Crunchy Granola Bars (Not Sticky)

Non-sticky Granola bars! My niece told me she couldn’t eat most granola bars as they were too sticky, I made her these almond flour, seed, oat bars! They need just 1 Bowl and everyday ingredients. Glutenfree.

My niece just got her braces and expanders, and she cannot eat sticky granola bars. So she she’s been asking me to make some non-sticky versions that she can easily eat. So I made her two versions: a sweet one and a savory granola bar(think Doritos snack bars! Coming soon)

I use almond flour as the base of the granola bars and some maple syrup. The almond flour keeps the granola bars non sticky and somewhat like crisp shortbread. It also makes them a very filling granola bar that’s perfect for breakfast.

There are the usual ingredients, like oats, nuts and seeds, and some chocolate chips, because you just need chocolate chips in a sweet granola bar!

You can change up the nuts and seeds and add some dried cranberries instead of the chocolate chips, if you like. Just be mindful that the dried fruit can get a bit sticky.

Why You’ll Love Crunchy Granola Bars

• sweet and crunchy with plenty of chocolate!
• non-sticky, so perfect for snacking on the road or eating with braces
• customizable
• naturally gluten-free
• oil-free and coconut-free options
• Did I mention chocolate?

More Homemade Granola Bars

• No-Bake Sun Butter Granola Bars
• No Bake Ginger Chocolate Granola Bars
• Caramelized Banana Granola Bars
• Banana Oatmeal Bars with Cinnamon Crumb

Ingredients and Substitutions

• almond flour – This is the key to make these crunchy granola bars non-sticky.
• tapioca starch – Helps bind the dough.
• salt and baking soda – Conditions the dough for the best texture.
• coconut – For flavor and texture. You can omit, if you like.
• old-fashioned oats – These are also called rolled oats. Don’t use steel cut or quick oats. You can omit, if needed.
• nuts and seeds – Adds protein and crunch! Use your favorite mix. I like pistachios, chia seeds, and hemp seeds.
• coconut oil – Adds moisture. You can use other oils, if you prefer, or replace with maple syrup for oil-free.
• vanilla extract – For flavor.
• maple syrup and applesauce – Adds unrefined sweetness and more moisture to the dough.
• chocolate chips – Because chocolate!

Tips

• When mixing the dough, make sure that you press out any lumps. Almond flour loves to clump together, and you want an even mixture.
• You can bake and then slice or bake these in two rounds, slicing after the first round of baking. That is the method that will yield the most shelf-stable and crunchy granola bars.

How to Make Crunchy Granola Bars

In a bowl, add all the dry ingredients. That’s almond flour, tapioca starch, salt, coconut, oats, nuts and seeds, and baking soda. Mix really well. Press and mix to break up any lumps of almond flour.

Add in the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, applesauce, and vanilla. Mix and press again to make a homogeneous mixture.

Add in the chocolate chips and mix, then line an 8×8-inch brownie pan or baking dish, and press this mixture into the pan. Even it out with a spatula.

Bake at 330° F (165° C) for 20 to 28 minutes. The baking time depends on your oven and baking dish and how crispy you want your granola bars to be. You can also bake them a bit longer, if you want the granola bars to be super crispy.

At 22 minutes, bars will be kind of like a soft cookie. For really crispy bars, you can either bake them all the way to 32 or more minutes or you can take the bars out after 25 minutes, let them cool for a bit, slice them up into the bars, and then put them back in on a baking sheet to bake for 5 to 10 minutes so that they get more crispy. The longer baking time keeps them more shelf stable.

Once the bars are done baking, remove them from the oven, and let them cool for 5 minutes, and then slice with a really sharp serrated knife.

Make the optional melted chocolate topping by melting the chocolate chips on a double boiler or in the microwave and then just drizzling that all over the bars. Put the bars in the fridge, so that the chocolate can set.

Then, separate them out and let them cool completely and store.  If you’re storing for longer, you want to refrigerate them to last for 2 to 3 weeks.

If you are rebaking the granola bars, separate them out, and you can add the chocolate topping or not. And then re-bake them like a biscotti, at 350° F (177° C) for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they’re crisp to preference, then cool them completely and store.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions

Can these be made nut-free?

The base of the bars is almond flour, so it’s really hard to omit almonds from here. But you can eliminate the other nuts from the chopped nuts and seeds and use more seeds instead of pistachios.

Is there an oil-free option?

To make these oil-free, omit the coconut oil and add more maple syrup. You’ll need about a tablespoon more of maple syrup.

Can I make these coconut-free?

For coconut-free, omit the shredded coconut and use a different oil in place of the coconut oil.

How do I store these granola bars?

Store them on the counter for upto a week. Store refrigerated for upto a month.

Can I make these oat-free?

Yes just omit the oats. You’ll need a bit less maple syrup in the mixture