per bar--dates are 100% my preferred sweetener of choice for pretty much everything, but everything in moderation!) and did not use chocolate (recovering chocoholic). I didn't have any sunflower seeds so I just used extra hemp and flax seeds. I sprinkled a bit of flour onto a small stainless steel tray and they cut perfectly and came out perfectly. So easy, so delicious, perfect snack for kids as well. Thank you so much again!!
- Nourished by Caroline says:
  
  2020-04-22 at 8:23 am
  
  Hi Eileen, thank you so much for your sweet comment! I'm so happy to hear that you love them. It's one of my favorites too! Thank you for giving your feedback and making note of those few little substitutions. It will help others for sure. :) Enjoy!
Seychelle Yohanna says:

2020-12-01 at 12:27 pm

Hi Caroline. I am allergic to dates! Is there anything I can subsitute them with?
- Nourished by Caroline says:
  
  2020-12-02 at 2:13 pm
  
  Hi! I haven't tried alternatives for this recipe, but my suggestion would be to try a liquid sweetener that would help the bars stick together, such as maple syrup. You could start with 1/3 cup and add more if needed to make it stick and to taste. I would also skip the water in this case as you'll be adding liquid. Again, I haven't tried it and can't guarantee it will work, but it's worth a try! Let me know if you try it. Also, I have these energy bites that are date-free if you want to try: https://nourishedbycaroline.ca/chocolate-chip-peanut-butter-energy-bites/
Kathryn Alvarez says:

2022-04-18 at 4:06 pm

I have made this twice now. I followed the recipe the first time and only made one batch. Yesterday I doubled the recipe because I wanted them a little thicker. I used an 8x8x2 pan. I added 3-4 tablespoons of honey this time because I wanted them a little sweeter. I had no problems with them crumbling. Mine used almost all the water this time. I think if someone wanted to use just honey instead of water, it would be too sweet. I didn't make either batch with chocolate, and they were delicious!! Thank you so much for another fantastic recipe!!
- Nourished by Caroline says:
  
  2022-04-20 at 10:28 am
  
  Thank you Kathryn! I'm so happy that you enjoyed the recipe. And thank you for sharing what you tried, I'm sure it will help others too. :)
Marie-Eve says:

2023-08-10 at 10:28 am

THANK YOU! I've done countless date granola bar recipes and this is the first I've done that doesn't crumble. I love everything about your blog and I can't wait to make more of your recipes!!
- Nourished by Caroline says:
  
  2023-09-02 at 5:56 pm
  
  I'm sorry for the late reply, but thank you, it means a lot! I'm so happy that you enjoyed the granola bars. :)