NO BAKE Blueberry Granola Bars
Jan 19 2011 by
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There are some recipes that we make that I wish we could invite all our readers into our kitchens so that you can taste the yumminess that comes from putting together wholesome, simple, natural foods. These are by far the very best granola bars I’ve ever eaten before – and I LOVE granola and have had my fair share! Not only are they deliciously addicting but they contain blueberries and oats which are super foods. Blueberries are packed with antioxidants and phytoflavinoids. They are also high in potassium and vitamin C, making them the top choice of doctors and nutritionists. Not only can they lower your risk of heart disease and cancer, they are also anti-inflammatory. Oats contains protein and is one of the best sources of soluble fiber which can help rid the body of cholesterol. It is rich in vitamins and minerals like magnesium, thiamine, folate, B5, iron, zinc, copper and magnesium. These bars make a wonderful snack that the whole family will love!
~Sarah
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds
- 1 1/2 cups raw unsalted cashews, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup dried blueberries
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (make sure to use gluten free oats for a gluten free granola bar)
- 1 1/2 cups crispy brown rice puffs cereal (I used Erewhon Brand Cripsy Brown Rice Cereal)
- 1 cup brown rice syrup or coconut nectar
- 1/4 cup date sugar or raw coconut crystals
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Preparation:
- Start by lining a 9 x 13 glass baking dish with either parchment paper or non stick foil.
Line a baking dish with foil or parchment paper
- Using a large skillet add the almonds and heat on medium high. Stir occassionally for about 5 minutes or until the almonds are nicely browned.
Toast almonds in skillet until golden brown
- Repeat with the cashews.
Toast cashews in skillet until golden brown
- Add the nuts to a large bowl and mix in the oats, rice cereal and blueberries. Stir well.
Add nuts, oats, cereal and blueberries to a large bowl and stir well
- In a small saucepan, heat the syrup, sugar and vanilla over medium high heat. Stir constantly to avoid burning.
Syrup, sugar and vanilla in saucepan
- Once the syrup mixture comes to a light boil, reduce heat to low and cook for an additional 2 -3 minutes until the syrup begins to thicken.
- Pour the syrup over the oat mixture and stir until everything is nicely coated.
- Transfer the mixture to the glass baking dish and using a rubber spatula, pat everything down so it’s nice and compact (see notes for helpful tip).
Transfer the granola mixture to your glass baking dish and pat down
- Let cool to room temperature. You can put them in the fridge for a bit to make cutting then easier. Cut into 2 x 4 1/2 inch bars and ENJOY!
Nutritional Info:
Makes approximately 14 servings.
Serving size one 4 1/2 x 2 inch bar.
Nutrients per serving: Calories: 260, Cal. from Fat: 70, Total Fat: 7.5g, Sat. Fat: 2g, Carbs: 43.5g, Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 18.5g, Protein: 5g, Sodium: 40.5mg, Chol: 0mg
Notes:
The toasted nuts are what give this granola its flavor – PLEASE don’t skip this step!
I toasted the cashews whole and then chopped them after they had cooled. It doesn’t really matter whether you toast them whole and then chop or chop them first and then toast.
The mixture is VERY sticky when it goes into the pan. I found the best way to spread everything evenly was to place a small plastic baggie on my hand to act like a glove and lightly misted the baggie with olive oil. Then I used my hand to press the mixture into the dish.
You’ll want to wrap the bars in saran wrap for easy portability and to keep them from sticking together. Store in a cool place or the refrigerator. They will keep for about 2 weeks.
Dried blueberries are so underutilized! Why is that?!?!? These granola bars look great! And I love that you do not have to bake them!
Hi Tiffany!
You are so right! Dried blueberries are so under appreciated! These little bites of goodness are an amazing super food. I add them into my trail mix and they make a great snack for my kids – much better for them than raisins.
~Sarah
Amazing..I love your presentation and the first photo is stunning!!!
Thanks Sandra! I take so many photos of food that I have a hard time photographing people now!
~Sarah
Why don’t I have date sugar in my pantry?! Argh! These super bars sound fantastic! It’s even better that you don’t have to wait for them to bake!
