No added sugar in these wholesome granola bars ♥
They’re filled with the goodness of ingredients such as hearty oatmeal and potassium-rich banana. And each sugar free granola bar packs a surprisingly high amount of protein.
The inspiration for the recipe is my 3 Minute Protein Granola Bars.
I wanted to come up with a replacement for the 1/2 cup of agave in those bars. Banana—with its natural sweetness—seemed like the perfect choice.
Much experimentation ensued, and many sugar free granola bar taste-tests were sacrificed to my mouth in the process, but I’m happy with the results:
Chocolate Chip Sugar Free Granola Bars
(makes 5-6)
- 3/4 cup rolled oats or quick oats (60g)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup protein powder (or see substitution note below) (I used Vanilla Vega) (35g)
- 1/4 cup peanut butter OR allergy-friendly alternative (60g)
- 2/3 cup mashed banana, as ripe as possible (160g) (Banana-Free Recipes Here)
- handful chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips, sugar-free if desired
Sugar Free Granola Bars Recipe: Line a 7×5 pan with parchment paper (or double the recipe for an 8×8), and set aside. In a mixing bowl, stir all ingredients together until well-incorporated. (Note: I found these bars sweet enough without having to add any sugar, but if you use unsweetened protein powder or your bananas are not ripe enough, you may have to add some sweetener.) Transfer batter to the prepared pan, place another sheet of parchment or wax paper on the top. Smush down, spreading until the batter fills the bottom of the pan. Remove the second sheet of parchment. I opted to press some chocolate chips into the top at this time. (If you want sugar free granola bars, use sugar-free chocolate chips or omit.) Freeze until firm, then cut into bars. For optimum freshness, store leftovers in the fridge a few days or freezer for up to a month. *Substitution Note: Although I have not tried it, readers have reported success in subbing 3 tbsp oat flour or oat bran for the protein powder.
View Sugar Free Granola Bars Nutrition Facts
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Link of the Day: Chocolate Fudge in a Jar
Oh yum, have all the ingredients .. can`t wait to make them ! Chocolate covered Katie, have I told you lately that I love you ? :]
CCK, thank you for sharing this amazing recipe! My 3yr old helped make these today and we absolutely love them! I DID double the recipe knowing they wouldn’t last long.
I also subbed the protein powder (because I didn’t have any) with coconut sugar. Our bananas weren’t at their ripest so this was a perfect addition.
Keep the good ones coming 🙂
I like the idea of subbing mashed bananas for syrup (2/3 c mashed banana = 1/4 syrup, correct?). Do you think the same can be used for replacing dried fruit in similar bar recipes?
Made these today to use up some over-ripe bananas. I didn’t have any protein powder so used quinoa flakes instead. Yummy
What can be used in place of the peanut butter? My daughter is allergic to nuts and seeds, and several other things.
Sunbutter or Peabutter or coconut butter.
Sun butter is a seed, so are peas! May try coconut butter, although it is also a nut!!
This is my go to recipe. It’s awesome post workout and just as a snack to fill me up. I tried it with and without chocolate and it doesn’t even need the chocolate it’s that good. Great job on the recipe! Awesome if you could post more yummy simple bars I can use my ripe bananas on.
Awesome! Granola bars I can feel good about giving to my toddler, but with a protein powder substitute (thank you for that note!), and maybe raising s instead of the chocolate chips! I’m going to make them soon!
So the only downside with these it they have to be refridgerated or frozen to keep? So I couldn’t really use them for a hunting trip snack unless it was freezing outside, yes? Has anyone left them out for a few days?
They are fine for a day or two. You just refrigerate for freshness because of the banana, not because they’d melt or anything.