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A healthy alternative to store-bought bars, these Vanilla Chip Buckwheat Bars are Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, and made with only 7 ingredients!
I’ve never tried to make my own baked Granola Bars before, but after seeing how easy and downright delicious these are….that is going to have to change. ASAP.
While I wish these magical bars were my own creation…I must give credit where credit is due. This recipe is from my dear friend Jackie Sobon, the über talented photographer and recipe developer behind Vegan Yack Attack. She just came out with her second (!) cookbook, Vegan Yack Attack On The Go!: Plant-Based Recipes to Feed Your Fast-Paced Vegan Lifestyle.
The book has over 100 different recipes with sections including Bulk Cooking, 30 Minute Meals, Quick Breakfasts, and more. It’s perfect for anyone with a busy lifestyle, or who just doesn’t want to spend unnecessary time in the kitchen. Another fun fact – you may or may not (you will) find little ol’ ME quoted on the back of the book! *squeals with excitement*
Okay, back to these Vanilla Chip Buckwheat Bars. I think I’ve had the same bag of Buckwheat Groats sitting in the back of my pantry since I started blogging, so I thought this would be a great way to make use of them. Don’t get me wrong, I love Buckwheat. It has a great nutty flavor as well as plenty of plant-based protein and fiber….it’s just not used very often!
Not only will these Bars make your house smell like a freakin’ Cookie Factory, they’re also really easy to make. You’ll only need 7 plant-based ingredients total and they’re naturally Gluten Free and Oil Free as well!
Jackie told me that these bars are her healthier take on a Clif Bar. They actually remind me of the Chocolate Chip Chewy Bars I ate growing up! They have a nice crispy exterior, but still keep a nice chewy bite in the center. I also love the addition of Coconut Flakes – it really takes the flavors to the next level.
These Vanilla Chip Buckwheat Bars are nutty, tasty, and perfect for an on-the-go snack! I think kids would enjoy them just as much as adults – they’re sweet, but not too sweet. They’d be great for a healthy lunchbox snack, camping food, or even dipped in some nut butter (or more chocolate) as a healthy dessert!
If you love these bars, don’t forget to check out Jackie’s new book, Vegan Yack Attack On The Go!: Plant-Based Recipes to Feed Your Fast-Paced Vegan Lifestyle, for even more delicious recipes. I’m currently drooling over the Pumpkin Maple Donut Holes, Sheet Pan Squash Tacos, and Green Enchilada Casserole — but I can’t decide which one I want to make first!
A Few Final Thoughts:
- Not a fan of Chocolate? I think these bars would work great with equal parts Dried Fruit instead! Just finely chop it into smaller pieces before folding into the final mixture.
- If you’re looking for a higher-protein bar, Jackie also suggests that you add a scoop of your favorite vegan protein powder to the mix! You may need to add 1-3 tbsp of Filtered Water to it as well, if things look a little dry.
- If you’re looking for more on-the-go bar recipes, you’ll also love these No-Bake Granola Bars and these Salted Caramel Apple Breakfast Bars!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl, as well as @VeganYackAttack and #VYAonthego! We love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
PrintVanilla Chip Buckwheat Bars
A healthy alternative to store-bought bars, these Vanilla Chip Buckwheat Bars are Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, and made with only 7 ingredients!
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 55 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup (180 g) Buckwheat Groats
- 2 cups (475 ml) Filtered Water
- 2 cups (230 g) Rolled Oats, Gluten-Free if necessary
- 1 cup (130 g) Medjool Dates, pitted
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Agave Nectar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 cup (160 g) Vegan Chocolate Chips
- ½ cup (40 g) Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC), and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small pot, bring the buckwheat groats and water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook the grains for 5 to 7 minutes, uncovered, until tender. Strain off any excess liquid, allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
- Then, place the Buckwheat in a food processor with the Oats, Dates, Agave Nectar, Vanilla, and Salt. Pulse until the mixture is combined, and the Oats and Dates are slightly broken down.
