Gluten-Free Vegan No-Bake Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars

My healthy Gluten-Free Vegan No-Bake Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars are an easy recipe to make with just 7 clean, real food ingredients and, because it's a no-bake dessert, is ready to enjoy in about 20 minutes!

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Here's Why This Recipe Works

My top 3 favorite reasons:

1. It's A One-Bowl Recipe
2. Can Be Prepared In About 5 Minutes
3. Made With Only 7 Clean, Real Food Ingredients

It's A One-Bowl Recipe

Making a healthy, plant-based dessert just can't get any easier than this one.

The only thing you need to make this recipe is a mixing bowl to combine all the ingredients in - that's it!

Can Be Prepared In About 5 Minutes

Need a quick snack in the middle of the day, but don't want to heat up the oven?

My no-bake dessert can be prepared in about 5 minutes by simply mixing all the ingredients together.

Press the mixture into a loaf pan, put the bars in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm and they're ready to enjoy!

Made With Only 7 Clean, Real Food Ingredients

Just like all my other healthy dessert recipes, this one is made with just a handful of real food ingredients that you probably already have on hand.

For example, quick-rolled oats, almond butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and Himalayan pink salt.

And, this healthy recipe is plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, no-bake, contains no refined sugar, and is Medical Medium® Compliant.

How To Make This Recipe

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here is how to make this recipe and I'll show you with step-by-step instructions below.

Before beginning, line a 9 x 5 loaf pan with parchment paper and then set aside.

Step 1: Gather and Mix All Ingredients

Firstly, gather and measure all the ingredients for the recipe.

Then, add them to a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir until well combined.

Step 2: Add The Mixture To Your Loaf Pan

Secondly, transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly on the bottom.

Next, press the mixture down firmly with your hands and/or fingertips so it is tight and compact.

Step 3: Allow The Bars To Firm

Thirdly, place the loaf pan in the freezer for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until the bars are firm.

Once they've firmed in the freezer, transfer the loaf pan to the refrigerator so they will be easier to cut.

Step 4: How To Store The Granola Bars

Lastly, store the bars in an air-tight BPA-free container in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to serve.

They will get soft and lose their shape if left out at room temperature.

Karielyn's Expert Tips + Ingredient Substitutions

Here are some of my expert tips to make this recipe perfectly:

Oats. In this recipe, I used organic gluten-free quick rolled oats. I haven't tested the recipe using any other type of oats.

Almond Butter. This can be substituted with another neutral-flavored nut butter like cashew butter or sunflower butter. You can also substitute with organic peanut butter, but the flavor of the bars will be different - not in a bad way, but they will obviously have a "peanut butter" flavor which will stand out more than neutral-flavored nut butter.

Maple Syrup. You can substitute with another liquid sweetener like organic date syrup or organic coconut nectar.  I haven't tested it, but you could try substituting it with a sugar-free liquid sweetener if you'd like to keep the bars sugar-free.

Coconut Oil. This is what "holds" the bars together. If you don't like the taste or smell of coconut oil, use organic refined coconut oil which has zero coconut taste or flavor.

Pumpkin Pie Spice. I like to use my go-to high-quality organic pumpkin pie spice but feel free to use your favorite brand.

Vanilla Extract. If you need this recipe to be 100% Medical Medium® compliant, substitute the organic pure vanilla extract with alcohol-free vanilla extract or organic vanilla bean powder.

Himalayan Pink Salt. This is my salt of preference, however, you can always substitute it with sea salt.

Add-Ins. You can upgrade these bars by adding mini-chocolate chips (not Medical Medium® compliant), dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, chopped walnuts, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

Could These Be Made Into Balls Instead?

Yes! And that's a great idea for portion control!

Simply take out a spoonful (about 1 tablespoon) at a time, squeeze them tightly in your hand with a fist, then gently roll them into a ball shape.

Place them on a plate lined with parchment paper and follow steps 5, 6, and 7.

Are These Healthier Than Store-Bought Granola Bars?

In my opinion, yes!

For example, let's look at the ingredient list of a similar store-bought version, Nature Valley Pumpkin Spice Crunchy Granola Bars :

• Standard American Diet (SAD) Ingredients: Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, Canola Oil, Rice Flour, Pumpkin Flakes, Maltodextrin, Brown Sugar Syrup, Corn Flour, Spice, Salt, Baking Soda, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor.

Not only would these not be Medical Medium® compliant due to 9 of the 13 ingredients, but they are also not organic which means they contain ingredients that could be genetically modified or GMO ingredients.

You have control over the quality of ingredients when you make homemade treats and you can feel good about making my healthy plant-based version.

More Healthy Plant-Based No-Bake Dessert Recipes

• Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cheesecake
• Caramel Apple Pie Bars
• No-Bake Brownie Bottom Turtle Cheesecake
• Gluten-Free Vegan No-Bake Crispy Pumpkin Spice Squares
• or my Real Vegan Method™ 14-Day Reset with 42 plant-based vegan + gluten-free recipes made with clean, real food ingredients just like this one that you will love!