The other day I was looking at granola bars at the grocery store and I was starting to get frustrated. Most granola bars are pretty unhealthy, they contain a lot of high fructose corn syrup, milk ingredients, oil, nuts and salt.
When you’re looking for a quick high energy snack for traveling, hiking or to have before your work out it’s nice to eat something that’s just as healthy as a home cooked meal. So I decided to make my own homemade no-bake vegan granola bars, and came up with this bar which is high in protein and contains lots of omega 3’s and antioxidants in it too.
Instead of using oil and corn syrup to bind the oats together I used really ripe mashed bananas and it almost makes these bars taste a little bit like oatmeal banana bread. I also threw in lots of goodies like sultana raisins, Sun-Maid raisins, dried cranberries, goji berries, ground flax seed, ground chia seed, hemp hearts, dark chocolate, and coconut flakes.
All in all they are pretty darn tasty! I definitely don’t mind eating one of these and they’re perfect for traveling or hiking too. I decided to make two batches to test out the difference between instant/quick oats and traditional rolled oats.
They basically tasted the same, but the instant oats were a little easier to chew as the oat pieces were smaller. So it’s up to you on what type you’d like to use. (But don’t use steel cut oats, or oat groats as they aren’t cooked yet and are too hard to chew.)
It’s also a high raw food bar, as many of the ingredients are naturally raw like the bananas, raisins, goji berries, flax, chia, and hemp. For this reason they need to be stored in the freezer because raw banana is perishable and it will spoil quickly if left on the counter or in the fridge.
Vegan chocolate chips can be hard to come by depending where you live, almost every chocolate chip I saw at the store contained milk ingredients, so instead I just bought a Lindt 70% cacao chocolate bar which was dairy free and chopped that up to use as chocolate pieces. It’s also much lower in sugar than traditional chocolate chips as well. 40 g equals 4 squares out of the Lindt bar. You could also substitute 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips, or vegan carob chips as well.
Omega 3 Antioxidant Vegan Protein Bars
Makes 10 bars
Wet Ingredients:
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup maple syrup (or other vegan syrup)
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups quick oats or rolled oats (I tested both)
3 scoops vegan protein powder (I used Vega Sport chocolate flavour, but you can also use unflavored hemp protein powder)
1/4 cup shredded coconut *optional
2 tbsp hemp seed (hemp hearts)
3 tbsp chia seed, ground
3 tbsp flax seed, ground
2 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins (I used golden and Sun-Maid)
40 g dark chocolate broken into pieces or chocolate chips
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup goji berries
Directions:
1. Mash the banana with a fork and mix wet ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Next add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
3. Stir until well combined.
4. Line a square pan with saran wrap and press mixture into pan.
5. Place pan in freezer for 3-4 hours until firm and then remove from pan.
(rolled oat bars)
6. Slice into 10 bars with a sharp knife.
7. Wrap each bar in saran wrap and store in freezer.
8. Let come to room temperature before eating.
Nutrition Facts 10 Servings Amount Per Serving: Calories 282.0 Total Fat 10.1 g Saturated Fat 2.2 g Polyunsaturated Fat 2.8 g Monounsaturated Fat 2.6 g Cholesterol 0.2 mg Sodium 335.9 mg Potassium 301.2 mg Total Carbohydrate 34.4 g Dietary Fiber 6.7 g Sugars 18.1 g Protein 15.2 g
Have you ever made homemade granola or protein bars before? What do you put in them?
Trader Joe’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips are vegan, at least vegan enough for PITA. That is, the label has the ubiquitous legal statement, “May contain traces of milk.”
http://www.peta.org/living/food/definitive-guide-vegan-chocolate/
Scroll down to Accidentally Vegan Chocolate Products.
Where can I find Ceylon cinnamon?
Thank you.
will be having total hysterectomy …endometrial cancer….i also have other medical issues…question popped up today re muscle cramps in legs and toes. i was asked if i had a magnesium deficiency! i probably do…meds for blood pressure & meds for Barrett’s Oesohagus (pre cancer)…both under control with follow up gastro & colonoscopies..i also suffer with Morphea…immune related problem.
So Veronica, my question: should i boost my system with magnesium supplement & eat foods containing it BEFORE my surgery…hopefully soon….i take vitamine D tabs once/week and Omega-3 supp 3x/day. i do not smoke nor drink (occasional white wine) i’m overweight bjt also do aqua fit 3x/wk.
we don’t often hear about magnesium and it’s importance.shoukd i wait AFTER surgery to add supplements? can you write something this? Thks for reading this long note.
I have 3 different vegan protein powders in the house and they have different size scoops in them. Would you mind providing the amount in standard mesasures? Thanks!
Use whatever scoop comes in it, some are different concentrations and flavours so I can’t say how much of a powder for all types.
