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By Katja Heino 2 Comments
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No Bake Healthy Snack Bars (gluten free with vegan + nut free options)

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close up of snack bar

Make your own healthy snack bars at home in just a few minutes. No baking required. Easily customizable. No crappy ingredients + no wasteful packaging. Gluten free with vegan + nut free options.

Perusing the snack bar aisle at my local health food store, I see excess packaging, questionable ingredients, and expensive price tags.

So I like to make my own.

Every week, I’ve been making a different healthy snack to have on hand for school lunches and for easy snacking. Our current favs are lunch box cookies and peanut butter pumpkin energy balls.

This week, I’m sharing a simple, no bake recipe for healthy snack bars loaded with dried fruit and seeds. So good!

six granola bars on white counter

What’s in healthy snack bars?

Just a few simple pantry ingredients.

❤️ gluten free oats (I like THIS sprouted brand)

❤️ honey or maple syrup (use maple syrup for vegan)

❤️ nut butter (or sunflower butter or tahini for nut free option)

❤️ seeds (like pumpkin, sesame, chia, flax, or sunflower)

❤️ dried fruit (like apricots, raisins, cranberries, dates, figs, etc.)

❤️ salt

The best thing about these bars is that they are like a snack bar chameleon. Super versatile. You can add in whatever makes you happy .

Other optional add-ins could be:

  • mini chocolate chips
  • unsweetened shredded coconut
  • chopped nuts

NOTE: Soaked and sprouted grains, nuts, and seeds are always my preference if possible.  This helps with better digestion.

side view of snack bars

How to make healthy snack bars

Step 1: mix together oats + salt

Step 2: melt together nut butter and honey/maple syrup

Step 3: add oats to wet mixture and stir until well combined.

Step 4: fold in seeds + dried fruit (and any other optional add-ins)

Step 5: press mixture into 8×8 baking pan + place in fridge to set

Step 6: cut into desired sized bars + enjoy

What do they taste like?

These bars are not your traditional crispy granola bar. The texture is soft + chewy with just the right amount of sweetness. The flavor depends on the nut or seed butter you use and also the add-ins you choose.

We like them best cold out of the freezer, but they can absolutely be packed in a school lunch box. The texture will just be a bit softer.

How to store health snack bars

Store these yummy bars in the fridge, covered for up to a week.

We like to freeze them in a single layer then store them in reusable silicone bags. I use parchment paper in between the layer.

close up of gluten free granola bar

happy back to school, my sweet friend! ❤️

xx,

Katja

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No Bake Healthy Snack Bars

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  • Author: Katja Heino
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Description

Soft + chewy homemade snack bars.  No baking required. Easily customizable. No crappy ingredients + no wasteful packaging. Gluten free with vegan + nut free options.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 and 1/2 cup gluten free oats (I like THIS sprouted brand)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup nut butter (or sunflower butter or tahini for nut free option)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey (use maple syrup for vegan)
  • 3 tbsp seeds (like pumpkin, sesame, chia, flax, or sunflower)
  • 3–4 tbsp chopped dried fruit (like apricots, raisins, cranberries, dates, figs, etc.)
  • optional add-ins: mini chocolate chips, unsweetened shredded coconut, or chopped nuts

Instructions

  1. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl, combine oats + salt.  Set aside. 
  3. In a double boiler (I use a small glass bowl over a pot of water), gently melt together nut butter + sweetener of choice. Do not over heat.  Remove from heat. 
  4. Add oats to wet mixture + mix until well incorporated.  Fold in seeds + chopped dried fruit, adding in an extra add-ins. Mix again. For my salt lovers, adjust for salt. 
  5. Press mixture evenly + firmly into prepared baking pan.  Place in fridge to set for at least 2 hours. 
  6. Cut into desired sized bars + enjoy. Store covered in fridge for up to a week or freeze for later. 

Notes

Soaked and sprouted grains, nuts, and seeds are always my preference if possible.  This helps with better digestion.

