Easy Vegan Salted Caramel Granola Bars [Gluten-free]

These healthy no-bake vegan salted caramel granola bars are naturally sweetened with a date "caramel". They are gluten-free and made with an array of nuts, seeds and wholegrain oats. This recipe is sweet, salty and chewy with a light drizzle of dark chocolate!

Jump to:

• Why you'll love this recipe
• Ingredients Needed
• How to make Vegan Salted Caramel Granola Bars
• Tips for Success
• Substitutions
• Storage
• Important Allergen Notes
• More Recipes
• Easy Vegan Salted Caramel Granola Bars [gluten-free]

Why you'll love this recipe

While these vegan salted caramel granola bars sound decadent, they're full of nutritious and delicious ingredients. Granola bars make an excellent snack or treat and this recipe is no exception.

However, conventional or store bought granola bars can contain a lot of refined sugar and other processed ingredients. Instead, why not make granola bars at home? These healthy no-bake granola bars can be made with basic pantry ingredients you likely already have on hand, plus, they come together quickly!

This recipe is:

• No-bake 
• Dairy-free  
• Gluten-free (if you use certified gluten free ingredients) 
• Naturally sweetened with dates (if you omit the chocolate drizzle) 
• Sweet and salty 
• Chewy and crunchy  
• A plant-based protein source 
• Made from everyday staple ingredients 
• Easy to make ahead and store  

Ingredients Needed

For the full list of ingredients and the amounts, please see the recipe card. Here are the ingredients you'll need for this recipe:

• rolled oats
• sea salt
• ground flaxseed
• unsalted peanuts or unsalted almonds or cashews
• sunflower seeds
• soft medjool dates
• vanilla extract
• fresh lemon juice
• natural smooth almond butter or peanut butter
• melted coconut oil
• semi sweet dark chocolate chips melted
• flaked sea salt

How to make Vegan Salted Caramel Granola Bars

This recipe comes together quickly with the help of a food processor and mixing bowl, plus a little elbow grease. This recipe takes, from start to finish, roughly 3 hours and 15 minutes to make, however active preparation time is only about 15 minutes. Here is a brief outline of the steps involved in this recipe:

STEP 1: The most time consuming part of this recipe is making the date caramel, but it is easy to do. Simply add soft, pitted medjool dates, vanilla, lemon juice, almond butter, and melted coconut oil into a food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth and even. 

STEP 2: To a large bowl combine the dry ingredients, mixing to combine evenly. 

STEP 3: Add in the date caramel mixture and combine with a spoon or spatula until everything is mixed well and all the oats are incorporated. 

STEP 4: Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish and then leave them in the fridge to set up. Once set, portion the bars and drizzle there melted chocolate mixture and sprinkle flaked sea salt on top, then allow them to set in the fridge for one more hour.  

Tips for Success

There are a few key points to make sure this recipe turns out well:

1. Use soft and sticky medjool dates- this is integral to the bars sticking together and holding their shape.  Don't use any other kind of dates for this recipe. 
2. If your medjool dates are on the harder side - pop them in hot water for 5 minutes to soften them up, drain them, and proceed with the recipe. 
3. Natural nut butter is key- it should be drippy and well stirred.
4. Use rolled oats - steel cut or quick oats won't work as well for this recipe. 
5. Make sure ingredients are certified gluten free if this recipe is to be true to its name. Also, see my notes on allergens below.
6. Use unsalted nuts t prevent the final bars from becoming too salty. 
7. Add parchment paper on the bottom of the baking pan to ensure easy removal. 
8. Use the bottom of a measuring cup OR the palm of your hands to press the ingredients into a smooth, even layer.
9. If you exchange peanuts for other nuts be sure to chop them well so they're easier to eat; some nut varieties, like almonds, are larger and can be harder to chew.

Substitutions

Overall, granola bars can be quite versatile, so feel free to adapt to suit your preferences. Below are a few ways this recipe can be adapted:

1. Exchange chopped peanuts for chopped almonds or cashews.
2. Add a few tablespoons of shelled hemp hearts.
3. Add a dash of ground cinnamon.
4. Replace nuts with more sunflower seeds or a mixture of sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
5. Omit the chocolate drizzle if you want this recipe to have no refined sugar. 
6. Use seed butter or cashew butter instead of peanut or almond butter.

Storage

Storage: After portioning the granola bars, this recipe is best kept covered in the fridge to ensure the bars keep their shape and chewy texture. They will last up to 7 days (assuming you have any left). 

Freezing: You can portion and freeze this recipe in a freezer safe container; take one out and leave it a room temperature to thaw before enjoying.  

Important Allergen Notes

Oats and Gluten: Oats are naturally gluten free, however, be sure to source certified gluten free oats to ensure there is no cross contamination which can happen during the processing period before they arrive on store shelves.  Also, be sure to double check all your ingredients to ensure they are certified gluten free if there is a gluten sensitivity, intolerance or allergy.

Allergies: Obviously, keep in mind that because this recipe contains tree nuts and other possible allergens, this is not a school safe snack or a recipe for anyone with an allergy to any ingredient in the recipe, like tree nuts.

More Recipes

If you enjoy this recipe and want more like it, give these other favorites a try!

Gluten-free Maple Almond Cookies

Banana Bread Cookies

Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Fig Snack Bars

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