Name: No Bake Granola Bars
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats; 1 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas); 1/4 cup hemp hearts; 1/4 cup chia seeds; 1/2 cup dried cranberries; 6 tablespoons butter; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 6 tablespoons honey; 2 tablespoons molasses*; 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

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The fastest weekend project that will set you up for breakfast success all week long! My No Bake Granola Bars are made entirely with seeds, no nuts or nut butter at all, and you will love the chewy texture.

No bake nut free granola bars on a table with cranberries and pipits.

Before I had this incredible job of sharing recipes on the internet with you, I worked in the corporate world. Specifically, agricultural research, so early mornings in the fields were the norm. For quicks breakfasts, I was always testing out homemade granola bar recipes to bring with me.

I stumbled upon my collection of homemade granola bar recipes in my recipe binder the other day, and found nearly a dozen recipes. After compiling the ingredients and methods from each of them, I landed on the best no bake granola recipe that doesn’t contain any nuts or nut butter!

Hand holding a single no bake nut free granola bar.

Now these are a weekly addition to my meal prep, and I hope they will become yours, too!

Ingredients

Bowl of oats, pumpkin seeds, brown sugar, melted butter, chia seeds and cranberries.

Oats. Two and a half cups of old fashioned plain rolled oats.
Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas). One cup of pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas). I buy the raw ones and toast them myself with the oats.
Hemp Hearts. I happen to love the earthy flavor of hemp hearts, so I add 1/4 cup of them to the mix, but if you don’t like them, just use double the amount of chia seeds.
Chia Seeds. One-quarter cup of chia seeds for mega fiber and protein.
Dried Cranberries. You can technically use any dried fruit here, like raisins, chopped apricots, chopped dried apples or cherries. I like using 1/2 cup of dried cranberries because their tanginess cuts the sweetness.
Butter. We’re holding our no bake granola bars together with a mixture of melted butter and sticky sugars. If you don’t want to use 6 tablespoons of melted butter, you can use the same amount of any other oil, like coconut oil or avocado oil.
Brown Sugar. One-half cup of light or dark brown sugar.
Honey. We need 6 tablespoons of super sticky honey to make the bars stick together and not fall apart.
Molasses. It’s optional to add 2 tablespoons of molasses to the mixture for the iron, but if you don’t want to add it, use an additional 2 tablespoons of honey.
Cinnamon. Entirely optional, but one and a half teaspoons of ground cinnamon compliments the cranberries really well and gives it a fall flavor.

How to Make No Bake Granola Bars

Rolled oats and pumpkin seeds in a white skillet.

Large mixing bowl with cranberries, chia seeds, and hemp hearts with oats.

First, combine the oats and pepitas in a skillet. Toast over medium heat until they smell toasty, about 4-5 minutes.

Pour the oats and pepitas into a bowl to let cool, and then stir in the hemp, chia, and cranberries.

Stick of butter, brown sugar, and molasses in a small saucepan.

Brown liquid being poured on a oat and seed mixture.

Heat the butter, brown sugar, honey and molasses in a small saucepan until melted.

Pour the butter mixture over the oats and seeds, and toss to combine. It will be very sticky!

Baking tray packed with no bake granola bars on kitchen counter.

Press these no bake granola bars into an 11×7-inch greased pan, and let cool in the fridge for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, slice with a knife and serve or wrap individually for storage.

Storage/ Make Ahead

I store these no bake granola bars on my kitchen counter for up to 2 days. Beyond that, I place them in the fridge. Do not freeze.
You can make these a few days ahead of time, slice, and wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.

You might also like my: Vegan Protein Bars with hemp seeds, too!