• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Nutrition Refined - Healthy Nourishing Recipes

Choosing healthy eating and living with hundreds of delicious healthy vegan and gluten-free recipes

  • About
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch & Dinner
      • Soup
      • Main Dish
    • Sides
    • Dessert
    • Snack
    • Salad
    • Dips & Sauces
    • Bread & Crackers
    • Beverage
    • How To's
  • Vitamix
    • Comparisons & Reviews
    • Tips & Tricks
    • Recipes
    • Vitamix Deals & Sales (January 2023)
  • Articles
    • Cooking Guides
    • Weight Loss
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch & Dinner
      • Soup
      • Main Dish
    • Sides
    • Dessert
    • Snack
    • Salad
    • Dips & Sauces
    • Bread & Crackers
    • Beverage
    • How To's
  • Vitamix
    • Comparisons & Reviews
    • Tips & Tricks
    • Recipes
    • Vitamix Deals & Sales (January 2023)
  • Articles
    • Cooking Guides
    • Weight Loss
  • Shop
  • Contact

Muesli Bars {Video}

March 19, 2020 by PetraScott 17 Comments

easy muesli barsThese muesli bars are kind of like granola bars, but are only mildly sweet and have a softer texture to them. They are hearty and chewy with just the right amount of crunch from the seeds. In fact, they taste very much like a dense banana bread. They are vegan, grain-free, nut-free, and have no added sugar.

There are two types of bananas - unripe and ripe.

My sister won't eat a banana unless the peel is still greenish, at least at the tips. When bananas turn dark yellow, forget it. She just throws the whole bunch away because she can't even stand the smell. My husband, on the other hand, thinks that unless a banana is bright yellow, it's too sour. My 4-year old won't even touch a banana unless it has a few brown spots because it's not sweet enough (or at least that's what she tells me). Madness.

I wonder if there's the best time to eat a banana or if it just depends on one's personal taste. I prefer overripe bananas because then I get to use them in baking. Fruit and vegetable purees are very fun to bake with. Almost anything can be pureed to use as a binder in baking, but the most common options are apple sauce, bananas, pumpkin puree, sweet potato puree, and zucchini puree.

Fruit purees are particularly great in baking because they provide a lot of sweetness. This is what they call "having your cake and eating it too," right? (In this case, it's muesli bars). 

muesli cereal bars

Tips for Making Muesli Bars

Ingredients

I have made these muesli bars countless times and always use different ingredients. It's a very flexible and forgiving recipes. The only thing you'll need to follow is the ratio of ingredients.

The sweetener and a binder here are bananas. They don't provide any lift but are quite light in volume. If you don't like bananas, this recipe is probably not for you because the bananas do impart a slight banana flavor to the muesli bars. 

The bulking ingredient here are quinoa flakes. They have the same mild, slightly nutty flavor that quinoa does and a light texture, making the muesli bars softer than if you used other flakes. That being said, you can substitute quinoa flakes with any flakes you like - oat, buckwheat, amaranth ... anything goes.

Finally, the add-ins. I used sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and dried fruit. I also like to add spices, such as cinnamon and vanilla. If you love chocolate, add chocolate chips. If you're trying to limit your sugar intake, replace the dried fruit with coconut flakes. Not a fan of seeds? Substitute them with nuts. 

muesli bars - healthy snack

Technique

My daughter is 4 years old and she makes these muesli bars herself. Yes, the recipe is that easy. All you have to do is mash the bananas, add all the other ingredients, and mix until well combined. 

The one tip I would have is to work as quickly as possible. Bananas contain an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, which reacts with oxygen and causes the bananas to discolor. If you take your time, the granola bars will turn out quite dark. Fortunately, polypenol oxidase is less active when heated. So, if you work quickly and put the muesli bars in the oven in a few minutes, the bananas won't really change their color.

The bars do tend to stick, so I always use parchment paper to line the baking dish. Really pack the mixture down and smooth out the top. Bake the muesli bars until firm and golden brown on top. The bars do firm up even more as they cool, so wait at least 30 minutes before you cut them.

More Muesli Bar Recipes

I love granola bars. I probably make them more than any other snack or dessert. I actually think of granola bars in categories.

First, there are these muesli bars, which are comparable to breakfast bars. They are only slightly sweet with lots of ingredients I would normally eat for breakfast - quinoa flakes (or oats), seeds, dried fruit, bananas ...

Then there are energy bars - dense, sweet, with lots of high-energy foods, such as dates, nuts, and nut butter. They provide a quick source of energy or even a meal replacement.

And finally, we have granola bars, aka candy bars - sweet, snappy, and crunchy. They are more of a dessert than a healthy snack, which is not a bad thing as long as you're treating them that way.

