Probably my favourite things to make are “no bake” snacks. I really never thought that I would make my own granola bars and snack foods because they are so accessible and easy to buy from a store. BUT making these puffed rice granola bars is so simple when my pantry is stocked with easy and essential ingredients. These bars are:
Sticky and soft but hold together and have some crunch!
Peanut buttery and filling
Festive and lightly sweetened
Easy and ready in minutes
Ingredients
All the ingredients for this recipe are easy to have on hand and part of our Pantry Tips!
The bulk of this recipe is Puffed Rice! I have loved keeping puffed rice or other grains (like Kamut) in my pantry for making granola bars at home. They are also great to toss on smoothie bowls or into energy balls if I want to bulk them up a bit. Chocolate puffed rice cereal is a little pricier but also a lot of fun for making chocolate granola bars!
For these easy and chunky granola bars I use:
- Puffed Rice
- And Puffed Kamut (for a bit of a bigger grain and different texture)
- Quick (or rolled) Oats
- Roasted Almonds
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Dried Cranberries
- Chia Seeds
- And hold them together with Peanut Butter, Maple Syrup, and Applesauce
I love sneaking applesauce into this recipe to add enough moisture to keep these granola bars holding together. AND applesauce adds a bit of added sweetness in a very natural way!
- Feel free to use all rice puffs instead of the kamut puffs or vice versa!
- Quick or rolled oats are a great way to add more bulk to granola bars without adding very much to the cost.
- And the pumpkin seeds (which can be pricier for us) can very easily be substituted for any other seed, nut, or dried fruit you have on hand!
Oh… and roasting the almonds isn’t absolutely necessary but it gives the granola bars a HUGE boost of toasty flavour!
How To Make Puffed Rice Granola Bars At Home
Even with taking an extra few minutes to roast the almonds, I love how quick and easy it is to bring these granola bars together.
- Start by roasting the chopped almonds at 350 degrees F for 6-8 minutes or until fragrant.
- Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl.
- Allow the almonds to cool while you quickly heat the peanut butter, maple syrup, and applesauce. This softens the mixture making it really easy to pour over the dry ingredients and stir everything together.
- Add the almonds into the dry ingredients,
- Pour the sticky mixture over the dry ingredients,
- Stir everything together,
- And pour your granola bar mixture into a baking pan lined with parchment paper (this means lifting your set granola bars out of the pan will be quick and easy).
- Pack the mixture down with your fingers or the bottom of a glass (lightly dampening your fingertips will make this much easier!)
- And allow the mixture to set for at least 10 minutes in the freezer so that they are easier to cut into clean bars!
- After 10 minutes or so, use the edges of the parchment paper to lift the mixture out of the baking pan,
- And slice into bars!
- I like making 12 4″ bars but feel free to slice yours larger or smaller to suit your preference!
Recipe Cost
These puffed rice granola bars cost us roughly: CAD $5.06 or ($0.42/bar). We end up with 12 homemade granola bars that are quite thick and filling.
In comparison, buying higher end granola bars from our local grocery store would cost us roughly $1.00/bar.
If we buy granola bars from our wholesale store, these homemade bars are still more cost effective than buying the higher end granola bars and roughly $0.10 more than the middle range brands.
I often adapt this recipe with some small changes that can reduce the cost of these bars:
- Using less maple syrup and peanut butter will mean the bars don’t stick together as well BUT you end up with a really tasty crumbly granola mixture to enjoy as is or use as a topping on yogurt etc!
- Omitting the almonds and using just puffed grains and oats will bring the cost down,
- Substituting another seed like sunflower seeds for the pumpkin seeds could work,
- And substituting raisins for the dried cranberries can be another thrifty option!
I love that these puffed rice granola bars feel festive and perfect for fall. Let me know in the comments below if you make this recipe as is or how you adapt it to your preference!
For a thrifty chocolate flavoured granola bar make sure to jump over to our Easy No Bake Chewy Chocolate Chip Bars! And if you’re in a festive mood… our Easy Pumpkin Pie Energy Balls are one of our favourites!
PrintPuffed Rice Granola Bars For On The Go
- Total Time: 15 minutes (plus 10 minutes setting time)
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Easy vegan puffed rice granola bars are ready in minutes! Sticky and soft with a bit of crunch! Peanut buttery, filling, and festive!
Ingredients
- ½ cup almonds (roasted and coarsely chopped)
- 1 cup rolled oats (can use quick oats)
- 1 cup plain rice puff
- ¾ cup kamut puff (or sub more oats or rice puff)
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup maple syrup (see notes for decreasing syrup)
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup applesauce (or sub more maple syrup, peanut butter, or tahini)
*All the ingredients for this recipe are from our pantry and freezer tips!
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Coarsely chop your almonds. When the oven is hot, spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast for 6-8 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant.
- Line an 8×8 inch pan with wax paper so that you can easily lift out the granola bars when they’re done.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- On the stove-top or in the microwave, gently heat the wet ingredients over low heat to combine them evenly.
- When your almonds are toasted and cool enough to handle, add them to the dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture over the dry. Stir to coat evenly until your granola is sticky and evenly combined.
- Spoon the sticky mixture in your lined 8×8 inch pan and spread it evenly into the corners. I find dampening my fingers with warm water and pushing the mixture down into an even and tight layer to be the easiest way to pack the mixture into the pan. *Really compress the mixture as much as you can to help it stick together.
- Place the pan in the freezer and allow the mixture to harden for at least 10 minutes so you can easily cut the bars without much crumbling. Using the edges of the wax paper, lift out the mixture, and slice into 12 bars.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for 1 month.
Notes
Approximate Cost: CAD $5.06 for 12 bars ($.42/bar) vs. approximately $1.00/bar for higher end granola bars at our local grocery store. These are still more cost effective than higher end bars at our wholesale store and $0.10 more than the middle range bars.
I do often make these with decreased amounts of peanut butter and maple syrup. The bars will crumble quite a bit so if you don’t mind some looser granola… feel free to decrease the peanut butter and sweetness from the maple syrup. It makes a great oatmeal/yogurt topping as more of a crumbled granola!
- Category: Snacks
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: Raw
Maria
This granola is so quick and easy to make. I love it! I wasn’t able to get many bars because mine was a bit crumbly. I think perhaps I didn’t push it down into the pan tightly enough? No harm done because I’m adding it to my yogurt and oatmeal as you suggested!
Kathryn Alexandre
Aw yes, thank you for letting me know. I just highlighted to pack the mixture down as much as possible in the recipe card so that others can do the same. I’m so glad that you are still enjoying it even though it is a little more crumbly!
Pauline
Hi! I’m confused! Why am I preheating the oven if they go into the freezer to harden and not cook? Am I missing something? 🙂
Pauline
Nevermind silly me. It’s for the nuts (I skipped the nuts)
Kathryn Alexandre
haha not a problem! I’m sorry for the confusion and I’m glad you realized it was for the nuts. I hope you enjoyed the bars! Thank you for trying them!
farah
Can I replace maple syrup with honey instead ? Should I use same measurement ?
Kathryn Alexandre
Yes that should work! I think using the same amount should be good. Honey might be a little more sticky than maple syrup but you want the granola bars to hold together so I think that’s a good thing! Let me know how it works out and how you find the taste to be with honey!
Anonymous
Recently got a huge bag of puffed rice for a great price and this recipe was awesome. kids and wife loved them too. made a second batch without the nuts and school safe “nut butter” for the kiddos.
Kathryn Alexandre
oh great! I’m glad you loved using up that puffed rice for these. It’s great to know that the kids liked them with the school safe “nut butter” too. Thank you so much for trying it and letting me know it was a hit!