These Lunchbox Apple Oat Bars are nut-free and whipped up in only 2 minutes in a food processor, no baking required! I promise they will be a new household staple and perfect for back to school!
I remember lunches as a kid. Put up your hand if you had peanut butter sandwiches ALL the time!? I did. Of course, fast forward to present day and nuts aren’t allowed in school lunches, and for a legitimate reason. I know that if my child had a nut allergy I would be incredibly grateful for this policy, right!?
Healthy Nut-Free School Snacks
Us moms are always trying to find healthy snacks that our kids will actually eat (there’s little more frustrating than packing a lunch for your kids only to have it returned half eaten, if lucky, at the end of the day). My kids love apples, so I thought I would create something healthy and delicious based on their favourite flavours that makes everyone happy. Here’s why I love these bars:
- they are nut-free, gluten-free and vegan
- no baking is required
- they are made in a food processor in ONE STEP
- they taste amazing and freeze beautifully!
As always, when making anything for someone who can’t tolerate gluten, be sure to use certified gluten free ingredients like oats and oat flour. I don’t purposely omit gluten from our family’s diet as nobody has tolerance issues, but these simple wholesome ingredients all happened to be gluten free which is a big bonus for anyone who requires such a diet.
A note about the sweetener used: brown rice syrup is super sticky and really helps bind the bars together. I always get asked about ingredient substitutions, but I haven’t tried these bars with another type of sweetener (ie: maple syrup) … would love to hear if you try!
If you like the idea of these bars try out my Sneaky Mommy Muffins (loaded with veggies!), my Lunchbox Cookies (same thing, packed with veggies for unsuspecting kids), or my Chocolate Tahini Energy Bars.
Lunchbox Apple Oat Bars (nut free)
Totally nut-free and loaded with fibre, healthy fats, plant protein and yummy dried apples, these bars freeze beautifully and are whipped up in a food processor in 2 minutes.
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 2 cups chopped dried apple, packed (5 oz)
- 1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup ground flax seeds (also labelled milled flax)
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 10 pitted Medjool dates
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
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Line a baking pan (9x9" baking pan for thicker bars, or 9x13" baking pan for thinner bars) with parchment paper hanging over two sides (spray the pan first with cooking spray to help the parchment stick). This will make the bars easier to remove.
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Place all of the ingredients in a large capacity food processor (minimum 8 cup) and process until it is fine and sticks together (about 2 minutes), stopping the processor and scraping down the sides a couple of times.
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Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and press the mixture down very firmly and evenly using the bottom of a glass cup. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight, remove the bars from the pan using the overhanging parchment as handles, place on a large cutting board and cut into the desired number of bars with a sharp knife. Store at room temperature in a covered container for up to one week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Can’t wait to try this!! Will my vitamix work as a food processor? It’s new to me so have only done smoothies and soup ha ha.
Such a great question, I haven’t tried it but would try in batches if you do. It may be difficult due to the smaller surface area at the base..
Is there anything else I can use that can replace the brown rice syrup?
Ps. These sound and look amazing, can’t wait to try!!!
You can try maple syrup or honey, it just may not stick together as well! Would love to hear if you try!
Do you have any suggestions for a great food processor that’s not too hard on the budget?
Thank you! Love your blog
Hi Stephanie I have a Kitchen Aid and love it! There is a link to one on the shop page of my blog if you are in Canada that is on sale right now (just look in the Kitchen section)
Hi Tori,
These look delicious! Is there a substitute I could use for the rice syrup as I want to make these for my 17 month old.
Thank you! Xx
Hi Caroline, I would try honey or maple syrup (honey should be fine for kids over 1 year). Enjoy! xx Tori
I made these with dried apricots instead of apple and they turned out so delish! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Thanks what a great suggestion Kelly I will add that variation – brilliant!
How do you dry the apples?
Hi Emily, I bought them that way. You can buy them at most bulk food or natural food stores. Just buy the soft ones, not apple chips.
These bars are excellent! I could eat them every day!
So happy you love them Carolyn!
I don’t have a food processor but I have a Vitamix, could I use that instead?
Hi Candace, I don’t know if that would work (I haven’t tried it) it may be tricky as the bottom is so much more narrow!
They are only gluten free if you use certified gluten free oats!
Yes that’s right – I believe I included that but will double check to make sure it’s very clear!
These are super quick to make and truly delicious- just the right amount of softness/moisture/chewiness! My 5 year old is an extremely fussy eater so I blitzed everything extra fine (so there aren’t any discernable bits) and to fool her into thinking they’re a candy bar, I dipped them in melted chocolate and covered them in tiny sprinkles! Also, I didn’t have the pan you call for so used my rimmed cookie sheet (half-size – same size as your recipe but a low rim and it worked perfectly as it was easy to smooth out!)
Thanks for the awesome feedback Helen I’m so happy they worked for your picky child, it’s always a challenge!
I’ve already made them multiple times. So yummy! We used maple syrup as substitute and it worked well! No dried apples in the house so we made one batch of apricot and one batch of cherry and dark chocolate.
So creative thanks for sharing Janine!!!
Quick question – what kind of apple chips? Do the crunchy ones work (ie: Martin’s Apple Chips) or is this recipe meant for a softer dried apple that is more chewy?
Hi Jessica, it is the soft kind, not the crunchy chips. I will add a note to clarify!
Could you us fresh apples? I have a boat load of Honey Crisp apples that are past the eating stage but would be good in something. I don’t want to waste them.
I have made these numerous times – I love them and so does everyone I’ve served them to. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi there, Can you use fresh apples instead of the dried?
No unfortunately
Tori – is the coconut oil needed to help hold this together, or would another oil work? My daughter has a coconut allergy but I’d love to try these. Thanks!
Hi Katie I would try butter instead! Take care!
Tori
Theses taste amazing but mine are super dark in color compared to the picture you posted. Would this be because of the maple syrup? I may have over mixed mine as they look more like a protein bar instead of a granola bar, any suggestions why this would be? I used apple chips as they didn’t have soft ones and they worked great. If you don’t like the texture of the soft apple and just want the flavour of apple I think the chips are a better option.
Hi Krista! Yes it would be the maple syrup, and yes, it is likely the over processing as to why the consistency looks different!
Thank you
We love these! I make them with the orchard blend dried fruit (apple, pear, apricot, plums) from PC/Superstore added flavours and colour plus I use a porridge blend that had oat bran and flax already mixed in. Thanks Tori!
Hey Kelli! That is so amazing. Love to hear how you made this recipe your own! xx Tori
I used 1/4 cup molasses instead of the rice syrup and it is delicious! And seems to be stinking pretty well
Hi Tori,
Thanks for the great recipe. I can’t wait to try these. Quick question for you. Where the heck do you buy your brown rice syrup lol!? I live in Edmonton and remember looking for this once a few months ago and couldn’t find it anywhere. I checked Superstore, Save-On, Safeway and Wal-mart. So either they were all out of stock at the time or maybe I need to be checking out a specialty food store. Any insight? Thank you!
Hey Jessica! Sorry you’ve been on such a wild goose chase here! I have the most luck at my local natural food stores, and honestly these days you could just do Amazon! I hope you find it! It truly makes all the difference. xo Tori