no-bake cinnamon raisin almond butter oat bars

No-Bake Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter Oat Bars, that’s a mouthful to say!

 No-Bake Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter Oat Bars. A vegan, gluten free and allergen friendly after-school snack!

The kids are headed back to school soon, which means packing lunches and providing after school snacks.  Sometimes it’s difficult to come up with healthy snacks that the kids will love and are safe to bring to a “peanut free” zone.  Snacks made with almond butter are a great option as almond butter provides protein, fiber and a dose of healthy fat.  Almond butter is extremely nutrient dense and provides vitamin E, magnesium and potassium.  It also helps with sustained energy and optimizing blood glucose control.  I love using nut-butters in kid-friendly recipes because it keeps the little ones feeling full and happy for longer!

These aren’t just for kids!  They make a great adult approved snack or can be paired with a piece of fruit for a wholesome breakfast!

 No-Bake Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter Oat Bars. A vegan, gluten free and allergen friendly after-school snack!

no-bake cinnamon raisin almond butter oat bars
 
Prep time
Total time
 
Makes 12 bars No-Bake Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter Oat Bars. A vegan, gluten free and allergen friendly after-school snack!
Author:
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 1½ cup old fashioned oats
  • ½ cup almond butter
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • ¼ cup brown rice syrup
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ cup raisins
Instructions
  1. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Pulse oats in a food processor a few times to make a course flour and set aside.
  3. In a small saucepan over low heat add almond butter, coconut oil, brown rice syrup, sea salt, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir until melted and well combined. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in oats and raisins.
  4. Press mixture into the lined baking pan. Use fingers to pack dough down well. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours to set. (or place in freezer to speed up the process!)
  5. Remove from parchment paper and cut into 12 bars.
  6. Store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 Calories: 176 Fat: 11 Carbohydrates: 18 Sugar: 7 Fiber: 2 Protein: 4

 No-Bake Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter Oat Bars. A vegan, gluten free and allergen friendly after-school snack!

 No-Bake Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter Oat Bars. A vegan, gluten free and allergen friendly after-school snack!

Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator and individually wrap for an on-the-go snack.  You can substitute brown rice syrup with agave or maple syrup.  However, just make sure to adjust the amount of oats as needed because brown rice syrup is much thicker than maple syrup or agave.  You want to aim for a cookie dough consistency.

 No-Bake Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter Oat Bars. A vegan, gluten free and allergen friendly after-school snack!

Here are some more great school snack ideas using almond butter:

Almond Butter and Banana Open Sandwich

Almond Butter Snack Balls

Try making your own Almond Butter, this one from Happy Healthy Life looks amazing :)

Maple Coconut Cinna Almond Butter

dark chocolate cherry pistachio bars

Dark Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Bars, a healthy blend for a sweet and tart on-the-go treat!

Dark Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Bars ~vegan, gluten free~

This month’s Recipe Redux asked us to pick a pantry item and revamp it into something amazing, I picked pistachios.  I had a lonely bag of unsalted pistachios kicking around in the back of my pantry since Christmas because let’s face it, who likes snacking on unsalted pistachios?!?  I bought them by accident, oops!

Dark Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Bars ~vegan, gluten free~

Here’s my chance to finally use them and stop feeling guilty every time I open the pantry door!

Pistachios, dried cherries, oats, dates, brown rice syrup and last but not least…dark chocolate!

The brown rice syrup is just that…very sticky syrup, you will get a workout in trying to mix the bowl!  However, its stickiness is perfect for holding these bars together, similar to the rice crispy treats I made at Easter.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Bars ~vegan, gluten free~

dark chocolate cherry pistachio bars
 
Prep time
Total time
 
Dark Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Bars, a sweet and tart on-the-go treat! Makes 16 bars
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 16
Ingredients
  • 10 dates, pitted
  • ½ cup brown rice syrup
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
  • ⅓ cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, chopped
  • 1 cup dried cherries
  • ⅓ cup mini dark chocolate chips (plus ¼ cup extra for drizzled topping, optional)
  • pinch sea salt
Instructions
  1. Blend pitted dates in a food processor until a paste is formed (if dates are really dry soak in warm water for 10 minutes before blending), transfer to a bowl.
  2. Add brown rice syrup, chia seeds, hemp seeds, oats, chopped pistachios, dried cherries, ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips and pinch of sea salt. Mix until well combined.
  3. Transfer to an 8x8 baking pan lined with parchment paper. Evenly spread and press down firmly using the back of a large spoon. Place in refrigerator to chill. Once chilled, cut into 16 squares using a large sharp knife.
  4. Optional step: Melt ¼ mini dark chocolate chips in a double boiler. Drizzle over cut bars and let chocolate set.
  5. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 bar Calories: 203 Fat: 7 Carbohydrates: 35 Sugar: 26 Fiber: 3 Protein: 3

Dark Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Bars ~vegan, gluten free~

The health benefits of pistachios are many!

Here’s the breakdown:

~Over 50% of the fat they contain are the heart healthy kind, monounsaturated fat

~High in fiber and protein

~A good source of B vitamins

~High in minerals such as copper, magnesium and selenium

Dark Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Bars ~vegan, gluten free~

For an on-the-go snack, individually wrap in parchment paper and store in the refrigerator! 

Make sure to check out how the other members of Recipe Redux tackled this month’s challenge!

 Loading InLinkz ...