Vegan Chocolate Chip Granola Bars | No Bake Granola Bars

I was brand ambassador for Pacari Chocolate at the Food & Wine Festival in exchange for a reduced conference ticket price. Thank you.

As many of you may know, I attended this year’s Food & Wine Conference in Orlando, FL a few weeks ago. I had applied to be a brand ambassador, and aside from helping to promote the conference itself, I was also assigned Pacari Chocolate as my brand.

I arrived at Rosen Shingle Creek on Thursday night and emailed my Pacari contact, Francisco, to see if he would have time to meet before the conference started so I could learn more about Pacari.

About Pacari Chocolate

I was able to meet Francisco and his wife Ana for a late breakfast on Friday morning, and we ended up talking for an hour and a half. I came away from our breakfast not only 100% impressed with Pacari chocolate as a product but also with Pacari as a business.

All Pacari chocolate is organic and vegan.

It is also nut-free (although the packaging must say there is a risk for liability issues). They also have a line of raw chocolate including cacao powder (hello, superfood!), nibs, chocolate drops (chips) and bars.

Pacari makes sure to source as many ingredients locally as possible. And for Pacari, local means Ecuador.

Their chocolate bars come in such sophisticated flavors as lemongrass (perfectly balanced), Andean mint (unlike any mint chocolate you have ever tried before, I guarantee), Andean Rose (indescribably perfect), Passion Fruit (which smells so incredible I want The Beloved to wear it as cologne) and my personal favorite, Raw Chocolate with Andean Salt and ground Cocoa Nibs.

The sensation as this chocolate melts on the tongue is hard to describe. The slight crunch of the nibs, the creamy, mellow chocolate and the spark of the occasional salt crystal combine in what is probably the best bite of chocolate I’ve ever had.

Aside from the divine chocolates, there are many things to love about Pacari as a business as well. Allow me to quote from the Pacari website:

Santiago Peralta and Carla Barboto built a business based on socially and environmentally sustainable principles to ensure that their products support the well-being of the land and the community around it. Combining a passion for sustainable business and a commitment to preserving the native Arriba Nacional cacao, they developed Pacari Chocolate – the first single-origin organic chocolate made entirely in Ecuador. –Pacari Chocolate, About

Santiago and Carla realized that none of the cacao farmers that they spoke to had ever eaten a finished chocolate bar. 

While they may have known that the beans they harvested and exported wound up in “candy,” they had never tasted chocolate themselves.

Francisco said that was one of the main reasons Pacari got started, to keep the farmers involved every step of the way.

Getting Acquainted with Raw Vegan Granola Bars

Vegan/quasi-raw was completely new territory for me, so I did some searching and found a simple recipe for Five Minute, No-Bake Vegan Granola Bars.

I also looked at The Minimalist Baker’s Healthy Brownie Granola Bars.

For those who are interested, I was looking for proportions of “gluey” ingredients to “main ingredients.” Once I got a handle on that, it was on, and I even finally got to use the very cool date syrup that my friend Stacy from Food Lust People Love sent me all the way from Dubai. Thank you, Stacy!

I think the bars I’ve come up with are the best (mostly) raw no-bake vegan granola bars I’ve ever had.

Okay, they’re the only (mostly) raw no-bake vegan granola bars I’ve ever had, but still. They’re pretty delicious, and this is coming from a girl who loves her baked goods, her refined sugar and her butter.

Do give these vegan granola bars a try. They are seriously good and really easy to make.

They’re also perfect for making in the summer since you don’t have to bake them. Nice!

If you’re looking for a super crunchy, delicious granola, try my friend Beth’s Homemade Olive Oil Granola.

More Vegan Recipes from Pastry Chef Online

If you are looking for more vegan food recipes, I have some great ones on the site. Mostly desserts, because I’m me:

• This vegan boozy apple crisp is super easy to make and is very, very good. Made with shredded apples that cook down to a tasty jam in the oven, these guys are hard to beat.
• You may also enjoy my Vegan Chocolate Christmas Cake which is truly dinner party worthy.
• If you’re an ice cream fan, give my Vegan Curried Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream a try. Creamy, crunchy, a little bit different, and a whole lot of delicious!

If you have questions about this post or recipe, don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can leave a comment on the post and I will get back to you within about 24 hours.

If your question is more urgent, please shoot me an email, and I will respond within 4 hours, unless I’m asleep.

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Also feel free to tag me on Instagram at @onlinepastrychef with #pcorecipe so I can find your creation. Thank you!

And now, without further ado, I give you these raw granola bars. Enjoy!

Continue to Content

No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Yield: 10 -12 bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

These rich, chocolaty no-bake granola bars are packed with nutrients from raw cacao powder, cacao nibs and raw chocolate chips. Studded with roasted almonds and dried cranberries, they are filling, delicious and good for you.

Print

Ingredients

For the Bars

• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats, toasted or not.
• 1/2 cup whole roasted, lightly salted almonds (you can also use raw almonds)
• 1/3 cup Grade B organic maple syrup
• 1/3 cup date syrup
• 2/3 cup almond butter, (nothing but almonds in the ingredient list)
• 2 Tablespoons liquid coconut oil, (will keep them firmer in the fridge)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder (I used Pacari)
• 1/4 cup raw cacao nibs (I used Pacari)
• 1/4 cup raw 70% chocolate chips (I used Pacari)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

To Finish (Optional)

• 1 Tablespoon Pacari raw 70% chocolate drops
• 1 Tablespoon dried cranberries
• a couple of pinches of coarse-grained flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Prepare an 8"x8" or 9"x9" pan by lining the bottom and up two opposite sides with non-stick foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Place the oats and almonds in a medium bowl. Set aside
3. Thoroughly stir together the maple syrup, date syrup, almond butter, coconut oil (if using), vanilla, and salt.
4. Evenly mix in the cacao powder, nibs, chips, and dried cranberries
5. Scrape the cacao mixture into the bowl with the oats and almonds.
6. Fold together thoroughly until all the oats and almonds are well-coated.
7. Press the stiff dough evenly into the prepared pan.

To Finish (Optional)

1. Evenly sprinkle on the chocolate drops, dried cranberries and salt. Press down gently so they adhere.
2. Press plastic wrap down on the surface of your granola and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours.
3. Slice into bars of your desired size.
4. Store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days or freeze for longer storage.

Notes

If you have never had raw granola bars before, note that they are chewy and just a little bit sticky. And delicious.

For best texture, store these in the fridge. They will last for about 2 weeks, well covered.

For longer storage, wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for about 30-45 minutes or overnight in the fridge.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Date Lady Organic Date Syrup 12 Ounce, Set of 2
• 
  Wilton Non-Stick 8-Inch Square Cake Pans, Set of 2

Nutrition Information

Yield 12 Serving Size 1 bar
Amount Per Serving Calories 332Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 0mgSodium 63mgCarbohydrates 48gFiber 5gSugar 28gProtein 7g

The stated nutritional information is provided as a courtesy. It is calculated through third party software and is intended as a guideline only.

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And thank you guys for spending some time with me today. Have a lovely day.