Soft, chewy, and allergy-friendly, these delicious no-bake chocolate sunflower seed butter granola bars are free of all the common food allergens so that EVERYONE can enjoy them!
That title, though — what a mouthful. I tried to shorten it, but believe it or not, that was the best I could do without leaving out any important information
I couldn’t get rid of the “no-bake” because it shows that these bars are quick and easy to make. I couldn’t get rid of the “chocolate” because it means that these bars are delicious (obviously). I couldn’t get rid of the “granola bars” because… well… that’s kind of what these are. And while I briefly considered removing the “sunflower seed butter,” I couldn’t do that either because it’s the most important point of all — it shows that these bars are allergy friendly.
Food allergies have become a hot topic over the past couple of years. Back in my day, gluten-intolerance wasn’t even a thing, and I’m pretty sure that I was the only one I knew of throughout all of my grade school years that had some kind of serious food allergy (damn you, pesky peanuts!!!).
Now, though? Even people who don’t need to avoid gluten are avoiding gluten (don’t even get me started on that one), and while nowhere near as mainstream, more and more consideration is being shown to those of us with nut allergies as well… which is a fact that I’m extremely happy about because back in my day (here I go again), I distinctly remember going to school and sitting next to kids who were chowing down on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich — something which very well could have killed me had I taken an innocent, curious bite.
I occasionally hear people complain about the fact that more and more public places are becoming nut-free zones, and it takes all of my willpower to keep myself from shooting them with a serious stank eye and a rude retort. Like… I’m sorry you are mildly inconvenienced by something that could be potentially fatal to me. How inconsiderate of me to be born with a severe food allergy.
I kid, I kid. I don’t get that worked up about it, but I’ll admit that seeing nut-free labels on things/places does make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside… unlike the days where I had to pass on birthday cake at parties because I didn’t know what was in it, or when my favourite candy bars suddenly started coming with a “may contain traces of peanuts” label, instantly making them off-limits (I’m looking at you, Twix!!!). It’s a step in the right direction in a world where food allergies are becoming more and more prevalent.
But that in itself is a whole other topic for a whole other day. I’m not going to get in to the fact that what we’re doing to our food supply is sick and going to catch up with us down the road. Instead, I’m going to share the recipe for these chocolate sunflower seed butter granola bars which, despite being a mouthful, are: nut-free, egg-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, corn-free, and soy-free, meaning that everyone can enjoy.
Happy eating!
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No Bake Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Granola Bars
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 10 bars 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (128 g) sunflower seed butter* (I like Sunbutter)
- 1/2 cup (160 g) brown rice syrup**
- 1/4 cup (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups (102 g) quick oats***
- 1 cup (30 g) crispy rice cereal
- 1/4 cup (45 g) vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line an 8×8 (20x20cm) baking pan with a sheet of aluminum foil, leaving a few inches of overhang on the sides to allow for easy removal. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the sunflower seed butter and brown rice syrup, stirring until the sunflower seed butter is melted and fully combined with the syrup. Add the cocoa powder and salt, and stir until smooth.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the oats. When the oats are well incorporated, add the cereal, stirring gently to avoid crushing it.
- Transfer the mixture into your prepared baking pan, using your fingers or a spatula to ensure that it is pressed down firmly and evenly. Cover the pan with a sheet of foil and place into the fridge to set, at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.
- When the bars have set, remove them from the pan using the foil overhang, and use a sharp knife to cut them into individual bars.
- Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave them on high in intervals of 20 seconds, stirring regularly to ensure they don’t burn. Once fully melted, use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the bars and transfer them to the fridge for ~15 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.
Notes
* You can also use almond or peanut butter if you’re not concerned about allergies. ** You can also use honey if you don’t need these to be strictly vegan. *** This recipe requires the use of quick oats or the bars may not stick together properly. Also, make sure you use certified gluten-free oats if you need these to be gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
Looking for more healthy no-bake recipes? Try one of these!
No-Bake Vegan Oatmeal Fudge Bars
No-Bake Double Chocolate Fudge Protein Bites
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
No Bake Brownie Batter Truffles
No Bake Protein Brownie Cups
These look amazing! I wonder if they will work with rice puffs? I bought a bag confusing it for rice crisp cereal and now I don’t know what to do with it.
It would probably work! You might have to add a tad more honey or sunbutter if it’s too dry, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work.
These look so good! Ive always wanted to try sun butter but never got a chance too! Does it taste similar to sunflower seeds!?
Sure does! It has an earthy but subtly sweet taste.