- Fold the Chocolate Chips and Coconut into the bar mixture until evenly mixed, then spread the mixture out into a 9 x 12″ (23 x 30-cm) rectangle, about ½” (1.25-cm) high. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut twelve 2.5 x 4″ (6.25 x 10-cm) bars out of the rectangle without separating them.
- Bake the bars for 30 minutes, then flip them, separating the bars at their perforations. Bake for an additional 15 minutes until they begin to brown around the edges.
- Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before serving, or for 45 minutes before putting them into a container with a moisture absorbing packet.
Notes
- Agave Nectar may be substituted for Maple Syrup
- Jackie’s Tip: try adding a scoop (size may vary) of your favorite vegan protein powder to this recipe to bump up the protein content!
- This recipe is reproduced with permission from Vegan Yack Attack On The Go!: Plant-Based Recipes for your Fast-Paced Vegan Lifestyle.
Keywords: vegan granola bars, nut free granola bars, buckwheat bars, recipes with buckwheat, vegan chewy bars
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These look great. I’m finding that the buckwheat is fantastic for my mold detoxing and so I’m looking for ways to get more. I also need a lot of seeds and nuts. Can I just add them in? Or do you have any suggestions of how I can change the recipe to add them?
You can add seeds and nuts to the Vanilla Chip Buckwheat Bars recipe to increase their nutritional content. Suggestions include adding chopped nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pecans (around 1/2 to 1 cup), incorporating seeds like chia seeds, flaxseeds, or pumpkin seeds (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup), or replacing some of the Medjool dates with nut butter such as almond butter or peanut butter. Adjust the consistency if needed by adding a small amount of liquid like water or a sweetener. Feel free to experiment with quantities based on your preferences. Enjoy!
Loved this recipe! I didn’t have enough chocolate so I substituted the rest with pumpkin seeds, which I saw in another comment. Had some cranberries to use up, which I used instead of the dates. The dough was pretty dry so I had do add around 50 ml of water, for it not to fall apart. I formed it into flat cookies instead, cause like that I was able to press the dough better together without falling apart. They came out perfect! Baked them for a trip, to bring some healthier snack options, can’t wait to snack them soon
Thank you for leaving a review! Glad it came out perfect.
Thanks for sharing this with us I really enjoyed these and plan to make them again soon.
So glad you liked it!
hi caitlin, i made these and they taste fantastic! how long do they keep for? and can i freeze them?
They should last for about a week – I havent tried freezing them, but they should be ok!
Hi!! I’ve been dying to try this recipe but don’t have access to buckwheat, what would you recommend as an alternative?
Hmm…that’s hard! You could probably use Oats, but I dont think you would cook them ahead of time. Unfortunately i have not tested any substitutions!
Hi There! I am allergic to oats.. I am celiac and they have a protein similar to gluten and I get rashes on my face.. is there a substitute i can use? thanks so much
Hi Marilyn! I have not tested the recipe this way, but perhaps they would work with Quinoa Flakes instead!
I have bulgar cracked wheat in my pantry and have never used it! Do you think i can substitute this for buckwheat 🙂 ?
Most likely yes, but it will have a different cooking time than the buckwheat
I just made them and they are really delicious but they fell apart what can prevent this from happening?
★★★★★
Maybe the batter was a bit to dry – I would recommend wrapping them in parchment paper to help keep them together!
Can I replace the dates with raisins.. I have some in my cupboard and want to use them up.
★★★★★
Yes, that should work!
I made this according to the recipe but substituted craisins and roasted pumpkin seeds for the chocolate chips. These bars are delicious – nutty and chewy. Really love them and will make again.
★★★★★
These look awesome, and that book sounds awesome too, I’ve added it to my wish list. I love easy recipes with 3 kids to feed!! My youngest cannot have gluten, so this one would be perfect (I’ll try using rolled quinoa or buckwheat instead of rolled oats as he also cannot have oats)
Have you made these without sweetener before? Thanks.
I have not, and don’t believe that would work – it helps to hold the bars together and they would be very dry without it