Chopping your dried fruit and larger add-in helps to keep the bars together and gives a nice texture.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

gluten free snack bars on white counter

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Filed Under: Desserts, Healthy Snacks Tagged With: dried fruit, gluten free snacks, granola bares, healthy snacks, oats, snack bars

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Judy Farless says

    October 15, 2021 at 9:48 pm

    Very addicting! Just didn’t stay together as well as I had planned. Will try again.

    Reply
    • Katja Heino says

      October 20, 2021 at 5:51 am

      Be sure to press them down firmly in the pan before you place in fridge to set. 🙂

      Reply

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Hi I’m Katja!

And this is how we do healthy in our family. Just REAL food. Simple. Easy. Gluten free. More about Savory Lotus

Follow Me on Instagram

  • 🍁🍂🍃the more i get outside, the better i feel • outside every day 🍃🍁🍂

🍂🍁🍃 exposure to artificial light, blue screens, + WIFI (and being sedentary) drains our energy 🍃🍁🍂

P.S. it’s stunning here in the mountains in Fall

* intentional living 
* simple life 
* get outside 
* nature heals 
* gratitude 
* slow living 
* self care
* move every day
  • 🤍 I love reselling things i no longer wear • it helps fund my secondhand finds, keeps things in circulation, and gives me a reason to let something go before bringing something new in 🤍

• living below our means 
• financial freedom 
• thrifting 
• thrifted fashion 
• second hand clothes 
• intentional living 
• simple life 
• living debt free 
• natural fiber clothing 
• sustainable living
  • 💰taking about money is tricky • we all have our stories and ideas around it • i’m just sharing things i do to live financially in my value system 

💰my goal is to live under our means in order to live a less stressful life • i value buying things second hand to save resources • i want to consume less • saving is more important than spending to me •having money saved and invested helps me create the life I want 

💰learning to be happy with less has made it possible to SAVE • there was a time when having a fully funded emergency fund and money in savings wasn’t possible • being financially responsible has been a journey
  • 🧥👖second hand outfit of the day • you don’t have to buy new to dress well • so many great pieces are already out there • second hand is my favorite way to find pieces i love • it’s easier to find my personal style when i’m being intentional and not just copying trends 

🧥👖 what i paid:

* vintage cashmere turtleneck sweater $24 from eBay
* organic cotton Everlane pants $18 from eBay 
* genuine leather belt $18 eBay
* black leather boots borrowed from little human 

• sustainable living
• living below our means 
• financial freedom 
• thrifting 
• second hand clothes 
• intentional living 
• simple life 
• living debt free
  • 👢 taking care of what i have instead of always looking for something new🤎 • a little non toxic leather conditioner = another season wearing what i already own and LOVE • investing in good quality things that i care for year after year > constantly feeling like i need to consume and replace 

👢 the 2 pairs of boots on the left are both over 7 years old 

👢using Leather Honey to soften, protect and restore my favorite boots 

• sustainable living
• living below our means 
• financial freedom 
• thrifting 
• second hand clothes 
• intentional living 
• simple life 
• living debt free
  • 💗 not giving advice here • just sharing our journey • living under our means allows us to live the life we LOVE • and gives us the margin to pay for the things that really matter, to save for the future and to have a less stressful life 

💗nothing groundbreaking • just some simple choices we make every day • choosing to live a life with less CONSUMPTION and more CONTENTMENT 😊
  • 🤍 i’ve always loved old things • the craftsmanship, the character, the stories they carry • they just don’t make them like they used to. 🤍
  • 💗 REAL FREEDOM comes from a simple life • let’s normalize living below our means, paying cash instead of living in debt, living in small houses, cooking meals at home, wearing secondhand clothes, driving older cars without payments , and having an emergency fund tucked away. 

