I’ve always loved having homemade snacks ready to grab from the fridge, especially when we’re heading out for the day or need something quick between meals. These chewy seed muesli bars are made with oats, dried fruit, coconut and a whole mix of seeds, all held together with a simple peanut butter and maple syrup mixture.

What I love about this recipe is that there’s no need to turn on the oven. You simply mix together the dry ingredients, cook the peanut butter and maple syrup until it forms a thick, sticky mixture, then combine everything and press it firmly into a tray. Once chilled, the mixture sets into chewy homemade muesli bars that you can slice up and keep ready for the week, or freeze for up to 2 months.

The combination of raisins, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds and sesame seeds gives these bars plenty of texture, while the cinnamon and coconut add extra flavour. They’re sweetened with maple syrup and are easy to adapt, too. If you need a peanut-free option, sunflower seed butter works well in its place.

I like making a batch and slicing them into smaller squares for easy snacks, or into bars when we want something a little more substantial. The trick is to really press the mixture down firmly before chilling, which helps everything stick together when you cut them.

If you’re looking for an easy no-bake muesli bar recipe without the need for store-bought snack bars, these chewy seed bars are a great one to keep on hand.

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Nut-free Chewy Muesli Bars

Prep Time 10

Setting Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings 10

Suitable For 18+ months

Metric - US Customary Units

Ingredients

For the bars

110 g quick oats
75 g raisins
75 g dried cranberries
75 g pumpkin seeds
30 g sunflower seeds
25 g desiccated coconut
30 g hemp seeds
30 g sesame seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the sticky glue

125 g sunflower seed butter (or any nut or seed butter you prefer)
125 ml maple syrup

Instructions

Add the bar ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Stir well to combine, using your hands to separate any raisins or cranberries that are stuck together.
Line a baking dish or tray, approximately 20 x 20 cm, with baking paper/sheet, leaving a little overhang to make it easier to remove the bars later.
Add the sunflower seed butter and maple syrup to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir continuously for 5 to 7 minutes, allowing the mixture to bubble gently and thicken into a sticky, caramel-like paste. Keep stirring so it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan.
Pour the hot mixture over the dry ingredients. Stir thoroughly, folding and pressing the mixture together until every oat, seed and piece of fruit is coated in the sticky mixture.
Transfer the mixture to your lined tray. Use a spatula to spread it evenly, then press down very firmly with the back of the spatula and your hands to compact everything into a tight, even layer. Pay particular attention to the corners and edges, as this helps the bars hold together when sliced.
Place in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours, or until completely firm. For a quicker option, place in the freezer for approximately 20 minutes.
Lift the mixture out of the tray using the baking paper and transfer to a chopping board. Slice into approximately 20 bars or smaller squares.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge to help the bars stay firm.

Storage

Store in the fridge for 7 days or freezer for 2 months

Notes

The secret to bars that don’t crumble is pressing the mixture down really firmly while it’s still warm and sticky. If the mixture starts to cool before you’ve finished pressing it into the tray, it will become harder to compact.