Nut Free Granola Bars
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Published Sep 12, 2022, Updated Mar 03, 2023
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Made with rolled oats, SunButter, sunflower seeds and honey these healthy nut free granola bars are chewy, easy to make, kid-approved and school-safe! This post is sponsored by SunButter.
I’ve officially entered the lunch box packing phase of motherhood and Olivia’s school is nut-free so I’ve been brainstorming school-safe snack options. Cue these nut-free granola bars made with SunButter! They’re allergen friendly (nut-free, dairy-free, soy-free and gluten-free) and the perfect portable option for a lunch box treat or after-school snack.
When it comes to granola bars it can be hard to find ones at the store that aren’t loaded with added sugar and preservatives. That’s why I prefer to make my own at home! These homemade granola bars include simple, wholesome ingredients. Plus they are easy to whip up and cheaper than buying store-bought bars.
Why You’ll Love These Granola Bars
- These granola bars are made with SunButter which means they’re nut-free and safe to take to school!
- They’re super easy to make and there’s no baking required! Just mix, press and chill.
- Your kiddos can help you make them! You can put your child in charge of measuring, dumping, stirring and/or pressing the bars depending on how old and independent they are.
School-Safe Granola Bars
SunButter is a great school-safe substitute for peanut butter or any nut butter in recipes. It’s free from the top 8 food allergies in the US including peanuts, tree nuts, soy, milk, eggs, wheat, fish, and crustacean shellfish.
If you’re new to sunflower seed butter, it’s made from roasted and ground sunflower seeds packed with vitamins and minerals including Vitamin E, copper, manganese and selenium. Sunflower seed butter is packed with 7 grams of plant-based protein per serving and actually has more vitamins and nutrients than most nut butters!
Can You Substitute SunButter for Peanut Butter in Recipes?
Yes, SunButter makes a great substitute for peanut butter (or any nut butter) in recipes like cookies, muffins, protein balls and energy bites. SunButter has more of an earthy, roasted flavor that’s absolutely delicious and it’s an awesome option when you need recipes to be nut-free. I pack my daughter SunButter and jelly sandwiches for lunch all the time and she loves it!
Ingredients Needed
- old fashioned rolled oats – make sure you grab gluten-free oats if needed. I typically use Bob’s Red Mill organic gluten-free rolled oats.
- SunButter – I used organic SunButter for these granola bars, which has no added salts or sugars and contains 8 grams of plant-based protein per serving. Feel free to use another variety of SunButter, just note that many of the other SunButter varieties have added sugar, so these bars will likely be a tad sweeter if you use another variety.
- honey – a perfect natural sweetener and part of the “glue” that holds these bars together. I love the pairing of SunButter and honey.
- sunflower seeds – these add a little crunch and nutty flavor to the bars without adding nuts. You can use raw or roasted sunflower seeds. If you use roasted and salted sunflower seeds you may want to cut back on the added salt.
- chia seeds – these little “super seeds” will fill the bars with added protein, omega 3 fatty acids and fiber. They also help the bars hold together.
- mini chocolate chips – I like using Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chips, which are nut-free, vegan and free from 14 total allergens.
- sea salt – just a bit to bring out all the flavors.
- vanilla extract – a sweet flavor enhancer for these bars.
Substitutions & Notes
Not only are these granola bars super easy to whip up and perfect for school lunches, but they’re totally customizable as well. Here are some substitutions you could make:
- Honey: I haven’t tried it, but I bet using maple syrup or agave would work as a substitute if you want these bars to be vegan.
- Chocolate chips: You could mix in your favorite dried fruit instead of the chocolate chips. I bet raisins, dates, dried cranberries or dried blueberries would all be delicious.
- Chia seeds: Feel free to swap the chia seeds with flax seeds.
- Sunflower seeds: Feel free to swap the sunflower seeds for another seed of choice like pumpkin seeds (aka pepitas). Shredded coconut would also be a great option! And if you don’t need these bars to be nut free you can easily use almonds, cashews or really any nut of choice. If you do use nuts, I recommend slicing or chopping them before adding them to the granola bar mixture.
How to Make
Begin by lining an 8×8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper (I like to use binder clips to clamp the parchment down so it stays in place).
