Vegan Granola Bars

If you love vanilla chai, this homemade no bake vegan granola bars recipe with maple syrup, almond butter, crispy rice cereal, quick oats, cinnamon and more is for you! They don’t take a lot of effort, but they’re really good. They work well as a snack, as nourishment on a hike, toted along on a camping or road trip, or when you’re in the mood to stand by your kitchen counter cutting rectangle after rectangle and just going for it 💚

This recipe makes ~14 bars, but it really depends on how you decide to slice them.

A few things…

• ・Garam masala gives these vegan granola bars their chai flavor. If you don’t have any on hand, try replacing it with equal parts pumpkin pie spice. It won’t taste like “vanilla chai”, but it’s still very good.

• ・Not all crispy rice cereal is vegan. For example, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies uses vitamin D3, which is derived from animals. For this recipe, I used Nature’s Path Crispy Rice, which is vegan.

• ・It’s important to use a candy thermometer to nail the temperature on the maple syrup. If you skip using one, the vegan granola bars may not stick together as well or you may end up with something quite brittle.

• ・Once the maple syrup reaches 235º F, you’ll need to act fast. Remove it from heat, and then, immediately, whisk in the almond butter and vanilla extract. Pour it over the dry vegan granola bars ingredients in the mixing bowl, stir it together, and then, pat it down in the lined 9″ X 13″ pan. If you don’t act fast, it’ll start to set-up, which will make it harder to mix and spread in the pan.

• ・These bars have the best texture right after setting up. Although my husband likes them a day or two later when they’re chewy. You decide!

• ・To take them with you on the go, wrap them individually in aluminum foil. And for long term storage, put them in a sealed container in the freezer.

Please enjoy! And explore other UVK recipes like Spicy Black and White Bean Burgers, Vegan Cranberry Sauce, Slow Cooker Vegan Baked Beans, Roasted Coconut-Maple Yams, Vegan Lentil Loaf with Porcini Mushrooms, Walnuts and Cashews, Arugula and Butternut Squash Salad and more.

Vegan Granola Bars

1 cup quick oats

1½ cup plain crispy rice cereal (I used Nature’s Path Crispy Rice)

½ cup golden raisins

½ cup dried cranberries

⅓ cup chopped roasted unsalted cashews

2 Tbsp raw pumpkin seeds

2 tsp garam masala (see notes above)

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

2 Tbsp almond butter

½ tsp vanilla extract

¾ cup pure maple syrup

1. Line a 9″ X 13″ pan with non-stick aluminum foil (or you can grease it with canola oil spray). Set aside.

2. Next, you’ll put together the dry ingredients for the for vegan granola bars. In a large mixing bowl, add the quick oats, rice krispies, raisins, cranberries, cashews, pumpkin seeds, garam masala, cinnamon and salt. Mix with a large spatula. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, add the almond butter and vanilla extract. Set aside.

4. In a small pot, add the maple syrup. Over medium-high heat, bring the maple syrup to 235º F. Once it’s there, immediately remove it from heat, and whisk in the almond butter and vanilla extract.

5. Pour over the dry vegan granola bar ingredients in the mixing bowl, and stir with a spatula until well combined.

6. Spoon into the lined (or greased) 9″ X 13″ pan, and pat down into an even layer. Allow to set-up.

7. Slice into individual vegan granola bars and enjoy! (see notes above).