These quinoa granola bars are the proper mixture of healthful and crave-worthy. Made with chewy oats, naturally candy dates, and crunchy raw quinoa, they’re easy, satisfying, and nice for grab-and-go snacking.
I initially printed this recipe in 2017, and I’ve since up to date it with new photographs and additional success ideas. I additionally now add dried cranberries and a sprinkle of sea salt, which deliver a stunning tart distinction and hold the bars from tasting one-note candy.
In case you love a snack that checks all of the bins: crunchy, chewy, healthful, and simply candy sufficient to style like a deal with, these salted quinoa granola bars are for you!
They’re made with easy, nutrient-dense substances like oats, nuts, seeds, and quinoa, making a texture you gained’t get from conventional store-bought granola bars.
Suppose: comfortable and chewy meets calmly crisp and crunchy with a darkish chocolate drizzle and flaky sea salt on prime for good measure.
Why You’ll Love These Quinoa Granola Bars
- Freezer-friendly and nice for meal prep
- Chewy from the dates and oats
- Crunchy from the quinoa and seeds
- Naturally sweetened with dates + honey
- Balanced in taste… not overly candy, with only a trace of salt
- Customizable for dietary wants or preferences
- Nice for grab-and-go breakfasts or snacks
And make sure to attempt the Chewy Tahini Granola Bars on web page 69 of my best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101!
Key Substances & Why They Work
Every ingredient performs an necessary position in each construction and taste:
- Medjool dates: The glue that holds every little thing collectively (don’t skip soaking + mixing!)
- Old style oats: Chew, construction, and fiber
- Raw quinoa: The standout ingredient right here is quinoa. It toasts within the oven, which provides a delicate crunch that contrasts superbly with the comfortable oats and sticky date combination!
- Nut butter: Richness + binding
- Honey: Pure sweetness + helps the bars set
- Nuts & seeds: Texture, crunch, and protein
- Chia seeds: Further diet + binding help
- Darkish chocolate & sea salt: Ending touches!
Hitting main superfoods right here! And there’s loads of room for personalization, too. I used almonds, honey, and almond butter. If chia seeds aren’t your factor, you may depart them out, or use flax seeds or sesame seeds as a substitute. You can even swap the nuts for sunflower seeds and use sunflower seed butter, making the bars fully nut-free.
For vegan bars, swap honey for maple syrup.
However my favourite a part of all is the quinoa. It’s so crunchy, which is a deliciously superior distinction to the softer dates, chewy oats, and chocolate on prime.
In Images: The best way to Make Them
Soak the pitted Medjool dates in scorching water for 10 minutes, then drain. Mix right into a thick paste. Combine the moist substances, combine the dry substances, then mix. (A sturdy spatula helps right here!) That is all very, very straightforward to do:
Press the combination firmly right into a lined baking pan—the tighter you pack it, the higher they maintain collectively.
After baking, cool them fully. Chill earlier than slicing, which is vital for holding construction! Drizzle with melted chocolate, add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, after which lower into bars.
These aren’t comfortable, uniform store-bought granola bars. Moderately, they’re hearty, textured, and deliberately a bit rustic. Do they considerably resemble hen meals? Sure. Do they style good anyway? YES!!!
In case you’re on the lookout for a do-it-yourself various to store-bought granola bars that really retains you full, that is it.
Customization Concepts
The most effective components of this recipe is how versatile it’s:
- Swap almonds for walnuts, pecans, or sunflower seeds
- Use peanut butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter
- Change honey with maple syrup (barely softer bars)
- Add extras like dried cherries, chopped dried apricots, flax seeds, coconut flakes, or mini chocolate chips
Description
These salted quinoa granola bars are chewy, crunchy, and naturally sweetened with dates and honey. Made with oats, nuts, seeds, and raw quinoa, they’re completed with darkish chocolate and flaky sea salt for the proper stability of healthful and indulgent. Freezer-friendly and supreme for meal prep, with loads of substitution choices listed within the recipe notes to suit your preferences.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C). Line an 8-inch sq. baking pan with parchment paper with sufficient overhang on the perimeters to simply take away the bars from the pan. Put aside.
- Drain the soaked dates, then pulse them in a meals processor till they type a chunky paste. Switch to a big bowl. Add the almond butter, honey, and vanilla and stir with a silicone spatula till mixed.
- In a medium bowl, stir collectively the oats, quinoa, almonds, pepitas, cranberries, chia seeds, and salt. Add the dry substances to the bowl with the moist substances, and stir till evenly mixed. This may take some arm muscle!
- Switch the combination to the ready baking pan and press very firmly into a good layer. You need it packed in as tight as doable.
- Bake for 20–22 minutes, or till calmly browned on the perimeters and set within the middle. Take away from the oven and permit to chill fully within the pan set on a cooling rack for 1 hour, then switch to the fridge to relax for 1 extra hour.
- Soften the chocolate: Place the chopped chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl or glass liquid measuring cup. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring between every, till fully melted and clean.
- Elevate the bars out of the pan utilizing the overhang on the perimeters, switch to a reducing board, and lower into bars. You may drizzle with melted chocolate earlier than or after reducing. Sprinkle every calmly with sea salt. Refrigerate the bars for round half-hour to set the chocolate.
- Cowl and retailer the bars at room temperature for 1 week or within the fridge for as much as 2 weeks. Be at liberty to individually wrap every bar in plastic wrap or parchment when storing.
Notes
- Freezing Directions: These bars are freezer pleasant. Wrap individually in plastic wrap or parchment, then freeze for as much as 3 months and thaw earlier than having fun with.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): 8-inch Sq. Baking Pan | Parchment Paper | Meals Processor | Glass Mixing Bowls | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Flaky Sea Salt
- Quinoa: No must prepare dinner the quinoa earlier than utilizing. It toasts within the oven and provides a delicate crunch.
- Substitution Concepts: Swap the almonds for walnuts, pecans, or sunflower seeds. As an alternative of almond butter use peanut butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter. You can even exchange honey with maple syrup for barely softer bars. And as a substitute of dried cranberries and/or pepitas, be happy so as to add extras like dried cherries, chopped dried apricots, flax seeds, coconut flakes, or mini chocolate chips.
Vitamin
- Serving Measurement: 1 bar
- Energy: 218
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 38.2 mg
- Fats: 10.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 28.4 g
- Protein: 5.8 g
- Ldl cholesterol: 0 mg
