These healthy no-bake snack bars are a delicious treat made with wholesome ingredients. The perfect afternoon snack to satisfy your sweet tooth. Vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar free!
No bake snack bars are a staple in our meal prep routine, along with 7 no bake energy bites, and these perfect homemade granola bars!
We love having meal prep snacks on hand, especially when that 3:00 pm afternoon slump hits! These no bake snack bars are the perfect solution for your afternoon snack cravings, and they are so easy to meal prep.
Similar to energy bites (but no rolling necessary), these no bake snack bars are made with peanut butter, chia seeds, rolled oats, flaxseed, and rice crispies for a satisfying crunch.
reasons you'll love this recipe
- they are the most delicious chewy and crunchy sweet treat to satisfy your sweet tooth!
- you can mix them up in one bowl in just 15 minutes
- they are filled with wholesome ingredients and naturally sweetened with maple syrup
recipe video
Want to see how easy these bars are to prepare? Watch the video below for proof...they are just so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
ingredient notes
- rolled oats - do not use quick oats as they become chalky in this recipe
- Rice Krispies - brown rice cereal may work but has not been tested
- ground flaxseed and chia seeds- for some extra protein and omega 3 fatty acids
- natural nut butter- peanut and almond butters have been tested. Stay away from processed nut butters as they will not set up properly and are overly sweet. You can use any natural nut butter (look for ones which just contain nuts and maybe salt).
- coconut oil - we prefer a refined coconut oil as it does not have a strong coconut flavor
- maple syrup - make sure to use the real stuff and not table syrup! Can be swapped for equal parts honey.
- cinnamon - for a boost of flavor, cinnamon compliments the sweetness of the maple syrup perfectly!
step by step instructions
Melt
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Melt coconut oil in a large bowl.
Combine
Stir in the peanut butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon until smooth. Stir in the oats, Rice Krispies, flax, and chocolate chips.
Press into baking pan
Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment. Press the mixture into the pan until smooth across the top.
Chill
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, then cut into bars and portion out for the week.
Tip - Let your bars set up for at least 2 hours before cutting into them. Overnight is even better.
FAQ
Sure! Some readers have reported back that dried cranberries made a delicious swap for chocolate chips. Other swaps that could work include slivered almonds, chopped walnuts or pecans, or shredded coconut.
To make these bars gluten-free, be sure toย use certified gluten-free rolled oats and Rice Krispies.
You might be able to swap the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter, but we haven't tested it! If you do try it, could you let us know in the comments how they turn out?
storage
- Fridge - Store in a sealed meal prep container, seperating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freeze - Wrap bars individually in parchment paper or wax paper to prevent sticking/ freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
No Bake Snack Bars
Ingredients
- ยผ cup coconut oil 55 g; refined coconut oil recommended
- โ cup peanut butter 158 g; all natural; * see note 1
- ยฝ cup maple syrup 154 g; honey also works
- ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup rolled oats 90 g; not quick oats
- 1 cup Rice Krispies 28 g; *see note 2
- ยฝ cup ground flaxseed 46 g
- ยฝ cup chocolate chips 78 g
- ยผ cup chia seeds 32 g
Instructions
- Melt - the coconut oil in a large bowl.
- Combine - Stir in the peanut butter, maple syrup and cinnamon until smooth. Stir in the oats, Rice Krispies, flax and chocolate chips.
- Press - Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment. Press the mixture into the pan until smooth across the top.
- Chill- refrigerate for at least 2 hours, then cut into bars and portion out for the week.
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Tips:
- all-natural peanut or almond butter may be used in this recipe. DO NOT use processed nut butter such as Jif or Kraft as the bars do not solidify and are sticky and soft.
- use certified gluten-free rolled oats and Rice Krispies to make this a gluten-free treat
- Fridge - Store in a sealed meal prep container, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freeze - Wrap bars individually in parchment paper or wax paper to prevent sticking/ freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Video
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Cathy Donaldson says
I absolutely love these bars!!! My mind has put together several other combinations to try (dried cranberries or raisins +almond butter + white chocolate chips, sunflower seeds + butterscotch chips...) the possibilities for "yummy"-ness are endless.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Cathy! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the bars, and love that you are coming up with other variations! Thanks so much for reporting back <3
Carol Timlin says
These bars are easy to make and so good! My family loves them!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Carol! I'm so happy to hear you and your family enjoy the bars. Thank you for reporting back ๐
Laura says
We absolutely loved these! I dis omit the chia & used Lilyโs chips and 1/3 less than called for to make a little more WW friendly. But these are worth every point!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Laura! Thanks so much for including some WW-friendly suggestions, that's so helpful! Glad you enjoyed <3
Karena says
These bars are a hit with everyone in the house. Easy to make and so tasty.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Karena! I'm so happy to hear your household enjoyed the bars. Thanks so much for taking time out of your day to come back and leave a review!