I’m not always big on granola but I have TONS of sunflower butter right now that is begging to be put in this recipe! Yumm!
I am lucky to not have any food allergies, just skin allergies. Most laundry detergents, lotions, soaps, deodorant etc. Not life threatening, just makes me develop terrible rashes. These days though, it’s nice that so many more places carry natural products. I am terribly allergic to conventional deo. and grew up in a small town so I always had to order mine online. Now, they carry it pretty much everywhere… Would be super scary for it to be life threatening though :/
I have to stop reading your posts mid-day as I immediately start to crave whatever recipe you’ve shared. They all look so good!
Just sent this to my SIL! My niece has an egg and nut allergy, so she’s always on the lookout for tasty stuff that she can actually eat! I am allergic to several kinds of nuts, but can have peanuts and almonds. It’s no fun having to look at the ingredients on EVERYTHING and just not have something if you’re not sure because it was brought by someone else. I feel your pain! (And I also agree with you…why avoid gluten if you arent allergic or sensitive to it? Most people don’t even know it it is, just that its “bad” for them) #fail
delicious & gluten free, yum!
I’ve never understood why so many places offer gluten-free foods before nut-free. Drives me crazy! On a much nicer note, these bars look fabulous!
I’m going to pretend these are good for me and pin them for breakfast idea’s. Hehe. Yum! They look amazing & I’d love to have one in my face as we speak!
Looks delish! So, if I use regular oats will they fall apart? I guess I don’t really understand the difference between quick and regular oats for things other than when making oatmeal.
They -probably- won’t stick together as well. Quick oats are finer and act more like a flour than regular oats. What you can do is pulse regular oats in a blender or food processor for a few seconds to break them down, and that should help 🙂
I’m totally with you on the long recipe title issue. i think you made the right decision to keep them all! 🙂
I really adore the no-bake almond butter protein bars you posted a year or so ago, so I will definitely be trying this recipe. I actually love bars like these for breakfast because I get excited when I wake up to something new 🙂 Have a great day!
Back in my day, when I walked around a neighborhood at night there were kids playing ManHunt, tag, and capture the flag. When I walked Elmo around a neighborhood the other night (on a Saturday, mind you), there were NO kids to be seen, found, or heard. I love me some video games but it makes me sad to see the lack of kids outside playing these days. 🙁
And I am REALLY surprised Hershey doesn’t have two facilities for peanut and peanut-free goods considering, well, they obviously have the money for such a thing. Lol
About the kids — I totally agree. I was actually just thinking the other day how even Halloween seems to be dying off, and no kids are going out trick-or-treating anymore…
Had to laugh at the ‘back in my day’ line – I find myself saying that all the time now! And I swore when I was younger I never would :-S I guess it’s something we all do when we are hitting the big 3-0! Haha!
These granola bars look sooo good! Love all the chocolately goodness!
You know why I love your recipes? Because I know I can always eat them. 😀 And because they’re delicious. Obviously.
I had never given thought to the seriousness of an allergic reaction to a food as universal as peanuts…until I “met” you of course. Then suddenly all those “made in a factory which uses peanuts” held a meaning and no longer seemed unnecessary word-space.
Ooooh I need to make this…*whispers* with peanut butter.
That phrase is seriously the bane of my existence. I can’t even tell you how many things I’ve picked up that I would have loved to try, only to see that on there and have my poor little heart crushed 😥
I love love loveee Enjoy Life Foods, but their products are way too pricey, and homemade is always better. WITH THAT said these bars give theirs a complete run for their money! I’d still of course purchase their chocolate chips though. These look insanely delicious.
You had be at Chocolate! These look fantastic Amanda!
Those are SO gorgeous, Amanda! Now give me all the chocolate because now my sweet tooth is going crazy!!! 🙂
I don’t even understand how you can make those granola bar swirl things so perfect. It’s like the chocolate came right out of the box. Whenever I try and add a glaze, it looks like I dropped it a few times LOL.
Girl, you know the way to my heart! I have SERIOUSLY missed delicious baked goods while at college – the Starbucks muffins the size of my head full of who-knows-what aren’t exactly appealing, y’know? 😉 Even better, I actually HAVE all these ingredients in my trusty food drawer! Now to take a midterm study break. 🙂 🙂
This is really fabulous especially because as parents now you have to be so careful about allergies! My kid’s schools are nut conscious and if you bring in a snack of course it has to be nut free. Each year my kids have been in school they’ve had classmates with allergies to nuts so it’s a huge thing now.
