Raw Nutty Granola Bars with Chocolate Ganache

Chewy, sticky and oaty granola bars topped with a simple homemade chocolate ganache. These bars are raw, vegan and naturally gluten-free, making them a great all-day snack or even a quick breakfast on the go.

I was hoping to share these granola bars a couple of weeks ago ahead of my cooking demo at Balance Festival where I was going to showcase how amazingly easy and tasty these bars are. Sadly, the event is postponed so I won’t be making them live for you just yet.

So, here is the next best thing: the full recipe and a few tasty images.

Raw Nutty Granola Bars with Chocolate Ganache

These Raw Nutty Granola Bars with Chocolate Ganache are easy to make: the base is a sticky and raw blend of dates, nut butter, syrup, mixed nuts, dried fruits and oats. That’s it! And you can use whichever nuts you have on hand or your favourite ones – I like a mixture of cashews, almonds and hazelnuts but anything and everything will work and add in some seeds, too. As for the dried fruits, I love the colour, flavour and texture of the goji berries but these can be easily swapped for raisins, apricots or another dried berry, too.

Once the base has been blended together, press it down firmly into a dish or container and allow to chill and set slightly. Then simply make the chocolate ganache – it’s really nothing fancy but is really fabulous. Use any chocolate (I like dark) for this and once it is melted, add in the tinned coconut milk and some syrup. Both of these add to the creamy smooth and silky texture of the ganache, if you choose to just use plain chocolate without these, the melted chocolate on top will be tough and crack – but still delicious.

The hardest part, as always, is waiting for these Raw Nutty Granola Bars with Chocolate Ganache to set in the fridge but it is definitely worth the while. Slice them and store them in the fridge and they’re ready to grab whenever you fancy. They make a great breakfast with a smoothie for example, or a lovely snack with a cup of tea or even as a dessert.

Raw Nutty Granola Bars with Chocolate Ganache

These Raw Nutty Granola Bars with Chocolate Ganache are chewy, sticky and flapjack-like with a creamy, rich and indulgent tasting chocolate ganache topping. They are naturally vegan and gluten-free (check your oats if you are coeliac) while being free of added refined sugars. They come together in about 20 minutes’ worth of work plus chilling time, while being very adaptable based on the ingredients you have at home.

I hope you will enjoy these granola bars, if you are looking for other tasty and easy snacks, how about my Peanut Butter and Chocolate Protein Flapjack Bars, Blueberry and Almond Cookie Bars, Date Cashew and Coconut Granola Bars or Fudgy Chocolate Avocado Brownies.

Raw Nutty Granola Bars with Chocolate Ganache

• Servings: 12
• Time: 20 minutes plus 2 hours chilling
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Chewy, sticky and oaty granola bars topped with a simple homemade chocolate ganache. These bars are raw, vegan and naturally gluten-free, making them a great all-day snack or even a quick breakfast on the go.

Ingredients

• 200g pitted dates
• 60g cashew or almond butter
• 90g maple or coconut syrup
• 1 tsp almond or vanilla essence
• 150g mixed nuts
• 150g oats
• 40g goji berries
• Pinch of salt
• 80g chocolate
• 3 tbsp coconut milk (tin)
• 1 tbsp syrup
• 2 tbsp mixed seeds

Directions

1. Place the dates to a bowl with boiling water and soak for 10 minutes until soft.
2. Add the nuts to a food processor and blitz to break them up slightly. Transfer to a mixing bowl with the oats, goji berries and a pinch of salt.
3. Add the drained dates to the food processor and blend until jammy. Now add in the cashew butter or almond butter, maple or coconut syrup and vanilla essence and blend until smooth. Pour over the oat and nutty mixture and stir with a spoon until the mixture comes together.
4. Transfer the granola bar mixture to a lined dish and press down firmly and smooth over the top. Use some parchment paper to help with the stickiness and use the base of a large glass to press down flat. Cover and allow to set in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
5. Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie, remove from the heat and stir in the coconut milk and syrup until the ganache thickens.
6. Spread over the granola bars, sprinkle over the seeds, allow to set in the fridge for 30 minutes and cut into slices.

Raw Nutty Granola Bars with Chocolate Ganache

I look forward to hearing what you think of these Raw Nutty Granola Bars with Chocolate Ganache, please let me know in the comments below. Tag me in your creations, too – I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With nutty granola bar love x