Thought I’d send a recipe we love. From Vegetarian Times mag April 2013:
Super Yay Granola Bars
My changes between the * *
Makes 32 bars *I make into roll(s) and slice off pieces*
For extra coconut flavor, add up to 1/2 cup more coconut flakes.
1 cup peanut butter *OR any nut/seed butter*
1 cup honey
3 cups instant rolled oats * I use organic reg. rolled (thick)oats ground to a powder in a coffe grinder*
1 cup raisins *chopped dates-not date pieces-chop the dates yourself*
? cup chocolate whey protein powder * I throw in a few squares of IKEA chocolate, my bad. If I threw in a protein powder it’d be pea protein*
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup flaxseeds, optional *ground in coffee grinder*
1. Combine peanut butter and honey in small saucepan, and heat over medium heat, stirring until well combined. Remove from heat, and stir in oats, raisins, protein powder, coconut flakes, and flaxseeds (if using).
2. Pour mixture into 8-inch square glass baking dish, and freeze for 30 to 60 minutes. Remove from freezer, and cut into 32 1- x 2-inch bars. Store in refrigerator for up to a week.
*Notes: I make half the recipe each time (at least 12x), it is dry and difficult to get the dry ingred. incorporated into the honey/pnut butter. After trying to get as much dry mixed into wet, I throw it all in a plastic bag and knead and shape a roll to put in freezer. First time I made these I didn’t have enough peanut butter, but I did have almond butter. OH!, and I didn’t have raisins, either, but I had dates. One last thing…I didn’t have all the honey called for either, but the full amount of honey is too sweet for me. It’s what I’d call “A very forgiving recipe”. In my book a recipe is only a ‘guide line’.
The only things would be leaving out the whey protein as that’s a dairy protein which we avoid for health reasons, and if someone prefers to use maple syrup instead of honey. I also reduce the amount of nut butter in my bar recipes so that they are lower in fat, i’m sure you can get away with 1/2 cup of nut butter in this recipe and skip the coconut flakes as well if anyone is on a stricter lower fat diet such as Esselstyn or Engine 2.
Hi Veronica, Could I grind my wrens egg beans into flower and use it as a substitute for the protein powder in these vegan protein bars? These beans which I grow myself are full of protein. Just wondering.
Hi Pauline, please do not eat beans or flours raw, since these are a raw uncooked bar i don’t think it’s safe to do so. Some beans are toxic raw, I’ve never used wren’s egg beans before. Just leave out the protein powder or use some ground up chia, flax or hemp seeds instead if you want.
Thanks for this receipt. I make several types of granola bars, one with bananas as a binder, so I’m interested to try this one — especially since it has chocolate in it!
These look scrumptious and I can’t wait to try them. I’m sure they’ll be a staple in my regular recipes just as the “mac & cheese” and vegan black bean brownies have.
I must pay you a debt of gratitude for changing the way I eat and cook so sigmificantly and deliciously!! I’ve lost weight, feel great, and have even seen my friends change their diets after seeing some of the delicious vegan dishes I bring to work. Thanks for all you do…
Approximately how much is a scoop of protein powder?
I have the same question! My vegan protein powder did not come with a scoop.
It looks like it’s 3-4 tablespoons
I’m not vegan but I love your recipes, they taste so good ! But why do you think milk butter is evil ?! And not peanut butter ?! I don’t think that small quantities of good and raw butter are nocious ; it is very nutritive and has something good to do with Vit. D.
Why be so radical with butter (or yogurt) ? Small quantities are far more better than large quantities of vegetable fat, I’m sure. Thks for your recipes, so good, perfectly well explained, and beautiful !
Hi Yamina
Eating vegan is less common in France because of the prevalence of butter, cheese, milk and cream in recipes. But actually dairy products are more harmful to health than even meat. Dairy products contain casein a protein that has been proven to cause cancer see books and films The China Study, Forks Over Knives, Eating. See these articles: Do Dairy Products Cause Cancer Does Dairy Cause Breast Cancer and youtube video Why Dairy is Rocket Fuel For Cancer. There are SOO many others, but this is just some to show where I’m coming from. That is why I am so concerned with processed foods having modified milk ingredients added to them, it has no health benefits and only harms human health. Modified milk ingredients also make food more addictive so people will eat more of them. See Why Cheese is Addictive. I can understand how strange it would seem to never eat dairy products coming from France, but the truth is it’s not health food. It’s overly processed and mass produced and not food for human health at all. It’s not a question of using some butter or yogurt instead of plant oils. I don’t use either. If I want some yogurt I get coconut yogurt which is vegan from the health food store, or you can make it yourself. It’s the dairy portion of the yogurt that makes it unhealthy, not the probiotics. Also ever wonder why so many people are lactose intolerant? Humans were not meant to digest milk our entire lives. Lactose is one of the first things people have problem digesting as they get older because they no longer have enough lactase to digest it. Another clue that breast milk is for babies and young children and cow milk is not necessary for humans. We can get plenty of calcium from greens. All herbivorous animals get enough calcium from leafy greens and grass they don’t consume milk their whole lives.
