featured 31295

No-Bake Sunflower Butter Granola Bars Recipe

No-Bake Sunbutter Granola Bars — five-ingredient sunbutter oatmeal bars that are perfect for snacking. They’re freezer-friendly, versatile, and suitable for vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free diets. Jump to Recipe

Sliced Sunbutter Granola Bars stacked on wood board

I always like to have portable snacks on hand, especially for long outings or hikes. These sunbutter bars take about 10 minutes active time, use just five main ingredients, and store well in the freezer so you can grab one when hunger hits. They’re easy to customize—add extra seeds, chopped nuts (if not avoiding nuts), or dried fruit for a heartier bar.

The method is simple: lightly toast the oats for a deeper flavor, warm sunbutter with maple syrup, stir in vanilla and the oats, press the mixture into a pan, drizzle with melted chocolate if desired, then chill until set. You can substitute other nut or seed butters, use different flaked grains instead of oats, or shape the mixture into balls for a bite-sized option.

No Bake Sunbutter Granola Bars , sliced and ready to eat

Ingredients for Sunbutter Granola Bars

  • Oats — provide fiber and texture. Lightly toasting them gives a nuttier, cooked flavor. Use certified gluten-free oats if needed, or substitute with quinoa flakes or other grain flakes.
  • Smooth sunflower seed butter (sunbutter) — forms the base of the wet ingredients. You may use almond, peanut, cashew, or a blend of nut/seed butters. If the mixture feels too stiff when combining with the oats, stir in a teaspoon or two of non-dairy milk or a little coconut oil.
  • Maple syrup — adds sweetness and moisture.
  • Vanilla extract — gives a pleasant background flavor. You can also use spices such as cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
  • Vegan chocolate chunks or chips — melted and drizzled on top for a finishing touch. Omit if you prefer chocolate-free, or use more for a thicker topping.
  • Optional additions: chia seeds, hemp seeds, toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds, chopped dates, or other dried fruit.

Step Photos:

Gather the ingredients. Toast the oats in a skillet until fragrant.

Ingredients for our Sunbutter Granola Bars in bowls and measuring cups Oats toasted for our Vegan sunbutter Granola Bars in a saucepan

Remove the oats from the heat. In the same pan, warm the sunbutter and maple syrup over medium-low until they combine and are just hot. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla (and a pinch of salt if your sunbutter is unsalted), then fold in the toasted oats. Press the mixture into a parchment-lined 8-inch pan and spread evenly with a spatula.

Sunbutter and maple syrup in a saucepan for our Sunbutter Granola Bars

Oats mixed in the sunbutter mixture in a saucepan for our Sunbutter Granola Bars

Oats and sunbutter mixture pressed into a parchment lined pan for our Sunbutter Granola bars

Melt the chocolate with 1 teaspoon non-dairy milk or a little coconut oil in a double boiler or in short microwave bursts, whisking until smooth. Drizzle over the bars, then transfer to the freezer for about 30 minutes to set. Slice and store in an airtight container. Refrigerate up to a week or freeze for up to a month.

Chocolate drizzle on our vegan sunbutter granola bars in a grey dish More snack bars and bites from the blog

  • Carrot Cake Bites — soft and flavorful, gluten-free.
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls with Rice Krispies/Oats — classic PB and chocolate combination, gluten-free.
  • Seedy Chocolate Snack Bars — seed-forward bars without dates, gluten-free.
  • Golden Sesame Balls — with a hint of turmeric, gluten-free.
  • Mojito Energy Balls — bright and zesty, gluten-free.
  • Blueberry Muffin Energy Bites — snack balls that taste like blueberry muffins, gluten-free.

Our Vegan Sunbutter Granola Bars stacked on top of each other on a wood board

Vegan Sunbutter Granola Bars

By: Vegan Richa
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Chill time: 30 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 16
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Sliced Sunbutter Granola Bars stacked on wood board
No-Bake Sunbutter Granola Bars — five-ingredient sunbutter oatmeal bars that are great for snacking. Freezer-friendly and versatile. Vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup oats (use certified gluten-free if needed)
  • 1 cup sunbutter
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chunks
  • 1 tsp non-dairy milk or coconut oil (for melting chocolate)

Instructions

  • Line an 8-inch brownie pan with parchment. Toast the oats in a skillet over medium heat for 5–6 minutes until fragrant, then remove from heat.
  • Add the sunbutter and maple syrup to the pan and warm over medium-low, stirring until combined and just hot. Remove from heat.
  • Stir in vanilla. Fold the toasted oats into the sunbutter mixture. Add a pinch of salt if using unsalted sunbutter.
  • Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan using a spatula.
  • Melt the chocolate with 1 tsp non-dairy milk in a double boiler or microwave in short bursts, whisking until smooth.
  • Drizzle the melted chocolate over the bars. Freeze for about 30 minutes, then slice. Store refrigerated up to one week or freeze up to one month.

Notes

Variations: Use any nut or seed butter, or a combination of sunbutter and a nut butter. Add toasted seeds, chia, hemp, mini chocolate chips, or chopped dried fruit like cranberries or dates. Shape the mixture into balls and drizzle with chocolate for energy bites. Substitute oats with other flaked grains such as quinoa flakes. Omit chocolate or use melted coconut butter as an alternative topping. Nutrition is per bar and should be considered an approximation.

Nutrition

Calories: 146 kcal, Carbohydrates: 12 g, Protein: 4 g, Fat: 9 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Sodium: 6 mg, Potassium: 41 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 5 g, Vitamin A: 10 IU, Vitamin C: 0.4 mg, Calcium: 28 mg, Iron: 1 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.