Baked Cranberry Granola Bars (Vegan)

Name: Baked Cranberry Granola Bars
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tbsp – 15 g ground flax; 1 cup – 100 g rolled oats; 1/2 cup – 72 g pepitas; 1/2 cup – 72 g sunflower seeds; 1/2 cup – 65 g dried cranberries; 1/4 tsp salt; 1 tsp vanilla, optional; 1/2 cup – 120 g sunflower seed butter; 1/3 cup – 100 g maple syrup

posted: 06/18/24 by Deryn Macey Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe· 5 from 1 review

These easy baked cranberry granola bars take just minutes to prepare and are baked to perfection for a delicious chewy and crunchy treat.

This recipe is vegan, gluten-free and nut-free so are suitable for dietary restrictions and school lunches. For more nut-free snacks, these Nut-Free No-Bake Granola Bars and Nut-Free Energy Bars are both easy and delicious too.

Stack of 4 baked cranberry granola bars.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Just 7 ingredients.
Vegan, oil-free and gluten-free.
Nut-free – lunch box-friendly!
Great for hiking, road trips and snacking on-the-go.
Delicious chewy middle and crunchy edges.
Very easy to make.

Ingredients

Cranberries: You can use any dried cranberries. I like fruit juice sweetened if I can find them, otherwise any work.
Oats: You can use instant oats, quick oats, rolled oats or large flake oats.
Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds): Use raw or unsalted roasted pepitas.
Sunflower Seeds: Use raw sunflower seeds (no oil or salt).
Ground Flax: Be sure to use ground flax and not whole flax seeds.
Sunflower Seed Butter: This can be substituted with tahini to keep the recipe nut-free or you can substitute almond butter or peanut butter.
Maple Syrup: Use pure maple syrup or substitute agave syrup.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Before you start, preheat the oven to 350 F and line a 7 or 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or use cooking spray.

Oats and seeds blended in a food processor.

Step 1: Blend the oats, flax, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and cranberries to break down the seeds and combine everything. It shouldn’t be blended into flour, just a few pulses or brief blend on high should be enough.

Thick and sticky dough in a food processor.

Step 2: Add the maple syrup and sunflower seed butter and blend to combine into a thick, sticky dough.

A square metal pan of cranberry granola bars.

Step 3: Dump the mixture into the prepared baking pan and firmly press down into an even layer.

A square metal baking pan of baked cranberry granola bars.

Step 4: Bake the bars for 25 minutes until golden brown on top then let cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes.

Cranberry granola bars cut into 8 bars on a cutting board with one bar off to the side with a bite taken out of it.

FAQs

Can I use nuts instead of seeds?

Yes. You can substitute any nuts and seeds for a total of 1 cup. Try almonds, pecans, walnuts, sesame seeds, etc.

Can I store these at room temperature?

Yes. Let them cool completely then store in an airtight container for up to 1 week at room temperature.

How long do cranberry granola bars keep?

Store them for 1 week at room temperature, up to 2 weeks in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. I like to keep them frozen.

3 cranberry sunflower seed pumpkin seed granola bars leaning on each other on a piece of parchment paper.

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