Tools You'll Need

kitchen tools for muesli bars

1. Knife Set (6 Pieces, Utopia, Stainless Steel) | 2. Cutting Board (24″x 18″, Michigan Maple Block, Maple) | 3. Mixing Bowls (Set of 3, Pyrex, Glass) | 4. Baking Dish (3 Quart & 2 Quart, Pyrex, Glass) | 5. Measuring Cups (Set of 6, Bellemain, Stainless Steel) | 6. Measuring Spoons (Set of 6, 1Easylife, Stainless Steel)

Nutrition Refined is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites — at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

easy muesli bars
Print Recipe
4.80 from 5 votes

Muesli Bars

These muesli bars are kind of like granola bars, but are only mildly sweet and have a softer texture to them. They are hearty and chewy with just the right amount of crunch from the seeds. In fact, they taste very much like a dense banana bread. They are vegan, grain-free, nut-free, and have no added sugar.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Servings: 12 bars

Ingredients

  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 2 cups quinoa flakes *
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds
  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup hemp seeds
  • ¼ cup dried cherries
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Mash the bananas. Add the bananas into a large bowl and mash until smooth
  • Mix all the ingredients. Add the quinoa flakes, seeds, dried fruit, and vanilla into the large bowl with the bananas and mix to combine.
  • Bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Transfer the mixture into an 8 x 8 inch/20 x 20 cm parchment paper-lined baking dish and press firmly into an even layer. Bake the muesli bars until firm and lightly golden around the edges, about 25 minutes. Allow the bars to cool completely, then cut into 12 even bars.
  • Store. Leftover muesli bars keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. For longer term storage, freeze in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper in between each muesli bar (so they don't stick together as they freeze) for up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes

*You can substitute the quinoa flakes for rolled oats, buckwheat flakes, amaranth flakes, etc.
*Another great brand I use is GoGo Quinoa, which I believe is only available in Canada.
**Nutrition information is approximate and may contain errors. Please, feel free to make your own calculations.
This recipe has been adapted from Oh She Glows.
Nutrition Facts
Muesli Bars
Amount Per Serving (1 of 12)
Calories 180 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Carbohydrates 24g8%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 6g12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Filed Under: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Efi

    March 19, 2020 at 7:56 am

    5 stars
    I was looking to prepare some healthy bars when this popped-up in my notifications. Luckily I had all ingredients and they turned out delicious! One of the best bars I have ever tried 🙂

    Reply
    • PetraScott

      March 19, 2020 at 2:53 pm

      That makes me so happy! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback and rating the recipe, Efi. It means a lot!❤️

      Reply
  2. Jacqueline

    March 22, 2020 at 4:19 pm

    5 stars
    Tus recetas son maravillosos gracias a ti por compartirlas y traspasar el amor a la cocina
    Jacqueline
    Soy de Chile

    Reply
    • PetraScott

      March 23, 2020 at 2:21 pm

      Thank you so much, Jacqueline!❤️

      Reply
  3. Nica

    March 31, 2020 at 12:51 pm

    I noticed that the recipe calls for 3 bananas but the video looked as if you had 3 pieces of banana vs 3 whole bananas. Just double checking to make sure it is definitely 3 whole bananas. Thanks!

    Reply
    • PetraScott

      March 31, 2020 at 12:53 pm

      Hi Nica - yes, 3 whole bananas (I made a smaller batch for the video).

      Reply
  4. Evgenia

    May 27, 2020 at 5:43 am

    5 stars
    Hello, dear Petra!
    I made these Muesli Bars! I added some raw cocoa, chocolate chips, spirulina powder and all the rest as it is said in your recipe.
    They turned out delicious! Amazing choice for healthy snack and simple to prepare.
    Thank you a lot!!!

    Reply
    • PetraScott

      May 28, 2020 at 8:39 am

      I love the idea of adding spirulina! I assume they turned out darker since you used cocoa powder? Did the spirulina affect the appearance (color) at all? Thank you so much for the feedback and rating, Evgenia!❤️

      Reply
      • Evgenia

        June 03, 2020 at 12:43 am

        5 stars
        I tried the oat bars with chocolate and spirulina in our local bakery, so this is how the idea to add them into your bars have come to me :))
        Yes, they turned out darker like chocolate bars)) Because of cocoa powder and chocolate chips inside it was impossible to see the green color of spirulina at all))) As for the taste it was delicious as well (I added a small-medium amount of spirulina).
        Thank you, Petra! :-*

        Reply
        • PetraScott

          June 03, 2020 at 11:08 pm

          That's such a brilliant idea! Thank you for sharing, Evgenia!❤️

          Reply
  5. danadelong23

    May 29, 2020 at 5:12 pm

    going to try these!
    love your cutting board

    Reply
    • PetraScott

      May 30, 2020 at 8:48 pm

      Aw, thank you!❤️ Hope you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply
  6. Julia

    July 17, 2020 at 5:11 am

    Really good! Yummy!!!

    Reply
    • PetraScott

      July 18, 2020 at 1:11 am

      Thank you Julia!❤️

      Reply
  7. Candra

    August 03, 2020 at 4:43 pm

    Hi! I can’t seem to find the recipe for the “cliff” bars? Can’t wait to try all these recipes!

    Reply
  8. Patty W

    February 21, 2021 at 2:21 pm

    4 stars
    Hi there, I made these bars and absolutely loved them! I am trying to create low calorie snacks for in between meals; when I input this recipe into my calorie counter, it tells me each bar is higher in calories than you indicated (180). Are you certain of the calorie count?

    Reply
    • PetraScott

      February 23, 2021 at 11:57 am

      Hi Patty - I recalculated the nutrition facts twice (using two different apps) and both times got 180 calories. The plugin that I use on my blog for calculating nutrition info is called WP Recipe Maker - it is a paid plugin and I find it pretty accurate. Let me know if you have any questions 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

I'm Petra, a Holistic Nutritionist and Raw Food Chef.

I share plant-based, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free recipes made from whole foods.

Join Over 300,000 Followers!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

vitamix deals

interactive cookbook opt in

Copyright© 2023 · All Rights Reserved · Nutrition Refined | Terms Of Service | Privacy Policy | Disclaimers | Affiliate Disclosure