Gluten free granola bars, loaded with oats, dried fruit and walnuts with a touch of natural sweetness! Today’s recipe for granola bars is quick, delicious and back to school friendly.

These are no bake bars. Oat flour, rolled oats, cranberries, apricots, coconut and walnuts are held together with banana, almond butter, coconut oil and honey or maple syrup, then chilled for an hour and cut into 12 bars.

The Best Gluten Free Granola Bars (No Bake and Naturally Sweetened)

Hi, friends! Who doesn’t love a granola bar? This version is gluten free and loaded with dried cranberries and apricots. There is a touch of sweetness from honey or maple syrup, your choice! And a slight crunch from chopped walnuts. These are sure to be your kids’ go to after school snack!

These apricot granola bars are so chewy and satisfying! Loaded with good for you ingredients, you can’t go wrong with these. One thing I really love about this recipe is that you can mix it up for your own tastes. Don’t like apricots? No biggie, add chopped dates instead. Want to go crazy and add a drizzle of melted peanut butter on top? Go for it!

This is such a great base recipe for granola bars with no refined sugar, and the possibilities are endless. What will be your favorite mix ins?

The secret to the texture is oat flour. Part of the oats are blended into a fine flour, which fills in the gaps between the whole oats and the fruit, so the bars hold together without baking. Mashed banana and almond butter bind everything, and coconut oil firms up in the fridge so the bars slice cleanly.

Why You’ll Love These Granola Bars

No baking. Mix, press into a pan and chill for an hour.
Naturally sweetened. Banana and honey or maple syrup, with no refined sugar.
Kid friendly. Chewy, fruity and great for lunch boxes and after school snacks.
Easy to change up. Swap the fruit, nuts or toppings to suit your family.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here is what goes into these homemade granola bars and why each one matters. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

Rolled oats: Used two ways. Part of the oats is blended into oat flour and the rest stays whole for chewy texture. For truly gluten free bars, buy oats labeled certified gluten free, since regular oats are often processed alongside wheat.
Dried cranberries: Add tart, chewy bites of fruit. Dried cherries or raisins work too. If your dried fruit is very firm, soak it in warm water for a few minutes and pat it dry so it stays soft and chewy in the bars.
Dried apricots: Chop them small so they spread evenly and the bars slice cleanly. Chopped dates are a great swap if you don’t like apricots.
Unsweetened shredded coconut: Adds chew and a light coconut flavor. Unsweetened keeps the sugar down, and finely shredded coconut blends in better than large flakes.
Chopped walnuts: Give the bars a slight crunch. Pecans or almonds work if you prefer them. Toast them in a dry skillet for a few minutes first if you want a deeper, nuttier flavor.
Cinnamon and salt: Cinnamon adds warmth, and a pinch of salt makes the fruit and honey taste sweeter.
Banana: A mashed ripe banana adds moisture and natural sweetness and helps hold the bars together. The riper the banana, the sweeter the bars.
Coconut oil: Melted coconut oil mixes in easily, then firms up in the fridge so the bars set and hold their shape.
Almond butter: The main binder, with a rich, nutty flavor. Stir it well first if the oil has separated. Peanut butter or sunflower seed butter also works.
Maple syrup or honey: Your choice for a touch of sweetness. Both are sticky enough to help bind the bars.
Vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavor and makes the bars taste a little like cookie dough.

How to Make Gluten Free Granola Bars

Line the pan. Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper or wax paper and set it aside. Leave a little paper hanging over the sides so you can lift the bars out later. This makes cutting clean, even bars much easier.
Make the oat flour. Place part of the rolled oats in a food processor and process until extremely fine. It will look just like flour. Transfer it to a large bowl. Stop and check now and then, since a few extra pulses can turn it from coarse to powdery fast.
Mix the dry ingredients. Add the remaining rolled oats, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, dried fruit and walnuts to the oat flour and stir to combine.
Mix the wet ingredients. In another bowl, mix the mashed banana, melted coconut oil, almond butter, honey or maple syrup and vanilla until smooth.
Combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until everything is evenly coated. The mixture should be sticky and hold together when you squeeze a handful.
Press and chill. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or your hands to pack it into an even layer, all the way into the corners. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Cut. Lift the slab out and cut it into 12 equal bars.

Tip: Process the oats until they are extremely fine and look just like flour. That oat flour is what binds these no bake bars, so the finer it is, the better they hold together.

Ways to Customize Your Granola Bars

Swap the fruit. Use chopped dates instead of apricots.
Add a drizzle. Top the bars with a drizzle of melted peanut butter.
Pick your sweetener. Use honey or maple syrup, whichever you like best.
Change the nuts. Try pecans or almonds in place of walnuts.

Granola Bars FAQs

Are these granola bars gluten free? Yes, as long as you use oats labeled certified gluten free. Regular oats are often processed with wheat.
How do I make oat flour? Place rolled oats in a food processor and process until extremely fine. It will look just like flour.
Do these need to be baked? No. They set in the fridge in about 1 hour.
How should I store them? Keep the bars covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Why are my bars falling apart? Press the mixture very firmly into the pan and make sure they chill the full hour. Cutting them while they are cold helps too.
Can I use a different nut butter? Yes. Peanut butter or sunflower seed butter works in place of almond butter. Sunflower seed butter is a good choice if you need the bars to be nut free for school, but leave out the walnuts too.
Do I need a food processor? It is the easiest way to make the oat flour, but a high speed blender works too. You can also buy oat flour; just look for one labeled gluten free.
Can I use maple syrup instead of honey? Yes. Use either one, your choice.
Can I freeze them? They freeze well. Wrap each bar and keep them in the freezer, then thaw in the fridge.
Are these sugar free? They have no refined sugar. The sweetness comes from banana, dried fruit and honey or maple syrup.

recipe for granola bars - recipe from NoDietsAllowed.com

Cranberry Apricot Granola Bars

Gluten free granola bars packed with oats, dried cranberries, apricots, coconut and walnuts, bound with banana and almond butter. No baking, just chill and cut 12 bars.

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Prep Time 10

Servings 12 bars

Ingredients

2 3/4 cup rolled oats divided
½ cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried apricots small chop
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1 banana mashed
2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
¼ cup almond butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Line a 9x9 baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper or wax paper. Set aside.
Place 1 1/4 cup of the rolled oats into a food processor. Process until fine and resembles flour. Place into a large bowl.
Mix the rolled oats, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, dried fruit, and walnuts in the bowl with the oat flour. In another bowl, mix the mashed banana, coconut oil, almond butter, honey (or maple syrup), and vanilla extract. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until combined.
Press this mixture into the bottom of prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Place pan in the fridge for 1 hour. Cut into 12 equal bars. Keep refrigerated for up to 4 days.