May 27, 2014
(last updated September 6, 2020) 
It’s been a while since I shared a good snack bar recipe. No particular reason for this, except that I’ve been more lazy than usual about making my own lately. And when I do make them, I tend to default to my tried-and-true standards, like my lemon kissed cashew hemp bars, or my five minute, no bake sunflower oat bars (both are awesome, in different ways). This week, with a fresh bag of medjool dates at my disposal, I decided to roll up my sleeves and refresh my snack bar routine with these cranberry almond chia bars.
As I was preparing these guys, I was reminded of how fun it is to make snack bars. They’re one of those dishes–like smoothies or salads–that’s easy to customize in hundreds of ways, according to what you have on hand and what you’re in the mood for. I had some cranberries leftover from holiday granola making (yes, they were that old–you can see why I felt compelled to use them quickly), tons of almonds, and chia seeds. I always add cinnamon and sea salt to my snack bars for flavoring, but ginger would be really great here, too. And if you’re out of almond butter, sunflower seed butter, peanut butter, or cashew butter would all be fantastic.
No Bake Cranberry Almond Chia Snack Bars (soy free, gluten
Author -Yields: 10 -12 Bars
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup pitted medjool dates
- 1 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1 3/4 cups rolled oats
- Generous pinch sea salt
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. Soak the dates in water for 15-30 minutes (or an hour, if possible). Drain them, reserving a few tablespoons of the soak water.
- 2. Place the almonds in a food processor fitted with the S blade. Pulse a few times to break them down into smaller pieces. Add the cashews and pulse again, till the nuts are broken up uniformly (you don't want powder--you just want them to look as though they've been chopped). Empty the nuts into a large mixing bowl and add the oats, chia seeds, salt, cinnamon, and cranberries. Mix the ingredients and set them aside.
- 3. Place the dates, the almond butter, and the vanilla into your food processor. Blend until the mixture is smooth, adding a few tablespoons of the reserved water if needed.
- 4. Add the wet date mixture to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. It should all come together as a sticky, uniform mixture.
- 5. Press the mixture into an 8" x 8" baking dish and smooth the top over. Cover with saran and refrigerate for a few hours. Cut mixture into thin bars, wrap them in saran, and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
These bars have perfect texture: it’s a combination of crunchy (from the nuts) and chewy (from the oats). It also features of a ton of healthy fat and just the right amount of natural sweetness.
Two additional options:
1. If you want to pulse the oats in your food processor a bit before you make these, that’s fine. It’ll make the dough a little more refined.
2. It’s totally fine to add a few tablespoons of maple syrup or agave to the mixture if you prefer a sweeter bar. The dates were enough for me, but use your judgment.
I’m already thinking about how I might modify these bars with different add ins. Definitely a new go to.
If these don’t float your boat, here are some of my other favorite bar recipes to peruse. With summer coming–and with it, hikes, picnics, cookouts, camping, and the like–it’s a great time to make some snack bars of your own!
Five Minute, No Bake Sunflower Oat Bars
Enjoy!
xo
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All I can say is holy cow these are amazing! I substituted Quick cook steel cut oats for the rolled oats and I loved the crunchy nuttiness it gave. I have never made my own snack bars before but I tell ya this was so simple and oh so good…I will be making these again and again! Yummm!!!!!
Can I sub prunes for dates? Would I need to change anything else about the recipe?
I like your receipt but I’m gluten sensitive can I use something else instead of oats? Thanks
Wondering what the sugar content is in these. Ok for a diabetic?
Amy, I don’t do calorie or sugar counts, so I can’t say I’m sure. If you have any doubts, please feel free to run the snack by your physician.
Full of energy, protein and good fats, these bars are perfect to snack on anytime of the day! Gena, thanks for sharing, they all look gorgeous ๐
Looks really good, Gena.
Thanks for sharing! ๐
Daniel
I realise this is off topic but while your blog looks nice it would be far better if you’ll be able to use lighter colors too in the design. This will encourage a lot more readers come to check it out more often!
protein diet bars
Just what I needed. Thank you.
Yumm I love bars like this. So quick and easy ๐
I’m definitely going to making some of these! I think that homemade bars are the easiest and best snack to take to class or work. I always like to pack at least one to take with me for the day to eat between classes or after work and before a workout! The lemon cashew hemp ones are particularly catching my eye since I’m on a lemon kick, but they all look great!
Thanks, Alex! Those lemon ones are definitely among my favorites. I hope you enjoy them!
Love the look of these. I’m usually more into bars with oats as well as just nuts and dates. I find they pack better as well- less squishy!
These are packed full of some of my favourite ingredients! They look delicious!
I am making these today! ๐ thanks, Gena ๐
Hope they turn out well, Heidi!
These look really lovely Gena ๐ Cranberries are a great addition to anything!
Yes they are! Thanks Kari.
Love it, Gena! I just shared a knock-off of your Hemp Cocoa Balls by adding ginger, lemon and turmeric and it turns out it was similar to your lemon kissed cashew bars. These look equally awesome, too. ๐
Oo I’m interested in the sunflower seed butter option… I have some raw sunflower seed butter but i do not like it at all! Looking for recipes to use it up and adding a tonne of dates usually helps! ๐