I LOVE date sugar!!!! In most cases it can be substituted for regular or brown sugar with no problem. The only time it can’t be used is when you need it to dissolve…like in a drink. We used it in a banana bread recipe and it was the best banana bread I’ve ever had. The stuff is amazing!
~Sarah
I love granols bars! You take wonderful pictures by the way
Thanks Kat!
Sometimes I spend more time taking pictures than I do on the recipe! LOL!
~Sarah
oh! I just made granola bars and Im already thinking its time for round 2! Blueberries – mmmm!
Hi Kita,
The blueberries work well in this recipe but the stars of this recipe are the toasted nuts. They add such a fantastic flavor!
~Sarah
LOVE THEM!
Awesome! I’m so glad they are low in sodium so that you can enjoy them too!
~Sarah
Thanks! I just made these and they are cooling now. I tasted some of the bits left behind In the bowl–yummy. Your recipe called for slivered almonds, but the picture looks like you used sliced almonds. Either way- very good!
Hi Karen,
Yup, I used sliced almonds the second time I made them which is when I took the preparation photos. The first time around I used slivered. Either way they turn out great! This is hands down one of my favorite snacks. My husband just finished the last granola bar last night and already asked when I was making more! I hope you like them!
~Sarah
I used to buy dried blueberries for dd but after noting the added sugar I stopped. What brand do you use? Do you dry your own?
Thanks Gillian
Hi Gillian,
You definitely have to be careful when buying dried fruit. SO SO many companies add sugar to their fruits!!! Why, I have NO idea! It’s fruit – it’s sweet enough! I buy Eden Organic brand dried fruits. They are 100% organic and use apple juice as a sweetener instead of sugar. I do have a dehydrator and have been meaning to dry some fruit but haven’t gotten around to it yet. If you can’t find the Eden dried fruit I would probably use my own homemade dried fruit for the recipe.
~Sarah
It seems like a lot of sweetener, does that help the bars stay together?
Hi Debbie,
It’s the brown rice syrup that holds everything together. If you wanted to eliminate some of the sugar you could probably omit the date sugar and not alter the taste that much. If you try it out let us know how it works!
~Sarah
My daughter is allergic to oats. Do you have a suggestion as to what I could replace the rolled oats for?
Hi Beth,
You could try using brown rice flakes. I have never cooked with these in this type of recipe before so I can not tell you how they would turn out. But since they aren’t really being ‘cooked’ they might work for the texture and consistency. If you can’t find them at your local health food store there is a great place to order them online and they are organic too – http://shop.goldminenaturalfoods.com/Cereals/products/11/. If you try them with the brown rice flakes let me know how they turn out!
~Sarah
These look fantastic! The only problem is that I’m allergic to nuts! (all of them) I usually substitute raw, unsalted sunflower seeds, but 2 ups is a lot, and the flavour would be off. What do you think od adding some more dried fruit? Or maybe a combination of chia seeds, hemp seeds and flax?
Hi Janet,
You could try adding some more fruit but I don’t think the chia or flax would make for the right consistency and might actually have a negative effect with the honey/brown rice syrup. Maybe use 1 cup sunflower and 1 cup pumpkin seed. Not sure how this will turn out but it’s worth a try. These granola bars are awesome!
~Sarah
This recipe is awesome! Thanks for sharing. I’ve made 2 batches of these so far. On the second batch, I was running low on dried blueberries so I went with half dried blueberries and half unsulfured currants. I also cut the cashews back to 3/4 cup, and added 3/4 cup of raw organic walnuts (just personal preference). The best thing is how easy and quick these are to make, and I get about 2 weeks worth of something I can take to work for breakfast and feel good about eating! I am very grateful for all of the recipes you post.
Thanks Channing!
My whole family loves these bars. I usually make 2 batches at a time since all 4 of us eat them. I’ve experimented with other granola recipes and this is still by far my favorite granola bar. You can definitely change up the nuts and fruit to your tastes. So glad to hear you enjoyed them.
~Sarah
These were fantastic! My husband and kids loved them as well – thanks for a great recipe!
Awesome! So glad you all liked them. They are always a hit in my household too. I love having them for a quick snack later in the day when I get hungry.
~Sarah