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Homemade Nut Free Protein Bars

Liz DellaCroce Avatar

LIZ DELLA CROCE

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A healthy alternative to store-bought granola bars, these chewy nut-free protein bars are perfect for snacking on-the-go! 

Nut Free Granola Bars

As a mom of two young boys I am here to confirm that the rumor is true: boys will, in fact, eat you out of house and home.

As easy as it would be to rely on store-bought granola bars, making them at home is not only more affordable but it allows me to control the quality of ingredients.

This year, both of my boys are in nut-free classrooms which presented another challenge: tweaking our usual granola bar recipe to be nut-free but also provide a hefty boost of protein.


The end result is these soft and chewy nut-free protein bars scented with warm cinnamon and plump raisins. For even more protein, I pair them with a Stonyfield yogurt pouch packed with calcium and Vitamin D.

Playfields mission for kids:

While there are so many decisions a mom has to make throughout the day, one decision I always feel good about is feeding my kids organic Stonyfield yogurt made without toxic persistent pesticides or GMO’s

If you are also passionate about avoiding exposure to toxic chemicals and pesticides, I urge you to read more about Stonyfield’s newest initiative: StonyFIELDS. I know I was surprised to learn that 21 million kids play on fields, most of which are sprayed with a mix of harmful chemicals. Yikes!

The mission is simple: make every field in America (you know, the fields our kids play on at soccer practice or during recess) organic by stopping the use of harmful pesticides on playing fields. Click here to learn more about how you can change your own community, nominate your community to get a donation, OR start by changing your back yard.

In the meantime, we have kids to feed, am I right? So get in the kitchen and whip up a batch of these soft and chewy nut-free protein bars to pair with your favorite Stonyfield yogurt. You’ll be so glad you did.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do these require refrigeration?

No. But they will keep longer if you do.

Can these be made as low sugar as well?

Leaving out the chocolate chips and raisins will keep the sugar down.

No forks required.

nut free chewy granola bars

Homemade Nut Free Protein Bars

Liz Della Croce
4.38 stars average
A healthy alternative to store-bought granola bars, these chewy nut-free protein bars are perfect for snacking on-the-go! 
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
CourseDessert, Snack
Serves8 bars

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8×8 baking sheet with parchment paper for easy protein bar removal.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, protein powder, flax meal, flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. 
    2 cups oats, 1/3 cup protein powder, 1/4 cup flax seed meal, 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together apple sauce, honey and vanilla. Pour mixture over the oat mixture and stir well. Add raisins and stir again until mixture is evenly incorporated. 
    1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 cup raisins
  4. Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking pan using a rubber spatula to press the mixture firmly into the pan in an even layer.
  5. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool completely before slicing into bars.

Nutrition

Serving: 1barCalories: 187kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 7gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 162mgPotassium: 250mgFiber: 4gSugar: 10gVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 1.5mg

Liz’s Notes

If I want to use sugar instead of honey and applesauce, what would be the amount? 

I would not swap those ingredients out on this recipe.

Have you tried this?

Let us know how it was!

4.38 from 58 votes (46 ratings without comment)

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58 responses to “Homemade Nut Free Protein Bars”

  1. Marybeth Avatar
    Marybeth

    Can’t recall if I already left a comment but I just love these. I’ve made them at least 4 times. Mine never hold together very well despite that I really press them tight into the pan. Any thoughts or suggestions on this? Thank you!

  2. Zaza Avatar
    Zaza

    I made these but subbed oat flour for the wheat flour, used GF oats, and subbed pure maple syrup for honey. I didn’t use baking soda – wasn’t sure if that was necessary when using oat flour? Either way, they came out very dry/chalky, didn’t hold together that well, and were not sweet enough. I made another batch and added a bit of date paste which helped with the binding, but they were still dry and chalky, and not sweet enough. Thoughts on how to make the taste and texture better while keeping them gluten free and vegan?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      They definitely shouldn’t be dry, but I’ve never made them with oat flour! If they were dry and chalky, I would recommend adding more apple sauce for moisture, and increasing the maple syrup or honey if you want them sweeter! I’d add a little bit at a time, so they don’t get too wet either.