My favorite ever 1 bowl homemade energy bars that are super customizable! Whip ’em up with pantry staples like oats, nut butter, maple syrup, plus dried cherries and seeds for major flavor and texture. My kids are obsessed with these and they’re incredible right out of the freezer! This is also my go-to snack to make for new mamas.
It’s safe to say there’s more healthy no bake snacks that any other category on this blog. What can I say…snacking is a dear hobby of mine!
While I’m in a committed relationship to my no bake chocolate chip cookies (higher protein!), sometimes you want to not roll things into balls, ya know?
Gimme a nourishing bar with brain-boosting nuts and seeds, heart-healthy oats, and sweet, crunchy add ins [that I easily can slice, freeze, and call it a day].
We just made a snack SO FAST!
The low down on ingredients
- Quick oats: I find the texture of quick-cooking oats lends itself better to making bars and prevents them from crumbling but you can totally use old-fashioned if that’s all you have.
- Coconut: For amazing texture contrast, but you can add more oats if it’s not your thing.
- Sweetener: Use unrefined pure maple syrup or honey (I love the raw organic kind from Costco) to sweeten these just enough and help them stick together.
- Nut butter: Almond, peanut, or sunflower seed butter for nut free! It should be the natural drippy kind. Hello, protein boost!
- Super seeds: I love me some hemp, chia and pepitas to add loads of healthy fats and crunchy texture. Bonus point that they help the mixture stick together, too.
- Dried cherries: This may surprise you but the sweet tart flavor and delightful chew make these a nonnegotiable for me. You can use dried cranberries in a pinch, but trust me when I say these are the star! I use dried Montmorency tart cherries but sweet Bing one work, too.
- Salt and vanilla: Critical for balanced flavor. I like to sprinkle flaky salt on top, too.
Let’s make them!
Whisk oats, coconuts, seeds, cherries and salt. Mix with with a spoon to combine.
Whisk to combine. Add nut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
Mix, mix, mix!
Spoon mixture into baking dish. Use your hands to press it down very firmly. Freeze and devour!
The clean slice of these bad boys is MAGIC. Am I the only one wildly satisfied by this?!
Store in the fridge or better yet the freezer and pat yourself on the back for living your best homemade snack life!
Foolproof No-Bake Energy Bars (superfood-loaded!)
-
Prep Time:
10 minutes -
Cook Time:
0 minutes -
Total Time:
10 minutes -
Yield:
16 bars 1x -
Category:
Snacks -
Method:
No Cook -
Cuisine:
American -
Diet:
Gluten Free
Description
My favorite ever homemade energy bars that are super customizable! Whip ’em up with pantry staples like oats, nut butter, maple syrup, plus dried cherries and seeds for major flavor and texture. My kids are obsessed with these and they’re incredible right out of the freezer!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Instructions
- Line an 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- Place oats, coconuts, seeds, cherries, salt, and optional chocolate in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add nut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix with with a spoon to combine.
- Spoon mixture into baking dish. Use your hands to press it down very firmly (I like to use the bottom of a glass).
- Freeze for at least 30 minutes, ideally an hour, before cutting. Slice into 16 bars. I like to store these in the freezer! You can also keep in the fridge.
Notes
Oats: You can use old fashioned rolled oats but the texture really is best with quick oats.
Coconut: I love the coconut texture but you can add more oats or a mix of oats and seeds instead.
