Nut Free Granola Bars (no bake!)
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Nut-free granola bars are the perfect treat to pack for a work or school snack. They are sweetened naturally with dates and a little maple syrup for a tasty alternative to store-bought granola bars.
While I often love adding nuts to homemade granola bars, schools and allergies definitely do not — so I created this nut-free granola bar recipe as a lunchbox-friendly option my kids could actually take to school. It quickly became a favorite around here, and now I make them just as often for after-school snacks and grab-and-go breakfasts.
The bars are chewy, soft, and taste like a real treat. They’re naturally sweetened with dates and a little maple syrup, which gives them a caramel-like sweetness that wins over any sweet tooth without being over the top.
And the best part? Even though they taste indulgent, the sweetness comes from dried fruit and a touch of unrefined sugar, so I feel great about packing them into lunchboxes — or sneaking one for myself. They’re easy to make, easy to love, and truly the kind of snack that disappears fast.
Quick Tip
For the best flavor, toast the oats and coconut. Simply heat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit, place the oats and coconut on a baking sheet, and bake them for 8 minutes. They will turn golden and smell delicious!
How to store nut-free granola bars
These chewy granola bars are best wrapped individually for easy packing. We prefer beeswax food wraps, but plastic wrap will also work.
Keep a few in the fridge to eat this week. Then put the rest into your freezer so you’ll have quick snacks on hand for the next few months.
Are these granola bars school-friendly?
These granola bars contain no nuts, so they should be ok to bring to your school. But as every school’s policies are unique, make sure to double-check any requirements first.
Nut Free Granola Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup packed pitted dates (about 15 dates)
- ½ cup Sunbutter (sunflower seed butter)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- A pinch of salt
- 1 cup rolled oats (toasted, see notes)
- 1 cup desiccated coconut (toasted, see notes)
- Optional: 2 tablespoons chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place the dates, Sunbutter, maple syrup, and salt into your food processor and pulse until a paste forms.½ cup packed pitted dates, ½ cup Sunbutter, ¼ cup maple syrup, A pinch of salt
- Add the oats and coconut pulse a few more times, just until it starts to mix. Transfer to a bowl and continue to mix until everything comes together.1 cup rolled oats, 1 cup desiccated coconut
- Line a small baking dish (we use an 8″x 5″ pan) with parchment paper. Place the granola bar batter into the pan and press it down firmly. The bottom of a measuring cup works well for this. If you’re using the chocolate chips, sprinkle them on top and press them down.Optional: 2 tablespoons chocolate chips
- Place the dish into your fridge for 30 mintues then cut into 12 bars. Wrap them each individually then store them in your fridge for 7 days or in your freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Would substituting for quick oats work? I got a huge bag I need to use and this seems like a great recipe!
They should work just fine!
This is not a nut free recipe. Coconut is a nut. It is a tree nut.
Coconut is not a true nut, which is why we included it in this nut free recipe.
What can I use instead of the coconut? It has to be but free.
You could try a mix of chopped, dried fruit and different seeds.
Can you replace sunflower butter with coconut butter? I think that might add an extra coco nutty flavour.
We haven’t tried coconut butter before. If it’s similar to other nut butters, then it should work well!
These are perfect for my kids to bring to daycare since they’re nut free! And they love them! I’ve made them multiple times and they always ask for more.
Do you think using tahini vs sun butter would work? It’s what I have on hand. Thanks
Tahini should work well!
These are great! Don’t skip toasting the coconut and oats. It really brings out the taste. These didn’t last 3 days in our house.
These are not nut free because they contain coconut which is almost as high on the allergy list as peanuts.
Despite its name, coconut is not a nut. 🙂
I completely agree with this! It’s so misleading! Doctors group coconuts with other tree nuts, even though they are “technically” not a nut. I was hoping this would work for my son because he is allergic to dairy, and ALL tree nuts, which includes coconut.
Can I cut back on the maple syrup to reduce the sugar? If so, do I add more dates? Looking forward to trying this recipe!
While I haven’t tried it, I think cutting back on the maple syrup will work. The bars might be a bit denser, but they should still hold together.
Just made these and they are delicious! I sprinkled carob chips on mine, but I think they’re perfect with or without the addition. I don’t have any nut allergies so I might experiment with adding nuts or dried fruit to my next batch, but the are also really good exactly as written! I made them in my mini food processor and it baaaaaarely fit everything, but I did manage to cram it all in.