These No-Bake Protein Snack Bars are easy to make at home, super tasty, and much more affordable than store-bought. A quick little “merienda” or snack, neatly wrapped and ready to go.
No-Bake Snack Bars for Kids Recipe
It always feels like summer goes by in a blink of an eye. However, once summer comes to an end, it means back to routine and time to start thinking about snacks and school lunches. For food allergy families, like us, back to school is both an exciting and stressful time of year because we have to ensure that all the food our child eats while in school is safe for them.
I know I can buy many allergy-friendly snacks, but I definitely prefer to make everything from scratch. That way, I can be 100% in control of what is in it. One of my go-to snacks is protein/energy bars. They are incredibly delicious and filling. Win-Win.
When it comes to protein/energy bars, I love to try different combinations, flavors, and textures. Also, they are super easy and quick to make. These allergy-friendly protein bars are convenient, a quick little “merienda” or snack neatly wrapped and ready to go. No baking needed!
I added some M&M’s chocolate candies to make the bars fun and visually appealing for my kids. The kiddos found them irresistible and gave them plenty to ooh and aah over.
They’re easy to make at home, super tasty, and much more affordable than store-bought. For on-the-go convenience, use parchment paper pieces to wrap individual bars.
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED
Amounts are included in the printable recipe below (scroll down). You’ll need:
- Old fashioned regular rolled oats – do not use steel cut oats. It has to be rolled oats.
- Rice puff cereal or quinoa puff
- Nuts – I add Pistachios because they’re safe for my daughter but if you cannot eat nut just omit them or replace for roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds.
- Cranberries
- Hemp seeds
- Unsweetened coconut flakes
- M&M’s chocolate candies of your preference – You can substitute for regular chocolate chips.
- Honey
- Brown rice syrup
- Kosher salt
- Pure vanilla extract
HOW TO MAKE ALLERGY-FRIENDLY PROTEIN BARS
Detailed instructions are included in the printable recipe below (scroll down).
1 – PREPARE THE PAN
Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
2 – MIX TOGETHER THE DRY INGREDIENTS
Add rolled oats, puffed rice, pistachios, cranberries, hemp seeds, coconut flakes, and M&M’s in a large mixing bowl. Toss to combine. Set aside.
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3 – BOIL THE WET INGREDIENTS
Stir brown rice syrup, honey, salt, and vanilla together in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling, stirring occasionally. Let the syrup boil until about 260 degrees, occasionally stirring for about 4-5 minutes.
4 – COMBINE EVERYTHING AND LET REST
Pour syrup evenly over the oat mixture and quickly stir it until it is evenly coated with the syrup.
Quickly transfer the mixture to the lined baking dish. Using the bottom of greased/sprayed drinking glass or a measuring cup, tap and compact mixture into a pan in an even layer. Place the pan in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.
5 – CUT AND ENJOY
When firm, carefully lift the parchment paper from the baking dish and transfer it to a cutting board. Cut the bars into your desired sizes.
QUICK RECIPE TIPS
- Feel free to change things around. Try using dried mangoes, apricot, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and more! This way your kids won’t get bored!
- Want to make this extra decadent? Drizzle some melted chocolate overtop before chilling the no-bake bars.
- Brown rice syrup is a sweetener derived from brown rice that is gluten-free and vegan. If you cannot find it at your local stores, I have linked it in my recipe card to buy online!
- Don’t let the mixture sit too long after stirring together or it might start setting, making it hard to press into the pan.
ADAPT THESE SNACK BARS TO OTHER ALLERGIES
GLUTEN-FREE: Use gluten-free rolled oats.
NUT-FREE: Substitute nuts for roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds.
DAIRY-FREE: Substitute chocolate candies/chips for a dairy-free alternative. My fave are these.
STORING
Here’s how to store these no-bake protein bars so your kids can have them all week!
STORAGE
To store transfer bars to an airtight storage container with parchment paper between layers. For on-the-go convenience, use parchment paper pieces to wrap individual bars.
The bars will last up to 7 days. May refrigerate to extend storage. If you like less sticky bars, I recommend that you keep them in the refrigerator.
FREEZER
Place bars in an airtight freezer-safe storage container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Then, wrap them individually or place parchment between each piece of you can pull them out as needed.
No-Bake Protein Bars {kid-friendly}
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned regular rolled oats
- 1 cup rice puff cereal or quinoa puff
- 1/2 cup pistachios, chopped (see notes)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup M&M's chocolate candies of your preference (see notes)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add rolled oats, puffed rice, pistachios, cranberries, hemp seeds, coconut flakes, and M&M's in a large mixing bowl. Toss to combine. Set aside.
- Stir brown rice syrup, honey, salt, and vanilla together in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling, stirring occasionally. Let the syrup boil until it reaches about 260 degrees, occasionally stirring for about 4-5 minutes.
- Pour syrup evenly over the oat mixture and quickly stir it until it is evenly coated with the syrup.
- Quickly transfer the mixture to the lined baking dish. Then, tap and compact the mixture into the pan in an even layer using the bottom of greased/sprayed drinking glass or a measuring cup. Place the pan in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.
- When firm, carefully lift the parchment paper from the baking dish and transfer it to a cutting board. Cut the bars into your desired sizes.
- To store transfer bars to an airtight storage container with parchment paper between layers. For on-the-go convenience, use parchment paper pieces to wrap individual bars.
- Feel free to change things around. Try using dried mangoes, apricot, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and more! This way your kids won’t get bored!
- Want to make this extra decadent? Drizzle some melted chocolate overtop before chilling the no-bake bars.
- Brown rice syrup is a sweetener derived from brown rice that is gluten-free and vegan. If you cannot find it at your local stores, I have linked it to my recipe card to buy online!
- Don’t let the mixture sit too long after stirring together or it might start setting, making it hard to press into the pan.
- DAIRY-FREE: Substitute chocolate candies/chips for a dairy-free alternative. My fave are these.
- NUT-FREE: Substitute nuts for roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds.
- GLUTEN-FREE: Use gluten-free rolled oats.
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Nutrition
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
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- Magnetic Measuring Spoons Set
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- Measuring Cups and Spoons Set
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- Measuring Cup Set
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- Square Baking Pan
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Recipe originally posted in August 2015 post content edited to add more helpful information, no change to the recipe in August 2021.
What can I use in place of brown rice syrup?
Hello Rakhi! You can use 1/4 cup (60ml) of honey or maple syrup. Hope that helps! Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
These no-bake bars look absolutely stunning and delicious. And the addition of M&M’s sounds so adorable and YUM! Lovely share, Oriana! Would make this for my 3 year old daughter! 🙂
These no-bake bars look delicious and so fun! Love the addition of M&M’s – healthy, but still a great treat!