Chia Seed Granola Bars
on Mar 15, 2015, Updated Feb 24, 2025
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These no-bake vegan chocolate chip chia seed granola bars are easy to make in one bowl with just 6 simple ingredients.
About the Recipe
Here are a few reasons to love these chia granola bars:
- Vegan and gluten-free recipe.
- Refined sugar-free.
- Can be made nut-free.
- 1-bowl recipe.
- No blending needed.
- 6 simple ingredients.
- No baking.
You can also use chia seeds in these No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Chia Seed Bars, No-Bake Homemade Energy Bars and No-Bake Chocolate Chia Energy Bars.
Ingredient Notes
Here are a few notes on the ingredients you’ll need and any possible substitutions. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements.
- Oats: Quick oats work best in this recipe because they’re a bit finer and hold together easier. You can use rolled oats or old-fashioned oats if needed or even give them a quick pulse in a food processor to help break them down into a quick oat consistency.
- Peanut Butter: You can use any nut or seed butter like peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter or tahini.
- Chocolate Chips: Use dairy-free chocolate chips like Enjoy Life or Camino for vegan bars. Use dark chocolate for a lower sugar option or sugar-free chocolate chips like Lily’s if preferred.
- Coconut Oil: This is essential to the recipe and can’t be omitted.
- Maple Syrup: You can use agave syrup or brown rice syrup if preferred.
- Chia Seeds: For crunch, binding and nutrition! White or black chia seeds work.
How to Make Chia Seed Granola Bars
This is a very simple no-bake recipe and doesn’t even require blending! Simply mix everything up, press into a ban, chill, then slice. Below is a visual of how the mixture should look in the bowl and pan.
Step 1. Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and use a spoon to mix until it’s uniformly combined into a crumbly dough.
Step 2. Line a 7-8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper so the edges of the paper stick out over the sides of the pan.
Firmly press the dough into the pan, taking a few minutes to really work it into the corners and get it nice and flat. This will ensure they hold together well
Place the entire pan in the freezer for at least 30 minutes then use the parchment paper to lift out the pan. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
These need to be kept cold to hold together properly. They’re okay at room temperature for a while but as the coconut oil starts to melt they won’t hold together very well, it will stay in bar form but be a little crumbly as you eat it. They’re absolutely awesome straight from the fridge or freezer, so stick to that for best results!
You can store the bars for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge or for 3 months in the freezer in a heavy duty freezer bag or container.
More Recipes to Try!
Energy Bars
No-Bake Chocolate Chia Energy Bars
Desserts
Tahini Hemp Seed Bars
Energy Bars
No-Bake Lemon Energy Bars
Chia Seed Granola Bars
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix well until thoroughly combined into a crumbly dough.
- Line a 7-8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper so the edges stick out over the sides of the pan and then firmly press the mixture into the pan. Spend a few minutes really pressing it in there, this will help them hold together properly once they're done.
- Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm.
- Lift the bars out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper and slice into 10 bars.
Do you melt the coconut oil before you mix?
For ease, yes I’d recommend melting it before mixing. 🙂
Is there anything to substitute for peanut butter? Would love to try these, but just don’t like the taste of peanut butter.
Almond butter, tahini, sunflower seed butter, cashew butter, hazelnut butter…as long as it’s fairly drippy it will work fine. 🙂
These are a fan favorite with my husband, 2 year old and 5 year old! I double the recipe to make enough for the week for all of us. I feel good knowing all the ingredients in my kids granola bars and I’m obsessed with chia seeds because they are so good for you!
That’s amazing! So glad you guys all like them 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
What could be used in place of coconut oil?
You can’t really sub the coconut oil in this recipe since it’s needed to hold the bars together. Sorry about that!
What could i use instead of peanut butter? Don’t eat nuts in any form. Thanks
Tahini or sunflower seed butter.
Yes I have alot of shelled hemp seeds and need to use them up
Sounds delicious! Do you think that I could use steel cut oats instead of the quick oats in the recipe? Thanks!
I don’t think steel cut oats would work very well in this one.
I made these recently and they were delicious! I did substitute the maple syrup with honey and I thought they turned out great 🙂 excellent recipe, thank you!
This are fab! Thanks so much for posting!!
This looks great and i love making Granola so this recipe is getting put to use one day