💗 less pressure to have more • less pressure to compare ourselves to unrealistic social media lives • more freedom to enjoy what we have and the simply lives we’ve created 💗
  • 👖🧥 natural  fibers • neutral colors • timeless  pieces • secondhand finds • quality over trends 

💗 i don’t need more • just need what feels like me 💗 

WHAT I PAID:

* wool blend sweater from men’s section Goodwill $8
* white denim from Plato’s Closet $11
* J Crew cotton tank from local consignment store $9
* Leather belt from eBay $18
View on Instagram
🍁🍂🍃the more i get outside, the better i feel • outside every day 🍃🍁🍂

🍂🍁🍃 exposure to artificial light, blue screens, + WIFI (and being sedentary) drains our energy 🍃🍁🍂

P.S. it’s stunning here in the mountains in Fall

* intentional living 
* simple life 
* get outside 
* nature heals 
* gratitude 
* slow living 
* self care
* move every day
View Reel on Instagram
@savorylotus
@savorylotus
•
Follow
🍁🍂🍃the more i get outside, the better i feel • outside every day 🍃🍁🍂 🍂🍁🍃 exposure to artificial light, blue screens, + WIFI (and being sedentary) drains our energy 🍃🍁🍂 P.S. it’s stunning here in the mountains in Fall * intentional living * simple life * get outside * nature heals * gratitude * slow living * self care * move every day
23 hours ago
View on Instagram |
1/9
🤍 I love reselling things i no longer wear • it helps fund my secondhand finds, keeps things in circulation, and gives me a reason to let something go before bringing something new in 🤍

• living below our means 
• financial freedom 
• thrifting 
• thrifted fashion 
• second hand clothes 
• intentional living 
• simple life 
• living debt free 
• natural fiber clothing 
• sustainable living
View Reel on Instagram
@savorylotus
@savorylotus
•
Follow
🤍 I love reselling things i no longer wear • it helps fund my secondhand finds, keeps things in circulation, and gives me a reason to let something go before bringing something new in 🤍 • living below our means • financial freedom • thrifting • thrifted fashion • second hand clothes • intentional living • simple life • living debt free • natural fiber clothing • sustainable living
2 days ago
View on Instagram |
2/9
💰taking about money is tricky • we all have our stories and ideas around it • i’m just sharing things i do to live financially in my value system 

💰my goal is to live under our means in order to live a less stressful life • i value buying things second hand to save resources • i want to consume less • saving is more important than spending to me •having money saved and invested helps me create the life I want 

💰learning to be happy with less has made it possible to SAVE • there was a time when having a fully funded emergency fund and money in savings wasn’t possible • being financially responsible has been a journey
💰taking about money is tricky • we all have our stories and ideas around it • i’m just sharing things i do to live financially in my value system 

💰my goal is to live under our means in order to live a less stressful life • i value buying things second hand to save resources • i want to consume less • saving is more important than spending to me •having money saved and invested helps me create the life I want 

💰learning to be happy with less has made it possible to SAVE • there was a time when having a fully funded emergency fund and money in savings wasn’t possible • being financially responsible has been a journey
💰taking about money is tricky • we all have our stories and ideas around it • i’m just sharing things i do to live financially in my value system 

💰my goal is to live under our means in order to live a less stressful life • i value buying things second hand to save resources • i want to consume less • saving is more important than spending to me •having money saved and invested helps me create the life I want 

💰learning to be happy with less has made it possible to SAVE • there was a time when having a fully funded emergency fund and money in savings wasn’t possible • being financially responsible has been a journey
💰taking about money is tricky • we all have our stories and ideas around it • i’m just sharing things i do to live financially in my value system 

💰my goal is to live under our means in order to live a less stressful life • i value buying things second hand to save resources • i want to consume less • saving is more important than spending to me •having money saved and invested helps me create the life I want 

💰learning to be happy with less has made it possible to SAVE • there was a time when having a fully funded emergency fund and money in savings wasn’t possible • being financially responsible has been a journey
💰taking about money is tricky • we all have our stories and ideas around it • i’m just sharing things i do to live financially in my value system 

💰my goal is to live under our means in order to live a less stressful life • i value buying things second hand to save resources • i want to consume less • saving is more important than spending to me •having money saved and invested helps me create the life I want 

