These quinoa granola bars are the perfect mix of wholesome and crave-worthy. Made with chewy oats, naturally sweet dates, and crunchy uncooked quinoa, they’re simple, satisfying, and great for grab-and-go snacking.
I originally published this recipe in 2017, and I’ve since updated it with new photos and extra success tips. I also now add dried cranberries and a sprinkle of sea salt, which bring a lovely tart contrast and keep the bars from tasting one-note sweet.
If you love a snack that checks all the boxes: crunchy, chewy, wholesome, and just sweet enough to taste like a treat, these salted quinoa granola bars are for you!
They’re made with simple, nutrient-dense ingredients like oats, nuts, seeds, and quinoa, creating a texture you won’t get from traditional store-bought granola bars.
Think: soft and chewy meets lightly crisp and crunchy with a dark chocolate drizzle and flaky sea salt on top for good measure.
Why You’ll Love These Quinoa Granola Bars
- Freezer-friendly and great for meal prep
- Chewy from the dates and oats
- Crunchy from the quinoa and seeds
- Naturally sweetened with dates + honey
- Balanced in flavor… not overly sweet, with just a hint of salt
- Customizable for dietary needs or preferences
- Great for grab-and-go breakfasts or snacks
And be sure to try the Chewy Tahini Granola Bars on page 69 of my best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101!
Key Ingredients & Why They Work
Each ingredient plays an important role in both structure and flavor:
- Medjool dates: The glue that holds everything together (don’t skip soaking + blending!)
- Old-fashioned oats: Chew, structure, and fiber
- Uncooked quinoa: The standout ingredient here is quinoa. It toasts in the oven, which adds a subtle crunch that contrasts beautifully with the soft oats and sticky date mixture!
- Nut butter: Richness + binding
- Honey: Natural sweetness + helps the bars set
- Nuts & seeds: Texture, crunch, and protein
- Chia seeds: Extra nutrition + binding support
- Dark chocolate & sea salt: Finishing touches!
Hitting major superfoods here! 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, or use flax seeds or sesame seeds instead. You can also swap the nuts for sunflower seeds and use sunflower seed butter, making the bars completely nut-free.
For vegan bars, swap honey for maple syrup.
But my favorite part of all is the quinoa. It’s so crunchy, which is a deliciously awesome contrast to the softer dates, chewy oats, and chocolate on top.
In Photos: How to Make Them
Soak the pitted Medjool dates in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain. Blend into a thick paste. Mix the wet ingredients, mix the dry ingredients, then combine. (A sturdy spatula helps here!) This is all very, very easy to do:
Press the mixture firmly into a lined baking pan—the tighter you pack it, the better they hold together.
After baking, cool them completely. Chill before slicing, which is key for holding structure! Drizzle with melted chocolate, add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, and then cut into bars.
These aren’t soft, uniform store-bought granola bars. Rather, they’re hearty, textured, and intentionally a little rustic. Do they somewhat resemble bird food? Yes. Do they taste good anyway? YES!!!
If you’re looking for a homemade alternative to store-bought granola bars that actually keeps you full, this is it.
Customization Ideas
One of the best parts of this recipe is how flexible it is:
- Swap almonds for walnuts, pecans, or sunflower seeds
- Use peanut butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter
- Replace honey with maple syrup (slightly softer bars)
- Add extras like dried cherries, chopped dried apricots, flax seeds, coconut flakes, or mini chocolate chips
Salted Quinoa Granola Bars
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These salted quinoa granola bars are chewy, crunchy, and naturally sweetened with dates and honey. Made with oats, nuts, seeds, and uncooked quinoa, they’re finished with dark chocolate and flaky sea salt for the perfect balance of wholesome and indulgent. Freezer-friendly and ideal for meal prep, with plenty of substitution options listed in the recipe notes to fit your preferences.
Ingredients
- 5 pitted Medjool dates (about 100-120g), soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
- 1/2 cup (125g) almond butter
- 1/3 cup (113g) honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (85g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (85g) uncooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup (70g) coarsely chopped almonds
- 1/2 cup (70g) pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 1/2 cup (70g) sweetened dried cranberries
- 1 Tablespoon chia seeds (feel free to skip)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 ounces (57g) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- flaky sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C). Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the bars from the pan. Set aside.
- Drain the soaked dates, then pulse them in a food processor until they form a chunky paste. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the almond butter, honey, and vanilla and stir with a silicone spatula until combined.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, quinoa, almonds, pepitas, cranberries, chia seeds, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients, and stir until evenly combined. This will take some arm muscle!
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and press very firmly into an even layer. You want it packed in as tight as possible.
- Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges and set in the center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan set on a cooling rack for 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 1 more hour.
- Melt the chocolate: Place the chopped chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl or glass liquid measuring cup. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring between each, until completely melted and smooth.
- Lift the bars out of the pan using the overhang on the sides, transfer to a cutting board, and cut into bars. You can drizzle with melted chocolate before or after cutting. Sprinkle each lightly with sea salt. Refrigerate the bars for around 30 minutes to set the chocolate.
- Cover and store the bars at room temperature for 1 week or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Feel free to individually wrap each bar in plastic wrap or parchment when storing.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: These bars are freezer friendly. Wrap individually in plastic wrap or parchment, then freeze for up to 3 months and thaw before enjoying.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Square Baking Pan | Parchment Paper | Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowls | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Flaky Sea Salt
- Quinoa: No need to cook the quinoa before using. It toasts in the oven and adds a subtle crunch.
- Substitution Ideas: Swap the almonds for walnuts, pecans, or sunflower seeds. Instead of almond butter use peanut butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter. You can also replace honey with maple syrup for slightly softer bars. And instead of dried cranberries and/or pepitas, feel free to add extras like dried cherries, chopped dried apricots, flax seeds, coconut flakes, or mini chocolate chips.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 218
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 38.2 mg
- Fat: 10.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 28.4 g
- Protein: 5.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Reader Comments and Reviews
These are a go to in our household!! Sometimes we sub hemp hearts for chia seeds, we’ve got a real “use what we’ve got” type of vibe!
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 don’t 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 different…
Hi Maria, you can certainly make swaps to your tastes, but results will vary – let us know what you try!