These no-bake grain free granola bars are loaded with sweet & tart dried cherries and berries, nuts, coconut and sweetened with dates to make them with no added sugar. They’re paleo, dairy-free, gluten-free, and perfect for healthy snacking anytime!
I couldn’t help myself – another grain free granola bar recipe was in order!
I originally had the idea to make these into no-bake cookies. But, well, after last week’s successfully sweet granola bars with chocolate chips and raisins. I just had to have some bars again.
These aren’t quite the same as last weeks’ bars, however. Of course – I guess you could say – because a new recipe wouldn’t be necessary if I didn’t go in a different direction with these.
First of all, these aren’t nearly as “desserty” as the other bars. Admittedly, the chocolate chip raisin ones are super sweet and rich, and these are more of a snack rather than a dessert, in my opinion.
I decided to sweeten them with dates – so there’s absolutely no sugar, honey, or syrups added to these bars.
There’s no chocolate either! I went sweet/tart with no sugar-added dried tart cherries and no-sugar added dried blueberries.
Additionally, I decided to experiment with using coconut butter in these granola bars since, as you might know, I’m a big fan of it.
If you go with the coconut butter, (you can also use any nut butter you want) it adds a different flavor that CAN be an acquired taste, so I’d recommend you get comfortable with the flavor of coconut butter before trying it in this recipe.
That being said, the coconut butter/nut butter is only a small part of what makes these bars so yummy, so you’ll be covered no matter what you choose.
So, now for the report from the family! My kids were bigger fan of the sweeter granola bars I made (of course!) but were still “fine” with these. I DO consider these bars to be better for the grown-ups than the kids. All that means is there’s more or me – which I’m not at all complaining about.
Adam said he doesn’t “need them to be any sweeter than they are”, which is a very good sign, because he FOR SURE likes his sweets. I’m telling you – dates work their magic in mysterious and wonderful ways!
As for me, I love that these are easy to grab and snack on whenever I need a bite of something sweet, yet they’re not so rich that I feel like I’m eating dessert.
Since these no bake bars are held together with dates, coconut oil and nut/coconut butter, you’ll need to keep them chilled so they don’t melt.
For these, I prefer the fridge over the freezer since the dried cherries and berries get too hard in the freezer – the fridge gives them that perfect chewy texture!
I think it’s time to get no-baking! Get your food processor ready, we’re about to turn nuts, fruit, and coconut into healthy, tasty grain free granola bars – let’s go!
Cherry Berry Grain Free Granola Bars {Paleo, Vegan, No Added Sugar}
Cherry Berry Grain Free Granola Bars {Paleo, Vegan, No Sugar Added}
Ingredients
- 6-7 medjool dates soaked in very hot water until softened (2 mins), and drained
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup organic coconut oil refined, melted
- 1/4 cup coconut butter melted, or your favorite nut butter
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract omit to keep Whole30 compliant
- 1/2 cup unsweetened dried blueberries
- 1/2 cup unsweetened dried cherries
Instructions
- Place soaked dates in a food processor and pulse until pasty - they don’t need to be completely smooth.
- Add all nuts to the food processor with the date paste and pulse several times to “chop” them into a crumbly texture - a few larger pieces are okay- don’t overmix!
- Transfer the nuts/dates to a large mixing bowl and stir in coconut flakes, cinnamon, salt, and dried fruit to evenly combine.
- Whisk together the melted coconut oil, coconut butter (or nut butter) and vanilla until very smooth. Pour over the nut/fruit mixture and stir to fully combine - I used a silicone spatula for this step. Thoroughly mix to make sure all the dry mixture is coated.
- Line an 8 x 8” or 9 x 9” square pan with parchment paper along the bottom and sides, with extra up the sides for easy removal. Transfer mixture in and press down, using your hands, or another piece of parchment paper to get it packed tightly into the pan.
- Cover the top with parchment or plastic wrap, then set in the freezer for at least 1 hour to firm, or longer if you have time.
- Remove pan from freezer and grab two ends of the parchment paper to remove the bars, set on a cutting board.
- Using a long very sharp knife, cut into 20 bars. You can wrap them in parchment individually storing in the fridge (for up to two weeks) or freezer for longer.
- Bars will start to melt around room temp due to the coconut oil, so they’ll need to be kept chilled to stay firm. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Want More No-Bake Paleo Treats? Try One of These!
Paleo Granola Bars with Raisins and Chocolate Chips
Apple Cinnamon No Bake Cookies
No Bake Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Coconut Butter No Bake Cookies
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These granola bars are simply amazing! So delicious and easy to make! I LOVE that I have something sweet to snack on during the day now 🙂
I’m obsessed with using dates as a sweetener/binder in recipes! Love the coconut butter idea for these with the berries. Can’t wait to make these! 🙂
Love the coconut butter in these too – enjoy!
Sweet! Love when you post Whole30 compliant recipes!
Enjoy!
I made this recipe and everybody at home LOVE the result!!! Even my little ones! THANKS for the awesome idea to keep snacks healthy!
So happy you guys enjoyed them!
Holy MOLY!! These are DELICIOUS. The coconut butter absolutely makes the recipe. They taste like coconut cookie dough. I didn’t have any dried blueberries so I chopped up some dried peaches. Amazing result! Thank you!
So thrilled you loved these! And the peaches sound awesome!
Love your new website and your recipes !
Thank you so much! I’m working on getting ALL the recipes categorized so the website is easy to navigate and search 🙂
These taste amazing, but mine failed to hold together well while I was cutting them. Did I not use enough dates or coconut butter?
Phenomenal recipe! Something about these reminds me of my grandmother’s cookie recipe but obviously these are something different and amazing all together. I cut these into bars and then into cubes/bites. They were the perfect little grab n’ snack!
I was wondering if you could make these without the dried fruit? Have you tried that?
Anybody ever tried adding protein powder to the recipe? I wonder how it would turn out…This recipe looks delicious as is, but not much protein per serving.
Your opinion is great, it is exactly what I think. If we go in that direction, everything will become much more perfect
Looks delicious! Could you use ghee instead of coconut butter? I have everything but the coconut butter.