💰learning to be happy with less has made it possible to SAVE • there was a time when having a fully funded emergency fund and money in savings wasn’t possible • being financially responsible has been a journey
💰taking about money is tricky • we all have our stories and ideas around it • i’m just sharing things i do to live financially in my value system 

💰my goal is to live under our means in order to live a less stressful life • i value buying things second hand to save resources • i want to consume less • saving is more important than spending to me •having money saved and invested helps me create the life I want 

💰learning to be happy with less has made it possible to SAVE • there was a time when having a fully funded emergency fund and money in savings wasn’t possible • being financially responsible has been a journey
💰taking about money is tricky • we all have our stories and ideas around it • i’m just sharing things i do to live financially in my value system 

💰my goal is to live under our means in order to live a less stressful life • i value buying things second hand to save resources • i want to consume less • saving is more important than spending to me •having money saved and invested helps me create the life I want 

💰learning to be happy with less has made it possible to SAVE • there was a time when having a fully funded emergency fund and money in savings wasn’t possible • being financially responsible has been a journey
@savorylotus
@savorylotus
•
Follow
💰taking about money is tricky • we all have our stories and ideas around it • i’m just sharing things i do to live financially in my value system 💰my goal is to live under our means in order to live a less stressful life • i value buying things second hand to save resources • i want to consume less • saving is more important than spending to me •having money saved and invested helps me create the life I want 💰learning to be happy with less has made it possible to SAVE • there was a time when having a fully funded emergency fund and money in savings wasn’t possible • being financially responsible has been a journey
4 days ago
View on Instagram |
3/9
🧥👖second hand outfit of the day • you don’t have to buy new to dress well • so many great pieces are already out there • second hand is my favorite way to find pieces i love • it’s easier to find my personal style when i’m being intentional and not just copying trends 

🧥👖 what i paid:

* vintage cashmere turtleneck sweater $24 from eBay
* organic cotton Everlane pants $18 from eBay 
* genuine leather belt $18 eBay
* black leather boots borrowed from little human 

• sustainable living
• living below our means 
• financial freedom 
• thrifting 
• second hand clothes 
• intentional living 
• simple life 
• living debt free
View Reel on Instagram
@savorylotus
@savorylotus
•
Follow
🧥👖second hand outfit of the day • you don’t have to buy new to dress well • so many great pieces are already out there • second hand is my favorite way to find pieces i love • it’s easier to find my personal style when i’m being intentional and not just copying trends 🧥👖 what i paid: * vintage cashmere turtleneck sweater $24 from eBay * organic cotton Everlane pants $18 from eBay * genuine leather belt $18 eBay * black leather boots borrowed from little human • sustainable living • living below our means • financial freedom • thrifting • second hand clothes • intentional living • simple life • living debt free
5 days ago
View on Instagram |
4/9
👢 taking care of what i have instead of always looking for something new🤎 • a little non toxic leather conditioner = another season wearing what i already own and LOVE • investing in good quality things that i care for year after year > constantly feeling like i need to consume and replace 

👢 the 2 pairs of boots on the left are both over 7 years old 

👢using Leather Honey to soften, protect and restore my favorite boots 

• sustainable living
• living below our means 
• financial freedom 
• thrifting 
• second hand clothes 
• intentional living 
• simple life 
• living debt free
View Reel on Instagram
@savorylotus
@savorylotus
•
Follow
👢 taking care of what i have instead of always looking for something new🤎 • a little non toxic leather conditioner = another season wearing what i already own and LOVE • investing in good quality things that i care for year after year > constantly feeling like i need to consume and replace 👢 the 2 pairs of boots on the left are both over 7 years old 👢using Leather Honey to soften, protect and restore my favorite boots • sustainable living • living below our means • financial freedom • thrifting • second hand clothes • intentional living • simple life • living debt free
6 days ago
View on Instagram |
5/9
💗 not giving advice here • just sharing our journey • living under our means allows us to live the life we LOVE • and gives us the margin to pay for the things that really matter, to save for the future and to have a less stressful life 

