No Bake Gluten Free Snacks

July 13, 2020

Salted Dark Chocolate Pistachio Quinoa Crunch Bars

Delicious salted dark chocolate pistachio quinoa crunch bars filled with nutritious ingredients like quinoa, flaxseed meal, pistachios and cashews. These sweet & salty, protein-packed quinoa granola bars are naturally sweetened with honey and a little chocolate for a wonderful no bake snack or healthy treat!

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

4 hours

Total Time

4 hours 25 mins

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My pistachio obsession continues today! I mean, what a fun and gorgeous little nut to make these crunchy quinoa granola bars pop with beauty, right?

I found myself making and snacking on these no bake quinoa granola bars all the time during my first few months postpartum. They’re loaded with nutrition thanks to nourishing ingredients, naturally sweetened with honey and covered in dark chocolate + sea salt. A healthy snack that feels indulgent. My favorite.

The best part though? They’re completely no bake. So, let’s get to it!

Ingredients in pistachio quinoa crunch bars

We’re packing these delicious, gluten free chocolate quinoa granola bars with healthy fats from nuts, omega-3s from flaxseed meal and so much more. They’re naturally sweetened (plus a little chocolate). Here’s what you’ll need:

Almond butter: be sure to use a natural, drippy kind or feel free to sub peanut butter or sunflower seed butter.
Honey: for a delicious hint of sweetness in these bars.
Vanilla extract: a little vanilla adds the perfect flavor.
Gluten free rolled oats: rolled oats help hold the crunch bars together.
Quinoa: we’re using uncooked quinoa in these bars for a delicious crunch and boost of protein.
Flaxseed meal: add in some nutritious omega-3s with flax!
Pistachios: you’ll love the flavor that pistachios give these quinoa crunch bars.
Roasted cashews: I love the flavor of roasted cashews but you can also use roasted almonds for even more crunch.
Dark chocolate bar: for topping the bars. You can use dairy free chocolate or dark chocolate chips, too.
Coconut oil: a bit of coconut oil will help the melted chocolate harden over the bars.
Sea salt: sprinkle a little fancy sea salt on top for that sweet & salty combo.

How to make quinoa crunch bars

These delicious gluten free quinoa crunch bars are easier to make than you think!

First, line an 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Next, add your quinoa and oats to a medium pan and place over medium low heat. Toast quinoa and oats in the pan for 3-6 minutes or until quinoa begins to turn a slight golden brown color. You can also toast them on a pan in the oven at 325 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Once done toasting, set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the almond butter, honey and vanilla until smooth. Add in the oats and quinoa mixture, along with the flaxseed meal, pistachios and cashews. Stir until well combined.
Add mixture to the prepared pan and spread out evenly, then press mixture down in the pan very firmly.
Next break up the chocolate bar into chunks. Add the chocolate and coconut oil to a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Pour over the bars, tilting the pan to evenly coat the bars with chocolate. Add a few tablespoons of chopped pistachios on top.
Place the pan in the fridge for 4 hours or until the mixture has completely hardened. Remove the bars from the pan, sprinkle with sea salt and cut into 8 squares or bars.

Storing these chocolate quinoa crunch bars

In the fridge: store these bars covered in a container in the fridge for up to 1 week. When you’re ready to eat them, just let them come to room temp for about 5 minutes so that they soften a bit.
In the freezer: place the chocolate quinoa crunch bars in the freezer for up to 2 months in an airtight container. I’d recommend separating the bars with parchment wax paper as well. When you’re ready to eat them, let the bars thaw in the fridge and then bring them to room temp as described above.

I hope you love these delicious salted dark chocolate pistachio quinoa crunch bars! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating to let me know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!