As far as the gluten thing, I’ve never been diagnosed as celiac but I avoid gluten along with other things because it seems to significantly contribute to major digestive problems. While I can’t speak for everyone, I don’t think you NEED to have a documented intolerance or allergy to know that you feel better without something. It’s a really personal thing.
Oh I definitely agree! It’s easy to see when you feel better without eating something, but what bothers me is when people do it just because it seems to be the trendy thing to do… Like when they avoid gluten because everyone else is doing it or because they think it will make them lose weight.
I know exactly what you mean! My friends and I were out to dinner and when 2 of us asked about gluten free options she replied that she should probably be eating gluten free too referring to her weight) Definitely misconceptions about it!
You could sell these babies! They look gorgeous! I love the chocolate lacing! I dont have any food allergies- that I know of at least!
yum girl!! I am craving these now!!
And I’m glad there’s no almonds involved lol. Although I do wonder if I could handle almond meal. Who knows. My almond allergy is odd and weird and thankfully not severe like your peanut allergies but it’s annoying enough where I just attempt to not eat almonds at so long as I can help it.
I really couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be to live with an extreme allergy. So next time I’m feeling annoyed by not being allowed my peanut butter, I’ll remember that. 🙂
This is SO weird. While reading your post, I play MC Solaar at work and he sings Les tempes changent ‘Back in the day when I was a teenage’……scary? 🙂
Anyway, I am lucky enough to not have food allergies. I guess too much gluten isn’t best for me, but apart from a little reflux or bloating I survive-
Can I just have the chocolate topping? It looks absolutely heavenly.
Oh YES! These look amazing, they sound amazing, and the recipe is pinned! 🙂 If they are anything like how delicious your Peaches and Cream Protein Smoothie was, then I cannot wait to make these! Superb!
Thanks so much, Neil 😀
I always forget about sunflower seeds. Mmmm!
Oh yes. Sunbutter is my FAVORITE. And I love the no bake. These are so perfect and portable. Pinning these babies and making them for sure !!!
If you are ever inclined, I would be interested in your allergy story. (How you first realized you were allergic to peanuts, what it was like growing up in a world ignorant to common allergens, id you ever try peanuts, etc.) I have no known food allergies so I cannot relate but I would like to understand.
Sunflower seed butter is yummy. Almost as good as almond butter.
Back in the day we never wore seat belts. In fact, I remember doing somersaults over the back seat of our glorious Spitfire Orange station wagon whilst my mom was driving. (Incidentally, that station wagon was the ugliest beast on wheels anyone has ever seen. Thankfully, it met its demise before I became a teenager.)
Love the use of sunflower butter. These look amazing!
Oh dear – these bars – the long name is synonymous with the long chain of drool forming!
These look insanely delish! And no bake??? WOA!!!!
I am lucky not to have any food allergies – I have had to break up with lactose – but that’s more because it causes me all kinds of gut wrenching heart break (that can be downright embarrassing at times) – but it’s no where as scary as an allergy is!
Yeah, I get irriated by people who do that, just the same as people who go on these juicing diets, or eat 500 calories a day….but then gain the weight back again…..just not doing your research! Oh well, their loss! These bars look wonderful, and crunchy too? You have me sold!
I have no problem with juicing as long as it’s included as PART of a diet… not as a diet in itself. And you’re right about people not doing their research… or simply falling for faulty advice.
Love the combination of chocolate and sunflower seed butter! And screw the idiots who are selfish and complain about nut-free facilities. Don’t give them any of these delicious bars if you run into the haters 😉
People who stay away from gluten but have no idea what it is = one of my biggest pet peeves. Oh, and I’m allergic to bees so until they stop congregating in forests and parks I can’t hike or go on picnics. They’re inconsiderate, eh?
I very much want to say yes because I adore you, but I also love honey so… I’m torn!
LOL I love honey too it’s just the stingers on the bees I hate. I kinda feel torn every time I buy honey cuz I feel like I should boycott it on principle. Hasn’t stopped me yet tho haha
Back in my day… People didn’t even know what gluten was! Or I didn’t at least. The avoidance of gluten by everyone is so irritating! Why make life more difficult for yourself by avoiding something you don’t even need to? Geez!
Because we tend to like to complicate things that are supposed to be super simple 😆
I’ve gotten to where I almost prefer sunflower butter over peanut butter. Add some chocolate to it….. Ok!
Back in the day, I thought granola bars were gross. These days, I’m all over them. Like these. all over these.