💗nothing groundbreaking • just some simple choices we make every day • choosing to live a life with less CONSUMPTION and more CONTENTMENT 😊
💗 not giving advice here • just sharing our journey • living under our means allows us to live the life we LOVE • and gives us the margin to pay for the things that really matter, to save for the future and to have a less stressful life 

💗nothing groundbreaking • just some simple choices we make every day • choosing to live a life with less CONSUMPTION and more CONTENTMENT 😊
💗 not giving advice here • just sharing our journey • living under our means allows us to live the life we LOVE • and gives us the margin to pay for the things that really matter, to save for the future and to have a less stressful life 

💗nothing groundbreaking • just some simple choices we make every day • choosing to live a life with less CONSUMPTION and more CONTENTMENT 😊
💗 not giving advice here • just sharing our journey • living under our means allows us to live the life we LOVE • and gives us the margin to pay for the things that really matter, to save for the future and to have a less stressful life 

💗nothing groundbreaking • just some simple choices we make every day • choosing to live a life with less CONSUMPTION and more CONTENTMENT 😊
💗 not giving advice here • just sharing our journey • living under our means allows us to live the life we LOVE • and gives us the margin to pay for the things that really matter, to save for the future and to have a less stressful life 

💗nothing groundbreaking • just some simple choices we make every day • choosing to live a life with less CONSUMPTION and more CONTENTMENT 😊
💗 not giving advice here • just sharing our journey • living under our means allows us to live the life we LOVE • and gives us the margin to pay for the things that really matter, to save for the future and to have a less stressful life 

💗nothing groundbreaking • just some simple choices we make every day • choosing to live a life with less CONSUMPTION and more CONTENTMENT 😊
💗 not giving advice here • just sharing our journey • living under our means allows us to live the life we LOVE • and gives us the margin to pay for the things that really matter, to save for the future and to have a less stressful life 

💗nothing groundbreaking • just some simple choices we make every day • choosing to live a life with less CONSUMPTION and more CONTENTMENT 😊
💗 not giving advice here • just sharing our journey • living under our means allows us to live the life we LOVE • and gives us the margin to pay for the things that really matter, to save for the future and to have a less stressful life 

💗nothing groundbreaking • just some simple choices we make every day • choosing to live a life with less CONSUMPTION and more CONTENTMENT 😊
💗 not giving advice here • just sharing our journey • living under our means allows us to live the life we LOVE • and gives us the margin to pay for the things that really matter, to save for the future and to have a less stressful life 

💗nothing groundbreaking • just some simple choices we make every day • choosing to live a life with less CONSUMPTION and more CONTENTMENT 😊
@savorylotus
@savorylotus
•
Follow
💗 not giving advice here • just sharing our journey • living under our means allows us to live the life we LOVE • and gives us the margin to pay for the things that really matter, to save for the future and to have a less stressful life 💗nothing groundbreaking • just some simple choices we make every day • choosing to live a life with less CONSUMPTION and more CONTENTMENT 😊
7 days ago
View on Instagram |
6/9
@savorylotus
@savorylotus
•
Follow
🤍 i’ve always loved old things • the craftsmanship, the character, the stories they carry • they just don’t make them like they used to. 🤍
1 week ago
View on Instagram |
7/9
@savorylotus
@savorylotus
•
Follow
💗 REAL FREEDOM comes from a simple life • let’s normalize living below our means, paying cash instead of living in debt, living in small houses, cooking meals at home, wearing secondhand clothes, driving older cars without payments , and having an emergency fund tucked away. 💗 less pressure to have more • less pressure to compare ourselves to unrealistic social media lives • more freedom to enjoy what we have and the simply lives we’ve created 💗
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
8/9
@savorylotus
@savorylotus
•
Follow
👖🧥 natural fibers • neutral colors • timeless pieces • secondhand finds • quality over trends 💗 i don’t need more • just need what feels like me 💗 WHAT I PAID: * wool blend sweater from men’s section Goodwill $8 * white denim from Plato’s Closet $11 * J Crew cotton tank from local consignment store $9 * Leather belt from eBay $18
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
9/9

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