Loaded with texture, crunch and bursts of sweetness, these homemade vegan granola bars are easy to make and a zillion time better than anything you can buy at the store!
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup creamy almond butter (see Note)
- ⅔ cup brown rice syrup (no substitutions)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup roasted and salted almonds
- ¾ cup vegan mini chocolate chips
- ½ cup dried cranberries
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Preheat the oven to 350°F.
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Spread the oats in an even layer on a baking sheet.
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Bake the oats for 10 minutes, keeping an eye on them and making sure to take them out of the oven before they darken much.
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Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack and let the oats cool for a few minutes. They don't need to cool completely.
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While the oats cool, line an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, making sure to leave a bit of paper hanging out over the edges.
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Stir the almond butter, brown rice syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
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Add the oats, almonds, chocolate chips, and cranberries.
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Mix the ingredients well, using a spoon and then digging in with your hands. The mixture will be very dense and thick.
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Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan. You can use your hands for this, or place a sheet of parchment paper on top, then use a flat, heavy object such as a book to compress the mixture and flatten the top.
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Let the mixture sit in the baking pan until set, about 1 hour.
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To remove the granola mixture from the pan, grab opposite ends of the parchment paper and pull up.
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Slice the granola block into 12 bars. Enjoy!
I've only tested this recipe with natural (runny) almond butter. You can substitute other runny nut or seed butters, but I'm not sure how the recipe would work with semi-solid varieties containing hydrogenated or coconut oils.