Combine oats, sunflower seeds, chocolate chips and chia seeds in a large bowl. Add SunButter, honey, vanilla and sea salt. Stir well until everything is totally combined. You will need to use some arm muscle for this part because the mixture is thick!
Pour mixture into your parchment-lined baking pan and press firmly using your hands so it’s evenly spread out. Add more chocolate chips on top and press these in as well.
Once the bars are pressed down firmly, place the dish in the fridge for 2 hours to allow the bars to set up. When the bars feel solid/hard to touch, remove the pan, place onto a cutting board, and slice the granola slab into 10 bars. Serve immediately or save for later.
Storing and Freezing
After you cut your granola bars store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to 2 months. If you freeze these bars, wrap them individually and store in a freezer-safe container. I like using glass storage containers or Stasher bags for storing.
More Sunflower Butter Recipes to Try
- SunButter Cookies
- No Bake SunButter Energy Bites
- Sunflower Crunch Salad
- Coconut Curry SunButter Noodle Bowl
- No Bake High Fiber Bars
Popular Snack Recipes to Try
- No Bake Energy Balls
- Date Energy Balls
- Apple Granola Bars
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars
- Cereal Bars
- Tahini Fig Bars
- Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Peanut Butter Protein Bars
- Easy No Bake Protein Balls – 4 Ways
Be sure to check out all of the snack recipes here on EBF.
Nut Free Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips, plus more for topping
- 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
- ¾ cup no sugar added SunButter
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Combine oats, sunflower seeds, chocolate chips and chia seeds in a large mixing bowl.
- Add SunButter, honey, vanilla and sea salt. Stir well until everything is totally combined.
- Pour mixture into your parchment lined baking pan and press firmly using your hands so it’s evenly spread out.. Add more chocolate chips on top and press these in as well.
- Once bars are pressed down firmly, place pan in the fridge for 2 hours to allow the bars to set up.
- Once the bars feel solid/hard to the touch, remove from the pan, place on a cutting board and slice into 10 bars. Serve immediately or save for later.
- These bars will stay together best if you store them in the refrigerator. They will keep for 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge. For freezing, wrap them individually and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I had a jar of Sunbutter opened and needed to use it. I just stuck these in the fridge to harden. I used dried cranberries instead of chocolate chip. Also, I used a piece of parchment paper on top to press the mixture into the pan. That way my hands don’t get messy! Can’t wait to taste these!
Yay! Definitely come back to let me know what you think of them!
These are delicious and will make a good snack or breakfast on the go. I like the use of sunbutter, it’s something different and they are not overly sweet. Some of them did fall apart a little when cutting, but I think if I keep it in the fridge they’ll firm up even more. Tasty recipe!
So glad you’re enjoying these granola bars! They should definitely firm up more in the fridge. Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
I made these with my 3 year old yesterday exactly as written. We had a blast both making and eating them together 🙂 They are a perfect snack for her nut-free preschool and one the whole family has enjoyed. We love your recipes!
AH YAY! I am so happy to hear that this recipe is a hit and you were able to make them together, so fun! Thank you for your review & star rating, I really appreciate you being here!
These granola bars look delicious!
Wondering if quinoa flakes could be used in place of the oats? My sister has an allergy to oats. Appreciate your help!
Kim
Hi Kim – I haven’t tested this recipe with quinoa flakes so I am not sure how these bars would bind together or how much you would need. If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out for you!
Would these be okay thawed? Or should I pack them with an ice pack for lunch?
Sure! they might be a little softer when you to eat them, but they will still be delicious! Enjoy!
Your recipe caught my eye as I was looking fot nut-free options for my kid, thank you so much for sharing. I had a question on the sunbutter, can we use pumpkin seed butter in place of sunbutter?
Of course. So happy you found my recipe and yes, pumpkin seed butter should work great in this recipe!
thanks for your response!
This recipe worked well for a 4K snack day at a nut-free school. I would suggest making them the night before serving to allow the oats to soften up a bit overnight in the fridge. I doubled the recipe and used a 9×13 glass dish to make 18 bars. I used mini m&m’s in place of chocolate chips and added a half cup of rice krispies for a little more crunch. They were a hit with a bunch of preschoolers
YUM! I am SO glad you loved this recipe and it turned out great for you, Michelle. Thank you for coming back and sharing your review + star rating, I appreciate it so much!