Crunchy, nutritious, totally customizable, and very simple.
Everything is mixed together in 1 bowl. That includes:
- Uncooked quinoa (use any leftovers to make quinoa patties!)
- Oats (use certified GF if needed!)
- Nuts (your favorite)
- Honey
- Nut butter
- Dates
- Chia seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
Hitting majorย superfoods here!ย And there’s plenty of room for customization, too. I used almonds, honey, and almond butter. If chia seeds aren’t your thing, you can leave them out. You can also switch the nuts for sunflower seedsย and use sunflower seed butter, making the bars completely nut-free. But my favorite favorite favorite part of all is the quinoa. It’s so crunchy, which is a deliciously awesome contrast to the softer dates, oats, and chocolate on top. These are a great one-bowl recipe to make before school starts or to plan ahead for a busy morning.
Make sure you pulse the dates in a food processor so they turn into a thick paste. Otherwise the bars tend to fall apart.
I’d like to apologize for how much this next photo resembles bird food. I promise you’ll love them!
More Snack Bars:
- Vanilla Almond Snack Bars
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Bars
- Berry Cashew Snack Bars
- Chocolate Cherry Almond Snack Bars
- Spiced Pumpkin Seed Cranberry Snack Bars
Quinoa Crunch Snack Bars
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 9 squares or 12 rectangle bars
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Chewy and crunchy quinoa bars are made with dates, almond butter, oats, honey, and dark chocolate. They are wholesome, salty, and sweet!
Ingredients
- 5 Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 cup (85g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 3/4 cup (130g) uncooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup (70g) coarsely chopped almonds
- 1/2 cup (70g) pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/2 cup (125g) almond butter
- 1/3 cup (113g) honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 ounces melted semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300ยฐF (149ยฐC). Line an 8-inch square baking pan or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the bars from the pan. Set aside.
- Pulse the dates in a food processor until they form a chunky paste. Transfer to a medium bowl.ย Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl (except for the chocolate). Stir everything together until evenly combined. This will take some arm muscle!
- Transfer mixture to prepared baking pan and press very firmly into an even layer. You want it packed in as tight as possible. Bake for 20-22ย minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack for 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 1 more hour. This firms up the bars which helpsย them stay together.
- Removeย bars from the pan using the overhang on the sidesย and cut into bars. You can drizzle with chocolate before or after cutting.
- Individually wrap each bar in plastic wrap or parchment. Store at room temperature for 1 week or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: These bars are freezer friendly. After wrapping individually, freeze for up to 3 months and thaw before enjoying.
- Special Tools (affiliate links):ย 8-inch Square Baking Pan or 9-inch Square Baking Pan | Parchment Paper | Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowls | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
Reader Comments and Reviews
Wondering if there’s another dried fruit you can use as a substitute? I’m not a dates fan. Thanks!
Hi Brooke, raisins should work well in place of the dates. Let us know if you try it!
Could you please share the nutritional information for this recipe.
Hi Beth! We donโt usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Would it work to roll the ingredients into balls and then refrigerate?
These are best baked, Diane!
In my experience unwashed quinoa has a bitter taste. I’ve been told quinoa naturally has this taste; that it has a coating which causes the bitterness. I experienced this bitter flavor many years ago and concluded I couldn’t eat quinoa. Then, some time later, I learned about the coating. Since then I have been rinsing quinoa before cooking it, and tastes fine. Regarding baking with it, is the bitterness removed by baking (like it is by rinsing)? If not, I guess it would have to be rinsed and then more or less dried before using it in a baking recipe. Thoughts?
Hi Karen, you can certainly rinse the quinoa first before adding to the bars. Just be sure to pat it dry before adding with the other dry ingredients. Hope you enjoy them!
Can other dried fruit be used in place of the dates? Other seeds as well, and substituting peanut butter? The taste profile will be differentโฆ
Hi Maria, you can certainly make swaps to your tastes, but results will vary – let us know what you try!