These vegan, gluten-free no-bake apricot muesli granola bars with oats and dark chocolate are made from wholesome ingredients and make a nourishing snack or a healthy dessert.
Why You’ll Love Apricot Muesli Bars
These no-bake bars are vegan and gluten-free, quick to prepare and great for packing on hikes, camping trips, or for a grab-and-go snack. They require minimal equipment and just a handful of real-food ingredients.
They’re highly customizable: swap the nuts and seeds, change the dried fruit to cranberries, cherries, or blueberries, and try different nut or seed butters. You can also add shredded coconut or substitute chocolate chips for the chopped chocolate.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Almonds: Use plain raw almonds (no oil or salt). Dry-roasted almonds or other nuts—walnuts, cashews, pecans—work as well.
- Oats: Rolled oats are ideal, though quick oats are fine.
- Dates: Pitted Medjool, Sayer, or Deglet Noor dates are best when soft. If dry, soak in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain.
- Almond butter: Any drippy nut or seed butter is fine; runny textures bind the bars best.
- Maple syrup: Swap with agave, brown rice syrup, or honey if not keeping the bars vegan.
- Dried apricots: They add bright fruity flavor; you can replace them with extra dates, dried cranberries, cherries, or blueberries.
- Dark chocolate: Use chopped dark chocolate or dairy-free chocolate chips.
See the recipe section below for exact measurements and full instructions.
How to Make Apricot Muesli Bars
Step 1. Pulse the almonds in a food processor until they resemble a coarse flour. A few larger pieces are okay.
Step 2. Add the dates and dried apricots to the processor and blend until the mixture is sticky and crumbly.
Step 3. Add the chocolate pieces and pulse a few times so the chocolate is distributed but not fully melted.
Step 4. Gently warm the almond butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth and combined. Do not boil; just warm so it becomes easy to stir.
Quick Tip: Overheating will melt the chocolate when combined with the other ingredients—warm just until smooth.
Step 5. Combine the processed nut-date-apricot-chocolate mixture with the rolled oats and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the warmed almond butter–maple syrup and mix until all the oats are evenly coated.
Step 6. Line a 7–8 inch square baking pan with overlapping parchment paper. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan, taking time to press it into the corners so the bars hold together well.
Quick Tip: Firm, even pressure when pressing the mixture into the pan helps prevent crumbling after slicing.
Freeze for about an hour to firm. Lift the parchment out of the pan, slice into 8 bars or 16 squares, and enjoy.
FAQs
Yes. Replace almonds with raw sunflower seeds or extra oats and use tahini or sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter.
No. You can replace the apricots with extra dates—use 1 cup (220 g) dates total and omit the apricots.
Yes. Finely chop the dates, almonds, apricots and chocolate with a knife, though a processor is faster and gives a more even texture.
Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 2 months. They remain slightly soft from the freezer and can be enjoyed straight from it.
Yes. To bake, press into a pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes. Let cool completely before removing and slicing.
More No-Bake Granola Bars
- Sweet and Salty No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- Chocolate Chip No-Bake Granola Bars
- No-Bake Oatmeal Bars
- Paleo Energy Bars with Cashew and Coconut
- No-Bake Granola Bars
Apricot Muesli Granola Bars
By: Deryn Macey
Delicious no-bake apricot muesli bars made with oats and dark chocolate. Enjoy them as a sweet treat, dessert, or healthy snack.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw almonds (85 g)
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (100 g)
- 1/2 cup packed pitted dates (110 g)
- 1/4 cup drippy almond butter (60 g)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (113 g)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup packed dried apricots (115 g)
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chopped, or dairy-free chips (90 g)
Instructions
- Pulse the almonds in a food processor until coarse and crumbly.
- Add dates and apricots, processing until the mixture forms a sticky, crumbly dough. Add the chocolate and pulse a few times to distribute.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the rolled oats and salt.
- Warm the almond butter and maple syrup over low heat until smooth. Do not boil.
- Pour the warmed mixture into the bowl and mix until the oats are evenly coated.
- Line a 7–8 inch square pan with parchment. Press the mixture firmly into the pan, working into the corners.
- Freeze for one hour to firm. Lift out on the parchment and slice into 8 bars or 16 squares.
Notes
- To make nut-free bars, replace almonds with raw sunflower seeds or extra oats, and use sunflower seed butter or tahini instead of almond butter.
- If substituting apricots with dates, use 1 cup (220 g) dates and omit the apricots.
- If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop all ingredients by hand, though texture and binding may vary.
- Almonds can be swapped for walnuts, cashews, or pecans.
- Cut into 8 larger bars or 16 smaller squares depending on desired serving size.
- Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 2 months; they remain slightly soft from the freezer and are ready to eat straight away.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 bar • Calories: 157 kcal • Carbohydrates: 21 g • Protein: 3.3 g • Fat: 6.6 g • Sodium: 75 mg • Fiber: 3 g • Sugar: 13 g
Originally published on November 1, 2013.