These healthy plant-based 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!{ Plant-Based | Vegan | Gluten-Free | Dairy-Free | Soy-Free | Egg-Free | No-Bake | No-Refined Sugar | Medical Medium® Compliant }
Prepare a 9 x 5 loaf pan lined with parchment paper, then set aside.
Add all ingredients to a medium-size bowl and stir together until well combined.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly on the bottom.
Press the mixture firmly so it is tight and compact.
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.
Store in an air-tight BPA-free container in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to serve because they will get soft if left out at room temperature.
Notes
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.Serving Size: This recipe will make (5) bars that are 1 1/2 inches x 4 inches in size. You can also cut the bars into squares which will yield (10) smaller pieces.