These no-bake snickerdoodle almond butter granola bars are chewy, no-bake bars that are naturally sweetened and bursting with flavor! Made with almond butter, cinnamon, whole almonds, and toffee bits - this recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and meal prep friendly.
Homemade granola bars taste so much better than store-bought and are made with wholesome ingredients that you likely already have on hand! These snickerdoodle almond butter granola bars are an easy meal prep-friendly snack that the whole family will love.
We love adding these granola bars to our weekly meal prep routine because they are SO easy to prep (no need to turn on the oven)! Not only that, they are the perfect healthier treat and are naturally sweetened with honey.
The snickerdoodle flavor is created with a touch of cinnamon, vanilla, whole almonds, and toffee bits (or mini chocolate chips as pictured). The almond butter adds a nutty, slightly sweet flavor that pairs perfectly with the toffee and cinnamon, Reach for these granola bars in the afternoon when you need a little 'pick-me-up' with a cup of tea!
Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
- cinnamon and vanilla paired with the sweetness from the honey and toffee make for the most delicious snickerdoodle flavor
- easy to prep - they are made in a single pot (no baking required) and can be prepped and into the fridge in under 20 minutes
- they are free (for the most part) from refined sugar and processed ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- coconut oil - we recommend using refined coconut oil so the bars don't have a strong coconut flavor. Liquid oils may not be swapped.
- honey - acts to bind all the ingredients together and naturally sweeten these bars. Maple syrup does not work in these bars, as it doesn't have the same sticky factor for holding the ingredients together! Other alternatives have not been tested.
- rolled oats- may also be called 'old fashioned' or 'large flake' oats; do not use quick oats or steel cut oats for this recipe.
- toffee bits - are optional, but add a buttery caramel flavor. You can replace with equal parts chocolate chips if preferred!
Step By step directions
Tip - we recommend weighing the ingredients right into your pot so you don’t have to use a measuring cup!
Simmer
Combine honey, coconut oil, and almond butter in a medium pot. Bring to a simmer, and once the pot starts bubbling up all over, start the timer for 1 minute.
Important Note - simmering the coconut oil, almond butter, and honey for one minute reduces the mixture and gives it the consistency necessary to bind the bars and hold everything together.
Let Cool
When time is up, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. Let it cool down for 10-15 minutes.
Prepare Baking Pan
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
While the pot is cooling, prepare a 9x9 inch baking dish with parchment paper (I secure mine with binder clips).
Combine
Stir in the rolled oats, chopped almonds, and toffee bits (or mini chocolate chips) until evenly coated.
Form
Press into the prepared pan. Spray a spatula with oil and press down into the pan. Press firmly (I go through and press 2-3 times, spraying spatula again as needed). Sprinkle with some extra toffee/mini chocolate chips (optional)!
Chill
Cool in the fridge for 2 hours- overnight (overnight is best!), before slicing into bars.
Slice
Slice into 12 bars. These bars are best stored in the fridge as they can soften up when stored at room temperature.
FAQ
Sure, you can use all-natural peanut butter if you'd like (check out these chewy peanut butter granola bars). I bet you can use any natural nut butter (maybe even sunflower seed butter), however, we have not tested with these alternatives. Could you let me know in a comment below if you give it a try?
They keep well for up to a week in the fridge, and you can freeze for up to 3 months.
Two steps are extremely important for holding these bars together:
1. simmer coconut oil, almond butter, and honey for 1 minute. Do not start the timer until the pot looks like the photo above, and don't touch it for the full minute while it simmers.
2. Press the bars down firmly...go over them 2-3 times to get them nice and pressed into the pan before refrigerating.
Storage + Meal Prep
These snickerdoodle almond butter granola bars MUST be stored in the fridge, and should be served cold. Otherwise, they become too soft and will crumble.
- fridge - stored in an airtight container, they are good for 1 week in the fridge.
- freezer - wrap loosely in parchment paper, and place in a meal prep container or sturdy freezer bag. They can be frozen 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!
Snickerdoodle Almond Butter Granola Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup honey 156 g
- ⅓ cup coconut oil 74 g; refined recommended for a neutral flavor
- ⅓ cup natural almond butter 84 g
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 cups rolled oats 284 g
- ½ cup almonds chopped
- ¼ cup toffee bits optional; may be replaced with chocolate chips
Instructions
- Simmer -Combine honey, coconut oil, and almond butter in a medium pot. Bring to a simmer, and once the pot starts bubbling up all over, start the timer for 1 minute. *See note 1
- Cool - When time is up, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. Let it cool down for 10-15 minutes.
- Prepare Baking Pan - While the pot is cooling, prepare a 9x9 inch baking dish with parchment paper (I secure mine with binder clips).
- Combine - Stir in the rolled oats, chopped almonds, and toffee bits (or mini chocolate chips) until evenly coated.
- Form - Press into the prepared pan. Spray a spatula with oil and press down into the pan. Press firmly (I go through and press 2-3 times, spraying spatula again as needed). Sprinkle with some extra toffee/mini chocolate chips (optional)!
- Chill - Cool in the fridge for 2 hours- overnight (overnight is best!), before slicing into bars.
- Slice - Slice into 12 bars. These bars are best stored in the fridge as they can soften up when stored at room temperature.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Tips:
- simmering the coconut oil, almond butter, and honey for one minute reduces the mixture and gives it the consistency necessary to bind the bars and hold everything together.
- fridge - stored in an airtight container, they are good for 1 week in the fridge.
- freezer - wrap loosely in parchment paper, and place in a meal prep container or sturdy freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
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.
Heather says
Why did you take the Salted Dark Chocolate Granola Bars recipe down?
Denise Bustard says
Hi Heather! Apologies for the inconvenience. Some older recipes which are not highly visited, less healthy and with no reviews have been removed from the site. It is possible that I might be able to retrieve the recipe for you if you email me at sweetpeasandsaffron@gmail.com. If there is a recipe that you love on the site, it would be super helpful if you left a review 🙂
Daisy Fox says
Most of your recipes say 9 x 13. Why don't you use a glass pan?
Denise Bustard says
Hi Daisy! You can use a glass pan, but this recipe is for a 9x9 inch pan, not 9x13. I like the metal dishes because I use binder clips to clip my parchment paper in and it works better in my metal pans.
Margaret a Spier says
how much almonds are used?
Denise says
Hi Margaret, so sorry for that, there are 1/2 cup chopped almonds in this recipe. I've updated the card just now.