No-Bake almond butter Granola bars with Oats, Dried Apricot, and Coconut (Vegan)

Oatmeal almond butter chocolate chip granola bars on a black plate.

No-Bake almond butter Granola bars with Oats, Dried Apricot, and Coconut (Vegan)

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Keyword: almond butter bars, almond oat bars, no bake almond bars, vegan almond bars

Prep Time: 10

cooling time: 3

Total Time: 3 10

Servings:

Calories: 193kcal

Author: Cindy Rainey

Soft, chewy, and just the right balance of nutty, fruity, and chocolatey — these almond butter granola bars taste like a hug with a little bit of crunch

Print Recipe

Equipment

8x8 pan
parchment paper
microwave oven

Ingredients

½ cup dried apricots chopped
1 ¾ cup old fashioned oats
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
⅔ cup creamy almond butter
½ cup agave
2 Tablespoons vegan butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
⅓ cup vegan chocolate chips divided

Instructions

Line a 8”x8” baking pan with parchment paper. Line in cross-ways - see blog post for photos .
Chop the apricots into small pieces - about the size of a raisin
½ cup dried apricots
Add oats, almond slices, chopped apricots, and coconut flakes to a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
1 ¾ cup old fashioned oats, ½ cup sliced almonds, ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes, ½ cup dried apricots
Place the almond butter and agave into a microwave safe container. Microwave on hight for 1 minute util the almond butter is mostly melted. Stir vigorously so that you get most of the lumps out of the almond butter.
⅔ cup creamy almond butter, ½ cup agave
Add the vegan butter and microwave for another 30 seconds. (It should be hot and glossy and a little bubbly but not a full boil.)Stir the almond butter, vegan butter, and agave nectar are well combined and glossy.
2 Tablespoons vegan butter
Add the salt, ground cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla and stir to combine. Let rest for 1 minute. Stir again. It should be somewhat thickened but still liquid enough to pour.
1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
Pour the cooked almond butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir to combine.
Reserve 2 Tablespoons of the chocolate to press on the top later. Add in the remaining chocolate chips and combine. Some of the chocolate chips will get melty but hopefully not all.
⅓ cup vegan chocolate chips
Turn the mixture into a baking pan, and press down firmly to make a flat layer.
Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips evenly on the top and press lightly.
Allow to cool to room temperature - about an hour. And then place in the refrigerator for at least another 2 hours.
Remove from the refrigerator, and lift the parchment paper out of the baking pan, and place your sheet of bars on a cutting board
Cut the bars down the center, then cut the opposite way, into about 1 inch bars
Store in fridge and remove right before eating.

Notes

Don't try to get away without using parchment paper. Your bars will be a total mess when you cut and try to remove them from the pan if you don't.

Depending on the size of the dried apricots you use, you'll need anywhere from 12-18 halves.

Use old-fashioned/rolled oats - not quick oats.

Use unsweetened coconut flakes. If you are a coconut hater then sub in 1/4-1/2 cup extra oats. But really I can't taste to coconut in the bars.

There are lots of different kinds of almond butter. This recipe was developed with smooth no-stir almond butter with added sugar and salt.

Cardamom is a less typical spice that might not be on every spice shelf. It adds a real depth of flavor that perfectly compliments the almond butter and apricots and I strongly encourage you to use it. If you are not able to use cardamon then sub in all-spice maybe - but I have not tested that. See the blog post for other recipe suggestions that use cardamom.

I used mini chocolate chips in this recipe and think they work best. But if all you can find is regular-sized, then that will work too!

These bars are best stored in the fridge. Remove right before eating,

Nutrition