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Chia Bars

Squares of granola bars made from almond butter, dark chocolate, coconut, pecans and chia seeds
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5 from 1 review

These chia bars are easy, no-bake granola bars with a soft texture and perfectly sweetened flavor. Just combine the ingredients and chill for 1 hour before cutting. 

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 1/4 cups rolled oats (also called old-fashioned)
  • 1 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped (or your favorite nut, chopped)
  • 1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup chocolate chips (or dried fruit)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup almond butter (or your favorite unsalted, unsweetened nut or seed butter)
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  1. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper. The parchment should be long enough to hang over the edges of the pan so that you can fold the paper up and over the bars (the parchment should be about 20 inches long).
  2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, pecans, coconut, chia seeds, chocolate chips and salt. 
  3. In a smaller, microwave safe bowl, combine almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla. Warm the mixture in the microwave so that it’s easy to stir - about 30 seconds -  then stir until the almond butter is smooth and completely mixed in with the syrup. 
  4. Pour the almond butter mixture over the oats. Use a big spoon or a spatula to mix really well, so that the oats and other ingredients are no longer dry and are completely covered with almond butter. Take your time mixing and make sure no dry oats remain! Taste the mixture and add a pinch more salt if needed. 
  5. Scrape the mixture into the 8x8 pan. Press the oats down really well - this is important. The bars won’t hold together if they’re not packed in. First, fold the long edges of the parchment up and over the bars so your hands don't stick to the oats as you press. Then, use the bottom of a glass jar or drinking glass to help pack down the oats very firmly. 
  6. Refrigerate the chia bars for at least 1 hour, but ideally a few hours so that the bars completely set and hold together when cut.
  7. To cut the bars, first use the overhang of parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan. Use a long serrated knife or large chef’s knife to cut the bars into squares or rectangles. 
  8. I like storing the bars in the refrigerator, where they keep well for up to 2 weeks. They can also be kept in the freezer for several months. 

Notes

Any type of nut or seed butter can be used, as long as it's unsweetened and has no salt added. If you use nut butter with salt added, don't add extra salt to the bars. 

Regular sized or mini chocolate chips can be used. The chocolate chips will melt slightly when the warm almond butter is added. If you don't want the chocolate to melt, wait and add the chocolate chips as the very last ingredient after you have mixed in the almond butter and other wet ingredients. 

Small dried fruit, like cherries, cranberries, raisins or dried blueberries can be used instead of chocolate. 

Honey can be substituted for maple syrup but the bars will be sweeter and stickier.

Even though these are called chia bars, the chia seeds can be left out. 

Find it online: https://www.kitchenskip.com/chia-bars-no-bake-almond-butter-dark-chocolate/