Karen says
These are the best bars. So delicious and healthy. I hate sharing them if I have to ๐
Denise Bustard says
Hi Karen! I'm so happy to hear you love the bars! Thanks so much for reporting back <3
Cynthia Briscoe says
I would give these 10 stars!!! I can't tell you the number of energy bars I have made that were just so, so and this one blows them out of the water.... I think it's the ricecrispies.. PLUS you can add whatever you like. I did one with raisins, walnuts and chocoloate chips and it was delish!!!!
Denise Bustard says
Wow, what a great comment to read, Cynthia! So happy to hear you love the snack bars, and I love that you're thinking of all the ways to get creative with them!
Laura Young says
Love these! Theyโre freaking amazing! My husband loves them too and asked me to make them instead of buying Clif bars at the store, lol! I used brown rice cereal and it worked great! ๐
Denise Bustard says
Hi Laura! I'm so glad you enjoyed the snack bars. Thanks for letting me know that brown rice cereal worked well for you <3
Mary says
My whole family loved this recipe, especially my 5 year old! I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for the variations/substitution ideas.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Mary! I'm so happy to hear your family enjoyed the bars! Thanks for reporting back ๐
Rachel Vivian says
These are a must! I had a hard time keeping my fingers off them. These will be made often!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Rachel! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the snack bars. They are a bit dangerous, aren't they? ๐ Thanks for reporting back!
Cheri says
These are a regular in my house now! Made vegan by using Enjoy Life mini chips. Husband and five year old approved. Works well with any nut or seed butter. Last batch I made with tahini instead of almond butter. Love this recipe!
Denise says
Yay! So happy to hear this, Cheri! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review ๐
Melissa says
Going to try these out tomorrow! I'm going to add hemp seeds (extra protein) and see if I can find something tout replace the rice crispies!
I also hate rolling energy bites, but my kids lov them. Can't want to see what they think of these!
Denise says
I hope you and your kiddos enjoy them, Melissa ๐
Carmen says
I love how these bars turned out!!! I kept them in the freezer and we ate them as snacks. They were gone pretty fast so today I made a double batch, hopefully it will last for a few days ๐ Thanks for this recipe!
Kelley says
These are AMAZING! (that's a secret my kids will NOT find out about) I will definitely be making these again!
Denise says
I'm so happy you liked them, Kelley! Thanks so much for reporting back ๐
Nicole says
What would be a healthy substitute for coconut oil due to allergy?
Denise says
Hi Nicole, I'm so sorry I somehow missed your comment! I would add a couple extra tablespoons of nut butter and see how that goes.
Susan says
Any substitute for the rice crispies for clean eating folks?
Denise says
Hi Susan, I've never tried them without the rice krispies. You might be able to add some extra oats to compensate? I'm unsure of how much though. If you try, I'd love to hear how they turn out ๐
Simona says
I was thinking the same thing. Rice crispies are not very healthy so I want to leave them out but I'm sure they would have to be substituted with something else. Oats might be a good option. Good suggesting Denise. I will try it. Thank you!
Nicky says
i just made these and chose to use sprouted brown rice crisps (basically clean rice crispies )
It is delicious
Denise says
So happy you enjoyed them Nicky! Thanks for reporting back ๐
Emma says
Hi-is it possible to leave out chocolate chips and replace coconut oil with butter?
Denise says
Hi Emma! You can absolutely leave out the chocolate chips, and I believe butter would work however I haven't actually tried that. If you do, I'd love to hear how it turns out ๐
Karly says
Whaaaat!? Nobody tell my kids these are healthy, cuz they're totally the new dessert. Love how simple and delicious these are!
Christa says
Great recipes ??
Denise says
Thanks Christa!
LB says
I love your channel but can't see myself cutting these into 16 bars (more like 9.) So my question is can the maple syrup be decreased and they still hold together so I don't feel like I'm overdoing the sugar? Thanks! ๐
Denise says
Hi LB, I totally hear you on the maple syrup, these are definitely sweet! Unfortunately the liquid from the sweeteners is absolutely essential to bind the bars. When I reduced it by 1/2, my bars did not hold up.
Marion says
Is there a way to print out your recipes?
Denise says
Hi Marion, there is a 'print' button on each recipe card. Is it not working for you?
Rosslyn says
Can one use natural peanut butter?
Denise says
Yes! Any natural nut butter will work ๐