Snack bars like granola bars make a great grab-n-go option for breakfast and a convenient snack to take on the road.
The problem with most snack bars found in stores is they’re loaded with unhealthy ingredients like processed sugars, fillers and preservatives. Even the “healthy” packaged bars tend to have undesirable ingredients.
An easy way to keep your snack / breakfast bars healthful and nutritious is to make them yourself. This simple recipe for no-bake oat and chocolate bars will do the trick! These bars will please your tastebuds while keeping you full for quite some time.
Made simply with oats, coconut oil, maple syrup, cacao, cinnamon and a little Himalayan pink salt… these bars are loaded with fiber, healthy fat, plant-based protein and antioxidants that will help keep your body functioning like a well-oiled machine.
Ready to dig in?
THE RECIPE
NO-BAKE OAT & CHOCOLATE BARS
~ Makes 8 bars or 16 squares ~
Ingredients for the oat layers:
- 1.5 cups of gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 cup of gluten-free oat flour (Make by grinding gluten-free rolled oats into a flour using a food processor or high-speed blender.)
- 1/2 cup of coconut oil, melted
- 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon of Ceylon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt
Ingredients for the chocolate layer:
- 1 cup of organic cacao powder (like this)
- 1/2 cup of coconut oil, melted
- 3-4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup (The amount depends on how sweet you like your chocolate.)
Preparation:
- Line an 8 x 8 brownie pan (I prefer glass baking pans) with unbleached parchment paper.
- Starting with the oat layer: Mix the oats, oat flour, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Then, pour in the melted coconut oil and maple syrup. Mix well.
- Press 2/3 of the oat mixture evenly into the bottom of the baking pan and place it in the freezer.
- Prepare the chocolate layer by melting the coconut oil in a saucepan and then stirring in the cacao powder until the mixture is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat, add the maple syrup and stir until well blended.
- Remove the pan from the freezer and pour the chocolate layer over the chilled oat layer. Then, sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of the oat mixture on top.
- Put the pan back in the freezer for 30–60 minutes to allow the layers to “set.” Then, cut the finished block into bars or squares.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week.
Though these delicious bars taste like a naughty dessert, they are loaded with nutritional goodness.
And because of their healthy fat, fiber and protein content, they will actually fill you up unlike bars that are full of processed ingredients and empty calories.
A NOTE ABOUT OATS:
By nature, oats do not contain gluten. However, many oats are grown on land in rotation with other gluten-containing crops like wheat, barley and rye. Plus, oats are often packaged on equipment that’s shared with gluten-containing grains.
For that reason, it’s important to buy gluten-free oats to make sure they have not been cross-contaminated with gluten. Why? Gluten (which has a glue-like consistency) tends to be very irritating to your gut lining and can cause inflammation in your body.
A NOTE ABOUT COCONUT OIL:
If you don’t love the taste or smell of coconut, you can use refined coconut oil for this recipe instead of virgin coconut oil. Just make sure it’s organic and was refined using a natural steam process (like this) and was not processed using chemicals.
Cheers to enjoying healthy and delicious snack bars that are loaded with nutritional goodness!
With love and gratitude,
Kandi
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