Thank you so much for all the honest info in this article! I have built an online recipe book with all that you have generously have been sending. Our family is relocating at the moment, therefore we have only the bare minimum in our home. I can’t wait to try these, after we move in our new home. I am grateful for all the vegan recipes as I am very lactose intolerant and I suffer from IBS. My twin boys are severely allergic to nuts and peanuts. It’s a quite a challenge to shop today. I stay on top of their diet, and trust me my children are very healthy as they have never had any dairy, and don’t seem to suffer in any way. Soy or almond is the only way we can survive, through our intolerances or allergies. Thanks again Veronica!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes. 🙂 I’ve made these bars many times, they are quite tasty!
I made these using some banana baby food instead of a regular banana since I didnt have any at the time. Just needed to add a bit more peanut butter and oats to make it come together. Really good!
These are absolutely scrumptious & addictive!!! Thanks for the great recipe!!!
I really like this recipe..Thanks Veronica!
I have one I use with the Arbonne Vegan Protein pwd (actually Vitamin/Mineral/Meal Replacement) shake..I’m going to try making your recipe here w/it as well..to compare to the other one I have – which only has the protein pwd, agave nectar, oats (various combos can be done w/flax, whole/quick/etc) & peanut or almond nut butter! Tastes amazing!
They look incredibly filling – in a good way! 🙂 Perfect on the go breakfast or snack!
My son is allergic to peanut butter. Any suggestion for substitute ? Thanks
Use any other nut butter such as almond butter.
We often use Sunbutter anywhere peanut or any other nut butter is required. This makes them safe to take to any nut-free kid place (which ban peanut and all tree nuts)
It’s made with sunflower seeds. Tastes great but you can easily make your own too.
BS’D
Do you allow me to share this recipe?
Btw, I have never made anything like a granola or protein bar before…unless brownies qualify;)
Actually, I love the idea of using banana – and looking at the rest of the ingredients list, seeing that it’s much healthier than any store-bought version I’ve looked at – that’s what’s won me over to yours…
I’m experimenting with lots of recipes to add more vegan protein in the form of beans or protein powder for vegan body builder’s needs. 🙂
OMGosh, V – these look amazing! I will definitely be making them…
I was going to ask about the protein powder too. Good to know I can leave it out:)
I ‘ m really Happy to know I can make my own Granolas Bar ! They are really Healthy , I know !
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I am Oats ! I have always been fed with them , since my Childhood . I love Cranberries ! They are my own Mirror . And Goji Berries , as well , which contain so much Energy ! I ‘ m very much Red … it gives Me Energy , this Colour . The Lindt Chocolate , is a Great Idea too ! Not so complicated ! And the Hemp … oh , its Magical . The Bananas as a ‘ Glue ‘ to bind all the Ingredients , is Great Idea too . But it depends on the Source . If Sacred , its OK to Me . Otherwise I dont know . Liquid Sugar is not always bad … if its Whole . About the Bananas as ‘ Glue ‘ … well , I am sure about the Value of it only if it comes from the ‘ Sacred Source ‘ . There are unlimited False Sources nowadays . Its very much Individual , the Choice . Well , I will try the Recipe , V eronica , using the Sacred Source as a ‘ Glue ‘ to the Ingredients . GoodQu ality Banana . Only . From the Sacred Source . That I know … the Source , I mean . And … Raisins , Cinnamon , as Chocolate , are a Great Idea ! Its very much ‘ Healthy Nutrition ‘ , also a Mirror of mine ! The Coconut … White as my Soul … and some Pigments in my Skin . Well , I will try to prepare them .
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What a Great Idea , Veronica ! Th an k YOU !
…
Teresa*****
The Quinessence … as I was depicted Today .
Banana seems to be the only ingredient that must be refrigerated. Could it be left out or something substituted for it? That way it could be taken backpacking.
If it’s one day you can take it with you straight from the freezer. This is a lower fat low sugar granola bar. If you want to bind it with something else like liquid sugar, oil or nut butter it’s even richer and more high calorie. That’s not what i wanted in a bar so I used banana instead.
I just wouldn’t leave these on the counter as they will spoil faster as the banana is raw and unbaked.
They look wonderful, I do not have any protein powder, what could I use instead?
You dont have to use protein powder. But they wont be protein granola bars. They’ll just be regular granola bars. You can get vegan protein powder at the health food store and many grocery stores as well.